Bolzano/Bozen

After fleeing the farmer, I went on to Bolzano to hook up with a guy I know: Ötzi (more on him later) Bolzano is in the far far north of Italy and German is the first language, followed by Italian and a fairly good knowledge of English. With my three languages around me I thought I'd be in my element but I actually had a lot of problems deciding which language to use! People would speak to me in German, I'd respond in Italian and they'd notice my accent and swap to English while I realised my mistake and switched to German. Ordering a meal was a big adventure.

German and Austrian tourists zip around on bikes and their language grates in contrast to the lyrical Italian words. A portico lined street is flanked on one side by German shops and on the other by Italian shops. Pizzerias sell pizza topped with würst while birrerias (breweries) sell pasta cooked in beer. Every street has two names and the buildings are a strange mixture of German facades decorated with brightly coloured Italian frescoes. It's a very pretty town and very rich. Fortunately the shops were all closed for Ferragosto which probably saved me a lot of money. Window shopping sufficed as I made my way past stunning window displays toward the Museum of Archaeology where Ötzi was awaiting me.

I first encountered Ötzi while reading my guidebook in a cafe. Ötzi is no looker. He's past the prime of his life, only 5 feet tall, has leathery wrinkly skin, sunken eyes and a large gap between his front teeth. Still, you have to forgive him these shortcomings when you consider that he has been dead for three and a half thousand years.

Ötzi was murdered after a fight with a mysterious stranger and his corpse was left to rot, however nature took over and in 1991 his body was found frozen in a block of ice by two hikers. He is now resting in a giant temperature controlled room in the Archaeology Museum of Bolzano, with a window through which tourists come to stare at him. His body provides many clues about how people lived in his time. His skin bears strange marks that the scientists suspect are the earliest known form of acupuncture. His last meal, recent ailments, clothing and tools have been studied and are now on display in an entire floor of the museum, it's a very interesting exhibit and I spent a lot of time there.

Ötzi's settlement is long gone, but there is a castle that may be the last remaining ruins of the very same settlement that he belonged to years before the castle was even built. It's one of many such castles nestled in the hills surrounding Bolzano. Snaking around the ruins are endless rows of vines, climbing in ever‑diminishing circles. The effect is dramatic in the evening when the sunset adorns the vines with golden light, but in the daytime the effect is somewhat marred by the many power lines that bring electricity to the ancient town.

I wandered along the river to a castle with two names; Runkelstein in German and Runcalo in Italian. Its walls bear mediaeval frescoes which depict the tales of King Arthur, Tristan and Isolde and various other tales. They are the oldest surviving mediaeval frescoes in the world.
Back in town, I noted the presence of much anti‑Nazi graffiti scrawled in Italian, German and English. I passed through the main square to the Duomo, which is a mixture of various architectural styles that surprisingly complement each other quite well. I'm more than a little jaded now when it comes to churches, but this one had a pretty spire.

Bolzano was an interesting little town and would have also been very expensive if the shops were open. I wandered, window shopped and then left after a couple of days, headed for Milano.

Future updates will probably have to wait until Spain, as it's August and everything in Italy is closed, including internet places. I found one today by luck but don't expect to find another.

I'm making my way through the northern part of Italy, visiting Milan and then heading for Pisa where I catch my flight to Spain. No, it's not with Spainair so it won't crash!

Til next time!