A Day in Innsbruck

Before 8 am, Dave was at the small grocery store - which is just down the road - and got chocolate croissants hot out of the oven. Yum! 

Today, we were going to spend the day exploring Innsbruck via the hop-on-hop-off bus. We parked at the southern most point on the route - which was the location of the ski jumping at the 1976 Olympics - and boarded the first bus at 11 am. The guy driving the bus was not a people person. 

There were 28 points of interest - three of which we wanted to spend some time at. Turns out we only had time for two of them - plus a bonus stop. Some sort of protest had closed the road to traffic so the bus couldn't get to where we were waiting for it after we got off the first time - which resulted in us loosing a half an hour. It did allow us to have a lovely stroll in a park as we made our way to the next bus stop. 

Our first stop was an indoor market. An unplanned stop but a delightful one! Lots of fruits and vegys, meat and fish, flowers, baked goods, and places to have a drink. At 11:30 in the morning several of the tiny "shops" had people sitting in very tight quarters chatting and enjoying a glass of wine. We enjoyed a piece of really good apple strudel on a bench outside the market overlooking the river with colorful homes on the other shore.

Our next, and first planned, stop was the Hofkirche - a Catholic church with the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I. Some false advertising here. Yes, it's a church but it turns out the "tomb" is really a memorial since the emperor isn't buried there. The "tomb" is really amazing - the most splendid imperial tomb in Europe. There are 28 bronze statues  (almost 10'  tall) of family and important people (from 526 to 1555 - 1555 was "Joanne the Mad" - poor woman to have a name like that) standing along the sides of the "tomb." The statues were very impressive. How the artists were able to create the intricacies/details (in bronze!) is a mystery.

Our ticket allowed us to visit the attached museum which had items from the 1400's to the 1900's. They have the largest collection of furniture/cabinets/ceramic heaters that I've ever seen.  I'm sure most of the items all came from very wealthy people as the craftsmanship was excellent. One of my favorite things was a small wooden calendar (about 4" x 6") for June and July from the late 1400's.

This is where the protest came in so we didn't get back on the bus until 2:30. We had to be back at our car by 4:45 or else we'd have to find another way to get there. The commentary on the bus was quite good but rarely matched where we were. 

Our second planned stop was Schloss Ambras. It's a castle/palace built by Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria (mid 1500's) for his wife, a commoner - which was a serious no-no in those days. Marrying a commoner that is. Unfortunately, this is another case of false advertising. Yes, it's a castle (very different than the ones we've seen in other parts of Europe) and while there were a few original tables and chairs, one spectacular and authentic hall (for entertaining), and a bath tub (a metal lined box with a stool in it), this stop was mostly an art gallery, armory (many, many suits of armor in pristine condition), and an extensive collection of glassware. While rare and very valuable, not so interesting for us. The interesting part were the "curiosities" displayed as they were in the 1500s. A collection of "things" for people to look at. I could have spent a lot of time there but the clock was ticking. We couldn't miss the last bus of the day. (The peacocks were beautiful - at least the males who were doing their best to attract the females who didn't seem too interested.)

After getting the car, we headed back into the center of the city for supper. It was a beautiful, warm (70ish), sunny day so we wanted to sit outside to eat. Our view was an old city gate and colorful buildings beyond it. The sun was warm and the food was fantastic. This was a definite highlight of our trip. The small things, right?

Since the weather was much better today, we could see the snow capped mountains that surround Innsbruck and Sistrans. The mountains never cease to please and amaze. I think we've seen mountains (or foothills) everyday so far. That will change tomorrow as we head to Dachau, Germany - yes, where the famous concentration camp is located. Strange as it may be, I've always wanted to see a concentration camp. WW II and the camps are the topics I've read the most about. Not sure why I'm so interested in this but I am.

One thing I learned today: The housing built for the Olympians were repurposed for regular housing. Today, people from over 50 countries live in them. 

One new thing I experienced today: Ordering supper. We went to an Italian place - with outdoor seating which was the most important factor in choosing where to eat. When we entered, we went to the "station" were the food was that we wanted - pasta for both of us. There were seven different kinds of noodles to choose from - all handmade that morning. The staff cooked our food in front of us as we told them the ingredients we wanted - garlic, cheese, spice, etc. It was such fun! We got rhubarb drinks. They were suggested to us because I asked for noodles that were "fun." When it came to drinks, the woman asked if we wanted a fun drink. I love it when people play along.

Most powerful moment of the day: Being in the curiosity room. I imagined all of the people who stood by those same displays hundreds of years ago and were just as impressed and interested in the artifacts as I was. I'm sure bragging rights went along with it. "I've seen the XXX at the palace. Have you?"

One pleasurable experience: This trip. I was hoping for a slower pace, relaxing trip where we could take our time and not be overly busy. That's exactly what the trip has been. The normal schedule that we've kept on these trips, of lots of sightseeing and going until 9 or so every night, hasn't been our pattern. Both are great options but at this point in time, the slow and relaxed is what's needed.