Friday 28th June: Weather: 19°C to 27°C: Blue skies sunny and warm
English Garten circuit: 20k: 12.00pm to 5pm: 5hrs: Walk after Train from Innsbruck to Munish
Accommodation: Hotel Alfa Zentrum
A day at the English Garten
Kids drifting in fast flowing stream
Surfing permanent wave
Surfing permanent wave
Surfing permanent wave
Surfing permanent wave
Surfing permanent wave
Kids swimming English Garten
A travelling touristy day getting the train from Innsbruck to Munich then a 20k walk aroun the wonderful English Garten, followed by dinner at the Viktualuenmarkt beer garten.
Awake at 5.30am and after a cup of tea, we’re packed, showered and out the door by 7.15am heading to the OBB Innsbruck train station. Stopping at the backerie for a nut pastry and fresh bread, and a quick stop at the Mpreis for yoghurt and muesli, we arrive at the station at 8am in plenty of time to eat breakfast on the platform.
We’ve been told by the ticket lady to sit on the left side of the train facing forward, so when we board, we take seats exactly as she suggested. The train pulls out at 8.38am and immediately we feel like we’re sitting in a scenic tourist train travelling through the alps. We pass through Seefeld, Mittenwald and Garmische on our way to Munich. The train trip takes 2 and a half hours, but interestingly, for the last hour, we leave the alps and enter the flat fields around Munich, arriving at 11.30am.
It’s only a 5 minute walk to our Hotel Alfa Zentrum where we leave our bags in storage while we head for the English Garten, taking only a small knapsack with our coffee gear, and bread, butter and cheese for lunch. On the way, we stop at a small park for coffee and lunch and discover our just can just ran out. What a bummer! We just needed it to last 2 more days for our morning cuppa in the hotel room. Leaving after just a sandwich, there’s a Starbucks where we stop to buy two coffees’s which cost more than 1 gas can which makes 50 coffee’s.
We’ve been to the English Garten last year, but it’s just such a lovely place to walk every day. We soon get to the Eisbch wave, the surfing spot where would be surfers try their luck on the permanent wave created by water pouring over an underground rock ledge. Most last about 5 seconds, some better ones about 20 seconds. It’s fascinating to watch as each surfer takes a turn jumping from either side.
We take the long route round the entire Garten entertained by kids swimming in the 20°C cold but not icy water in streams running through the park. The air temperature is a very pleasant 28°C but the air is dry, not humid. It’s 5pm when we arrive back to collect our luggage and go to our room. We elected the Alfa Zentrum on booking.com because of the air conditioning, which is really nice as it’s still a lingering heat.
A quick shower and we’re off looking for a sports store which sells isobutane-propane camping gas. Three stores later and no luck. All have the wrong type of gas, until I spy an MSR burnerstove which we know uses the type of can we want, and ask the service centre if they have that type of gas can. Fifteen minutes later, the girl who has been sent to teh basement to look, comes back with a small can. Yes!
It’s 7.30pm when we get to the Viktualienmarkt bier garten
Families picnicking on meadow
Viktualienmarkt Bier Garten