Monday 08 August Kirchberg

I load the cases from the Schillingshof at 09;00 and we depart at 09:45, pick the four ladies up and are away by 10:00.
It is not too long a journey today and all but half an hour is off the motorway. It is also a gorgeous sunny day which makes driving a pleasure when you have the kind of scenery we are seeing.
Just before we leave we all sing Happy Birthday to Bob Luckhurst who is 70 today. Happy Birthday!
The sun is shining directly at me this morning and it is a little uncomfortable at the front although I suppose it is better than rain.
As we are driving through one village there is a policeman slowing the traffic down and pulling vehicles in for checks. He waves me to a stop and I point to the lay-by where his colleagues are waiting and he shakes his head and lets me through. Why did he stop me? I have nothing to hide and have all of my paperwork in order but you still feel apprehensive when beckoned over by Old Bill!
We cross the border into Austria and drive to Innsbruck. Before going into the centre I take the group up to the ski jump high above the city on a hill named Bergisel.
They have recently built a new building here called the "fish head" (it looks like a fish head) that is high above the jump and has a cafe and very high viewpoint. To reach the "fish head" you need to go up on a small railway at the side of the jump.
I have a quick ride up, decide it is too high, and then have a quick ride back down again!
It is very impressive and always worth a visit if out this way.
From here I drive into Innsbruck and to the coach park near to the old town. It is still extremely hot as I walk the group into the old town and leave them to their own devices for a couple of hours.
I like the centre of Innsbruck and enjoy a light lunch (honestly!) sitting in the square reading yesterdays News of the World.
We depart Innsbruck at 15;30 and an hour and ten mimutes later we arrive at our hotel in Kirchberg, the Sonne Hotel. What a magnificent looking building in a lovely setting.
My room is small but has everything you would want in it although no internet connection which is a bind. I have to go downstairs to the lobby to use the internet.
Dinner is good and afterwards I go for a walk into the town which has a few bars and restaurants open and has a nice feel about it.
At dinner tonight Bob Luckhurst very kindly bought four bottles of wine to share amongst us in celebration of his birthday.