As we are getting up there is the rumble of engines a the first of today's river-cruisers moors up and spills its passengers into waiting coaches.

We drive up to the abbey carpark. Nick has decided not to suffer the cobbles so the three tourists go and get their tickets for the English spoken tour of Melk Abbey. They return an hour later having been overwhelmed by the history, architecture and sheer opulence of the artefacts and decoration.

We refuel in Melk then cross to the north bank of the Danube for our scenic ride to Vienna.

For many miles the road runs right beside the wide, fast flowing brown water. Across the other side runs another road beneath woods and rocky rises. Small towns with colourful houses punctuate the journey.

We stop at Aggsbach Markt, in an aire for lunch, watching cargo barges and river-cruisers battle the current. Beyond Aggsbach Markt we start to see steeply terraced vineyards and the odd schloss or ruin as we continue through the Wausach valley and approach Krems, where we stop at a supermarket.

From Krems we have the challenge of avoiding certain roads as we don't have the vignette for motorways or expressways. This wouldn't be difficult but for roadworks which have shut of

some of the junctions Snoopy wants to use, but we manage it and have few more riverside miles before climbing up into some hilly countryside.

We join the busy tea-time traffic on the outskirts of Vienna and make our way through the unattractive suburbs to our 'Stellplatz' in PerfektStrasse, where we receive a warm welcome complete with city maps and a tourist information pack. We are told that most of the public transport system is wheelchair accessible and which metro lines to use to take us to the centre. Ali and Grete walk to the station only 200m away and buy a 72hour travel pass which covers tube, tram and bus travel as well as providing discount for certain attractions and purchases in the city.

Over dinner we discuss plans for tomorrow and watch a re-run of last Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, reflecting that one year ago we were driving the vans through Monaco ourselves.