Tuesday 29 January 2002. We have been up to the ski slopes above Kitzbühel but now we are back at ground level and walking from the cable car to the town.
We have to wait at the crossing for a goods train to cross before heading back down the hill into Kitzbühel itself. Kitzbühel is roughly equidistant from both Innsbruck and Salzburg, and there are direct trains to and from both. The main route between the two, though, tends to take a route well to the north. Kitzbühel is a popular ski destination and is mentioned in the James Bond book, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It also features briefly in the film of the same name.
The buildings along Kitzbühel's main street are painted in pastel colours. Very pretty in sunshine especially, but they are in shadow for us today.
There's a horse-drawn sleigh waiting for custom, but we have no time so must trot ourselves!
We make our way back to the coach. "Hey, aigg lady, I hope you've no' brought any more aiggs on ma coach?" comes a voice from the driving seat.
A last view as we pass over a bridge and look down on this view of a road within the town centre. To the right of the roadway a stream flows in a stone-lined channel with little footbridges allowing pedestrian access to cross the road.
The castle at Mariastein, seen from the coach window as we pass by the outcrop of rock upon which it sits. It looked splendid each time we passed it and this was the only time in daylight.
Diane had gone into it on the day the rest of us went to the silver mine. There was a church at the top reached by a spiral staircase. You would definitely be testing your legs and knees on such a climb!
The hotel. In the bar that night a local was drinking a very cloudy beer. "Ask him what it is," said Fran. It was called Whitebier or something like that. The next minute there was a tap on my shoulder and he handed me a half litre glass of this beer. Now, I'm not a beer drinker and I'd already had a bottle of wine inside me but... "Danke!" I said, "Prost!" after which we banged the bottoms - not the top - of the glasses together. Strong stuff that... I was ill that night...
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