Trauttsmandorff in Merano

The town of Merano was the second stop on our ride and although it is not well known today, in the past it was quite a popular holiday destination for its alpine beauty and spa. We visited the Trauttsmandorff Gardens and Museum which was just amazing! The gardens are extensive having several walks such as "trees of the world", "the sun gardens", "landscapes of south Tyrol" and "the water and terraced gardens". The gardens also contain an aviary (with colourful parrots etc) and the Trautsmandorff museum of tourism which outlines the evolution of the region as a tourist destination. A special exhibit on the olfactory sense was also quite interesting. All in all we spent over 3.5 hours wandering around (and this after the day's ride!)

Resia Pass - the Ride Begins!

The day started chilly and there was some debate as to whether riding was a good idea...

Our driver took us up the Alps to Resia Pass where it was a balmy 4 degrees! Lisa wisely decided not to ride and took the car back down to Silandro (our destination for the night). Ctos refused to be intimidated and layered up for the ride.

The 45km ride was amazing. Sure it started chilly but by the end it was quite nice and the layers were all in Ctos' saddle bag.

Raising a glass - May 15

We took a short train ride to Italy.. Happy to be in a land of much better food. We arrived in Bolzano - It's cold and riding is supposed to start tomorrow..

Back at home, our friends Laura and JP are getting married. We wish them a life of health and happiness and raised a glass to them while eating at the Betzenhaus.

Innsbruck

We trained from Vienna to Innsbruck, just under 5 hours on the train. The weather has not been great and seemed to be even worse when we arrived in Innsbruck. It was raining on and off and unseasonably cold. And in typical Lisa and Ctos style, we continued to wear our Birkenstocks (definitely my shoe of choice... just like Auntie Linda!) This was cause for lots of staring as we walked through the quaint old town.

Innsbruck is a beautiful place, burrowed in between the snowcapped mountains. Full of tourists, it is a great place biking, hiking and skiing enthusiasts. Our visit here was only one night and in the early evening the light rain gave way to an all night downpour. Locals indicated that Innsbruck is actually well known for its good weather and this was an anomaly. In warm sunny weather, this place would be incredible. We saw the golden roof and visited the museum to learn more about it.

By far, the best thing about Austria is the beer.

Austrian Wine

Just outside the city proper of Vienna, there is a small wine region with vineyards and all!

We ventured outside the city to check it out. It was a bit if a let down, not the winery and tasting opportunities that we are used to. However, we did sit down at a local place to taste at least one wine. The wine was okay but more interestingly, it was served in a mug.. Yes a full mug of wine – worthy of my mother (and Auntie Sandra!)

Beer Garden!

We arrived on Monday morning. Note that Austrian Air is worse than Air Can...

Austria reminds us both of Berlin / Germany. Yesterday we visited St. Stephens church -- it was nice but nothing really compares to the Pope's house.. We also went to a museum and learned about Elisabeth the Empress of Austrian Empire - it was interesting. Food is pretty good and the Beer is amazing!

Nothing says Austrian like a Beer Garden! It truly is the melding of two beautiful things...

Tickets have been purchased!

Toronto to Vienna May 9th!
Paris to Toronto June 22nd!