Day 59, Sat 18th Sept, Watten to Brennero, Phil

62km covered in 3hr20
Average speed 18kmph
max speed 50kmph
odometer reads 4615km

Arising early in anticipation of the big day ahead, we realise breakfast is starting late as its saturday... Not to worry, we take a spin into town and pick up our daily bread and catch a bit more BBC world news, before a basic breakfast. Much confusion with language, as the cleaner tries to tell us she doesn't speak German, and the key to the storage room where our beloved bikes have been locked away seems to be missing... A few phone calls and winks from the elderly gentleman who seems to be in charge and we're on the road again, with our usual plan to cut off a few kms with little shortcut...

Finding ourselves at a dead end with the only other option to start climbing mountains again, we retreat to the safety of the Inn river and head into Innsbruck, where we treat ourselves to a bakery stop before the real climbing begins. And what a climb it is, 200m in a matter of kms, we head out of the city to the sound of air raid sirens heralding our departure...or perhaps warning what was to come....

But strangely, although the climb is constant for some 20km, it doesn't compare to Krimml and the haripin turns. Other cyclists and motorists seem astounded that we are attempting this route - finally, Alice is rewarded with clapping and a photo from an elderly Italian gentleman as we huff and puff our way past his parked car, wheels spinning furiously. The breaks are plentiful and whilst we're all feeling the cold as we head south into the Alps, the cycling is enjoyable and we're maintaining a reasonable pace.

A sudden steep ascent looms ahead but we're buoyed by the prospect that the border must be somewhere soon... and indeed it is, much to our surprise as we pop out from under the motorway into the little town of Brennero. WE've made it to Italy!!! Or at least we think we have, being somewhat confused as to the mix of Italian and German that greets us in every locale. However, all thoughts of the border are swept from our minds when we chance upon a bike shop on the edge of town... Going in 'for a look', we return to our bikes with excited smiles and slightly lighter purses, Hazel in possession of a racy red long sleeve jersey, and Ali having finally found a suitable pair of replacement cycling shoes (sadly, this does mean that the fashion shoot that was to involve the full Lidl outfit can no longer take place).

We cycle on through town in the drizzling rain, all cold now that we've slowed down after our ascent and only wanting a dry place to put ourselves. We almost cycle out of town and its a quick about turn, when thankfully we chance upon the Hotel Olimpia. The lovely hostess speaks Italian, and its a relief to be able to finally speak to someone and get ourselves sorted without requiring the use of excessive gesturing (apart from the ones I use all the time when speaking Italian). Dry clothes and a quick coffee stop and we head back into the rain to find out what it is that brings people to Brennero...the answer of course, is outlet shopping!!! A hop, skip and a jump and we're into the Designer Outlet shopping mall, where Ali proceeds to purchase her SECOND pair of shoes for the day (about time really as she's been wearing flip flops in 5°C), and Hazel also decided its time to invest in new pair of sneakers as her current pair are letting water in through the soles... I watch on in amusement as the two of them proceed to put on new, and discard old shoes before heading back out into the rain to the hotel, all of 50m away!

We dine in the lovely restaurant downstairs, where I'm delighting in speaking Italian with the various women behind the counter, although I'm becoming more and more confused by the 'Tirolese', who seem to be neither Italian or Austrian and speak an odd dialect involving both languages and possibly Catalunyan as well...

We are seated next to an Australian couple from Melbourne- he disappears into his crossword, whilst I am regaled by travel stories (and unneccessary personal details) by the septogenarian who Ali rather accurately likens to Dame Edna. Much to the amusement of the girls, she refuses to talk to them apparently for fear of misunderstanding, and continues to ask for 'the Australian girl'... Unfortunately our hosts get a little involved in their entertaining and we go without tiramisù much to our dismay, but all is not lost, as we have a few leftover bread rolls, chocolate and biscuits to tide us over until morning!