Austrian Alps september 2020

Got to have something nice to look forward to

Just buy a blade week before and lash a tent on

Got to have something nice to look forward to

Just buy a blade week before and lash a tent on

Might just do that!

Just leaving this here.. a bike on the B99 Obertauern road. one of the roads we should be using.. though don't expect the mountains to be so snow capped in September.

you're welcome.

Just leaving this here.. a bike on the B99 Obertauern road. one of the roads we should be using.. though don't expect the mountains to be so snow capped in September.

you're welcome.

Obertauern B99.jpg

Envy, Envy Envy......

My breath is suitably bated. pro-tip.. try for a bike with a tight turning circle as we are bound to encounter hairpins poised to make your hair curl.

 

 

Yep, I'm not buying another K1200S.

So, I've just bought another K1200S

Rearrange your furniture and bring the bike into your lounge. You can practice by riding round the sofa. Clockwise and anti-clockwise dib dib dib.

For added thrills... Have Ozrics on loud and do these circumnavigations to the tune of velmwend. That's on the Afterswish album if you're not sure.

Rearrange your furniture and bring the bike into your lounge. You can practice by riding round the sofa. Clockwise and anti-clockwise dib dib dib.

For added thrills... Have Ozrics on loud and do these circumnavigations to the tune of velmwend. That's on the Afterswish album if you're not sure.

That's quite a challenge

My breath is suitably bated. pro-tip.. try for a bike with a tight turning circle as we are bound to encounter hairpins poised to make your hair curl.

 

 

Yep, I'm not buying another K1200S.

 

So, I've just bought another K1200S

Love a good challenge

My GS is 7 miles away in the garage (maybe...) and I feel stuck without it. I haven't ridden it in about 11 months so feeling a bit ancy.

All this time and can't ride it

News from Austria.

The strict lockdown restrictions will end on Thursday 30th April.

Until the end of June it will be possible to have gatherings of up to 10 people and 30 at funerals.

There will be no requirement to wear masks outside but minimum 1m distancing must be maintained. Masks will be required in shops, shopping centres indoor tourist attractions etc.

Shops and shopping centres will still be opening from May 1st.

Cafes and restaurants were already scheduled to open on May 15th but they have now announced regulations. Maximum of 4 adults and their children per table, distancing from others of minimum of 1m and staff must wear masks. Hours of opening 06 - 2300

Hotels and accommodation establishments can open from May 29th with regulations to follow. Tourist attractions will also be able to open.

The government has stated that the situation will be under constant review and if need be stricter restrictions will be reintroduced.

Another small step in the right direction.

Glad about this.. as it means we can stick with the preferred plan of a ride across France to the Vosges, across the Rhine and into the Southern Black Forest.

Just announced...

The Austrian Authorities have given permission for the Grossglockner road clearance. preparation for opening to begin. with a date set at 28th May at the latest for the unlock.

So.. now we're cooking with gas. (as they say)

Great news.. because if this road is opening then so will all the others ive earmarked for this years jaunt. The Nockalm. and Silvretta.. and a few others.

114 days to go and now just waiting and seeing.

I admire your optimism. I have resigned myself to the possibility that this years trips will have to be cancelled. I have already cancelled one and just about to cancel another for the end of June beginning of July. In reality I think it's going to well into next year before we are allowed to cross borders again.

For the past 6 weeks.. my only real worry was my 'ideal' route would have to be reversed.. I want to end the trip riding the full length of the Black Forests B500 from the Swiss border north. Which is something we, as a group, didnt manage the last time we were there and so its really a 'must do'. Also.. im assured that the best direction to ride the German Alpine road is west to east.. so thats important too.

There has been something of a risk that this ideal route might have to be reversed... That we would start by riding the B500 south.. and ride the Alpine road east to west. but thats not really an issue now.

There is just one remaining hurdle.. and thats the reopening of Hotels in the French green zone.. and Germany/Austria. That is now set to happen on May 29th in Austria.. and I reckon Germany will be a few weeks later. France... probably end of June or beginning of july.. And once the Hotels open then so will the few campsites I've already bookmarked.

To be honest.. the only worry now is that the virus decides this is a good time to mutate into something even more horrible and theres a new.. and quite massive outbreak across the continent. and everything is closed down tight.

unlikely.

I'm another one admiring your optimism and I'm willing your predictions to be correct (apart from the one about the virus mutating ! ).

My brother and I had discussed options for destinations for this year but had not got to the stage of detail planning so - nothing arranged, no actual plans aborted, but it won't take five minutes to plan, book, pack and go once we get a real green light.

I'm not sure we're going to get to Europe this year, but I am hopeful of covering the length and breadth of Scotland and England (and maybe into Wales). However, nothing will stop me dreaming of Coquelles, Obertauern, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Bled, Col du Mont-Cenis and home through France .....

Work has begun!!

Good to see, clearing of the road. However, it might be a while before the schengen states allow us to travel.

Good to see, clearing of the road. However, it might be a while before the schengen states allow us to travel.

I agree. in fact its something ive assumed from the outset.

Joint Statement between BoJo and Macron. No quarantine measures between Uk and France, at the moment anyway.

Joint Statement between BoJo and Macron. No quarantine measures between Uk and France, at the moment anyway.

Is this anything to do with my post of last Monday... or something new?

It was an important step.. as it meant we can stick with our first preference. And ride across France to the Southern Black Forest via Epernay.

There have never been any quarantine measures.. none at all. The channel tunnel has been running passenger and vehicle trains throughout the lockdown. There has been only one change and that was an insistence on face masks starting again, last Monday.

Not sure but saw this earlier

A joint statement issued earlier today 10th May.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-between-the-uk-and-france-10-may-2020

Also the schengen visa info has stated. The United Kingdom citizens will be eligible to enter France starting from May 11, and will not be subject to a mandatory quarantine the authorities have reintroduced recently, the French government announces.

Whilst there will be no quarantine requirements you will still need a good reason to travel, I don't think going on your jollies would be accepted as a good reason. I could be wrong

Damn I don't suppose they will fall for "its for my mental health and well being"

Whilst there will be no quarantine requirements you will still need a good reason to travel, I don't think going on your jollies would be accepted as a good reason. I could be wrong

yes. you could be.

I however cannot predict the future. And there seems to be a lot of that going on.

We have a fortnight trip arranged and fortunately this is due to happen in 16 weeks. during which time a lot can happen.. just as a lot has happened in the past 16 weeks.

Im carrying on as though nothing has changed with the core plans.. because right now, Absolutely nothing has. Its just daft to try to extrapolate what is happening now to what will be happening in 4 months time. when nobody can say whats going to happen next week, across the channel.

I'm watching what France, Belgium, Germany and Austria decide to do. over the next weeks and months. Though I'm not expecting anything major before July.. just baby steps.

Only two of those countries need to be 'open' for our fortnight to go ahead and it can be any two of them. that hardly matters.

The only option that doesn't appeal to me is a fortnight in Belgium. I dont even need to ask the guys what they would think of that as an idea.

Baby steps continue.

I'm on the mail list of the Hotel where we normally stay, in Neuerburg Germany. And we're all invited to pop round tomorrow for wild boar schnitzel. As they are now allowed to open the restaurant. And the owner, who hunts, has wild boar coming out of his ears (apparently) So... How long do you think before they reopen the hotel proper? My guess is before the end of June. (But don't hold me to that) And once the hotels reopen so will the campsites.

And today another small step. Just posted by Ali in Austria a British hotel owner and occasional poster on this forum.

Border restrictions between Austria and Germany will be eased on Friday and lifted completely on June 15th assuming everything is still under control by then.

For us that means that as long as we can get across the German border, we can then continue into Austria.

So... now what remains is France and/or Belgium. Plus Hotels (and Campsites in Germany and France.) And a period of 15 weeks and 3 days, For this to be resolved.

Im now starting to hope that we might even be able to cross into Italy.. I still hope to ride over the Timmelsjoch pass and perhaps even have a day out to the Dolomites. or ride to the Mangart in Slovenia. (or at least have all these as available options) but... we'll see. one step at a time.