Letter 6
Tuesday 26.07.11
At 6 o'clock precisely the dustmen arrive. That's at least how it
sounds. It's grown light. It's time to get up.
After an hour I'm ready to eat breakfast and half an hour later to pack
and now at 8 all bags are ready inside the tent, but the sun hasn't
reached it yet. The old man isn't so fast today. The cheese (Chaumes)
has been packed in a tightly closed plasticbag!
When I stepped out and took a look at the extra wire it was fine and
tight like yesterday???
So someone did do something. A fox probably? Here at all the rubbish. It
was a bit clumsy. Can't foxes see in the dark?
I wait until 9 for the sun to reach the tent. But it'll take too long I
decide when it finally happens, so it's still wet. Maybe I can put it up
during the day?
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| Second camp behind the rubbish | View towards Austria |
I go back to the railway station to wash. The usual 50 cents. It's big
and impersonal. There should be an i-net café nearby according to the
woman in the restaurant yesterday. I don't see it, but find it after an
inquiery to the tourist information. For 5€ one can have drinks of your
own choice and free Wi-Fi. But the prices are higher than normal. I have
a large cappucino and a mineral water with gas. Can have nothing for the
left €. I can't mail it all, as the lastest is only by hand until now.
Hopefully I can charge the computer and put the handwriting to digital
in the Jugendherberge in Feldkirch.
I'm in Austria! No check on the austrian side but the building is still
there. I've bought a suitable map which will do all the way to
Innsbruck, so now I'll change. Again!
The sun, that started through a thin layer of clouds, have now broken
through. Scattered clouds. The mountains look alarming.
I ask a man with a dog, that looks local - the man too - how I best get
to Feldkirch? He has a lot to say about that. And shows which way he
finds the prettiest. I'll take that.
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| Views in... | ...Austria |
The town never seems to stop, villages replace each other. I've felt
like peeing ever since I arrived in Austria... At last there's a spot at
some trees by the railway, which seems a little discreet. The only thing
that misses is that the train comes by....
When I reach the "green road" in the end, I've forgotten all about it. I
wonder why I cross over the autobahn and see my mistake. But it doesn't
matter. I'm tired. I just want to get to Feldkirch - as sooner the
better.
I pass by a "bierstube" and buy a cup of coffee. That's not much for 2€!
I've come to Austria? A man at one table talks to me. Bitte? He repeats
but it doesn't help. I understand NOTHING. I can guess it has to do with
my enormous packing, but the words...
According to the map there should be 12 km left... They're playing Dr.
Hook with violins and all: "Love you a little bit more" in the
loadspeakers. That's not what I fell about Austria just now.
I speed up, almost too much, I pass the sign, but do see it:
Jugendherberge. Already. Here at the right (from my view) side of
Feldkirch. An enchanting old house at the other side of the street...
They've only got room in dormitory, but that's what I intended. 18€ incl.
breakfast, exactly like I saw it in internet, and it's even cheaper than
normal prizes in Germany.
It's a 10-bed dormitory. Like in old days. An elderly man is lying on
his back as the only one. I suppose he's asleep. Then he opens his mouth
and we talk for something like 6 hours. He's also by bike and has come
across Arlberg from the other side today. I'm pleased - then it'll be
possible for me too, probably. He's australian - but born in Germany in
'38, so he remembers when the allied forces arrived. He immigrated by
the age of 18. We talk aboyt war, extermination camps, politics, bicycle
trips and EVERYTHING else. We connect well. I don't think I ever spoke
to a long distance biker "our" age before. It's a great experience.
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| The Jugendherberg in Feldkirch | Hans with built in mirror in his helmet |
Now it's 23 - goodnight
52.24 km
15.4 km/h
31.5 km/h
3:23.01 h