We visited the magical old city of Innsbruck (meaning bridge on the Inn River) with its notable Golden Roof, Rococo architecture and trompe l’oeil church ceiling. In the afternoon we climbed to high Alpine terrain, 2256 m, using the Hungerburg funicular and two cable cars. It was cold and barren up top with circling birds , a very few tenacious wild flowers and mountain goats for company. 
The church bells in Stans wake us each morning. Today is Thursday and looks like another day of sunshine. We have been very lucky for the whole holiday with sunny cycling weather.
Yesterday was a day off cycling and we took the hop-on bus for a tour around the area. While we were waiting for the bus, I sat on the curb and sketched the church in Stans with pencil and a waterbrush–pretty fast. Then the open air bus took us through Schwaz and Vomp and back around through Stans before we got off in search of the Geiger factory. I have loved Geiger woollens since I was in highschool and I was delighted to find the outlet store. We asked if they sold remnant pieces of their fabric and the wonderful staff there told us to come back at 2pm. They recommended a bakery for lunch–and even in this industrial area, the bakery was a delight both for the building and the food.. Canada could learn alot from the Austrians–this is a chain of bakeries, but well done. You can see our lattes on the outdoor table. Of course it helps to have the scenery you see below on all sides! This was taken as we drank our lattes.
Back at the Geiger factory, there was a big a pile of remnant pieces of wool in two weights waiting for us. We each loaded up with several pieces which they sold by the kilogram. Here is our combinded pile including the wool binding. And below that the sketch I did of our balcony after we got back. I haven’t had much time to sketch on the trip and this too was a quick one. But it is great how sketching opens up conversations. The server, Tamas, even went to get his phone to show me his own art work. I love that about sketching.
The weather has been perfect for cycling. Our base is Stans at the Schwarzbrunn Hotel and each day we head out in a different direction. Monday we took the train to Mayerhofen and cycled 48k back to Stans along the Ziller River. Yesterday we cycled 50k along the Inn River to Rattenburg and Kufstein and took the train back. The scenery is breathtaking and the architecture and colours in the ancient towns are wonderful.
A well deserved break in Kufstein after 50k.
Day one. Sunshine! We started out after lunch and cycled from Stans to Jenbach. From there we took a 100 year old steam train up a steep mountain to the Achensee and the resort town of Pertisau. No wonder the Austrians love their mountains. The Achensee was turquoise and surrounded by more mountains. We cycled around a bit and then back down a steep, twisting gravel roadway. A total of 42 km.
Below is the view from our room in Stans and scenes from the bike pathway to Jenbach including the Schloss Tratzberg nestled in the mountain.
Here is our cycling guide, Nora, and part of the group posing before the steam engine, Georg, which pushed us up the mountain to Pertisau.
We had three days of sun in Chur Switzerland, great for walking and sketching. Here is a quick sketch of the Rhaetian Railway Offices just outside the old town where I sat on a bench with a view of this glorious old building.
Last night we went to a wonderful Busker’s Festival, had a meal at the Arcas cafe and then listened along with a large crowd to Jon Kenzie, a talented guitarist from Manchester. We followed the meal with a huge gelato. Lucky we are starting to bike tomorrow!
Today we took a one-hour train ride into the mountains to the resort town of Arosa. Such stunning views of Alpine living on the way and in the town. And the yarn bombers have visited Arosa too! We loved the knitted geometric on the bench. To see more pictures of our trip check out Bev’s website, www.greatescapeswithbev.ca
We are spending three days in the lovely old city of Chur, Switzerland, a tiny gem nestled among the Aps. (Heidi’s mountain is one of them.) It has been perfect sketching weather and yesterday, ignoring jet lag, my friend MB and I sat in Fontana Park and sketched. Today we spent time sketching again, this time in a cafe with two other sketchers on the trip. We also found some marvellous rugs from India–very inspiring for you rug hookers. We gulped at the $10 000 Swiss Franc price tag!
Here is the first page of my new travel journal. I really wanted to try it out because it is a new one for me–Stillman & Birn Alpha Series. I am just one page in, but it seems fine. This is my pared down sketching kit, which I hope is light enough to tote everywhere. The eraser is my favourite, my sons bought it in Prague for me in 2005, and the pencil sharpener, (yes that is what it is!) is a great stainless steel one from Germany. I’ve added some new colours in a second smaller palette, Indigo, Aureleon, Lemon, Potter’s Pink, Indian Red and Cobalt Violet.
I am leaving today for Switzerland for a visit three-day to the ancient city of Chur and then for a week cycling in Austria. I hope to sketch everyday and blog when I can. Hope you will check in along the way.
This is the prototype of the Kimberly Keller bag. On the front it is like the other Kellers, but flip it around and there is a playful punch of colour. Simple on details, it makes its statement with the quality of the leather and of course the colour. (If you click on the image it will expand so that you can see a detailed view.)
Outside there is a deep zippered pocket on the front and on the back a couple of slip pockets for phone etc. Inside there are lots of options including a birdbrain zippered/slip pocket, a leather ipad pocket and two more small ones. The lining is 100% wax block cotton from the market in Bondo, Kenya. Brushed chrome hardware, adjustable cross-body strap and feet on the bottom finish the details.
Dimensions: width 15″ height 11.5″ depth 5″
Details tomorrow…