27 Weekends (part 10)

Austria, Tour de Tirol Oct 08

No lift from Stansted to our B and B, much to Sineads disgust.Fog on arrival in Salzburg. Seeing the peaks as we approached Berchtesgaden. Catching the bus to Eagles Nest for views of the Bavarian alps and Kongisee below. The original bronze elevator to Hitlers Tea House. A brief stop in Kongisee for pretzels and a close up of the lake. A anxious drive across the border in Austria and onto Reith an Alpbach the flower village for Sineads 10K race. First sight of Jonathan Wyatt and the Kenyans battling it out for line honours. Relaxation in Landhaus Strasser with our throne like toilet, enormous padded bed and walk in shower. Early morning breakfast with Jonathan Wyatt with impressive views of the Tyrol mountains and the village of Soll. A grueling 42K with the impossibly steep last three k to the finish on top of Hohe Salve. Post race feed and beer in the revolving restaurant. Dinner party in Soll and yarning with a fellow kiwi and now native of Soll. Last race and Sineads half marathon in Walchsee with four laps of the lake. Victory for team Alternatives and a cash prize. Traffic jam on the Autobahn and a missed flight in Munich. Whats another night in Munich beers and dinner at the Hoffbrauhaus. Yet more sunshine the following day and a train to Baden Baden and and departure from Karlsruhe Airport.

Italy, Milan and Venice November 08

Milan with Anna for the final marathon of the year. Registration in the shadow of the immense Duomo. A fascinating visit to the Teatro Alla Scala, Milans theatre. A walk through the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle and window shopping along the impossibly expensive Via Monte Napoleone. A visit to Michellangelos last supper through three sets of security doors into a very modern room with a very old painting. A huge Apertivo on an old bike warehouse. Early start before struggling through 42k, a view of the San Siro and the start and finish outside the Castello Sforzesco. Afternoon train to Venice Canal Boat 1 to San Marco square and the plush accommodation of the Ca Dei Conti. A day of wandering the canals with espresso stops along the way. The Rialto Bridge, Jewish quarter, Basillica de San Marco with sloping floors, views from the Bell Tower, advertising hoardings on the Ponte dei Sospiri (bridge of sighs).