On to Austria

September 1, 2023

Today we said goodbye to Switzerland and hello to Austria! We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Switzerland rain and all. Now we are looking forward to our time in Austria and Italy. We took the train from Luzern to Innsbruck and enjoyed the mountain and lake views along the way.

After arriving in Innsbruck our trusty google maps steered us faithfully to the closest Bankomat to get Euros and to the correct bus to our hotel.

For lunch we ate at a little pizza place next to the hotel and were pleasantly surprised at the difference in prices between Switzerland and Austria. In Switzerland a cheese pizza was generally about 18 francs while here in Innsbruck we only paid 8 euros. Huge difference!

Then we set out to explore old town Innsbruck. We walked along the inn river on a pedestrian and bike path then crossed over to the old town, wandered through some streets until we came to the Goldenes Dachl, the golden roof.

The Goldenes Dachl (Golden Roof) is a landmark structure located in the Old Town (Altstadt) section of Innsbruck. It is considered the city's most famous symbol. Completed in 1500, the roof was decorated with 2,657 fire-gilded copper tiles for Emperor Maximillian I to mark his wedding to Bianca Maria Sforza. The Emperor and his wife used the balcony to observe festivals, tournaments, and other events that took place in the square below.

Strangely enough we were lucky enough that there was a festival going on in the square below the goldenes dachl when we arrived and we stayed to enjoy the performers. There was a magician/clown, a woman on stilts an acrobat and a group playing jazz music. it’s was great fun and was all part of the city’s KRAPOLDI Festival.

From the web site - KRAPOLDI invites international ensembles from the fields of clowning, new circus and street theater to Innsbruck, creating an unforgettable flair in Rapoldipark and at selected locations in the city center. Concrete gray areas are transformed into a cheerful theatrical landscape, where one can laugh, marvel, shareand soul can dangle. KRAPOLDI brings culture among the people in a completely unelitarian way and thus creates a view of other possibilities, so as not to forget to be amazed.

Then it was back to our hotel… tomorrow we get our bikes for the next tour and another tally gal joins the party!

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