Just got back from the Fatherland, touring with Micky and some other esteemed UKGSERs
I booked to go with Mick, because he always does excellent trips and we've been touring together since before time and also because I'd had to withdraw from a trip to MotoPiston (which in hindsight is a Brittany Ferries blessing)
So................I was planning 'catch up' having had to go to Court on the Monday and so had to miss the first 2 days, no bother - I caught the Tues ferry out of Hull, on my lonesome and it was just that with only one other bike on the ferry
Still it gave me chance to get an 'early night' after some ad-hoc route planning to get down to the southern Schwarzwald
Next morning the ferry docked late and there was only 2 bikers, me and a K13S rider
Leaving Zeebrugge @ 10am, I was behind schedule so it meant 440 miles on a mainly motorway dash.................zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Zeebrugge>Bruxelles>Luxembourg>Metz>Nancy>St Die> St Marie Aux Mines and over the Rhine to Selestrat and onto St Margen
Lunched in the services in Luxembourg and chatted to a couple of Belgian bikers heading south, you always meet more people travelling solo
Bakes would be proud - 2 girls hitching to Rome
Made the hotel by 5.45, happy to be in the sud Schwarzwald and actually got there before the main group
Home for 4 nights
Even has it's own chapel
Beautiful views
Next day, we had a steady day and just 'stayed local' taking in Touratech too
Nice airhead, by HPN in the carpark
Lunchstop in a typical German town
Next day the weather was stunning, so just a few of us headed over to France ably led by Fran (Magnet) on her F8GS
Architecture changed to Alsacien, at Endingen
Cracking view from the top of the Col du Bonhomme, on the Route De Cretes
Nice weather at the Grand Ballon
Heading back after the Route de Cretes we crossed back into Germany via Mulhouse and headed towards the St Blasien area
Coffee stop and view from the terrace
I'm glad I took advantage of the weather becuase the next day was wet and misty, so just had a walk from the hotel and left the bike in the garage that day
Sunday dawned and it was time to leave the Schwarzwald to head uphill to the Mosel and Eifels
We did the fab B500 up through the Black Forest to Baden baden and luckily it wasn't too crowded with trippers for a Sunday
Faithful tractor did a sterling job
Only in Germany could you park your bike on the platform, to use the station Cafe
We stayed at Hotel Hullen, near Adenau high up in the Eifels - thoroughly recommended
Herr Tourmeister Micky, suffering from a bashed nose..............
Next 3 days saw us spending some time exploring the Mosel and Eifels, cracking area with some stunning roads
Beilstein
All too quickly it was time to head home, down the spectacular B258 via Monschau to Eupen in Belgium
There was just enough time to nip into Brugge to stop at the best, little chocolate shop in town
That's all folks.......................
I booked to go with Mick, because he always does excellent trips and we've been touring together since before time and also because I'd had to withdraw from a trip to MotoPiston (which in hindsight is a Brittany Ferries blessing)
So................I was planning 'catch up' having had to go to Court on the Monday and so had to miss the first 2 days, no bother - I caught the Tues ferry out of Hull, on my lonesome and it was just that with only one other bike on the ferry
Still it gave me chance to get an 'early night' after some ad-hoc route planning to get down to the southern Schwarzwald
Next morning the ferry docked late and there was only 2 bikers, me and a K13S rider
Leaving Zeebrugge @ 10am, I was behind schedule so it meant 440 miles on a mainly motorway dash.................zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Zeebrugge>Bruxelles>Luxembourg>Metz>Nancy>St Die> St Marie Aux Mines and over the Rhine to Selestrat and onto St Margen
Lunched in the services in Luxembourg and chatted to a couple of Belgian bikers heading south, you always meet more people travelling solo
Bakes would be proud - 2 girls hitching to Rome
Made the hotel by 5.45, happy to be in the sud Schwarzwald and actually got there before the main group
Home for 4 nights
Even has it's own chapel
Beautiful views
Next day, we had a steady day and just 'stayed local' taking in Touratech too
Nice airhead, by HPN in the carpark
Lunchstop in a typical German town
Next day the weather was stunning, so just a few of us headed over to France ably led by Fran (Magnet) on her F8GS
Architecture changed to Alsacien, at Endingen
Cracking view from the top of the Col du Bonhomme, on the Route De Cretes
Nice weather at the Grand Ballon
Heading back after the Route de Cretes we crossed back into Germany via Mulhouse and headed towards the St Blasien area
Coffee stop and view from the terrace
I'm glad I took advantage of the weather becuase the next day was wet and misty, so just had a walk from the hotel and left the bike in the garage that day
Sunday dawned and it was time to leave the Schwarzwald to head uphill to the Mosel and Eifels
We did the fab B500 up through the Black Forest to Baden baden and luckily it wasn't too crowded with trippers for a Sunday
Faithful tractor did a sterling job
Only in Germany could you park your bike on the platform, to use the station Cafe
We stayed at Hotel Hullen, near Adenau high up in the Eifels - thoroughly recommended
Herr Tourmeister Micky, suffering from a bashed nose..............
Next 3 days saw us spending some time exploring the Mosel and Eifels, cracking area with some stunning roads
Beilstein
All too quickly it was time to head home, down the spectacular B258 via Monschau to Eupen in Belgium
There was just enough time to nip into Brugge to stop at the best, little chocolate shop in town
That's all folks.......................
