Correct, I do not mean the Apple computers but the endless apple fields that accompanied us today on our journey. If there is one emblem for this part of South Tyrol them the apple fields. Not orchards but highly effective industrialised apple fields.Leaving Glurns offers the first glimpse at the apple fields … and the sill snow covered mountains behind The river Etsch is still small here. The Italians call it Adige. Alto Adige is then then the Italian name for this part of land, probably to suppress the original German sounding South Tyrol,Excellently well built and maintained biking tracks. Though the non crowded impression here is an illusion. The more to the South, the more crowded it gets. Apple fields left and right Apple fields across the valley. The gray areas are fields covered with protective nets Plastic transport boxes for the apples A pre-roman church (whatever pre-roman may mean) in the middle of apple fields. Asking two construction workers nearby what apple variety grows there they replied: “No idea“White railway tracks in front of apple fields. In my young days the rails used to have distance gaps giving the train ride a characteristic sound of tu tu tu … Later they started to weld them together. This produces the pleasant shhhhhh sound. And raises at least for me the unsolvable questions: How they manage not to bulge at heat?  The law of the physics have no mercy. Well in Italy they help by painting them white not to absorb so much heatCycling is apparently very popular here. What is your guess that this statue is made out of apple tree leaves?Meran, a lovely city I could imagine to live in. To my disappointment and surprise I learned here that Meran and Merino wool are completely two different things. Should I have had paid more attention at school? Approaching Botzen/ Bolzano. The river Etsch/Adige is getting wild one more timeThe castle Sigmundskron – the guardian of the city Bozen. Today it houses Reinhold Messner‘s museum. Messner was the first to climb all 14 mountains over 8,000 meters without supplemental oxygen. We took our helmet off. Also, because, true story, our friend Ignaz was born just behind this castle 🙂Bozen. The statue in the middle of the square is the poet Walter von der Vogelweide. And many insignias on the façades of the houses are in German,too The city today, however, is predominantly Italian. With all the spirit you would expect from a lively Italian town. So actually it’s Bolzano.100 km of apple and other discoveries in total
