Hiking In Innsbruck
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Beautiful hike on the Patscherkiffel along trails very similar to those in the Tatras Mountains on the Slovak side, lots of stone steps along precipices and wild flowers everywhere below the tree line. Fresh snow was still evident from a sprinkling last night.
Last Day In Bratislava
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We made it to the castle today. It is an interesting mix of the history of Bratislava. The fortress walls and buildings inside them show the scars of constant occupation and renovation from 900AD. The gate you enter the castle ground by has the reminents of an old draw bridge right beside a machine gun turret from WWII. The view of Bratislava from the castle is a shocking reminder of the Communist industry past of Slovakia. There are miles and miles of concrete, rectangular utilitarian apartment blocks for as far as you can see, then the smoke stacks of factories rising on the horizon behind them.
Last Night In Zakopane (Poland)
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We’re off to the Slovak Republic tomorrow. We’re booked into a hotel in a small mountain town called Staery Smokovic (sp ?). It seems like there’s all kinds of fun things to do there – castles to visit, caves with stalactites to explore, and lots of trails to hike.
We went for a hike today – we never got above the level of the sheep (that’s a mark of pride when you’re hiking in Innsbruck – if you climb higher than the local livestock you can consider yourself a mountaineer). We took the funicular (Cog Railway Car) up to the top of the ski hill. It was raining, so it was best to stay on stable ground – you can’t get lost if you can see the town because you’re below the clouds.
Arrived In Zakopane
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We’re in Zakopane, and it seems to be the equivalent of Banff in Canada – the mountain tourist mekka. It’s beautiful, but full of local tourists. There seems to be a few odd local food specialties – smoked sheep cheese (in a variety of decorative shapes and sizes – ie: smoked Pope), Belgian waffles with fruit, glazed dough nuts (I’m afraid of what they’re stuffed with), and they have a fantastic goulash. They also have a town mascot – a special breed of dog that looks like a Great Pyranese – it’s on all the post cards.
