Round 7: Rambling on..

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.

9681811923_90e6f31d14_c.jpg


A sumptuous breakfast spread from the weird fella.

9685138014_1ff91817d3_c.jpg


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.

9685135686_98dd573d54_b.jpg


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.

9681892961_f82a3dca81_c.jpg


Stop for a stretch and to look through a tat shop.

9681815291_ff69ee005c_c.jpg


And a veritable tatland it is too. The Costco of tat shops.

9681817847_1ae89bac75_b.jpg


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.

9681887883_f733db8acc_c.jpg


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.

9685130896_4ef5be7b27_c.jpg


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.

9685126216_e88c124ce0_b.jpg


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.

9681882673_d9c643b047_c.jpg


I seem to have inspired a visiting Bayern fan to do the picture.

9685063472_ba6cdd4eef_b.jpg


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. :eek

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.

9681825659_aaa1c75dc4_b.jpg


Lovely up here.

9685071176_6f5d1f7b97_c.jpg


Erm, everyone's kind of buggered off.

9681828289_ec77391c97_c.jpg


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.

9681833297_be757844f7_c.jpg


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 :thumb.

9685076252_9f5dd8c930_b.jpg


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.
 
buns are nice

you need tarts tho :D

if you come back the same way (ish) the small road from innsbruck to fussen is nice if the weathers ok :D
 
as always beautifully written :beerjug: for for that reason im in :D:D:D

ride safe mate :jager
 
A 'bun runner' hope you don't get arrested by mistake Rob :eek:

Keep it coming .... ride safe
:beerjug:
 
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.

Strange :pullface

It did the same run a few weeks ago and had the same experience :eek

Maybe it's a chill effect after doing the pass and then having a quiet, flowing, scenic road and knowing you have a good destination not far away.

...and :Motomartin
 
Cheers, all :thumby:

Strange :pullface

It did the same run a few weeks ago and had the same experience :eek

Maybe it's a chill effect after doing the pass and then having a quiet, flowing, scenic road and knowing you have a good destination not far away.

You know what, you may very well be right there :thumb :beerjug:
 
Malta to Karlobag

I forgot to post the picture of the Gasthof Hochalmspitze Guard Cat, so here's a wrong righted.

9681880247_d20a097033_c.jpg


Last night we chatted a bit about local roads and ways to go. Interesting information is gleaned. I already have a very soft spot for Slovenia so Speed Bunning today is going to be a very tall order, in fact I'd probably written it off before turning the key first thing. Getting as far South will become having a good run down to the Austria, nipping through Italy to the Slovenian border and then another good run through Slovenia itself. Croatia? Well, it will arrive when it arrives.

9685078704_6d689658a2_c.jpg


Breakfast at the hotel was plentiful and hearty. Cue the re emergence of a personal Austria-Germany tradition of a ham, egg and cheese roll.

9720312708_f422954afe_b.jpg


I bid goodbye to John and the crew. I can pose for a mandatory departure picture. Thanks, John.

9717075531_e41f0dec2b_b.jpg


A beautiful morning. This is what strikes my eye as typical Austria.

9685081208_9bcd87c909_c.jpg


A trundle down a little lane towards Mittesee. Hardly a speedy start but most pleasant.

9681878113_daa0fcd1a4_c.jpg


I mentioned Mindfulness in one of the earlier posts. A bit more on that. I've come to terms with since chucking in work last year that I've been having a problem with daydreaming. It might sound odd but let me explain. Back when I was working my mind seemed to naturally queue up a list of things that I needed to do and it was always completely occupied what with one thing and another. A sort of joyless being busy. There's a term for it but I can't think of it what it is. It'll come back to me later. Anyway, that's been replaced by what I would consider by some clarity of thought, but with it comes the non-required package of a fair amount of other noise.
Thankfully, touch wood it doesn't seem to affect my riding, that operates normally using another part of my brain.
A good example of said noise was today whilst making my way south- "I wonder if you can get episodes of Fingerbobs on DVD?"
"Yofi lifts a finger, and a mouse is theerrre.." I sing to myself.
And then I miss a scheduled turn from the Zumo. See what I mean?

A fill up before the Slovenian border. Petrol in Austria I believe is cheaper than Slovenia (certainly cheaper than Germany and Italy) so a take away is the order of the day. There's some Harley Davidson rally going on not far away and area here is mobbed with them. At the petrol station there's a couple parked, two chaps from Norway and we have a quick chat. Pleasant.

Score several points for that crash hat..

9685083726_3bcfe590b7_b.jpg


..Lose twice as many for sporting side-lace-up leather jeans (No photo).

I should also mention that today my Sargeant seat has well and truly shuffled off this moto coil. The last couple of days things have gotten increasingly worse and it comes to something when you're in pain after forty five minutes. So in the meantime I've deployed my cardy to improvise which sort of helps a touch and I've sent a distress call out to GSer land here to see what the eggheads can come up with. I'm sure we'll come back to that later.

9681875725_1c98aa2fea_c.jpg


On with the story. Back at the Petrol Station a huge swarm of cruisers emerge, loud pipes and all, and I mean loud. I make a quick exit, I'm not one for all that Captain Cannonball stuff. I have an old triumph at home with a semi loud exhaust on it and when I ride it in towns I get a case of mild embarrassment.

I had some road miff this morning. I don’t do road rage these days. I get road miffed. 'Road Miffed' is a much milder and nicer form of annoyance and it is in itself a rare beast these days. I was following a transit in a town on the brief run through Italy when a crazy woman on an Austrian registered cruiser barrelled past and cut in on me- and then did the same to the Transit. Now that wasn't particularly nice was it. Exiting the town I headed past the van and then up to said silly sod who was attempting to wrestle her lardy machine around twisty bits with predictably limited success. I shot past and gave a one handed 'what the feck?' gesture leaving her to deal with Luigi, the whiteaa vana mana in his Transit. That I would wager would have been interesting. What on earth was going on there?

Let me get it on the record that I have absolutely nothing agaist Harley Davidson or the people that ride them for that matter. A few years ago I got taken by a sporty number, I believe it was an XR1200 but I found out during the wooing process that petrol could only be administered by the thimble and it had a tank range that could only get you to the bottom of your driveway. So that went out of the window. Shame, because I really liked it.

Anyway.

Up in the hills there are a lot of Cruiser folks, I presume arriving or leaving this event, or having jolly ride outs, some riding badly and appearing taking up most of the road.

9681873353_4c3b497a88_c.jpg


American metal: Coming to the middle of a road near you (in all fairness not these particular chaps, mind).

9717413327_e764760b2f_b.jpg


I thought I might get a coffee nipping across Italy, but I didn't, I sort of got focused on the road with one thing and another. But I get an excellent one just fifty yards over the border in Slovenia in a lovely little spot with a view out to the Mangart Peak.

Italy just a stones throw away.

9685086106_91ea97f11b_b.jpg


Nice part of the world, this.

9720660386_d7d753820b_c.jpg


The mixed grill is very tempting... but it just isn't nibbles o'clock yet.

9685111510_c7c8b793ce_b.jpg


I chat with a chap from Slovakia in his sporty Honda. This is his holiday car he explains, it only goes on trips to fine roads. Spoilt little Honda indeed.

9685109186_cee8f935cb_b.jpg


We compare stickers. He keeps some under the bonnet.

9681848007_a675ca9226_c.jpg


Back to the road and off I trot down into deepest Slovenia. I love the place. Leafy, green, beautiful. Motoring through the trees and shade. Rivers with stunning turquoise waters. Great roads, not always the flattest or fastest by any means but real GS country and a real treat. Not been? Go. You won't be disappointed.

I have completely abandoned Speed bunning as I'd thought. It's just too nice- the riding is just too good to waste on Motorways, not that there are any near me at this point unless I want to be pickpocketed in suburban Trieste on an Autopista.

Lunch just outside Most na Soca. Pizza is on the menu; what I get is ham and cheese on toast. It can't spoil my afternoon though. What a view.

9685106566_602bf6869f_c.jpg


Early afternoon continues pressing South with great riding.

Not far from Croatia now, but no time to laze about you know.

9681863707_f46617ffb9_c.jpg


Ah. Croatia. Here we are. Crossing the border takes no time at all.

9681854109_8aa4273af1_c.jpg


Border crossed and now time to change up some currency for a spot of pocket money. The stone faced bint on the other side of the glass didn't even raise a smile when I tried to exchange my 100 trillion note. Face like a bulldog chewing on a wasp. One of these days I'm going to get a smile out of one of these people.

No rate of exchange. No smile.

9722278663_04328c0fd6_c.jpg


Outside I have a pleasant chat with a German couple on a GS before heading off South. They tell me of their recent dismount attempt gone bad and a trip to the ground. He seems a bit dismayed as the bike is new. Don't worry, we've all been there at one time or another. I'm reminded of my brother attempting to dismount in a Belgian service station by leaping up and off like some grand national winning jockey sending me keeling over like a proper lemon.

Well, Hello Hrvatska.

9681851417_a03c961a3b_c.jpg


For a few quid payable by card you can zip down on the Motorway to Rijeka. As you approach the city you're greeted by a view of the Adriatic for the first time and it’s a fine sight. Cue next step of the journey.

I join with the Adriatic highway south of Rijeka. Riding is bitty; traffic in plentiful supply with a bit more thrown in. I've been here a few times now and it always seems the same. As the KM's knock on though, and courtesy of some long roadworks where I can get to the front then I'm away and the evening ride becomes quite fantastic.

Its 7.30pm now; the sun is dropping down over the Islands.

Arty picture attempt.

9727639588_a98c8cdfc2_b.jpg


Further stop for a view over the Adriatic.

9727505876_520fac8a25_b.jpg


Wow. Just wow.

And then the Dalmatian Coast road beckons once again. Yes, there it goes, round and up, down and round, repeat and again.

9724279319_bde31bdbea_b.jpg


And then another glorious ride. I'm sorry to go on- but there have been a few gems in the last days and I've been terribly lucky. The road sweeps and winds around the rocky coast. No traffic at all now. The sun retires behind my back, the mirrors become two pink discs reflecting the sunset as I sweep on into the gloom.

I roll into Karlobag in darkness at around 9pm I think. I've stayed at the Hotel Velniac before and the familiarity is welcome. It's friendly- the chap welcomes me and I'm given the same room as last time. Simple, straightforward and the place is nothing fancy but good value.

9685100378_7aa254b259_c.jpg


Dinner is taken, pasta with Tuna from a very pleasant young lady and not forgetting today's Beer of the day, Karlovacko.


Apologies if you didn't get the Fingerbobs reference by the way. I'm guessing you're waaaay to young, and let's face it that has to be a good thing, right?

:beerjug:
 
Another great instalment.:beerjug: I wish I was there. It's raining here.:comfort:blast
 
A wet Autumnal evening here in Balby ....

But you're making it a pleasant one Rob :thumb

:beerjug:
 


Back
Top Bottom