Off Topic Travels

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Talking about scary. This place, just south of Innsbruck, we visited with school in June '62 ( I got the date wrong in my previous post - I thought it was July '60, but it was June '62 - so I was just shy of being 17 rather than 15 as I had thought). The Austrians were renovating this "big" ski jump just for the upcoming '64 Winter Olympics. We were allowed to climb to the top as a group of tourists. No snow around - it was bloody terrifying. I've been scared of heights ever since.

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They've modernised it since, but it still gives me the willies thinking about it...
There's a video of the new jump close to the end of the following article:

http://shiptraveling.com/bergisel/
Brilliant! Thanks for that. It’s the one you can see from the main road on the coach out of Innsbruck isn’t it.
I’ve been past it several times but apart from recognising it’s it as an impressive looking ski jump I didn’t know anything about it. Certainly didn’t realise the rest is built into the ground as an amphitheater ! Looks amazing (I’d love to have a trip to the top of it!)
Great old video too. Some of the shots from behind with the crowd in the background are incredible


I shan’t be trying ski jumping though
 
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Brilliant! Thanks for that. It’s the one you can see from the main road on the coach out of Innsbruck isn’t it.
I’ve been past it several times but apart from recognising it’s it as an impressive looking ski jump I didn’t know anything about it. Certainly didn’t realise the rest is built into the ground as an amphitheater ! Looks amazing (I’d love to have a trip to the top of it!)
Great old video too. Some of the shots from behind with the crowd in the background are incredible


I shan’t be trying ski jumping though
You're gonna regret asking that question dennis 'cos this thread & your Austrian trip has got me on a nostalgia trip. Best 4 weeks travelling I ever had in my life involved Austria.
To answer your question first. Haven't been back to Innsbruck since the summer of '62, so can't remember exactly where the ski-jump was other than a relatively short way south of the city.
In the summer of '67 (I had moved to Leeds in '65) a flat mate (Sheffield lad - sadly a Blunts fan :emoticon-0149-no: ) & I decided to hitch-hike through a bit of Europe (4 week trip I believe).
Dover to Calais, Calais to Saarbrucken.
The morning we departed Saarbrucken. a German student (from Hamburg), a year or two older than we were, stopped and gave us a lift. He was in one of those old Citroen 2CV ****-boxes...
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"Where you heading ?' we asked.
"Vienna" he said, "but I have to make a few stops en route.".
Turns out he was off to register at Vienna University for his medical studies but his old man, a wine merchant in Hamburg, had paid him to stop off at a bunch of vineyards along the way to negotiate some consignments with suppliers.
As my mate & I were carrying tents & planned to stay in camp-sites wherever we ended up, sounded like great flexibility after we told him that fact & he offered to pick us up the following days after he'd stayed overnight (hotels) following his business meetings.
Bloody brilliant.
Across to the Rhine, down to Strasbourg (French or German - can't remember, it;s changed hands so many times), east to Tubingen, south to Lake Konstanz (3 nights I think-lovely spot), north-east to Munich(2 days & nights there). Then off to Salzburg (2 days & nights), Linz and finally Vienna.
We finally bid farewell to our new mate Hans (you might have guessed), and stayed in Vienna for 4 days.
Here's the amazing bit. Hitch-hiking out of Vienna after 3 nights stay, bloody Hans stopped and picked us up again, totally unplanned !!
This time he took a different route back and dropped us off at a campsite somewhere outside Frankfurt .
Luxury hitch-hiking (effortless). Great guy.
Funny thing was, Hans never mentioned the '66 world cup <laugh> Neither did my mate or I.
 
You're gonna regret asking that question dennis 'cos this thread & your Austrian trip has got me on a nostalgia trip. Best 4 weeks travelling I ever had in my life involved Austria.
To answer your question first. Haven't been back to Innsbruck since the summer of '62, so can't remember exactly where the ski-jump was other than a relatively short way south of the city.
In the summer of '67 (I had moved to Leeds in '65) a flat mate (Sheffield lad - sadly a Blunts fan :emoticon-0149-no: ) & I decided to hitch-hike through a bit of Europe (4 week trip I believe).
Dover to Calais, Calais to Saarbrucken.
The morning we departed Saarbrucken. a German student (from Hamburg), a year or two older than we were, stopped and gave us a lift. He was in one of those old Citroen 2CV ****-boxes...
You must log in or register to see images

You must log in or register to see images

"Where you heading ?' we asked.
"Vienna" he said, "but I have to make a few stops en route.".
Turns out he was off to register at Vienna University for his medical studies but his old man, a wine merchant in Hamburg, had paid him to stop off at a bunch of vineyards along the way to negotiate some consignments with suppliers.
As my mate & I were carrying tents & planned to stay in camp-sites wherever we ended up, sounded like great flexibility after we told him that fact & he offered to pick us up the following days after he'd stayed overnight (hotels) following his business meetings.
Bloody brilliant.
Across to the Rhine, down to Strasbourg (French or German - can't remember, it;s changed hands so many times), east to Tubingen, south to Lake Konstanz (3 nights I think-lovely spot), north-east to Munich(2 days & nights there). Then off to Salzburg (2 days & nights), Linz and finally Vienna.
We finally bid farewell to our new mate Hans (you might have guessed), and stayed in Vienna for 4 days.
Here's the amazing bit. Hitch-hiking out of Vienna after 3 nights stay, bloody Hans stopped and picked us up again, totally unplanned !!
This time he took a different route back and dropped us off at a campsite somewhere outside Frankfurt .
Luxury hitch-hiking (effortless). Great guy.
Funny thing was, Hans never mentioned the '66 world cup <laugh> Neither did my mate or I.
Great story. I am expecting you to conclude with how love developed and you and Hans eventually married x
 
Snowboarding trip going brilliantly...I love Austria...and Austrian beer

...however old blokes shouldn’t think they can run a half pipe without personal danger.

Hypothetically it’s possible that a poster off of here could have thought it was possible to do a half pipe without bothering to find out how or even ask any tips of people.
That same person could therefore have dropped in ok, but ended up going miles faster than he expected, popped out of the top while trying to turn to go back down, landed awkwardly, smashed his goggles into his face and now have a cut and bruising across his nose, and a fat lip where he cut that too

It was pretty cool waiting for the next lift up while casually spitting blood into the pristine white snow though...hypothetically

Right...time for another Marzen
:emoticon-0100-smile:emoticon-0101-sadsm
I can tell you've had a bang on the head, Denis. You got checked for concussion? Don't be worrying too much about your looks.:emoticon-0152-heart I really was impressed that you weren't put off and indeed trying a Marzen, yet another snowboarding manoeuvre
 
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You're gonna regret asking that question dennis 'cos this thread & your Austrian trip has got me on a nostalgia trip. Best 4 weeks travelling I ever had in my life involved Austria.
To answer your question first. Haven't been back to Innsbruck since the summer of '62, so can't remember exactly where the ski-jump was other than a relatively short way south of the city.
In the summer of '67 (I had moved to Leeds in '65) a flat mate (Sheffield lad - sadly a Blunts fan :emoticon-0149-no: ) & I decided to hitch-hike through a bit of Europe (4 week trip I believe).
Dover to Calais, Calais to Saarbrucken.
The morning we departed Saarbrucken. a German student (from Hamburg), a year or two older than we were, stopped and gave us a lift. He was in one of those old Citroen 2CV ****-boxes...
You must log in or register to see images

You must log in or register to see images

"Where you heading ?' we asked.
"Vienna" he said, "but I have to make a few stops en route.".
Turns out he was off to register at Vienna University for his medical studies but his old man, a wine merchant in Hamburg, had paid him to stop off at a bunch of vineyards along the way to negotiate some consignments with suppliers.
As my mate & I were carrying tents & planned to stay in camp-sites wherever we ended up, sounded like great flexibility after we told him that fact & he offered to pick us up the following days after he'd stayed overnight (hotels) following his business meetings.
Bloody brilliant.
Across to the Rhine, down to Strasbourg (French or German - can't remember, it;s changed hands so many times), east to Tubingen, south to Lake Konstanz (3 nights I think-lovely spot), north-east to Munich(2 days & nights there). Then off to Salzburg (2 days & nights), Linz and finally Vienna.
We finally bid farewell to our new mate Hans (you might have guessed), and stayed in Vienna for 4 days.
Here's the amazing bit. Hitch-hiking out of Vienna after 3 nights stay, bloody Hans stopped and picked us up again, totally unplanned !!
This time he took a different route back and dropped us off at a campsite somewhere outside Frankfurt .
Luxury hitch-hiking (effortless). Great guy.
Funny thing was, Hans never mentioned the '66 world cup <laugh> Neither did my mate or I.
I didn’t regret asking the question a bit

Top story...****ing brilliant!

PS the ski jump is the one I thought...I checked
 
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I take the food was good Den. <ok>


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This really pisses me off fat ****s like that on planes. When I dropped my mum and daughter off at Manchester Airport last weekend My mum was 2kg over in her baggage allowance which subsequently cost her £62 extra. This fat **** must be 30 stone easily. ****ing Etihad.
 
Using my new found wealth to take the family to Sorrento. Never been, but gonna do Pompeii, Herculaneum et al.

We did Pompeii & Herculaneum just before I took early retirement, they're stunning places; we used Naples as a base, a beautiful city, one tip ...... take good footwear, enjoy!
 
Using my new found wealth to take the family to Sorrento. Never been, but gonna do Pompeii, Herculaneum et al.

Herculaneum and Pompeii are easily done on the train from Sorrento. Both are obviously great but to me Herculaneum is better. Easier to get round and usually less crowded. Going up Vesuvius was a bit meh to me. Much better viewed from Sorrento, glass in hand, as the sun goes down and the colours constantly change.

Amalfi coast best done by boat imo. Capri well worth a visit but head straight for AnaCapri and takes the cable car to the summit.

Loads of restaurants in Sorrento but we often just buy things from the supermarket and picnic in the gardens.


Don't think of driving anywhere unless you want to die.