Salzburg : Into the mountains.
On the move again. 07.40 : train to Salzburg. I’m tiiiiired this morning. Last day of my last clean T-shirt too. Not a single cloud dares to break the uniform blue of the morning sky. I reckon they must be concealed behind the mountains, waiting in hiding from me. Ready to pounce on me unawares! The sun has a particularly strong golden-ochre sheen at this time of the morning when it’s light goes thus unchallenged. There should be some pretty scenery on today’s train ride(s). Sadly though the windows of the train are phenomenally dirty so not photo-friendly.
08.
10.40 : Salzburg.
My ticket today actually is to get me further west to Innsbruck but I have left early so as to get a good portion of the day here, in the valley city of Salzburg.
This system proves very successful today and my feet impulsively guide me straight in the direction of what turns out to be the Old Town and some of the best places available for viewing the city and surrounding mountains. My curiosity peaked by a dingy, old looking staircase heading off between two houses leads me to the beginning of what turns out to be the Kapuzinerberg (Capuchin or ‘City’ Hill) atop of which sits an old defensive fort holdout the Franziski Schloß (now a tavern restaurant, but sadly not open today).
Walking back to the point of origin and a way back down to town along the Stefan-Zweig Weg path, along the remainders of an old fortification wall, every few hundred metres there are small, roofed historic lookout posts. They seem now to have been reclaimed by come of the City’s more industrious members of the homeless population, their possessions strewn within look like fairly permanent fixtures.
Back in town, I now cross the river and continue to admire the pleasant buildings of the city. I stop and have a cheapy lunch. A giant curled bockwürst sausage with a mound of frittes and mustard with a beer. I then heft my bloated tummy up a hill that’s bloomin’ hard work leading up to the entrance to the Fortress on the hill.
16.40 : Back on the train to Innsbruck now. It’s hot’n’blue above still. A few tiny streaks of cloud no thicker than jet-streams cut across the baby-blue vault.
I arrive in Innsbruck and make my way by bus (once I’ve sort of worked out the system) to what will be the first Youth Hostel International (HI) stay of my trip so far. As I gather is often the case with HIs, it’s a fairway off the beaten track and walking there with a 70 litre backpack is not a sensible option. A bus ride it is. It’s a pretty grim looking place too, the HI. I’m tired out. No will to head back into town tonight and get away from it though. I put some washing on and try to coax some life outta the Wi-Fi connection (unsuccessfully) whilst another interesting sunset settles down behind the line of mountains observable from the communal lounge.
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