sissi's path










the people in south tyrol have a nice word for the ways they stroll along. they call them promenades - very sophisticated. i don't know how many promenades i was walking while i was in merano. a lot, that's for sure. and i have to admit that i felt a little bit sophisticated, too - but most of all i was stunned.

i started sissi's path at the summer promenade, with its dark, shade-giving trees, crossed the bridge to sunny winter promenade and walked along the 'wandelhalle', where the spa guests used to sit during the winter months (have a look at my first merano post). i saw so many wonderful villas in obermais, stumbled upon a farmer's market and bought some perfect pear cakes, took a short cut through the gardens of schloss pienzenau, walked under palm trees and beside apple plantations, was blinded by the light and amazed by the shadows on my way, till i finally arrived at schloss trauttmansdorff.

i didn't manage to take a walk on the tappeiner promenade, though, which is a well enough reason for me to come back to merano once more...

 merano II








some more bits and pieces of merano's old town. next time i'll take you on a little walk that is named after a famous austrian empress. well, who could that be...

do you enjoy these autumn days like i do? the trees are about to turn red, yellow and orange. fallen leaves cover the pavements and i like the rustling sound it makes when i walk through them.

 merano I




















when we drove to lake garda a few weeks back, we also went past the green valleys of south tyrol with its vineyards up on the hills and its orchards down to their feet. it was this very moment, that i decided to come back for a short stay. i already had been to south tyrol - but that was more than 20 years ago and i could hardly remember anything i had seen then.

so this is merano, which is one of the most beautiful towns i've ever been to. being an ancient spa town, merano is pouring on the charm of old italian grandeur. every house has got a name and it always begins with "villa". there are palm trees and pomegranates and flowers, ice cold turquoise rivers, huge conifers and you can catch a glimpse of the snow-covered mountains that surround merano everywhere you go...

 saturday








as i was for work in hamburg, i had very little spare time to stroll around. anyhow, i did see some corners of st. pauli and sternschanze and managed to pay eimsbüttel a visit very early on a saturday morning. it was very quiet and the sun was shining as i walked through chestnut tree-lined roads and listened to some of my favourite autumn music. you can find some of the songs i like the best here, here and here.

 hh 






















oh, hamburg. i like you a lot. i like eating fish sandwiches while sitting at landungsbrücken and watching huge containerships get unloaded. i like, that the houses are mostly build of brick and i can't recall any other german city that has its fassades tiled with such beautiful patterns. i like the art nouveau style old town of hamburg and their little red trash bins with the funny notes, i forgot all about. i like, that you can buy franzbrötchen everywhere. i like the kindness and warmth of the people. i like, that there are so many vw busses in the streets, the nice cafés, the very special light in the mornings and the feeling, that the sea is so very close.