Letter 9
Friday 29.07.11
It's 6 o'clock and I'm awake. The site is situated high, so even there's
some distance to the motorway it can easily be heard. And the morning
traffic has started. And the airport is here too. But I had a nice sleep.
Looking forward to the shower, I didn't manage yesterday.
I say goodbye to the frenchmen. Maybe we'll meet again, they are
crossing Gerlos Pass to Zell am See, too, and they might be there some
days, but the weather...
The lady next door is kind enough to tell me it won't get better until
monday, I didn't want to look for myself.
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| Morning at the camp site | Innsbruck |
In Innsbruck I stop to look at the map I took at the camping site. An
elderly kind austrian offers his help and end up offering me some drops
- Zucker, gut. A little later a blond girl smiles at me as if she knows
me... but isn't it... yes, definitely, I realize that it IS the
hungarian girl from the Jugendherberg in Feldkirch. She slept next to me
and woke me up several times - unintended - when she had to go to puke.
She told me next morning. She seems to be much better. Is going back to
Budapest tomorrow. It's a small world. We talk for some time and wish
each other good luck.
I do a small tour in the tourist hell to see what Innsbruck has to
offer. Downtown is charming but there is a freightful lot of people.
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| Downtown Innsbruck ... | ...it's all for the tourists |
When they talk about better weather on monday it's probably the
temperature it's about. The sun is peaking through here in the valley
and the weather is perfect for cycling, with a cool air.
I'm under the motorway sitting on a chamfered edge. In front a row of
kerbstones reminds me of a miniature of the chinese wall. It's patroled
by soldiers. Ants they are. They come wandering from both sides.
Sometimes two of them meet and seem to exchange information. They
disappear in both directions, I wonder what going on?
I've come here to have lunch. It started raining, so that's fine. Now
the sun is shining and I've followed the ants. All the way - 30 m -
under the motorway they walk on the wall. They're digging a new
habitation on the south side. The north side is more or less a swamp
where the wall ends. But it's come because of the rain, so they're maybe
moving their habitation?
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| A very charming wooden bridge... you have to drag your bike... | My face in the mirror... |
I cycle 50 km along the Inn river, before I have to turn. Here in
Austria the valleys are in some ways more important than the towns to
find your way. As long as you take the right valley, you'll get there,
but this time I've forgotten the name. The station master mentioned it.
But I recognize the name when I see it: Zillertal. I've just come to the
right (southern) side of the river, the mountain rise vertically on my
right and the cars disappear on a bridge above me inside the mountain.
To where?
The moment I come around the corner, I see the narrow tracked railway,
he talked about. The corner rises some hundred meters above us like a
giant molar. On top lies a minor castle - of course. The sun is shining,
the air is cool, I don't ask for more...
One can bring bicycles on the train!...
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| Steam train on the narrow railway | Zell am Ziller |
At last I found the cycle track. After the cars had gone INSIDE the
mountain they also came out again and were merged with my road which
made it unbearable. Unfortunately a major part is crossing Gerloss Pass
with me? Anyway the valley ends somewhere in front.
I moved to the middle of the valley but had to go the wrong direction.
Some children were walking over there - so there must be a path?
Determined I cross a field only to find out that the path went along a
canal that couldn't be crossed. But up at the end there was a bridge.
From where should the boys have come if not? Now I had to go the wrong
direction again. I could see cyclists somewhere out in the field behind
the houses, but how to get there? I found out in the end and am still in
high spirit but also a bit run down. 60 km until now at 16.30.
In the end I'm about to take a wrong road. When you don't follow the
motor traffic road the signs are not so clear. On my way out of Zell am
Ziller, where I went to the station to have water and make a cup of
cappucino for the newly bought rubarb and cherry cake I ask and am send
back to town. It's 18.30 and the wind starts suddenly blowing, it's
going to rain.
I'm considering the situation here under "Tourismus Verbands" fine
shelter.
It's 20.05 and I'm in my tent writing. I waited for about an hour. The
weather in the mountains changes fast. The wind was blowing up through
the valley but it was as if the clearing up came from the other side?
When I went to have a look at the road up towards Gerlos, I passed a
camping site in town. What luck. When I had looked for 10 sec. there was
no doubt in my mind and I went back and entered. 10€, "Viel zu billig",
he said.
It started raining as soon as I started raising the tent, but I made it
before the rain got harder. Now I'm sitting enjoying. I'll have
"Mediterrane Gemüsepfanne". I've come to the dutch camp, I didn't see
until later. Holy shit, how they're babbling in the big tent in front og
me.
77 km