Day 11:Innsbruck to Heiligenblut

Day 11 · Heiligenblut

Writing at you from my very picturesque hotel balcony, overlooking the turn up to the mountain so I can car spot from a chair!

The day dawned drizzly again, which is fine. It turns out there was a reason my hotel was so cheap (you don’t say), and it was the car shuffling. It was a little stuffy on the top floor so I had the window open, and they were shuffling those cars around what felt like all night long. Doors, motors, yelling. All night long. I’m sure it wasn’t, but it felt like it lol. I think they’re also about to have a plumbing issue, if the shower drain speed is any indication.

Anyway, after the lot attendant moved three cars (he lost the keys to the VW at one point) I was able to turn the bike around and GTFO of there and head into the Austrian mountains.

It started with getting out of the city, which included about 30 miles of highway headed east(with some construction delay), and then a very slow road south through many little villages and towns. It was raining on and off through much of the day, but truthfully most of it wasn’t particularly remarkable so it was not a bad to to have rain.

At one point, things did start to get pretty, and I was wishing I could see the mountains through the mist a little better. THEN. I went into a tunnel. The longest one yet – I think I was in there for more than 10 minutes at 80kph. It was at least 3-4 songs worth of straight tunnel. On the other side, it was not raining! It wasn’t exactly sunny either, but it was more of a mostly-cloudy than a drizzle. I’ll take it!

I’d hoped to put a video in here, but the WiFi here is the worst yet so I will just link out to the GoPro album again as those upload slowly overnight.

After a snafu at the toll booth where I went into the closed lane and then had to push the bike out of it and into an open lane (always wondered how I’d handle that, and the answer is regretfully), I headed down the hillside and into the start of the national park. At one point I stopped for gas and smashed my knuckle in the bathroom door, which meant I had the opportunity to pay €13 for the only first aid kit at the gas station, which contained 4 band-aids, a roll of gauze, and an emergency blanket. It IS the world’s stickiest bandaid, as I discovered when I got to the hotel and tried to take it off to wash the wound.

After that I started wind my way further into the national park and toward Grossglockner peak. My destination for the day was Heiligenblut, a small village at the foot of the pass known for having a pretty good (but small) ski resort and a Catholic church that alleges to have a vial of Christ’s blood (or possibly the blood of the guy who died in the snow bringing the vial to the region, the myth seems little loose). I did not go inside on my wander of the town, but the exterior has an amazing view of the Grossglockner as well as many carefully tended gravestones.

For lunch I ordered what I thought was a sandwich, but the presentation was not what I was expecting. Everything was really good though – that cheese was killer. And I really don’t mean to brag, but it’s COLD here. It’s felt like late summer everywhere I’ve been except Austria – the northernmost point of my trip. Fall is in the air here – and the high here today was 57º. I might have to unpack my puffer jacket to go to dinner. I might even have to turn on a heater!

I ended up with a huge room that has a tub again, and a troll bedroom. If I recall correctly, it was cheaper to book this family-sized room here than to book a single in a different hotel down the road. I’m (yet again) coveting that tub. There’s also a sauna here at this hotel, but I’m not sure I’m prepared for that level of Austrian comfort. Etiquette here is full nudity in the sauna, and this one is coed and for all the hotel guests. I was the most tattooed person at the thermal baths by a lot, so I imagine I would get a little more attention than I’m after here too.

My American prudishness and I will probably just stick to my private tub and a book after dinner. I’m ready to start book number 5 for the trip so far.

For dinner I walked down into town and had some trout with veggies and Israeli couscous.

Tomorrow should be a nice ride up to and over the Grossglockner and then back into Italy again as I head to Sappada and say auf wiedersehen to Austria. I kinda miss Italy already, so I’m happy to headed back there for the week to explore the Dolomites. Between the aggressive driving and the bidets, I just feel more at home there than I do in Austria.

Hopefully I’ll see some marmots up on the pass!