Baden Baden to Malta
A good sleep. My my, I am very organised this morning. I will roll with it as it isn't going to last.
A sumptuous breakfast spread from the weird fella.
Packed up quick and shipped out lickety split. So being in the area, I think we'll begin proceedings with a trundle down one of the famous roads of the region.
Patient: "Doctor, I am becoming fed up with riding my motorbike"
Doctor: "I prescribe an early morning run on the B500 to be taken immediately"
How right they are. I've read a few posts in places about it has been spoiled, and there's Polizei everywhere, blah blah. Well, not at 9am there's not. I only see a couple of other cars and bikes and it is incredibly quiet.
Careful though- with the mediciation can come side effects and no one wants to end up suffering with Sturzegefahrs.
I'm on the road just after 9. Nobody else is. The road is an absolute peach and a must do.
The view across to France. An epic view emerging from the trees to find you're skirting around the edge of the mountains.
Stop for a stretch and to look through a tat shop.
And a veritable tatland it is too. The Costco of tat shops.
No stickers though
More fun to be had on the empty roads. Biking at its best. 'Wunderbar Deutschland' as I've heard it said
A quick stop in Baiersbronn for an Iced Tea served by a very enthusiastic and friendly gentleman. I peer through the window and then talk to the lady in the Tourist information office. She gives me a sticker and a lapel badge. Nice!
Back to the road, and eventually I have to break off the 500 to head East. There's still fun to be had as I work due east, towards Ulm and the Autobahn. Shortly before the motorway I stop for another quick break and a bun.
Madame B of the parish has coined the term 'Bunning'. This is a term we at the rambles like. This is where you potter around on the bike, then stop and have a bun, and repeat the process do the same again. I believe I've developed an extension to that original concept which I now call 'Speed bunning'*. This is the same basic concept but instead of leisurely pottering it is hustling along, and not dawdling over your bun of course.
Here I'm concentrating on keeping the stops brief and forget the bun picture. But you have my assurances it was up to standard.
A rare non-bun related halt. Photos tend to take second place when you're in the performance bunning zone. The 10.37 to Karlsruhe.
And so the main road is picked up and we trundle along at a decent rate. The bike seems happy to go, so again we go. Lovely.
After a bit of time and a couple of podcasts I'm in Munich. The Allianz Arena, home of Bayern, the European Champions. Big old place.
I'm sure it'll look a whole lot better when they whip the bubble wrap off. And when they get together to pop said bubble wrap I'm coming over for definite.
I seem to have inspired a visiting Bayern fan to do the picture.
South of Munich and things get sticky. The Autobahn grinds to a halt but I manage filtering and quite enjoy it. There are a few cruisers loaded up struggling to haul through the traffic. Of course the GS even loaded up has great balance and its fun. By the time I get up to the front I'm navigating open doors and people wandering out on the road and I acquire a novelty status patiently working through, exchanging a few smiles with the stranded, waving and saying 'Guten Tag' and 'Teus.'
As I reach the front of the queue its nasty; a Lorry has rear ended another. Not good at all that.
I'm barely there a minute before the Polizei beckon us on.
At the Austrian border I speed bun and buy a vignette.
'Little Red Vignette' as performed by the artist formerly known as Roberto.
Bit of a bugger because I'm only doing a short stretch, but then again its only four quid so there's no emergency funding call to Zurich required.
Over the border and now taking the main road down South to Kitzbuhel, before working East again. Its very busy and speed bunning just becomes plain and simple bunning for a while. As the road opens up a little a bloke on a Hungarian registered Yamaha (I think it’s the naked 1300) who goes barelling past at what must have been 130mph. Woosh. Whoa! Blimey. A short while later why what do we have here, a teetering Hungarian bike tippy toeing around the bends and my my he's bloody hopeless. Scary.. I almost feel a tiny bit sorry for him… my word.. he's diabolical. I'm a pretty run of the mill rider so that must be saying something if he looks bad to me.
Heading East now, the road is still relatively busy but we can still get on alright. Its now getting on for 6.30 and I'm close to Zell am See. Could we have time for a cheeky run across the Grossglockner? Hell yeah.
Oh no, wait a minute, Hell no. At a roundabout I'm beckoned to the first slip road by a Polizei. I think I'm being pulled over but it turns out to be a diversion from the main road which sends what turns into a huge convoy around a many little lanes until we finally join the main road but time is lost. Eventually, at Zell am See and the turn for the Grossglockner things don't look brilliant. The sun is already lost in the valley running to the toll booth and I hope that I'm not too late.
A spirited ride up to the toll booth and a quick conference with the bloke inside the flap and we're off. Actually, the pass is open until 9.45, so I'm far from too late and as I climb up there's plenty of light to enjoy it, and what's more, zero traffic. Biking heaven this and it is seriously good fun. Last time up here we were mingling in amongst all of the general tourist traffic, coaches, caravans and the like and hundreds of bikes. Wonderful sights a little spoiled by the traffic. But this time, just little old me and the odd thing coming the other way.
Time for a quick snap.
Lovely up here.
Erm, everyone's kind of buggered off.
With time knocking on there's not much room in the schedule to stand around so we're off again, back down the mountain.
Oh go on, one more stop, one more snap.
I pass two cars on the way down and that was it.
And then on to Winklern and the B106 taking me East.
Traffic is sparse, almost zero. The road flows through the valleys. I wind on a little and briskly run through the beautifully typical Austrian Valleys as the sun drops down and darkness takes over. It is quite a stunning ride. I have some chilled music on and everything just works. The bike purrs, the lines are good, every overtake comes along and goes in seamless fashion, just drifiting along, bothering nobody, passing and floating away into the distance. A totally memorable ride and one I shall remember.
I turn North and get another couple of bob out of the Vignette to on the final run to the Gasthof Hochalmpsitze and home to John of this parish. I arrive just after 8pm in darkness, lifted by a beer thrust into my hand before I can even check in. Very welcome and a nice touch .
Dinner, some chat with the owner and some of the friendly staff and then a flop to bed for a great night sleep. Day 2: Mission Accomplished.
Beer of the day: Muraeur. Tasty and two minutes off the bike, well, even more so.
*No copyright infringement is intended by borrowing and modification of the term 'Bunning'. If you suffer high blood pressure you should consult with your Medical Professional before Speed Bunning. Speed Bunning may result in the following side effects: Indegestion, rapid heart rate, elation.
A good sleep. My my, I am very organised this morning. I will roll with it as it isn't going to last.
A sumptuous breakfast spread from the weird fella.
Packed up quick and shipped out lickety split. So being in the area, I think we'll begin proceedings with a trundle down one of the famous roads of the region.
Patient: "Doctor, I am becoming fed up with riding my motorbike"
Doctor: "I prescribe an early morning run on the B500 to be taken immediately"
How right they are. I've read a few posts in places about it has been spoiled, and there's Polizei everywhere, blah blah. Well, not at 9am there's not. I only see a couple of other cars and bikes and it is incredibly quiet.
Careful though- with the mediciation can come side effects and no one wants to end up suffering with Sturzegefahrs.
I'm on the road just after 9. Nobody else is. The road is an absolute peach and a must do.
The view across to France. An epic view emerging from the trees to find you're skirting around the edge of the mountains.
Stop for a stretch and to look through a tat shop.
And a veritable tatland it is too. The Costco of tat shops.
No stickers though
More fun to be had on the empty roads. Biking at its best. 'Wunderbar Deutschland' as I've heard it said
A quick stop in Baiersbronn for an Iced Tea served by a very enthusiastic and friendly gentleman. I peer through the window and then talk to the lady in the Tourist information office. She gives me a sticker and a lapel badge. Nice!
Back to the road, and eventually I have to break off the 500 to head East. There's still fun to be had as I work due east, towards Ulm and the Autobahn. Shortly before the motorway I stop for another quick break and a bun.
Madame B of the parish has coined the term 'Bunning'. This is a term we at the rambles like. This is where you potter around on the bike, then stop and have a bun, and repeat the process do the same again. I believe I've developed an extension to that original concept which I now call 'Speed bunning'*. This is the same basic concept but instead of leisurely pottering it is hustling along, and not dawdling over your bun of course.
Here I'm concentrating on keeping the stops brief and forget the bun picture. But you have my assurances it was up to standard.
A rare non-bun related halt. Photos tend to take second place when you're in the performance bunning zone. The 10.37 to Karlsruhe.
And so the main road is picked up and we trundle along at a decent rate. The bike seems happy to go, so again we go. Lovely.
After a bit of time and a couple of podcasts I'm in Munich. The Allianz Arena, home of Bayern, the European Champions. Big old place.
I'm sure it'll look a whole lot better when they whip the bubble wrap off. And when they get together to pop said bubble wrap I'm coming over for definite.
I seem to have inspired a visiting Bayern fan to do the picture.
South of Munich and things get sticky. The Autobahn grinds to a halt but I manage filtering and quite enjoy it. There are a few cruisers loaded up struggling to haul through the traffic. Of course the GS even loaded up has great balance and its fun. By the time I get up to the front I'm navigating open doors and people wandering out on the road and I acquire a novelty status patiently working through, exchanging a few smiles with the stranded, waving and saying 'Guten Tag' and 'Teus.'
As I reach the front of the queue its nasty; a Lorry has rear ended another. Not good at all that.
I'm barely there a minute before the Polizei beckon us on.
At the Austrian border I speed bun and buy a vignette.
'Little Red Vignette' as performed by the artist formerly known as Roberto.
Bit of a bugger because I'm only doing a short stretch, but then again its only four quid so there's no emergency funding call to Zurich required.
Over the border and now taking the main road down South to Kitzbuhel, before working East again. Its very busy and speed bunning just becomes plain and simple bunning for a while. As the road opens up a little a bloke on a Hungarian registered Yamaha (I think it’s the naked 1300) who goes barelling past at what must have been 130mph. Woosh. Whoa! Blimey. A short while later why what do we have here, a teetering Hungarian bike tippy toeing around the bends and my my he's bloody hopeless. Scary.. I almost feel a tiny bit sorry for him… my word.. he's diabolical. I'm a pretty run of the mill rider so that must be saying something if he looks bad to me.
Heading East now, the road is still relatively busy but we can still get on alright. Its now getting on for 6.30 and I'm close to Zell am See. Could we have time for a cheeky run across the Grossglockner? Hell yeah.
Oh no, wait a minute, Hell no. At a roundabout I'm beckoned to the first slip road by a Polizei. I think I'm being pulled over but it turns out to be a diversion from the main road which sends what turns into a huge convoy around a many little lanes until we finally join the main road but time is lost. Eventually, at Zell am See and the turn for the Grossglockner things don't look brilliant. The sun is already lost in the valley running to the toll booth and I hope that I'm not too late.
A spirited ride up to the toll booth and a quick conference with the bloke inside the flap and we're off. Actually, the pass is open until 9.45, so I'm far from too late and as I climb up there's plenty of light to enjoy it, and what's more, zero traffic. Biking heaven this and it is seriously good fun. Last time up here we were mingling in amongst all of the general tourist traffic, coaches, caravans and the like and hundreds of bikes. Wonderful sights a little spoiled by the traffic. But this time, just little old me and the odd thing coming the other way.
Time for a quick snap.
Lovely up here.
Erm, everyone's kind of buggered off.
With time knocking on there's not much room in the schedule to stand around so we're off again, back down the mountain.
Oh go on, one more stop, one more snap.
I pass two cars on the way down and that was it.
And then on to Winklern and the B106 taking me East.
Traffic is sparse, almost zero. The road flows through the valleys. I wind on a little and briskly run through the beautifully typical Austrian Valleys as the sun drops down and darkness takes over. It is quite a stunning ride. I have some chilled music on and everything just works. The bike purrs, the lines are good, every overtake comes along and goes in seamless fashion, just drifiting along, bothering nobody, passing and floating away into the distance. A totally memorable ride and one I shall remember.
I turn North and get another couple of bob out of the Vignette to on the final run to the Gasthof Hochalmpsitze and home to John of this parish. I arrive just after 8pm in darkness, lifted by a beer thrust into my hand before I can even check in. Very welcome and a nice touch .
Dinner, some chat with the owner and some of the friendly staff and then a flop to bed for a great night sleep. Day 2: Mission Accomplished.
Beer of the day: Muraeur. Tasty and two minutes off the bike, well, even more so.
*No copyright infringement is intended by borrowing and modification of the term 'Bunning'. If you suffer high blood pressure you should consult with your Medical Professional before Speed Bunning. Speed Bunning may result in the following side effects: Indegestion, rapid heart rate, elation.