My Verona

Hello, I concluded my recent tour by stopping in Verona, for one night,  on my way back to Piran. Similar to Florence but has less grand buildings but more of them (see pictures below). Also it was not as crazy in Verona, a lot calmer and less busy than Florence or Rome. I even saw a policeman even tel a kid on a motor bike to cut down on the revving. But they also don't believe in too many traffic lights in Verona.

The amount and size of luggage people drag on to trains is unbelievable. It appears that some people think that it doesn't matter how big your suitcase is as long as its got wheels things will be fine. A train is not a plane though. I saw one person on a platform in Italy that had a large backpack on his back, a slightly smaller one on his front and two smaller backpacks in each hand. I don't think he was a porter. 
Also no sign of police on the trip back - except on the Venice-Trieste leg - but certainly no passport checks. I guess not much concern about refugees heading the other way. 
It was also interesting the number of people that sit in reserve seats so that when the person whose seat it is boards, they have to move. It's not hard to see if the seat is reserved, there's a little piece of paper next to the seat number showing the stations from and to for which the seat is reserved. With the local Italian trains they don't do this system, so pot luck. Although I must say the Italian train system is a lot better: they have better trains than the Austrians now, the best online ticket system, and screens on the platforms at major stations showing the location of carriages before the train comes in (very smart and reduces the delay in boarding by reducing the number of people running up and down the platform trying to find their carriage number).

Anyway, here are some pictures of Verona...

 

Walks Near Innsbruck - Part 2

Hello and welcome to the last instalment of the walks near Innsbruck photos. These are taken from three different locations; Nordkette range, Mutteralm, and near Telfs. As you can see from the photos the weather was not so good for a bit but now has improved as I leave for the final leg of my trip - a quick stopover in Verona on the way back to Piran.

But of course there have been a few incidents...

Path Rage

That might be what you call an argument between one of the guides and one of the walkers. But before I get to that point, I will start at the beginning. Some  of us got on the bus at Innsbruck for the guided walk and then we went to another town to pick up some more walkers. This particular British tourist was already grumbling when she got on the bus. Then when we started walking, in went the headphones and then the "singing" started. But the behaviour only degenerated. As we were walking up a gravel vehicle track, a mere incline by Austrian standards, we (the walkers in the front) heard raised voices; the British walker was complaining to the guide at the back that she signed up for a walk not a mountain climb. Her definition of a mountain climb appeared to be traversing any lump above sea level. This is not the accepted definition. Luckily, we came to the point where walkers could elect to go with one of the guides on the easier walk or with the other guide on the more difficult one. All the walkers except for the British walker and her friend  elected to go on the harder walk. The tribe had spoken. And we had a great walk until we met again at the lunch spot. After we had our lunch, the two British walkers appeared and sat to the side. Then after a little while the chief antagonist said what are we waiting for as we are just sitting here not even part of the group. I wondered how that could have occurred. As we were walking down they slowly drifted to the rear of the group. But she wasn't finished yet. Halfway through the bus drive she moved to the back of the bus. When we got to her bus stop her friend got off but there was no sign of her - after a delay she finally emerged and left the bus. I don't know whether she fell asleep or not but i can imagine for her it must have been a physically and emotionally draining day, as probably most days are in her life.

Dogs

Yes this topic again, it's just that dog owners just keep on giving. On the same walk as Path Rage we came across a person blowing a weird sounding whistle. It turned out to be a dog whistle but try as the owner did the dog had different ideas. It was not coming back on command. Then in Innsbruck I saw someone "walking" their German Shepherd. Or more accurately he was struggling to restrain it while it tried to kill every dog that it could see. Not sure whether that type of dog should be walked down a busy street. Then there was the dog that should be called Whizzer if they are not. Every five metres or so the dog would flood the middle of the footpath. I don't know what it's problem was but if the owner was in the vicinity he wasn't acknowledging ownership. 

Interesting Walkers

On the guided walks I have been on I have met some really friendly and nice people, including a Swiss and an Australian. I don't talk much on these walks but the only thing I heard this particular old New Zealand man say over the two walks we were together on was: I'll have an alcohol free beer" and "where's the bus". On one of the walks he had earphones in for the whole walk.

TV

Interesting things on TV. Austrian TV had coverage of the European Faustball (Fistballl) championships. Never knew this sport existed. It's like volleyball but on an outside and bigger pitch and you can let the ball bounce twice before having to hit it over the net. Seems to be designed for those no good at volleyball (too slow or short) or old people.

Germany seems to have a lot of raw material for reality TV programmes based on how many of these are on TV. If only I had a better grasp of German I think I would enjoy them more.

Anyway here are the photos...

 

Walks Near Innsbruck - Part 1

Hello again,

The weather has been good for walking, although a bit too hot being in the low 30s, until today when it rained heavily for part of the day, it's going to stay cool for most of this week.

Some of the walks I have done have been with the free guided walk program offered here in Innsbruck; where you get a guide, bus transport, and you go up to the mountains. Some of the group dynamics is interesting. On one walk the guide told people that they can walk ahead of him but they must wait at any intersections. At the first intersection following this a person continued walking, down the wrong path. The guide also said to stay to the right of the track as there were mountain bikers, first time we encountered a bike someone was standing on the right side in the way of the bike. Then there was the person who was checking the phone every five minutes, he eventually let it go, probably because of poor reception. Then there was the person that was listening to music while walking, I guess what the guide had to say was not much of interest.

Innsbruck has beggars too but they are not as active as the ones in Trieste. These ones just sit on the footpath holding a cup or with a cap in front of them. I have remarked before that some of beggars dont't consider their marketing much. Today I came across three together talking and smoking while the hat was in front of them awaiting donations.

And finally, ironically, I get away with being a local in Austria more than I do in Slovenia. In Slovenia when I speak Slovenian, people think I am English, German or have an intellectual impairment. I prefer that hey think I have an impairment as they are more understanding. Whereas in Austria, people often think I am a German speaker when I use my limited German. Perhaps it's the chequered shirts I wear (they like checks here) or it could be that there are so many local and national variations of German I can get away with it.

Anyway here are the first lot of pictures taken in the Stubai valley (from two different walks, the second one being closer to Innsbruck, which is the city seen below in some of the photos)....