Innspiration

• Tuesday, June 2, 2015

• Three Continents

My start was pretty wet. In heavy rain, I left on May 1 from home. There were still some friends to visit on the way to the east. First I wanted to drive over the Flüelapass (2'389 m.ü.M.). My first big stress test. How heavy my bike is overall, I (fortunately) do not know yet. I needed some drops of sweat to drive over the still snowy pass. Soon afterwards I met in Susch in the Upper Engadine on the Inn River.

With a total length of 517 kilometers, the Inn is one of the longest and most powerful Alpine rivers. Almost two-thirds of its course is in the Alpine region. Already 9 days after my departure I was on the Austrian border. Knowing that you probably will not see your homeland for several years is such a border crossing already a strange feeling.

Right from the beginning I really liked the ride through the Tyrol. In Imst I put a deserved rest day on the campsite. Two days later there was a great reunion with Jon. I met him on my last trip through Asia in Mashhad, Iran. Exactly at the dinner a strong thunderstorm moved over the city. At that moment, I was immensely grateful to have found a dry place for the night with Jon and Melanie. Thank you very much for the hospitality!

Innsbruck was twice the venue of the Winter Olympics (1964 and 1976) and the Winter Paralympics (1984 and 1988). Innsbruck was thus the only city in which twelve Olympic Games were held twice within twelve years. Of course, a city sightseeing was not missing. In the old town stands the landmark of the city, the Golden Roof. But otherwise there are some beautiful streets to discover.

The drive up to Ambras Castle with my steel donkey was not easy to master. Ambras was the castle of the Counts of Diessen-Andechs, whose ancestors resided there as early as the 10th century. In 1133 the castle was destroyed by Henry the Proud. After 150 years it was rebuilt.

When Tyrol was no longer the seat of a sovereign prince and after 1665 was largely deprived of courtly representation, until the middle of the 19th century Schloss Ambras served various purposes, such as military quarters and military hospital. After the abolition of the monarchy Ambras fell by Habsburg law to the Republic of Austria.

I enjoyed the ride along the Inn Cycle Path to the fullest. I will certainly miss such bike paths in Africa. I usually use my hammock for sleeping. Especially in wet weather it is an ideal and dry place to sleep. Fortunately there are more than enough trees in Austria.

In Rosenheim (in the Free State of Bavaria) I had to say goodbye to the Inn. Especially the Riedergarten with its many flowers pleased me well. The last night on the river I spent with friends in Thansau. So my journey was completed along the Inn and the journey continues now in the direction of Salzburg.