The plan was to go to WSB in Assen, but then I was to be made redundant early April so the plan got extended.
BSB at Brands first, then WSB in Assen the weekend after, down through Germany and Austria to Slovenia. I'd been briefly to Slovenia before, it was hit by a storm so I didnt stay, but thought it would be worth another go. Then to Croatia.
I also wanted to return to Romania to do the Transalpina pass, supposed to be better then the Transfagarassan pass I'd done in 2013 (the one Top Gear did). I did look at Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro to get there but the green card was very expensive, and they just said no to Bosnia.
I bought a new tent, sleeping bag, primus stove, cooking gear etc to make the accommodation bill a bit cheaper.
So packed the bike up with all that gear, stuff from flip flops and beach towel for Croatia to lightweight walking boots and extra fleece for any hill walking in Austria/Slovinia. Also packed an electric hookup for recharging the batteries at campsites.
Brands was cold and wet, glad I took the porridge for breakfast.
Over to NL to Middleburg for a couple of days. Nice cheap mini-camping on the farm 2k outside the town. Power and wifi for free, fridge, all for €10 a night. Those on 2 wheels were given a plastic garden seat to use. Id packed a small fold up stool but the chair was more comfy. The one in Leeuwarder was a bit hard though.
Up to Assen, race day was dry then wet.
Next down to Hann Munden. Another nice campsite by the river next to the town.
Rothenburg an der Tauber after that, down the B27 which was a good ride with little traffic. Stayed for a couple of nights. Old Saxon town immaculately restored and well kept.
Chiemsee Lake. Chiemsee is a surf clothing brand due to the lakes windsurfing history, so thought Id take a look. On the way down the locals were putting up their May Poles as it was May 1st. Seemed like an excuse for a party and knees up to welcome the summer.
As it was Germany, the May flies appeared bang on time and were flying around everywhere, then landing in the lake to be eaten by the fish, which were being eaten by the cormorants. I had a bottle of wine. 2 nights there, sunny and hot during the day kicked off thunderstorms in the evenings.
Hohenwerfen Castle just outside Salzburg was the next place to see. They filmed Where Eagle Dare there. Pissed down with rain, so headed the low road down to the South of Austria. Stayed a few nights at Villach and Klagenfurt whilst sorting out a new rear tyre. None in stock and too busy to fit for a couple of days. Whilst waiting for that, did a trip around the Slovenian Alpes one day. The road from Kranjska Gora to Bovec the scenic route was amazing, and the others in the area had a few old forts guarding the mountain passes. Little traffic on the roads at that time of year.
Picture postcard Lake Bled was another on the hit list, and was well worth it. Had a ride west from there up to a river whose source came out of a hole in the cliff on a fault line.
Walked around the lake one day, its only 4 miles around but I stopped every 5 minutes to take photos. Up the hill to the cliff top fort.
My Dutch neighbours had planned to go for a walk around the hills there but the track was blocked by fallen trees. Id noticed a lot of armco had dents in it, thought must be mad drivers, but then reckoned it was from fallen trees.
Meaty pizza with horseradish on it. I forgot, thought it was a lump of mozzarella and cleared by sinus out big time.
The ride from there to Stanjel, an medieval town was all minor roads across ski resorts and river valleys. Great tarmac and no traffic.
The island of Krk in Croatia was nice, not too built up with touristy accommodation. The campsite was excellent, heated pool, the sea was 9c.
Leaving, I did a ride down to Baska in the south for a look, then down the coast to Pag island. The weather had changed, a strong northerly wind was blowing. Down the mainland coastal road it was cloudy and spotting with rain with the offshore wind, but out to sea over the islands it was sunny. Stopped to take a few photos and saw a heavy shower hit Baska on Krk where I was a couple of hours earlier. Ferry over to Pag at the first oppertunity. The young female cyclist Id passed on the mainland turned up at 7pm and asked hows the ground for pegging out? I'd tied most guylines to rocks as it was so hard. She was Polish and had a month inbetween jobs so was cycling around Croatia and Hungary and didnt fancy siting at home.
Getting off Pag was an effort, the northly wind was blowing hard and the bridge off the south of the island was shut for 1 1/2 hours until the wind changed direction. I nearly got blown off the bike turning around with both feet on the ground. In 20 years of windsurfing I've not seen any stronger winds anywhere. It still whipped up the sea between the island and mainland up to a frothy mist, but the bridge was open and I didnt dare stop to take a photo.
Down the coast past Split. Nice roads and views out to sea over the islands, but for every old house in a village there must have been 50 tourist appartments/holiday homes, 95% of them shut. I bit depressing really, must be busy in the summer in tourist season.
I found a fishing village tucked away off the main road, so stayed there a night in a room above a traditional Croatian resturant. Good sea food. The lady owner offered me a taste of her homemade schnaps with my breakfast.
Inland to Plitvice Lake District.
Chucking it down for 2 days, but the waterfalls were flowing at top speed. 8c in the day, I ate the last of the porridge in the morning, never thought Id be enjoying porridge in Croatia. My camera got very wet, and stopped working. I managed to revive it by drying it out with hairdryer and sticking it in the top box in the sun, but it gave up for good before the end of the trip. The bike got very wet too, it took WD40 to get it going again. Ive carried that can everywhere for many years and finally used it.
Decided against going to Romania, as Bosnia and Serbia were in the news for being flooded. No way would the Transaplina pass be open, it probably snowed there.
Headed north to Ptuj, the oldest settlement in Slovenia. Passed through towns with bombed out houses from the war, some of the ones still being lived it were riddled with bullet holes in the plaster. Stayed at a guesthouse there, the owner dried out my tent in the laundry. He had spent a load of time and money restoring an old house over the past 15 years hoping to cash in on the tourist trade as Ptuj has so much history. He said the Slovenian tourist board isnt up to much, if it was Austria it would be advertised everywhere.
Had to pick up a new headlight bulb in Graz, then over the hills to Vienna. I planned to take the camera to a Canon repairer, but it started working again. At the campsite 2 Romanian couples turned up on a GS1200 and Hayabusa. They were doing an 8000k trip around Europe in 2 weeks, taking in Mont st Micheal, Paris, Stuttgart, Italy and Greece.
Along the Danube river to Linz then up to a lake near Bad Ischl for a few days. Went up the steam railway at St Wolfgangsee.
After there, about the 3rd time I headed to the Italian Dolomites. Again, it was raining when I got there, but carried on this time. The ride to Cortina was impressive, cloud in many layers up the hillsides but poor roads. Headed south till it stopped raining and found a nice lakeside campsite, the sun came out and my Dutch neighbours offered me a glass of red.
The Giro, the cycling tour of Italy, passed through the mountains near Switzerland as I was passing through. Road closed for 1 1/2 hours, they came past in 5 seconds.
The Stelvio pass was given a miss as it was snowing up there, the lower Berania pass was still bad weather but impressive. Down the other side through Switz to Landeck. Then back home via the Eiffel in Germany where the weather was good. I've been past Alterahr many times, but thought Id stay a couple of nights to explore. Well worth it. My German neighbours invited me to their BBQ. A group of 3 families, the blokes also had bikes and had been to Cornwall/Devon a couple of years ago. I took a bottle of local red, they had French wine!
I think the highlights of the trip were Slovenia and the Croatian island of Krk and the Plitvice lakes.
After my camera stopped working I took a load on my phone, but managed to scrub them in error.
Still, Ive got 2000+ left and some of them are here
http://www.photobox.co.uk/slideshow?album_id=2609084937 
