The Hapsburgs' palace at Trieste
Posing in front of the Adriatic, Grado
I have cycled to the Adriatic!
Ancient mosaic at Aquileia
The family in Lozzo who asked me in for dinner - Luis, Lorenzo and Christina
Innsbruck
Into Austria, hurrah no EU logo!
Maurilina pass, which I did without realising it!
Crossing from Austria into the Sud-Tirol region of Italy. Note the sign.
Innsbruck, from near the ski jump
One foot in Austria, one foot in Germany!
Lady surfer, Munich
Traditional Bavarian Breakfast ( minus the orange juice)
Starkbier Fest
Thomas, in his regalia
Lady surfer, MunichApologies for the lack of news everyone, I have genuinely not happened upon a decent internet cafe until now (and even this one won't let me upload any pictures). They have taken a copy of my passport under Italian Law, I can only suppose to trace me if I am a spy.
Munich (27-29 March)
I had an absolute ball in this city, and found it very difficult to leave. It is one of those cities to which one can simply turn up and very quickly have a group of friends- at least that is what happened to me. The great thing about making friends there was that I managed to sample a little of the food and culture that would have been impossible otherwise. Cat, who I befriended from the hostel took me to a great student haunt that served a Wiener Scnitzel the size of a stingray (no joke), and we then went to a bar to meet her boyfriend who was about to make a trip to Kyrgistan. I am awaiting his news from there!
They came over for breakfast the following day (traditional Bavarian Breakfast of Pretzels, Weisswurst sausages (put them in a pan of boiling water, but don't put it on the heat), and Weiss Beer. All very tasty.
The following day, the 29th I had planned to leave munich, however I overslept, the clocks went forward, unbeknown to me, and my phone stopped working, so I decided to remain in the city for another day. This was in fact a great boon because it gave me time to go to the Strong Beer (Starkbier) festival, upon Angus Bauer's savvy recommendation.
Verdi could have been thinking of the Paulaner Strong beer Festival when he wrote his Drinking Song in La Traviate, which we performed as the Social Shout when I was a schoolboy. The English translation that we performed was rolling round my head all evening ("I drink, yes I drink to the pleasure of life, And the glorious enchantment of beauty! I sing, yes I sing...!)
I arrived at 4pm, having visited BMW, and fully intending only to stay for half an hour (have a beer and go). I was met by an extraordinary sight of men in lederhosen, and ladies in traditional costumes that greatly flatter the feminine figure standing on benches dancing and singing to the traditional band as they imbibed from enormous ceramic tankards.
The beer, which was rather like Christmas ale at 7.5% was only available in litre measures (appropriately called a Mass). I circled the room nervously looking for a place to sit as I was rather clearly Jimmy-no-mates. I spotted a friendly looking couple, Thomas and Frederike, who informed me that all I needed to do was sit down and order a beer! So I did. At the end of my first mass, I could already feel the effects of the alcohol, and was very soon dancing on top of the tables with the rest of them.
It was rather like the "Feast" at Cothill house, however no one waited for the Christmas pudding before stamping their feet and cheering. The room was furnished with trestle tables, and benches, school style, and nearly everyone in the room was standing on top of them (except the ones who were falling off onto the neighbouring table). Many of the songs had hand gestures, rugby club style, and the lyrics were rather catchy (Viva Bavaria! being one of the regular refrains). But there was a line- at one point out table moved out of line by about 3 feet, and were given a wave by an usher. We immediately rearranged, and carried on as normal as if we had been given a frown from the headmaster.
I never saw any agression, apart from one small tiffle in which no blows were thrown, and the atmosphere were purely jovial. I seriously doubt if that would have been the case in Britain.
There is an Italian having an argument on the phone right in my ear which is driving me insane.
Anyway, where was I?
On the way back (after 3 mass), my friends made sure I got the right trains and trams to get home, which was very good of them. I was shocked that drunken students at midnight in Munich still wait at the little red man for fear of getting a jaywalking fine. I even met a chap who had been given a fine for riding his bike on the wrong side of the pavement!
Lenggries 30 March
Having eventually left Munich, I headed south towards the mountains, following the Isau river which conveniently goes in the direction of Innnsbruck. By the end of the day, I arrived in Lenggries, which is a small Bavarian ski resort. The chap working in the hostel was British, on his gap year and planning to study in Canterbury. He made a good German breakfast the next day! I was a little shocked that having spent a large part of his gap year working in a ski resort he had done no skiing- hopefully he will have fun with all the money saved!
Innsbruck 31 March - 1 April
The cloud cover only cleared to reveal the alpine peaks in the afternoon of my cycle to Innsbruck, which was a real joy to see. I did not notice much of a climb on the route to Innsbrick, so I was totally shocked when I found myself at the top of the enornous Inn valley (don't know if it's called that, but it has the river Inn at the bottom of it!), and I had a glorious downhill run of several hundred metres to the bottom. On arrival at Innsbruck, after a while I found a grotty independent hostel, but was pleased to share the dorm with a pair of friendly Aussies.
The following day, the first of April, was gloriously sunny, and the scenery of Innsbruck which is surrounded by a corona of white mountain peaks was breathtaking when seen against the blue sky. I spent the day exploring the city with those guys, and managed to trick Anthony (it being April 1st) that a fountain was spurting apple juice. He tasted it (sorry Anthony!), but he claims he was only doing it to be polite!
One funny thing about the Austrians is that if you ask them "Do you know where the ski jump is?" they will simply answer "Yes". You have to ask "Please, tell me where the ski jump is."
Freinfeld 2 April
I was very nervous about crossing the Brenner Pass into Italy, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had thought. On the other side, I was a little annoyed to find that nothing of the culture is Italian, as the official sign at the border "Sud Tirol ist nicht Italien!" suggests.
The food is still bratwursts, and the language is Deutsch. The only difference was the quality of the breakfast, which consisted of 3 pieces of bread, some scrapings of cheese, and jam. This was a big shock after Germany.
Rasen 3 April
Found a campsite on this day, which was lucky- still in Sud Tirol. The Alpine scenery was stunning, and the night was not too cold.
Lozzo 4 April
I asked a farmer if I could camp in his field, and he asked me in to have supper with his wife and son. He is an electrician 5 days a week, and keeps sheep and donkeys for the weekends. The Spag bog was very tasty as were the home made saucisson.
Vittorio Venetto 5 April
Having decended the mountains, the warm mediterranien air is wafting over my skin. The nights are balmy, and the realisation that I have cycled to Italy is now a reality. I stayed in a shared apartment in the city where some of the inhabitants cooked my supper for me in the proper Italian way! (pork rashers, globe artichoke, and wonderful tomato shaped like a pumpkin)
Aquileiea 6 April
The flat lands of Italy were a treat after the hills of the Dolomites. I made good progress, and made it to a campsite that was getting ready for the summer season by cleaning the pool. This was a major city of the Roman Empire, so I explores some of the ruins, and the Basilica contains a huge mosaic commissioned by Constantine after the legalisation of Christianity.
Trieste 7 April - present
I am loving being in Italy, and it will be sad to leave it for Slovenia tomorrow. I have explored Trieste and the Hostel is beautifully perched overlooking the Adriatic. I sat up in bed this mornign and looked at the ships bobbing up and down. It is very near to Miramare, a stunning castle built by Archduke Maximilian who lived here when it was part of the Hapsburg Empire.
I asked a lady in the street where a good place to eat well for little, and she took me to Marios, where I hat the most delicious gnocci in gravy sauce. They were the size of hamburgers and tasted like stuffing. Delicious. I then went to a cafe and had an espresso topped with a little bit of whipped cream!
Munich (27-29 March)
I had an absolute ball in this city, and found it very difficult to leave. It is one of those cities to which one can simply turn up and very quickly have a group of friends- at least that is what happened to me. The great thing about making friends there was that I managed to sample a little of the food and culture that would have been impossible otherwise. Cat, who I befriended from the hostel took me to a great student haunt that served a Wiener Scnitzel the size of a stingray (no joke), and we then went to a bar to meet her boyfriend who was about to make a trip to Kyrgistan. I am awaiting his news from there!
They came over for breakfast the following day (traditional Bavarian Breakfast of Pretzels, Weisswurst sausages (put them in a pan of boiling water, but don't put it on the heat), and Weiss Beer. All very tasty.
The following day, the 29th I had planned to leave munich, however I overslept, the clocks went forward, unbeknown to me, and my phone stopped working, so I decided to remain in the city for another day. This was in fact a great boon because it gave me time to go to the Strong Beer (Starkbier) festival, upon Angus Bauer's savvy recommendation.
Verdi could have been thinking of the Paulaner Strong beer Festival when he wrote his Drinking Song in La Traviate, which we performed as the Social Shout when I was a schoolboy. The English translation that we performed was rolling round my head all evening ("I drink, yes I drink to the pleasure of life, And the glorious enchantment of beauty! I sing, yes I sing...!)
I arrived at 4pm, having visited BMW, and fully intending only to stay for half an hour (have a beer and go). I was met by an extraordinary sight of men in lederhosen, and ladies in traditional costumes that greatly flatter the feminine figure standing on benches dancing and singing to the traditional band as they imbibed from enormous ceramic tankards.
The beer, which was rather like Christmas ale at 7.5% was only available in litre measures (appropriately called a Mass). I circled the room nervously looking for a place to sit as I was rather clearly Jimmy-no-mates. I spotted a friendly looking couple, Thomas and Frederike, who informed me that all I needed to do was sit down and order a beer! So I did. At the end of my first mass, I could already feel the effects of the alcohol, and was very soon dancing on top of the tables with the rest of them.
It was rather like the "Feast" at Cothill house, however no one waited for the Christmas pudding before stamping their feet and cheering. The room was furnished with trestle tables, and benches, school style, and nearly everyone in the room was standing on top of them (except the ones who were falling off onto the neighbouring table). Many of the songs had hand gestures, rugby club style, and the lyrics were rather catchy (Viva Bavaria! being one of the regular refrains). But there was a line- at one point out table moved out of line by about 3 feet, and were given a wave by an usher. We immediately rearranged, and carried on as normal as if we had been given a frown from the headmaster.
I never saw any agression, apart from one small tiffle in which no blows were thrown, and the atmosphere were purely jovial. I seriously doubt if that would have been the case in Britain.
There is an Italian having an argument on the phone right in my ear which is driving me insane.
Anyway, where was I?
On the way back (after 3 mass), my friends made sure I got the right trains and trams to get home, which was very good of them. I was shocked that drunken students at midnight in Munich still wait at the little red man for fear of getting a jaywalking fine. I even met a chap who had been given a fine for riding his bike on the wrong side of the pavement!
Lenggries 30 March
Having eventually left Munich, I headed south towards the mountains, following the Isau river which conveniently goes in the direction of Innnsbruck. By the end of the day, I arrived in Lenggries, which is a small Bavarian ski resort. The chap working in the hostel was British, on his gap year and planning to study in Canterbury. He made a good German breakfast the next day! I was a little shocked that having spent a large part of his gap year working in a ski resort he had done no skiing- hopefully he will have fun with all the money saved!
Innsbruck 31 March - 1 April
The cloud cover only cleared to reveal the alpine peaks in the afternoon of my cycle to Innsbruck, which was a real joy to see. I did not notice much of a climb on the route to Innsbrick, so I was totally shocked when I found myself at the top of the enornous Inn valley (don't know if it's called that, but it has the river Inn at the bottom of it!), and I had a glorious downhill run of several hundred metres to the bottom. On arrival at Innsbruck, after a while I found a grotty independent hostel, but was pleased to share the dorm with a pair of friendly Aussies.
The following day, the first of April, was gloriously sunny, and the scenery of Innsbruck which is surrounded by a corona of white mountain peaks was breathtaking when seen against the blue sky. I spent the day exploring the city with those guys, and managed to trick Anthony (it being April 1st) that a fountain was spurting apple juice. He tasted it (sorry Anthony!), but he claims he was only doing it to be polite!
One funny thing about the Austrians is that if you ask them "Do you know where the ski jump is?" they will simply answer "Yes". You have to ask "Please, tell me where the ski jump is."
Freinfeld 2 April
I was very nervous about crossing the Brenner Pass into Italy, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had thought. On the other side, I was a little annoyed to find that nothing of the culture is Italian, as the official sign at the border "Sud Tirol ist nicht Italien!" suggests.
The food is still bratwursts, and the language is Deutsch. The only difference was the quality of the breakfast, which consisted of 3 pieces of bread, some scrapings of cheese, and jam. This was a big shock after Germany.
Rasen 3 April
Found a campsite on this day, which was lucky- still in Sud Tirol. The Alpine scenery was stunning, and the night was not too cold.
Lozzo 4 April
I asked a farmer if I could camp in his field, and he asked me in to have supper with his wife and son. He is an electrician 5 days a week, and keeps sheep and donkeys for the weekends. The Spag bog was very tasty as were the home made saucisson.
Vittorio Venetto 5 April
Having decended the mountains, the warm mediterranien air is wafting over my skin. The nights are balmy, and the realisation that I have cycled to Italy is now a reality. I stayed in a shared apartment in the city where some of the inhabitants cooked my supper for me in the proper Italian way! (pork rashers, globe artichoke, and wonderful tomato shaped like a pumpkin)
Aquileiea 6 April
The flat lands of Italy were a treat after the hills of the Dolomites. I made good progress, and made it to a campsite that was getting ready for the summer season by cleaning the pool. This was a major city of the Roman Empire, so I explores some of the ruins, and the Basilica contains a huge mosaic commissioned by Constantine after the legalisation of Christianity.
Trieste 7 April - present
I am loving being in Italy, and it will be sad to leave it for Slovenia tomorrow. I have explored Trieste and the Hostel is beautifully perched overlooking the Adriatic. I sat up in bed this mornign and looked at the ships bobbing up and down. It is very near to Miramare, a stunning castle built by Archduke Maximilian who lived here when it was part of the Hapsburg Empire.
I asked a lady in the street where a good place to eat well for little, and she took me to Marios, where I hat the most delicious gnocci in gravy sauce. They were the size of hamburgers and tasted like stuffing. Delicious. I then went to a cafe and had an espresso topped with a little bit of whipped cream!
Interesting that it's an Italian law that you have to hand over your passport at Internet cafe's. I was so suspicious of the guy at the Ancona internet cafe that I gave him my old out of date one as I thought it was a scam.
ReplyDeleteHe tried to imply I might do a runner. I put him straight and reasoned that I'm hardly likely to do a runner for a €2 fee. He then said I might be a terrorist. I thought if anyone is likely to be a terrorist around here it's the dodgy bloke running the internet cafe.