September 8, 2021
Day 21 - updated with another story
Has it actually been 3 weeks? Toblach to the airport
Today was the last official day of riding and, in essence, the last day of doing vacation type stuff during my vacation. Tomorrow I need to get to the airport for a covid test and then I’ve got to pack up the bike. After that I can do whatever I did to do. But first, I needed to get back to München.
I set my alarm for 8am. I didn’t need to actually catch the train until 9:25am and the station is literally the other side of the garden area out front of the hostel. I’m sure I could have slept in, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I ate the rolls and bananas I had on hand for breakfast, packed up my stuff, and was out of the hostel by the 9am checkout time. I was only too happy to leave. I wandered over to the train station and sat around and waited until the train showed up. It was very punctual, as the Südtirol trains seem to be. My previous ride (or was it rides) on the Südtirol trains, no one ever came by to check my train ticket. This time someone did. I had read on their website a day or two earlier that recumbents ride for free along with hand cycles. No idea why, but that’s fine with me. The conductor didn’t seem to be aware of that. Nor did he appear to speak any German. Bit odd in a region where German is still commonly spoken. I kept telling him the website says recumbents ride for free. Either he finally got the idea, or he just gave up. Either way, my recumbent rode for free.
The train ride gave me a reverse view of what I had ridden back when I rode from Brixen to Bruneck and then on to Toblach. Looked the same, but in reverse. I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything by taking the train back. The train ride ended punctually at Franzensfeste, currently the oddly placed main transfer point. It’s really quite literally the middle of nowhere. The tracks to the bahnhof pass right through the fortress from what I could see.
So far everything was running right on schedule. Until I looked up the arrival time of the EC88 that would take me to München. 20 minute delay. Typical. At least I knew I wouldn’t be missing my train. By the time the train finally arrived it had become a 30 minute delay. Not the end of the world for me, but for people trying to make connections in München it was obviously going to be a big problem.
When you travel on certain trains, like the EuroCity, with a bicycle, you have to reserve a spot. My ticket said wagon 262. When the train pulled up I tried to figure out where 262 was. I couldn’t find it. Nor was there anyone official I could ask about it. Sometimes in stations they’ll have a sign up with the departures and arrivals showing which car is where. Franzensfeste did not have that. I kept walking down the length of the huge train looking for the right car. Finally it looked like everyone but me was on the train. I panicked. What if they leave without me??? So I picked the next closest car and threw my bags in and hauled my bikes up the steps. Once on the train I looked around for a spot I could put the bike. The one official spot was already filled. Most every detail on the train was filled as well. And not an official train person in sight. Now what?
So my bike is a folding bike, right? Right. My next plan was to attempt to fold it and try to squeeze it in next to the bike in the official bike spot. Have you ever tried folding a bike while on a moving train? It is quite the experience. Everything moves all over the place. It was not going well. Then a conductor walked up. Finally, the exact person that could help. He wanted to know what the heck a bike was doing here. “You have to reserve a spot”, he said. “Yes, I know. Here’s my ticket. I tried to find my spot but I don’t know where it is.” He pointed to where it said wagon 262 on my ticket. Yes yes. I’m aware do that. I tried to find someone to show me where that is, but no one was available to help me. He pointed to the sign on the door that said 255. He informed me that I needed to get off at the Brenner Pass and take the bike to the front of the train to wagon 262. Okay fine. I will do that. Then he asked me for my proof of vaccination. Fine. I have that with me too.
I got to stand in the entry area between the train cars as the train snaked its way up the Brenner Pass. I’d like to say I got to enjoy the scenery, but standing trying to hold your bike from jostling all over the place while people pass through to use the bathroom is not a great way to view scenery. it also is a surprisingly long train ride from Franzensfeste to Brenner Pass. At least it felt quite long.
At the Brenner Pass Station I dutifully hauled my bike and bags off the train and made the very long walk to car 262. Seven cars is a long walk and I was afraid the guy had lied about waiting for me so I started running. Running while masked is an interesting experience that I’d rather no relive. I did make it to car 262 though. Turns out this train had a dedicated bike car like the train is taken going through opposite direction. Only problem, there was no one there to get my bike into the wagon. I was trying to figure out what to do when finally someone showed up. First he had to establish that I had a ticket for the bike. Yes fine. Here’s my ticket. Now load my bike before this train leaves without me. Then he walked away. What the heck? So I stood there waiting, wondering if all cyclists are made to suffer like this, or if it was just my unlucky day again? Finally he did open the door for the bike wagon and took my bike.
Next I had to find a place to sit. I figured I’d sit somewhere close to the bike wagon for practical purposes. No no. You can’t sit here. This is all first class. You need to sit in second class. Fine. Be that way. Put the bike on the opposite end of the train from me. I see how this is. So I started making my way bike along the train looking for an open seat. Clearly this was a train of people returning from vacation because they had managed to fill up potentially open seats with lots and lots of suitcases. Sneaky really. Want to social distance? Bring lots of luggage and force people to have to ask you to move it so you can sit there. I wasn’t in the mood for that so I kept walking. Finally I found a seat in car 258 by a couple younger guys. They both seemed to understand how masking worked, so it seemed safe. Then just as I was arranging my bags to sit down, another young guy sat down in my intended seat. Brat. So I took the seat across from that seat. Now while the other two guys were good mask wearers, this dude was not. I should have known someone wearing Bermuda shorts and a soccer shirt would not understand that masks also need to cover your nose. He spent a fair amount of the ride sleeping with his nose hanging out. Unfortunate that the police that walked through the cars at the Brenner Pass didn’t come through a second time while he was sleeping.
In Innsbrück the original two young guys got off and I thought I’d finally have only Mr Bermuda shorts to deal with, but no. A guy with a coffee got on and plopped himself down in the free seat. He then managed to spend the next 10 minutes alternately sipping his coffee and drinking water. All while unmasked of course. Also entirely unnecessary to spend that long drinking coffee. So finally I informed him that he needed to wear a mask. He pointed out he was drinking coffee. I told him to finish his coffee and put his mask on. And that’s what he did. The few times I’ve said something to someone here, they’ve all complied, with the exception do the guy in Bozen with either an Aussie or British accent that told me off. In the US people usually cuss you out and tell you where to stick it. Obviously I’d prefer everyone just wear masks and drink their coffees quickly, but at least they all comply. Unlike the train from Lienz to Innichen yesterday, this train was dead quiet. You could hear a pin drop.
The train arrived in München 35 minutes late. We got stuck on a track way off in the distance from the station, probably because we were ridiculously late. In the station I stopped at the Ritschart bakery for a couple different slices of Schnitte. I’ve always liked their bakery items and figured I needed a treat after the train trauma. I decided the place to eat it was the Marienplatz. I didn’t think it was all that far so I walked the bike along the street. And then another street. I thought I was coming up to the back of the famous Rathaus. Nope. There’s another building with similar brickwork. And then I thought I saw the church steeples that are by the Marienplatz. Yeah, those were the right steeples, but that church is not right by the Marienplatz. Instead I had to walk through several blocks of the big shopping zone while trying not to impale anyone on my front chainrings.
Finally after endless walking and dodging people I reached the Marienplatz. Not a bench in sight. Instead there were corona testing centers. Doggone it. I could have gotten tested there instead of messing around with getting to the airport tomorrow. I’d already paid for a test at the airport and I didn’t want to pay again. So instead I kept walking looking for a place to eat my Schnitte. I ended up finding a park the other side of the Isar Tor. It wasn’t the most peaceful place to eat my Schnitte. There were two teenage girls taking selfie videos, two guys with dogs, one of which tried to bite a guy that walked by, someone sleeping in a dilapidated hammock, and a homeless person sleeping on a park bench. I ate my Schnitte, came to the conclusion that this was not anywhere close to their finest Schnitte, and hoped on my bike and pedaled out of München.
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The Isar Radweg is easy to get to once you’re at the river. It’s easy to follow out to the airport too. Just keep riding by the river. The one unsigned detour was easy enough to figure out as well. Just keep aiming for the river, and you’ll eventually find the Radweg again. The ride is roughly 20 miles from the train station through largely identical scenery. Crushed stone path, trees, wildflowers, and river. As you get further from München the amount of people tails off to a minimum. It was just the kind of mindless ride I needed after the busy radwegs of Südtirol. The ride was largely uneventful, except for one instance. Recumbents don’t have great rear traction going uphill in loose gravel. I hit one small uphill that fit that description. I didn’t realize it was too late until the bike started to tip. Thankfully I was riding in my hiking shoes and not my bike shoes. I was able to get my feet down and grab the handlebars to attempt to stabilize things. The bike is heavy and awkward when loads though and it wasn’t going terribly well. Just as I was in the midst of wrestling with it and tipping towards one side, an idiot whizzing along on his mountain bike came by on that exact side. It’s a miracle there wasn’t a collision. Did he slow down to apologize for being a jerk and nearly hitting me? Of course not. He just whizzed along. Clearly Italians have not cornered the market in bad trial etiquette. Not one person that passed today dinged their bell. I guess letting people know you’re about to fly by isn’t a thing anymore.
There was one more obstacle in my path along the Isar Radweg: a beaver-based Umleitung. There was a tree down across the path. I thought but rather odd since it didn’t appear there had been any recent storms until I got up close and noticed the chewed up log. Beaver at work.
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The rest of the ride to Halbergmoos was actually uneventful. I didn’t use my Garmin GPS today. I’ve ridden this route a couple times now and it’s easy enough to do without something beeping at you to warn you about every turn you should make. I ended up even finding a signed back way bike route into Halbergmoos that dropped me very close to my hotel.
And that is how I came to be in the Hampton Inn by the airport. It is very posh after my recent youth hostel experience. I have a selection of two each of wash clothes, hand towels, and bath towels so big they could double as blankets. I have tons of outlets including ones that take a USB plug. I have a massive tv, a desk, a coffee and tee maker thingy, and a huge shower that I can even turn around in. And the bike gets to be in the room with me. Oh, and I have a soda as well. Fancy stuff. Not bad for €80. Too bad I’m in a different hotel tomorrow night. This is one of only two hotels that I could say are as nice as my house.
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For supper I walked to an Italian restaurant nearby. It was really the only option nearby. Of course the serve there just had to speak Italian, I’m sure for purposes of authenticity. Just when I thought I was finally free of Italy. The pasta was al dente and I had also ordered a salad. Was half-way through the dish of pasta when the server showed up with the salad and a confused look on his face. “You ordered a salad, right?” Yes. Yes I did. I think normally the salad would be brought before the pasta....
Tomorrow I how to pass my covid test, pack up the bike, reorganize the bags, and shop for some chocolate to take home.
Update: I just remembered one other incident on my way to the hotel. As I was coming up to the turnoff for the S-Bahn station near Halbergmoos, I saw a guy up ahead walking and weaving back and forth on the trail. We’re talking the type of weaving that makes you think they might be drunk. I debated whether or not to attempt a different route just in case he was dangerously drunk. Then he plopped down on the path and started looking through his bags. I decided to try pedaling by. As I pedaled by I noticed his eyes. They were kind of rolled back a bit in his head. I’m not sure if he was differently abled or just supremely drunk, but I was at least able to safely ride past. 6pm seems a little early to be that drunk, so maybe that’s just how life is for him?
Today's ride: 20 miles (32 km)
Total: 560 miles (901 km)
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