Paddys go on Tour August 2018

God help ye if yer still here...!

Day 8 - Sonnenalpe Nassfeld to Bled - 175km approx

So it's time to cross another border. We're heading for Slovenia and I'm really looking forward to it as I've heard nothing but good reports about the place. While researching accommodation etc. I've also noticed that it's appreciably cheaper than the main popular sites in Italy and Austria.

Plan is to follow the SP76 and then enter Slovenia via the Predil Pass. A quick detour up to Mangart is meant to be well worth the effort - so that's definitely on the list. Then it's on through the Soca Valley and over the Vrsic Pass. Quick photo stop at the Russian Chapel and we're off again heading first for Kranjska Gora and then onto Lake Bled.

We've three nights here so a good opportunity to park up the bikes and do some exploring. I already have a list of things to do and see that is more than we can fit in. But once I get to sample the famous Kremšnita Cake then I'm happy out. It's the posh version if ice cream and we all know how much I like ice cream! :p You may have noticed a certain food related train of thought in my musings - hence the need for new (aka slightly wider fitting) gear for the trip. Hopefully a few laps around the lake will help burn off the effect of all the nom noms. Without the bike of course.

There are many places to visit nearby - stunning gorges with waterfalls, Bled Castle itself, the island on the lake and so forth. Enough to warrant another visit I suspect. :rolleyes: It'll be nice not having to cover distance and just let our hair down, eyebrow hair in my case because there's not much else. We can leave the monkey suit back in the apartments and stroll around in civvies teaching the locals a few choice words 'as Gaeilge' (that's 'in Irish' for you not so learned folk).

Again, tips/suggestions of things to do/see/avoid are always welcome. It's means my holiday gets even better and it doesn't cost me a penny extra! :p
 

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And we're back!

Day 9 and Day 10 - Rest days in Bled

Nice chance to kick back and play tourist for a couple of days. :thumb2
 
Edelweisshutte

Day 11 - Bled to Grossglockner - 290km approx

And we're on the move again! We retrace our steps back as far as Kranjska Gora and then it's north back into Austria and over the Wurzen Pass (keeping an eye out for the Russian tank). With some much appreciated advice from The Grey One (aka John), we'll be heading north past Villach and then onto the Nockalmstrasse which is meant to be a cracker of a road. If the YT videos are anything to go by, we won't be disappointed! Really looking forward to this part of the trip as we'll be fresh from a few days rest and gumming to see more new stuff on our travels.

After the Nockalmstrasse we head west on the B106 until turning north onto the B107. Accommodation tonight is a real treat - we're booked into the Edelweisshutte right at the top of the Grossglockner Pass. With a bit of luck the weather'll be nice and we'll get to enjoy the mountain views which are meant to be spectacular, most especially at dawn.

God, even writing this is getting the excitement levels up! :bounce1 I've even installed a countdown app on my phone!! If only Carlsberg did fast forward buttons...then again, I shouldn't be wishing my life away. Think I'll need to do some dummy packing sessions to find out what fits where on the bike. Anything to scratch the itch of anticipation. :p
 

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Day 12 - Grossglockner to Vipiteno - 235km approx

So after admiring the (hopefully clear) sunrise at the top of the Grossglockner, the plan is to head north towards Zell am See and then west on the B168. Along the way we'll peel onto the Gerlos Pass and stop off at the Krimml waterfall which is meant to be well worth a visit. Keeping off the bigger roads we head towards Innsbruck on the B171 before turning south and joining onto the B182. That brings up over the border from Austria back into Italy where our eventual destination is Vipiteno where we stay the night before doing even more passes in the morning. :thumb2. We may opt for the faster roads for the final leg of the day's journey if we're getting tired and weary. I've never seen the point of doing roads just for the sake of it if you're starting to fatigue. Chances are there'll be plenty more nice tarmac the next day, especially in this part of the world!
 

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Hope Overlanders are not booked on Irish ferries, or at least have a plan B ready.
I doubt very much they would use the route that the new ferry was going to provide, but I'll drop them a line to see if all is still in order. No harm done, and thanks for the heads up. :thumb2
 
Last long biking day :-(

Day 13 - Vipiteno to Fussen - 230km approx

So we're getting close to the end of our journey. But we've a couple of nice things to see and do before we wind things up completely. There's sure to be ice cream and pizza and beer still to be had - all we have to do is find it! :)

From Vipiteno we're straight onto the Jaufenpass and then onto the Timmelsjoch Pass. Not stopping at the motorcycle museum would quite simply be rude, so we'll pop in for a ganders and a cup of tea. By the looks of things we could be here for a while with so much to see...and eat!

On the move again, we head north on the B186 eventually passing through Imst and then onwards to the Hahntennjoch Pass. This one's meant to be interesting with plenty of drop-offs with no barrier and it's fairly narrow too. Champion. :thumb2 Our final destination for today is Fussen, a very pretty town by all accounts. While we're here we simply must do the touristy thing and go see the Neuschwanstein Castle. With a bit of luck we'll arrive at the same time as a bus load of chattering Japanese tourists with several cameras each. I do love holidays! :p. After a few group shots with the Japanese crew just to prove that we Irish are occasionally sober, it's back to our hotel for some snooze time (after loads of beer of course! :p).
 

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Day 14 - Fussen to Memmingen - 80km approx

Our last day on the bikes before dropping them off in Memmingen and hopping on the plane. No route map here because it's just a straight run north without stopping along the way. With an evening flight we'll have plenty of time to kill after dropping off the bikes. So once back into our civvies, it'll be off to stroll around town, take in the sights and reminisce on our trip. Once we've sampled some pizza and beer with an ice cream chaser, we'll run around those little twisty streets making vroom vroom noises. Always best to keep the locals guessing if you ask me.

Then we're onto the Ryanair horsebox for a couple of hours. Hopefully we'll land a few minutes late so they don't play that ridiculous jingle. Boils my p!ss that does! :mad: And then it's back to the real world. But with big wide smiles on our faces and plenty of great memories to cherish. Sure isn't that what it's all about...:beerjug::thumb
 
Yeah, I've been trying to figure out how to fit in the Pordoi Pass on our route. Simplest option is to head south on the SS244 from Corvara, take the Pordoi Pass from Arraba and then follow the SS641 to Sottoguda. That route comes in just under 195kms which is comfortably doable even with a gentle average speed. And it means we get to see all the four passes that loop around Piz Boè.

Walking back over to the drawing board as I type! Thanks for the tip Jochen. :thumb2

I'm very interested in your "Overlanders" transportation but I've checked their website and can't see any info. on where they pick up from. I'd be very interested if they pick up from Scotland somewhere as I live in the Highlands and it's a 700 mile long day to get to the channel.
Can you help, please?

Ta,

Iain
 
Day 14 - Fussen to Memmingen - 80km approx

Our last day on the bikes before dropping them off in Memmingen and hopping on the plane. No route map here because it's just a straight run north without stopping along the way. With an evening flight we'll have plenty of time to kill after dropping off the bikes. So once back into our civvies, it'll be off to stroll around town, take in the sights and reminisce on our trip. Once we've sampled some pizza and beer with an ice cream chaser, we'll run around those little twisty streets making vroom vroom noises. Always best to keep the locals guessing if you ask me.

Then we're onto the Ryanair horsebox for a couple of hours. Hopefully we'll land a few minutes late so they don't play that ridiculous jingle. Boils my p!ss that does! :mad: And then it's back to the real world. But with big wide smiles on our faces and plenty of great memories to cherish. Sure isn't that what it's all about...:beerjug::thumb

I think we both get a lot of pleasure from the planning and checking maps / creating routes before the actual trip. I know I do. For the last few years I've ridden about mainland Europe for a couple of weeks every summer and always get great weather apart from the old rain shower. I'm very happy, riding solo, doing 300 or 400 miles a day (subject to the kind of road I'm on) so long as the weather is nice. This year, en route, to the Mugello MotoGP, I planned to ride about the Dolomites for a couple of days and did loads of map checking and making routes, etc. I arrived at Arabba, found a hotel, parked the bike and then the heavens opened and poured rain all night and the next day with the forecast for more heavy rain and thunderstorms.Riding mountain passes in pouring rain all day isn't my idea of fun so I headed south. I hope you get brilliant weather all trip and have a fantastic time but I hadn't counted on the fact that the weather might be bad and didn't have a contingency plan (I still haven't) but will have to think of one just in case. I'll have to go back to ride the Pordoi Pass!
 
I'm very interested in your "Overlanders" transportation but I've checked their website and can't see any info. on where they pick up from. I'd be very interested if they pick up from Scotland somewhere as I live in the Highlands and it's a 700 mile long day to get to the channel.
Can you help, please?

Ta,

Iain

Hi Iain,

Overlanders are an Irish based company operating out of a town called Gorey in the south east of the country. I know they pickup from several places in Ireland, but not sure if they also collect from anywhere in the UK. Best to give them a call and see if it's an option. I've found them to be excellent to deal with in advance of our trip, and have only heard very positive feedback from folks who have availed of their services before.

Hope this helps,
Seán.
 
I think we both get a lot of pleasure from the planning and checking maps / creating routes before the actual trip. I know I do. For the last few years I've ridden about mainland Europe for a couple of weeks every summer and always get great weather apart from the old rain shower. I'm very happy, riding solo, doing 300 or 400 miles a day (subject to the kind of road I'm on) so long as the weather is nice. This year, en route, to the Mugello MotoGP, I planned to ride about the Dolomites for a couple of days and did loads of map checking and making routes, etc. I arrived at Arabba, found a hotel, parked the bike and then the heavens opened and poured rain all night and the next day with the forecast for more heavy rain and thunderstorms.Riding mountain passes in pouring rain all day isn't my idea of fun so I headed south. I hope you get brilliant weather all trip and have a fantastic time but I hadn't counted on the fact that the weather might be bad and didn't have a contingency plan (I still haven't) but will have to think of one just in case. I'll have to go back to ride the Pordoi Pass!

Yep, must admit I get a real buzz from sitting down and planning a trip before heading off. That said, I also love when things don't quite go to plan and you have to re-jig things mid journey. Sometimes the best moments happen when things don't go to plan. :) With a group the size of ours the only option was to pre-book accommodation else we ran the risk of having nowhere to stay. Would love to do a trip where each day just develops on the fly depending on weather/mood/alignment of the stars/etc. - when you don't know what's coming next, it's even more exciting!

Hopefully the weather will be kind to us but it's a case of we get what we get. I'm just back from five days cycling in the west of France and we were baked out of it in temps up to 32 degC! Hours after we arrived in Nantes it bucketed down for hours along with thunder and lightning. All the while the sun was blazing down back home in Ireland! :rolleyes: So it's just a case of bringing the right gear to cope with whatever may come...being Irish I hope my saturation levels are pretty high. :p

Sure, whatever we miss is simply an excuse to come back and do it again - I'm not one for leaving a job unfunished! ;)
 
Yep, must admit I get a real buzz from sitting down and planning a trip before heading off. That said, I also love when things don't quite go to plan and you have to re-jig things mid journey. Sometimes the best moments happen when things don't go to plan. :) With a group the size of ours the only option was to pre-book accommodation else we ran the risk of having nowhere to stay. Would love to do a trip where each day just develops on the fly depending on weather/mood/alignment of the stars/etc. - when you don't know what's coming next, it's even more exciting!

Hopefully the weather will be kind to us but it's a case of we get what we get. I'm just back from five days cycling in the west of France and we were baked out of it in temps up to 32 degC! Hours after we arrived in Nantes it bucketed down for hours along with thunder and lightning. All the while the sun was blazing down back home in Ireland! :rolleyes: So it's just a case of bringing the right gear to cope with whatever may come...being Irish I hope my saturation levels are pretty high. :p

Sure, whatever we miss is simply an excuse to come back and do it again - I'm not one for leaving a job unfunished! ;)

I fully agree with you as I like to "wing it" as I go along too despite having very detailed plans in hand - it makes it more fun sometimes, as you said. I sent home pictures of hammering rain in the Dolomites and my wife sent me glorious pics. of sunsets in the Scottish highlands!
I'll just have to visit the Dolomites another trip and hope for dry weather. What didn't help was my BMW waterproof gloves weren't after 230 miles in pouring rain from Genova to Barolo, south of Turin. My 10 year old H-G suit was fine but wringing wet hands and poor visibility didn't make for a happy day!
I hope you have a great time.
 
I fully agree with you as I like to "wing it" as I go along too despite having very detailed plans in hand - it makes it more fun sometimes, as you said. I sent home pictures of hammering rain in the Dolomites and my wife sent me glorious pics. of sunsets in the Scottish highlands!
I'll just have to visit the Dolomites another trip and hope for dry weather. What didn't help was my BMW waterproof gloves weren't after 230 miles in pouring rain from Genova to Barolo, south of Turin. My 10 year old H-G suit was fine but wringing wet hands and poor visibility didn't make for a happy day!
I hope you have a great time.

Wow, 230 miles of rain - that's a lot of water and a lot of squinting! Wee tip re the wet gloves - you know those disposable plastic gloves they have at petrol station pumps? Stuff a few into your pocket and when it buckets down just pop them on under your gloves. Can be a bit sweaty but should keep your hands reasonably dry. I've yet to find gloves that can completely prevent water ingress, be it through the glove itself or via where the glove cuff meets the jacket sleeve.
 
Day 11 - Bled to Grossglockner - 290km approx

And we're on the move again! We retrace our steps back as far as Kranjska Gora and then it's north back into Austria and over the Wurzen Pass (keeping an eye out for the Russian tank). With some much appreciated advice from The Grey One (aka John), we'll be heading north past Villach and then onto the Nockalmstrasse which is meant to be a cracker of a road. If the YT videos are anything to go by, we won't be disappointed! Really looking forward to this part of the trip as we'll be fresh from a few days rest and gumming to see more new stuff on our travels.

After the Nockalmstrasse we head west on the B106 until turning north onto the B107. Accommodation tonight is a real treat - we're booked into the Edelweisshutte right at the top of the Grossglockner Pass. With a bit of luck the weather'll be nice and we'll get to enjoy the mountain views which are meant to be spectacular, most especially at dawn.

God, even writing this is getting the excitement levels up! :bounce1 I've even installed a countdown app on my phone!! If only Carlsberg did fast forward buttons...then again, I shouldn't be wishing my life away. Think I'll need to do some dummy packing sessions to find out what fits where on the bike. Anything to scratch the itch of anticipation. :p

I've ridden the Nockaltrasse ( north to south) and there's cattle grid on a downhill bend (ask "the grey one " he used to live there) be careful if it's wet. If you want genuine cattle bells the sell them at themGnund garden centre no far from the end of the Nckalmstrasse.

Take care, have fun, enjoy.
 
I've ridden the Nockaltrasse ( north to south) and there's cattle grid on a downhill bend (ask "the grey one " he used to live there) be careful if it's wet. If you want genuine cattle bells the sell them at themGnund garden centre no far from the end of the Nckalmstrasse.

Take care, have fun, enjoy.

Nice one - thanks for the tip. :thumb2 Any idea of even the general location of the cattle grid? We'll be riding it from South to North so mightn't be as much of an issue. Always like to give the rest of the group the heads-up in advance - better safe than sorry and all that. :)
 
Nice one - thanks for the tip. :thumb2 Any idea of even the general location of the cattle grid? We'll be riding it from South to North so mightn't be as much of an issue. Always like to give the rest of the group the heads-up in advance - better safe than sorry and all that. :)

From memory, it was couple of years ago and very windy, I think it wasn't very far from the cafe at the top near where the road levelled (or, in your case, where it start to get a bit steeper. If you pm "the grey one" he'll know as he used to run the gasthaus in Malta nearby.
 
From memory, it was couple of years ago and very windy, I think it wasn't very far from the cafe at the top near where the road levelled (or, in your case, where it start to get a bit steeper. If you pm "the grey one" he'll know as he used to run the gasthaus in Malta nearby.

I'll drop him a line - he was already most helpful pointing me towards the Nockalmstrasse in the first place... Thanks again, Seán.
 


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