Innsbruck's Weisses Kreuz

This is my first attempt at blogging, and now I hope to provide you with some interesting pictures from our 2011 trip along with descriptions.  The updates so far have been limited to emailing, and I was not able to include photos.

My last update was sent July 29 by email when we were in Paris, for a last hurrah before our July 1 flight back to America.  In that message, I recounted some transportation adventures.  But, you have not yet heard much at all about our foray into Austria.  One reason is that much of the time was spent in domestic quiet at our resort destination, a timeshare trade, a condominium unit which sat on a slope downward to Grundlsee (green sea), and overlooked a tiny village by the same name.  But before driving to Grundlsee, we spent one night in Innsbruck at the beautiful and historic Weisses Kreuz.

Square outside our hotel

With the help of our St. Petersburg AAA travel agent, Suzanne, we reserved our train tickets from Avignon to Innsbruck, Austria.  So, on Friday, June 17, we trained from Avignon first to Geneva;  there we changed trains for Zurich, (ask me sometime about my $17 gardenburger at the station's Burger King)  for another change, before arriving that evening in Innsbruck.  We had also reserved a rental car for a week, and planned to pick it up at the train station the next morning before driving three and a half hours to our resort (our original plan).  Suzanne also secured a room in the Weisses Kreuz (White Cross)  for us for Friday night, primarily because the hotel was in easy walking distance from the train station, and seemed fairly priced.  But nothing prepared us for this hotel!  First, it's located in the old town of Innsbruck, in a cobble-stoned shopping square that is closed to all traffic except taxis.  If you've been to Epcot's Germany and France exhibits, you get an idea as to the fairy tale atmosphere of the place;  buildings have colorful scenes painted on their exterior; window boxes spill masses of red, yellow, purple and white blossoms;  antique ornamental metal signs above shops' doors announce their wares as they have for centuries.  And just down the way, the Dome (Cathedral) of St. Jacob stands in absolute splendor, its echoing interior literally glowing in gold.

Entrance to most ancient part

And, as I told you in an earlier account, the hotel has an incredible history, dating as an inn from the 1400s, with historic travelers taking rooms there, including Mozart and his father in 1769.  Its wrought iron sign still hanging above the door dates from 1665 and "symbolizes the hospitality which the Knights of the Maltese Order showed to pilgrims on their journey to the Holy Land" (according to the brochure I have).

Natural light pours through skylights

The hotel's central reception area was once open to the sky, but now has glass skylight panels protecting the lobby and creaking stairway.

Entrance to dining room

Breakfast was provided on the bottom floor in two large rooms whose walls were covered with historic documents and art;  soft classical piano music filtered through the rooms;  and the tables were double-draped in white linens.  The buffet was magnificent:  silver urns provided multiple coffees and teas we could take to our table in our own squat stainless pots (likewise for heated milk);  there were fruit platters, a simmering egg cooker with waiting egg cups;  there were loaves of every conceivable bread, rolls, flavored butters and preserves;   we were provided cheese trays, ham and sausage platters, pitchers of fruit juices, and on and on.  We struck up a conversation with a British woman who was travelling alone from her home in New Zealand and she agreed that she indeed felt quite like royalty in that splendid room.  Our experience in this hotel, enjoying the comforts of so much, had us wishing we could stay at least a week!

 (Stay tuned!  More to follow!)