Bolzano and Oberbozen

Another wonderful day in South Tyrol! It rained overnight, but the rain didn't bother us at all. In the morning, fog settled in the valley, creating a fascinating light atmosphere. While we had breakfast, the sky cleared up completely, and after a very delicious croissant that Michael picked up from the Peter Paul bakery, we were ready to go. Of course, we didn't just have one croissant for breakfast; that would have been a bit too meager for me! 

With the guest card, the use of public transport is included, and the bus connection to Bolzano is really good—one leaves from the main road every quarter hour. There is a large commuter parking lot where we managed to snag one of the last available spots. The bus arrived promptly, and the journey takes about 20 minutes. We got off before the center and strolled through the beautiful city. We considered visiting the Ötzi Museum, but when a whole horde of schoolchildren came towards us at the entrance, we quickly abandoned that plan. 

Instead, we stopped for coffee at Waltherplatz! Bolzano feels quite Italian, and you can really see it in the people: the well-dressed Italian ladies and gentlemen and the cargo pants and functional jacket crowd from Germany. We clearly belong to the latter! 😬

And since we were already dressed like that, we took the Rittner Cable Car directly to Oberbozen and then hiked from there to Klobenstein. It was quite busy, and we had to wait a bit until we could get on the cable car, but once up, the crowd spread out nicely. The trail is beautiful, and you can always see the Sciliar. By now, I’ve surely taken at least 50 photos of it, but today I limited myself to just one! 

In Klobenstein, we took the tram back to the mountain station and had ice cream there before we rode the cable car back down. 🚠 I don’t feel entirely comfortable with it; I also didn’t want to look down, and I find the bumping against the supports very unpleasant. But it’s better than walking down! 

We took the bus back to St. Pauls and drove back to the apartment, where we met the senior manager. She remembers Daniel as a baby and was quite fascinated by his pacifier chain back then. On Sunday, she’ll see him again after 22 years, as Schnucki is coming to stay with us for a week; he has a room here in the house. 

I will now continue to enjoy the view from the terrace and make myself comfortable while Michael takes a late siesta. It’s a pity that the day went by so quickly!