Celebrated my first rest day in this city of about 100,000–it’s an amazingly interesting place. I started with a visit to Ötzi, the 5000 year old man found in the nearby Ötz Area from the copper era. He underwent extensive analysis in Innsbruck and now rests in a special ice cold, humidity controlled chamber that allows viewing. The archeological museum was specially created for him.
Next stop was the WW I Victory Monument with a permanent exhibit underneath. What makes it so unique is that it was started by the Germans to honor their fallen soldiers before the war even ended. Well, after the tide turned and the Allies won, Mussolini some 10 years later built on the same spot a monument honoring the Italy’s victory. The politics was amazing because of the autonomous nature given to South Tirol Province (Bolzano). My grandfather fought here on the Austria-Hungarian side—saw lots of pictures, but none popped out as being of him!
Lots if people at their Saturday Market on Victory Square around the Monument. Still want to visit the Bolzano City Museum.
Othet pics include what appears as Ötzi‘s first aid kit with description, and some avocados costing $3.40 a piece—they‘re from New Zealand (European demand has skyrocketed and so its price as well).
BTW, next time we celebrate our anniversary, we‘ll toast to Ötzi—he was discovered just a few months before we were married!