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Austrian Alps september 2020


Gerontious
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No. Next year will most likely be staying at the Schloss in Neuerburg, for at least a week, maybe longer. We can discus that when I return.


Today I am back in the Black Forest and bloody glad to be here after today’s ride from hell. Today was definitely my biggest mistake so far, but hey ho. I managed to avoid the speed traps or setting off the blue roadside cameras. Blue! Who knew? Over the course of the past fortnight I have been through 3 speed traps, 2 Austrian and 1 Swiss. Loads of roadside cameras and never a flash, I’ve been a lot more careful after being flashed last year. Though the fine wasn’t much really.


In a very odd campsite. Nice, but a bit different, with a hippy commune vibe. Everyone here is Dutch. Absolutely everyone. Beer is cheap though, they have an unlocked fridge and an honesty box. But at €2 a bottle I’m not complaining. “Ketterer Bier” a very palatable Pils made a mile down the road.


Very warm here even now at 9:20 another blue sky day tomorrow and 26c, I shall work out a different route as the B500 will be rammed, I had it almost to myself as far as Triberg. All those naughty Germans having their tea I guess. Just the odd random lunatic here and there.


Just took two photos one of the first B500 sign and then some random roadside view on the way here. I’ll be at the Schloss tomorrow night and then ride to the tunnel on Sunday.

 

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Guess where I am. Can you guess. Schnitzel ordered and I’m sitting out front with a Benedikiner. Shower then food. (And more Benediktiner)




Traditional photo of said Schnitzel to follow. (Obviously)

 

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Billy no mates...

 

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........... staying at the Schloss in Neuerburg,

 

this place has been mentioned before .. any particular reason its popular ?


https://www.schlosshotel-neuerburg.de/

 

It’s popular with us because, mostly, the owners are extremely laid back. Nothing is ever a problem. I might book 10 rooms, they have never asked for a deposit or batted an eyelid when I’ve been forced to email them to cancel a room or rooms. It’s ideally placed for some of the best riding in the region. With Luxembourg just 12 miles away, we always have at least one full day over there. It actually stands on a really good road. The L4 so great riding is literally on the doorstep. With the equally great B50 to the south and B410 to the north. And from either end - every direction is just great. It’s a very German hotel, so the food reflects that, I just tell them we don’t want sauerkraut. (Which I think is repulsive)


Tonight: noodle soup, followed by schnitzel, fries and a salad. Probably ice cream later. What you see there could probably feed two. The food servings are more than generous. Which is great, because we usually have big appetites at days end,

 

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For me, coming here for my final night is just obvious. Tomorrow after a huge breakfast it’s a very easy 255 mile ride to the tunnel.


Chocolate and hazelnut ice cream (and my 3rd Benediktiner)

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i have book-marked this hotel in my Basecamp .. not that i`m sure when or even if i`ll be over that way again ....the menu looks fine.. would eat any of it .. sauerkraut is best eaten hot .. even if it is fermented cabbage .. but krautsalat is better all round ..

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I’m not really sure if any of the guys would want to relocate to Cochem. We’ve been there and to be honest and maybe I’m speaking out of turn, but purely for myself - I view it as a tourist hell. We went there once for a meal and none of the guys have ever requested a return. I don’t even like riding through the place as traffic is always really bad and as for most of the time we seem to have huge swathes of the region entirely to ourselves, encountering heavy traffic comes as a nasty shock. Something to avoid. Or I get moaned at, and I don’t like being moaned at.


My worst mistakes have always been mixing with heavy traffic. That’s nearly always the top complaint. Because where we stay and the region we tend to stay within is effectively deserted. Mile after mile of empty roads from 9am to about 5 when the local excuse for the rush home from work begins.

Edited by Gerontious
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i have book-marked this hotel in my Basecamp .. not that i`m sure when or even if i`ll be over that way again ....the menu looks fine.. would eat any of it .. sauerkraut is best eaten hot .. even if it is fermented cabbage .. but krautsalat is better all round ..

 

The menu is great, portion sizes are enough too. It is a hotel that is close to the hearts of us who have stayed there. I've been there 6 times with and without the group and have always been made welcome. We first stayed in 2012. The owners know us well.


As Tony has already said the roads leading in are superb and that is one of the many bonuses of staying there. Cheap petrol across the border is an added attraction.


Really missed it this year, so many great memories attached to that place.

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Because this region is so fantastic and easy to get to, we tend to come 2 years running and then a year off, where we go camping usually. Obviously this year was our year off. But Covid has ruined everything. But even alone I couldn’t resist coming here at the start and now the end of my tour down to Italy. Even the destination implied by the thread title became impossible. I had to dash through Austria without stopping and my goal of riding the Glockner will have to wait for better times.


We will be back here at the Schloss next September.

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A very busy dining room this morning. But that’s it breakfast demolished and I will be in my way in the next hour or so. Always a sad moment riding away from this place. Which appears to have had twins overnight!

 

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Not much to do, in fact I’m all ready. Popping to Dasburg first and then a gently bimble via Clervaux to see the Northampton at La Roche, as I missed it out, coming, which wasn’t right at all.


Filled in the returning travel form last night which is a bit of a pain. I have a flexiplus ticket so just turn up and board.


Finally, a couple of shots I took last night of the guest house.

 

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So, farewell to the Schloss, see you next year!

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Still in France as there were a few places I wanted to have a look at related to the Dunkirk escape. also wanted to see the white cliffs from the French side. Just had the most fabulous salad. And once that goes down I’ll make my way to the tunnel.

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Guest Richzx6r

Still in France as there were a few places I wanted to have a look at related to the Dunkirk escape. also wanted to see the white cliffs from the French side. Just had the most fabulous salad. And once that goes down I’ll make my way to the tunnel.

 

Bet it will be a very slow ride to the tunnel

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I’m there now, but as per usual, last on. Place is practically dead. Only one ticket Hanger Lane open. Straight through. In minutes. Nobody has, as yet asked to see my return to UK form, seems that was a wasted effort filling that in. Ho hum. Told me to wait in the most bizarre place too. Through the final barrier in the middle of the driveway to the ramps.


I’m the only bike.

 

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Billy no mates (again)

 

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And we’re off.....

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No. Still under the sea. No eureka today. I’m really thirsty so Sainsbury’s first for cheaper (than mimms) drinks.


There are 5 empty carriages between me and the last car.


Really peeved that the form was such a bloody waste of time. Nobody has asked to see it. The man has just been through to scan my ticket and he said nothing. I can’t see how they can stop everyone as they get off. So, it’s been all for nothing.


And daylight....


Just noticed this: ha.... bit late.EA4EB823-3BDF-4E8B-BD1D-0E035D3D468D.thumb.jpeg.4078f5a7dad42745a1b91eab18fd9b72.jpeg

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Decided I couldn’t wait for south mimms. Needed coffee and loo so currently at a McDonald’s at lakeside. Just past dartford crossing. M20 was a ‘mare. Roadworks almost all the way to the crossing, made a whole lot worse by a breakdown.(Sigh)


I’m in no rush anyway.


It’s been a great couple of weeks and as I’ve not been told otherwise, no need to isolate for 2 bloody weeks!!


Even though I was told repeatedly that I would have to by armchair experts.


I’ve told the Krufts we will be seeing them next September, so that’s already written in stone. Probably the weekend after August B/H.


Few things I noticed. A new speed cam on the B50 in a short stretch that’s got a 50 limit. The polizei were setting up a speed trap on the B410 a few miles from Dasburg, which is something we will never see during the week. The Dasburg hairpin was barre ferme. So hopefully being resurfaced - something to look forward to. The schnitzel was as good as ever. The Schloss was just the same. The L4 south of Sinspelt was also being resurfaced and the umleitung took me to the B50, so something more to look forward to. I went through Seebach but didn’t stop or divert to the Williams, it was very odd riding down that road though. On a bike that wasn’t horribly damaged!!


Before crossing I went to look at the Wormhoudt massacre site, which was very emotional. I also went to the CWGC cemetery close by which is mainly WW1 plus the massacre victims in a mass grave and there stones with “buried nearby” markers. They have planted 84 (I think) oak trees with seeds from England for each victim. Below are the photos I took. As per usual I sought out the unknowns.A534EA4D-C359-4BA3-A3E0-3E5EB7087B79.thumb.jpeg.500363ba821a8911b53b624f571af8a1.jpeg41F0A5C8-F074-4F1B-AA5A-789364008C1B.thumb.jpeg.c5190648a8983d5dc6baf7f8b7f67188.jpegE02BDCE6-A2BA-48DD-BABC-CD6999D4413B.thumb.jpeg.2e38e3b7a7db1d6a410d0729adea3b70.jpeg009E9237-3364-4500-9124-B26FFE3E86D2.thumb.jpeg.770f6ea014f2d25d46f1c1395ee822fd.jpeg5B4BEA9A-05EC-4BDD-9E25-10F5256319E2.thumb.jpeg.66c6f3094d954e2bec0f789deb2ee26b.jpeg59CAD7DF-D461-456C-B9D9-2B52B3B54EB1.thumb.jpeg.2e9a71f7ccffd2fcc80a5fffac282212.jpeg5D6CF6FF-9A41-4895-9843-0A9E19AB6708.thumb.jpeg.31b0c8e24f0b5f4d993e44d5645cb9e1.jpegC0237EC3-93B2-4810-82B0-C3CBDAA5837D.thumb.jpeg.0db5463505099595fb0d74c9388527d0.jpeg2489EB3C-56A7-47F0-AA40-A7D990436981.thumb.jpeg.5f3528e2c187f4e948ed979990f0fde9.jpegE8CFA74B-F927-4C7B-844B-3CB320E1FB42.thumb.jpeg.88e2f4a4f638386b96c9ddef85825727.jpeg

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Edited by Gerontious
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What's the u turn count? I did quite a few.

 

3, that i can remember. I have U turns turned off... so when it demanded I do one, it means business. In two cases it was a dead end road, up a blind valley. And in the 3rd a wooden bridge that had... shall we say, a few bits missing!! I don't like wooden bridges at the best of times, but that one was a horror. it also had a sign that was unpronounceable but also unmistakable. I turned around and went around.



But, its fine on this bike the turning circle is tiny. Not something that will be happening next year in das eifel.


Not all that many umleitungs this year either,.. and those i did encounter just lead to better routes. Like the wonderful B50.

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A few things I noticed,


3 out of every 5 bikes was a GS, of varying types and ages, A lot of older 1150's as well. Until I entered Italy.. then a big change.

The Swiss really like the Ducati Multistrada.. almost every one I saw had Swiss plates.

The Italians are absolutely mad about Triumphs. I was really surprised by this. if you saw a Triumph 9/10 it would have Italian plates. And in Italy they easily outnumbered BMWs, If a group of bikes were parked up, anything that wasnt a Triumph was ignored. and they would be going over them extremely closely, pointing and jabbering about this and that. I saw more of the original Tiger than I think I have ever seen in my life, the original Hinckley Tiger - 900. Also they are mad about soft luggage, hardly any corned beef cans for them.

I only saw 2 other Ducatis the whole time with italian plates. and they were both monsters, ridden by women. (the monster is considered a bike for women only, in Italy - I was told, with much nodding.)


if you are in any way a petrol head.. go to the great Dolomite road. find a good spot and watch what goes past. absolutely jaw dropping.


In the heat.. people were geared up with one major exception. No gloves. this was really noticeable as they all wave, or point. or V sign. rather than nod. I really felt like the odd one out wearing my vented gloves.


From leaving the tunnel, i didnt see a single UK plate the whole time. so, people were talking to me a lot. much more than usual. of course being alone makes you more approachable, but even so.. there was a lot of comments that could be summed up by "where are the english?'


As for the response to Covid. they were all taking it far more seriously than here. to a remarkable degree. if you tried entering anywhere without a mask on they would send you out, and anyone else would just stop what they were doing and stare, or, staff come running out with one for you to wear, if they thought you might not have one handy. people were disinfecting their hands before entering and leaving any building. nearly everyone had their own bottle of instant alcohol disinfectant and it was on sale everywhere, very cheap. €2 for a bottle. Anything you touched was instantly wiped. if you weren't wearing a mask people would give you a wide berth, out doors. It was perfectly normal to take off your crash helmet and immediately put on a mask.


coming back here is like being in a different world.

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