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From the visitor's centre, you can get an amazing view of the Pasterze Glacier https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0546-L.jpg Also, there are a lot of marmots living in the area. I think they all hang out below the visitor's centre because tourists throw food down at them https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0534-L.jpg At 8kms long, the Paterze Glacier is the longest glacier in the Eastern Alps. And probably the most expensive to see... |
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After getting our money's worth at the visitor's centre, we hit the road back to the Großglockner. It really is very scenic. Here's a short clip of our ride on the Großglockner High Alpine Pass https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN0728-L.jpg Riding through Gerlos, heading westbound to our next pass. Bikers everywhere, enjoying the sunny weather! |
We spent a fair bit of time at Großglockner so we were only able to do one more pass as the sun began to set on us. The clouds have darkened considerably as the day wore on and it looked like rain was imminent. It was now a race to find a campsite and set up our tent before the waterworks began... Somewhere past Innsbruck we saw a sign for a campsite at the next turnout.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN0740-L.jpg Too late. The tent is up, but we're soaked to the bone. We pitch the tent with our rainsuits on, and it takes some planning to figure out the best way to get the fly over the tent as quick as possible so the inside stays dry. I hate putting up a tent in the rain. Hate it! We huddle in the shelter of the communal kitchen and washroom in the campsite to eat our groceries and watch the sky turn everything around us into puddles and ponds. Miserable. Hopefully it lets up by tomorrow morning and we'll get some dry weather to continue our alpine pass tour. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN0747-L.jpg In rained all night, and in the morning... still rain. Packing up our wet tent. Gross. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN0756-L.jpg Undaunted, we head to our next pass: the Fern Pass Rivulets of rainwater turn into mini (and not so mini) waterfalls flowing down the mountainfaces surrounding us. If it wasn't so wet and miserable, it'd be pretty. But instead, we're tip-toeing through all the switchbacks and twists and turns, for fear of slipping on the very wet pavement beneath our wheels. |
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Groß. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN0760-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN0763-L.jpg This is not fun. We have another pass planned after this one: the Arlberg Pass. But we give that one... a pass. The rain is coming down so hard. The border between Austria and Slovenia is the line that separates Eastern and Western Europe. All season long, our friends in the west have been complaining about record-breaking rainfall, while we've enjoyed unbelievably sunny and dry riding weather on our side of Europe. Have we now crossed the line and joined them in their misery? We abort the RideDOT.com Austrian Alpine Pass Tour and jump onto the highway that takes us out of Richlandia and into Germany. Wait... isn't Germany, RichLandia too? RichLandia II. |
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Crossing into Germany, the weather clears up. Hopefully it was just an Alps thing Neda is tired and frustrated. And she takes her frustrations out on me, blaming me for the route, the long riding days, my planning around all the accommodations. She forgets the cardinal rule: if you're not actively helping to plan the ride, don't complain and criticize the ride leader! I only know this cardinal rule because I myself broke it when I was nagging Neda in Albania. And ohmigod this triggers the mother of all arguments. The whole of southern Germany can hear us yelling at each other over the communicators as we ride down the Autobahn... It ended with me putting my foot down and telling her, "That's it! I'm done planning and leading! It's your turn now!!!" https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN0768-L.jpg The next morning, I led the way out of Stuttgart. What the...?!? |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/344.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map344-L.jpg We've been in Europe for a couple of years now and we've seen a lot of this area, so we are just quickly passing through Germany as we head northwest on the continent. Günter, one of our new motorcycle friends that we met recently while touring the Adriatic coast in Croatia has graciously invited us to stay with him for a few days to rest up. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0903-L.jpg Our bikes have a roof over their heads tonight. First time in... months, I think. |
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To welcome us to his home, Günter prepares a barbeque! OMG, German bratwurst in Germany!!! Life does not get better than this! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0899-XL.jpg This is no ordinary BBQ. This is a very local contraption called a Schwenker A Schwenker is not something you yell out of your car window when someone cuts you off. It's a bbq grill that swings on a tripod and it's very local to the state of Saarland in Germany. Nearly everyone in Günter's neighbourhood has one in their backyard. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0905-XL.jpg Günter asks Neda to cut some wood for the bbq. Neda... quit messing around, you're a guest! Günter's son is really into LARP (Live-Action RolePlay), so Neda borrowed his sword. The thing about Schwenkbraten is that it needs to be cooked over a beechwood flame. No other wood will do. Schwenkers have a very narrow definition, otherwise you can't call it a Schwenker. Also, the beechwood needs to be chopped with a sword. That sword has to be named after a mythical, medieval German warrior and has to do at least a +5 in mystical damage. This sword is named "Ah-nold". Ah-nold Schwarzeneda. Get to the choppa, Neda... |
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After Neda choppa-d more wood, the Schwenker is set a-swinging and we stand around and socialize Cooking over a Schwenker is a very social occasion. People are supposed to gather around the fire, talk and tend to the swing to keep it moving. I asked Günter if the intermittent swinging cooks the meat in a special way? He said, "Not really, keeping it swinging is just something to do while we stand around and talk." LOL! The meat that cooks on a Schwenker is also pretty specific. It's a marinated pork neck steak and it's called Schwenkbraten. The bratwurst around it is just decoration. A yummy, yummy decoration. I don't know why, but I loved the Schwenker. It was so local and so specific to this neighbourhood. If we hadn't had come to visit Günter, we never would have Schwenked with him! https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0911-L.jpg The next morning, we set up our tent in the backyard so we can dry it out from all the rain in the Austrian Alps Günter has to go to work today, so he leaves us in the care of his daughter, Carolyn for the day. Carolyn went to high school in Texas so her English is fluent. In fact, she's got more of a Texan accent than German when she speaks English to us! She talks about the US a lot and she really misses her friends from back there. I think speaking English to us kinda reminds her of being back in Texas. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0921-L.jpg So despite the meatfest we had last night, we find out Carolyn is a vegetarian. Whut? Are you sure you lived in *Texas*?!? (and not Seattle..) So we make her our favorite vegetarian dish. It's a pasta with avocado sauce which tastes exactly like pesto, but without all the dairy and cholesterol. Just a little basil and lemon blended in with the avocado. Deliciousness! |
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Günter knows I like to take pictures, so he tells Carolyn to take us to the Erlebnisort Reden The Erlebnisory Reden is an old abandoned mine and factory that's been repurposed into an urban playground. The mine was the biggest employer in the city before it shut down. One of Günter's friends who came over for dinner last night used to work at this factory. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0933-L.jpg This place is great for Urbexing (Urban Exploration for those in the know) https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0938-L.jpg Nice decorations |
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https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0961-L.jpg This is an interesting sculpture. it's called the GegenOrt and it's made of untreated wood. It is supposed to naturally decay over time. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0971-L.jpg Haha, Carolyn you ham it up pretty good for a vegetarian! |
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Visitors place locks on this fence for love, hopes and dreams https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0989-L.jpg And then the pièce de résistance - a TARDIS?!? This isn't actually part of any art on the premises. We did a bit of exploring and tucked away in one of the abandoned buildings was this TARDIS. I had to to snake my camera in through a small peephole to get this shot, so it's not on purpose that this is here. I think Doctor Who must have filmed at this location at some point and the crew just left the prop instead of taking it with them back to England. So cool... I hope to see a lot more TARDISes in our near future... |
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Günter gets back from work and we spend some time fixing Neda's electricals Günter's an airplane mechanic so I think he's qualified to work on a motorcycle... We spent another evening with Günter and Carolyn and then next morning, we sadly said our goodbyes. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN0771-L.jpg All fixed, ready to head out! Günter suggested we ride into Luxembourg since it was so close by. It so happens to be on our way, so we swing by. We gas up right before we hit the border because Günter told us that gas is a lot more expensive in Luxembourg than Germany. Hmmm.... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0068-L.jpg We park our bikes and a few luxury cars roll by us... Hmmm.... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0040-L.jpg Walking around the Luxembourg City's town square, we poke around the restaurant's looking for lunch. Hmmmm.... |
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I'm not sure if you can read the menu, average price of a dish is €20... Buncha thieving Schwenkers! Just as we suspected, Luxembourg City is the capital of RichLandia. Holy crap, the prices here are on par with Switzerland and Norway... https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0002-L.jpg This statue is not a penis https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSC_0053-L.jpg Luxembourg Cathedral The city is well known for it's banking industry and being the base of operations for several European Union institutions, but we discovered that Luxembourg is an architect's Disneyland. Every building is meticulous in it's design and construction. A very beautiful place to wander around in. I can see why Günter suggested we take a look. But like Disneyland, it feels very sterile and very manicured. The medieval-style buildings don't seem like they were built 600 years ago, they look like they were built 20 years ago, and then cleaned and reconstructed every 5 years on a schedule. What a beautiful city, though! |
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Castle du Bock https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0061-XL.jpg Looking down into the River Alzette. Very pretty here. People ask us all the time which are the places that we've visited that stick out in our mind. We've seen some amazing sights and beautiful cities on this trip. But the things that really stand out in all of our memories are the people that we meet and befriend along the way. I like getting to know their stories, but also I love how we get to become part of their story and vice versa. Luxembourg's a lovely place, but it doesn't compare to Schwenking with Günter and Carolyn in their tiny German suburb just across the border. Danke schön, G&C! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/345.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map345-L.jpg The European highway system is a great way to shuttle vehicles across the continent quickly. But not necessarily cheaply. The trick is to route yourself through countries with no tolls. So this means staying away from Italy, Spain and France, and keeping to countries like Germany and Belgium. Our route westwards skirts the French border as we thumb our noses at their expensive highways, only ducking in at the last minute to the port town of Calais to catch the Eurotunnel to England. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...DSCN0772-L.jpg Lining up to board the train that takes us beneath the English Channel The Eurotunnel is a pretty cool system, taking only 35 minutes to make the crossing. And if you cross at non-peak hours, it's a bit cheaper - around £35 per motorcycle. The ferry is £5 less expensive, but takes an hour longer. Speaking of which, the pound sterling has plummeted because of the Brexit vote, which makes it perfect timing to visit the UK. The exchange rate was hovering around £1 = $2.10CAD at the beginning of the year, now the pound is sitting at $1.67CAD! A 25% discount from pre-Brexit rates! At least there's one silver lining to this dark cloud. https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...SC_0073-XL.jpg Daylight disappears from the windows as the train descends into the underwater tunnel At almost 38 kms, you'd think the Eurotunnel is the longest underwater tunnel in the world, but there's actually a 55km tunnel in Japan! We'll have to try that one someday. The 35-minute ride gives us time to chat with the other motorcyclists on our train. We met a Dutch couple riding two-up, they're on a 5-week vacation around the British Isles. Also some UK riders returning to the continent. One of the British guys walks over and gives my bike a comprehensive inspection: "You've got some scratches here. Did you crash?" "Yeah, that was from the time I dumped it in the Sahara Desert!", I explain proudly. It's like he didn't hear me. "There's a few more on this side". He seemed equally offended that I obviously was not skilled enough to keep my bike upright, and also perplexed as to why I hadn't fixed the cosmetic damages yet to mask this fact... "Oh yeah, that was the time in Colombia when..." he wasn't listening, still checking my bike for more evidence of my lack of riding prowess. *shrug* "Your bike is very clean", I offered back. He nodded with pride. Okeeey.... |
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