Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Innsbruck, Austria

Joe is in Skopje, Macedonia on U.N. business until Thursday. The airport closest to our apartment in Pedraces is Innsbruck and, rather than driving to the airport, back to Pedraces, here to pick him up, etc., I opted to stay in here for the 3 days. I recall Innsbruck from about 40 years ago as being rather small. It’s not small anymore! It’s situated in a valley between 2 steep-sided mountain ridges so everything is either pushed up or down the valley or built on any space that can be (literally) carved out of the hillside.

I’m staying in a hotel on the river Inn just across from the altstadt and need only cross the bridge to be in the thick of things. I do love church bells and Innsbruck has many church towers, one of which is located just down the street. Of course the bells all strike hour and quarter-hour. This, I found out, is one heck of an alarm clock at 7:00am when the first bells of the day ring! Yesterday I found myself in front of the dom at noon – for a church bell-lover, that was a treat!

For one who loves the architecture of Austria and Bavaria (and I do), Innsbruck is eye candy. A good bit of the altstadt dates back to the Hapsburg Empire (1400s and on) and has been carefully restored. Yesterday was damp and chilly but, umbrella in hand, I did a quick overview.