Tag: austria
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Feels like summer
It’s been really hot and humid here for the last week or so. No afternoon thunderstorms to clear the air, so we’ve been stuck with warm sticky evenings too. I’ve not had a lot to do but pedal around the beautiful Tirolean countryside. Unfortunately, my new shiny camera decided to malfunction last week, thus I’m back to […]
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The riddle of the grumpy hiker
Picture the day. It’s warm. The alpine breeze is gentle, coming over the top of the exposed peaks above you; cooling your skin. It feels good after the climb up the dirt road to the treeline. You’re stopped on an exposed rocky bend; a 180 degree view of the valley opens up before you. You […]
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The minor problems with paradise
Beautiful places have problems. Even the most exotic of paradises suffer from their popularity in some way; in Innsbruck its the smog. Its not that bad; it’s hardly even noticeable most of the time. The problem is that Innsbruck, or the Inn valley to be precise, is one of the busiest corridors in Europe. The […]
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Birthday ride
A pleasing twist of fate decided that today in Austria was a Feiertag, or a public holiday that just so happened to fall on my birthday. A day off work and celebrating to be done too. Perfect. Although I don’t have much idea how Ascension is supposed to be celebrated in the catholic world, I […]
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Obergurl?
With barely a day to spare, England was forgotten and replaced with the Alps. I try my best to plan things in a less chaotic manner, but sometimes the best laid plans are always destined to fail. As it was, the ‘student retreat’ in Obergurgl had sat on my calendar for a lot longer than […]
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Colour in my skin
Seasonality is surely the best thing about the Mountains, about the northern latitudes than dip and dive between summer and winter with such little warning. For all the suspense and anticipation I place on the arrival of spring, cycling forces me to live in the moment. If its cold outside, I will put on my […]
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Feeling the föhn
I love local weather. It really defines a place in a way that you have to be physically present to experience. No matter what you read in travel books or online guides, you cannot experience the weather. You need to smells the smells and feel the wind on your back. The warmth of the sun […]
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Skinning
Sometimes, riding bikes is not a good idea. There, I said it. I know this may come as a shock to a number of people, but ski’s have their place in life, and I took this last weekend as an opportunity to do as the locals, and skin up (and ski down) a couple of […]
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Settling In
So what’s Austria like? Its about time for my first Innsbruck update. I’m sitting here looking up at the mountains, drinking a cup of tea. The same thing I’ve done almost every day for the last three years. Different mountain range, though, and very different perspective of life on this continent. I’ve been here in […]