Innsbruck - 1 June to 4 June

1 June
After a very good breakfast at Gasthof Greif we continued our journey along the Via Claudia Augusta bike trail. We had about 90km to reach Innsbruck. The headwind was still with us and fairly solid at times, but the route is reasonably flat, with, of course, a few memorable exceptions.
At Imst the Via Claudia Augusta left us and we continued along the Inn River cycle path, which is mostly dedicated cycle path and mostly sealed.
The day's riding was relatively unremarkable. Of course if we hadn't just ridden over the Alps we would be saying how lovely the scenery in the Inn valley is.

It's rally not bad, is it?

Part of the route next to the railway line.

River rafting on the Inn

Morning tea - Tracey did well from the German menu!

By about 3.30 we were on the outskirts of Innsbruck and phoned Rod to arrange a meeting place. Navigating into the central meeting spot was easy using TomTom on the HTC Diamond and Innsbruck's very good cycle paths.
Rod had checked out a hostel a few km from the centre and told us we couldn't check in there until 5pm so we went for a coffee (and a chicken burger and a hamburger and chips and ...) at a Burger King we spotted.
Over coffee and food we checked out Lonely Planet (pdf on the HTC - very difficult to read but it works and weighs nothing) for other accommodation options. Their pick was a backpackers (the LP entry starts with "Could this be backpacker heaven?") called Nepomuk's not far from where we were, so we went to have a look. It is in an amazingly central spot, part of the central pedestrian-only area, in a building parts of which are many hundreds of years old. Reception (and the included breakfast) was at the cafe next door, and they had rooms for us - a double (€54) and a single (€40) - so we checked in. We all agree Nepomuk's gets a highly recommended. Almut, our host, spent time on our arrival familiarising us with the city, it's sights & the transport & tourist options.
We decided to stay 4 nights. This allowed a rest day & 2 days sightseeing.

The view from our window at Nepomuk's

Innsbruck Rest Day - 2 June
As it sounds - laying around, reading, doing clothes washing, a bit of basic shopping, eating. Innsbruck is a delightful little city.

Relaxing

The view from the back window at Nepomuk's

Nepomuk's Backpackers

Central Innsbruck - around the corner from Nepomuk's

3 June
After a verz (z is where the bloodz y should be on this kezboard!) good breakfast of cornflakes, bread rolls and jam and cakes, and a special one for Rod (zoghurt (get used to it!) fruit, eggs, and ham, our first stop was the Information Centre, onlz 100m from Nepomuk's. We bought 48hr (€30) Innsbruck Passes which get zou into just about anzthing for two dazs including buses, trams, museums and the cable cars that take zou up the mountains on both sides of the vallez. The passes are verz good value. The helpful girl at the Info Centre told us that the bottom part of the northern cable car was out of action that daz, and recommended we take another one. We caught the tram up to the town near the cable car and walked about 800m up the hill to find that it onlz operates on the weekend. We should have taken more notice of Almut's advice, although it was delivered at blinding speed in bewildering quantities.
Oh well, two hours of our Innsbruck Pass wasted, although it was a pleasant and scenic tram ride.
As it happened the tram ride back to town took us prettz close to the Olzmpic ski jumping stadium at Bergasil, so we headed for it. Our Innsbruck passes got us in and we took the lift up to the top of the jump where there is also a cafe. Those jumpers must be crayz!

The view from the top of the Olympic ski jump at Bergasil

The next thing (most of us) wanted to see was the Swarofski Crzstal factorz. We (eventuallz and with minutes to spare) finallz found where to catch the right bus and off we went. I think we were all a bit surprised to find that this was a sort of modern art displaz. Quite good, but some of us (I) found the two hour gap between buses a bit long. Back to Nepomuk's and central Innsbruck for the evening.

One of the rooms at Swarofski - can you spot Rod?

Weird stuff

It was quite good, really

Then on the way out was a huge crystal shopping area
(photo taken from one of the husband chairs)

There was some interesting art outside as well.

4 June
The bottom part of the northern, and highest, cable car was still broken, so we decided to do it anzwaz (surprising how manz z's there are isn't it?), which involved a pleasant bus ride then the cable car, in two stages, to an altitude of over 2,200m. Unfortunatelz it was prettz well clouded in when we got to the top, but it was still worthwhile. It was a verz steep, rockz skifield hanging right over the citz of Innsbruck. The skiing here would be amaying (not manz y's though).

It was pretty bleak up there.

Rod and I walked a bit further up to the top

Almut had stronglz recommended the southern cable car (the one that opens during the week!), so that was our next stop. It was easz to get to as the same bus route takes zou right from the northern one to the southern one. The onlz hitch was that the bus didn't go to the stop we wanted, so we got off at the next stop. The bus driver was quite amused when he returned to find us still at the same stop waiting to go back one stop.
Although not as high, the lift on the southern side is more picturesque. We caught the lift to the top, walked around the mountain far enough to catch a view of the highest bridge in Europe (Europa Bridge), then went back down to the middle station. From there we (Tracez and I) took the 20 minute walk to a beautiful little church that Almut had recommended. We had a snack at the restaurant next to the church before returning and catching the lift down, then the scenic but slow tram back to town.

The Europa Bridge in the distance

Coffee and a snack near the little church

The walk back to the lift middle station.

I have never wanted to travel to Europe to ski, but Innsbruck temps me.
Tomorrow we head further down the Inn River towards Bavaria.