We savored the pastries (dieting when we return) and the last views of Innsbruck as we ate breakfast in our room. It is adieu to Innsbruck;; we’ve enjoyed our stay here . Today, we will make our way east to Kitzbuhler.
The roads though narrow, are fairly easy to drive since traffic is light. The skies are overcast which is typical of Austria. Our first stop is Alpbach, said to be the “the most beautiful village in Austria”. It certainly does have charm with its well preserved wooden buildings and colorful flowers hanging from the balconies. There is no city center or downtown area. The narrow cobblestone streets lined with homes and hotels, are bus routes to the ski lifts, They wind uphill to join hiking and bike paths in the summer and ski runs in the winter.
We stop at a grocery store to pick up sandwiches, made to order for an unbelievable price of $2.50 each. Can you get anything resembling lunch for that price in the Bay Area? I chat with the young man at the deli counter, who proudly tells me he has been to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Like the young man in the Sixt office, who was proud to have been to LA and loved the “vibe”, there is no mention of politics, just an admiration for the US. It’s refreshing! We eat in the car at the edge of the forest and then continue on.
The town of Raffen has historically been known for its glass blowing. The old town is lovely but the glass blowing, although an interesting process to watch, is now for tourism and I’m not impressed with the glasswork for sale, which doesn’t exhibit much artistry.
In the parking lot we happen to notice a large sign regarding ticks! A search online revealed information about ticks in the woods that carry Lyme disease!!! The forests do resemble the lushnes of Maine and New Hampshire unfortunately. We will have to be more vigilent.
We arrive at our destination, the Hotel Kaiserhof Kirzbuhel around 5. Ray does a good job of navigating into a space in the very, very narrow parking garage, trying hard to avoid dings and scratches to the rental car. The ski gondola runs alongside our room, mostly empty, all day.
A short note on the conservation efforts we’ve seen thus far. The hotels and restaurants have no plastic containers or water bottles at all, cutlery is bamboo or metal, no plastic bags in grocery stores and very little packaging for produce. The hotels encourage drinking Tyrol tap water. Whereas Europe has always been minimalistic, it is even more so. There is very little in the way of disposables, evidenced by street trash bins which are tiny.
We’ve noticed how lean people are. In the grocery stores, the cracker/cookie/snack section is small with just a few options in small packages. There is no large frozen food, processed food section. The major sections are produce, fresh foods and wine! Surprisingly though, the diet is mainly carbs – pasta, bread and potatoes and not much in the way of vegetables other than lettuce and tomato salads. The air is clean and nature is all around. It sure does feel like a healthier lifestyle. It also makes us realize how much the US is an example of excess in so many aspects of our lives.