Thursday
August 5, 1982 - Innsbruck
Writing my
journal is a little difficult here as we are all sharing a room and Rab and
Matt are trying to sleep, so I am using my bedside light and pressing on a tin
of Suchard Express – delicious aroma. Outside in the main square an Austrian
band/dance group are giving it a go as they have been for the past two hours.
Must be the mountain air that keeps them so lively, but thank goodness for
double glazing.
We left a
still raining Lucerne at 08.07 this morning
without any problems and the trip back to Zurich
was as interesting as that down to Lucerne.
We had twenty five minutes in Zurich
– just long enough to change some money and buy some tissues for Matt who has a
terrible cold now and is snorting all over the place, poor little chap. It was
overcast in Zurich, so we missed a grand
spectacle as we travelled around the lake at the start of our journey to Innsbruck. And could only
imagine what it might be like on a clear, sunny day. The weather stayed the
same most of the way, so we missed seeing the glory of the Alps.
It did clear a little once we got into Austria and we caught some glimpses
of blue skies and mountain peaks touched with snow.
 |
| Not much snow in this pic - but I like it |
Matt did not
have an Austrian visa – so much for Allen, Wack and Shepherd’s expertise – so I
had to leap off the train at Buchs and get one. As it turned out I had plenty
of time but Rab and Matt were a little worried by thoughts of their steaming
off on their own. We had a snack of sandwiches and beers on the train – darned
expensive it was too. We resolved that we’ll bring our own on our next train
trip.
 |
| Running up those steps! |
We arrived
in Innsbruck
about half an hour late in gentle sunshine. The design of the platforms here is
most unfortunate as one cannot get on or off without going up and down steep
steps. That made the movement of three heavy cases by one person – me – a bit
tedious. Roll on the next holiday when Rab swears she will be travelling with
only one case between the three of us.
We got a
room quite easily in the old part of the town at a lovely old inn – the Weise
Kreuse – which dates back a long time. It is claimed that Mozart popped in for
the night – like us – back in December 1769 with his old man. It is a quaint
place, so much so that Matt almost came a cropper going down the stairs as all the rises and treads
are different depths.
 |
| Front of house |
 |
| Matt and me |
During the
day the streets in this area are a pedestrian mall, although you would not have
thought so as our old taxi driver ploughed his way through the innocent
bystanders. It is a lovely town, dominated by the mountains towering over it
and we would love to come back in winter. It is jam packed with tourists but
has a very happy, almost carnival atmosphere. We spent the afternoon wandering
around eating pommes frites with mayonnaise and spending money like drunken
sailors – T-shirts, material, a walking stick etc. we even bought some of the
local liqueurs which seem very nice indeed.
 |
| The tourist throng from our hotel window |
Having shopped until closing time at 18.30 we set out
for a meal. After a bit of toing and froing and a couple of beers we landed up
at a Pizzeria. This did however also serve Austrian food and we thoroughly
enjoyed what we had. I had s’Pfandt and Rab had Grillteller alt Innsbruck. Mine was
medallions of pork, beef and chicken in a creamy pepper sauce with potato
noodles – very tasty indeed.
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