Last week in May and 1st week in June. Had a brilliant trip. Weather was mostly ok, but did have some rain but nothing lasting more than 1 1/2 hours solid.
The plan was to head down to the Austrian Alpes and do the GrossGlockner pass they did on the Hairy Bikers show.
Then somewhere else depending upon the weather. I've tried to do that pass and others a couple of times before,
but the weather had always been bad, last time villages washed away type bad.
Either down to Italy to the Dolomites/Lake Garda, or north to Slovakia to a place I'd spotted on the map
which I knew about from my canoe slalom days, but not been to, Liptovsky Mikulas.
First it was to Portsmouth for the overnight ferry to Le Havre with the budget company of LD Lines.
If Ryanair did ferries, it would probably go to the Isle of Wight, but luckily the French knew where Le Havre was.
Next morning was bright and sunny. I stuck to the motorways for most of the way to get some distance done.
I've been the scenic route loads of times before. Epinal in the Vosges National Park.
They had a canoe slalom training coure there as it happened. Long day in 25c of sun.
Next day through the Black Forest, making a few scenic detours along the way.
Past Lake Constance I spotted a fantastic view to the nearing Alpes, around 6pm, then a hotel, so stopped there.
Bar bill and slightly fuzzy head confirmed 5 pints. I dont usually have more than a couple if I'm riding the next day.
Off to Austria the scenic route. The forecast that day was ok for Austria, cloudy no rain, but Italy looked wet.
So was across to Italy, to say ciao a tutti, turn left and along to GrossGlockner.
Italy was ok, but south of where I was it was black clouds.
Toll for GrossGlockner was €22. Gulp. The toll is for the whole nation park area.
I got there quite late, around 2pm. Next time I'd get there for start of day as there is a lot to explore around there.
Over that, and down to the other side where I spotted a hotel with an old bike outside it.
Then after deciding Northern Slovakia was the new destination off via Vienna ish via the
smaller hills but still scenic. I didnt plan to stop in Vienna as I've been before, but rain stopped play
so sod it. Its a nice place and plenty of photo opertunites. I found a place by the cathederal and spotted
a good reflection in a jewellery shop window, shaped like a watch face around 2m across.
Fairground merry-go-round under the cathederal, slow shutter speed selected to create some blur
and decent depth of field, camera held against the window frame, took a couple, then about to press the shutter
when Boris the Russian steps into view about 3 feet away.
Tried some other slow shutter pics of the 'christmas' market type wooden huts.
Some worked, some didnt. Quite like the one where the lad on the bike swerves through.
Next day headed north onto Slovakia, avoiding Bratislava and the motorways. My map said there was a road from
Angern an der March to Malaky, my sat nav didnt, neither does google maps.
Turned out the commies built a river down the border to keep the westerners out, or the other way around. No bridge, but a chain ferry.
Then up to Liptovsky Mikulas via B roads, A roads and motorway. €10 for the tax for 10 days.
Not sure if there was an option for fewer days, the bloke at the petrol station in Malaky didnt speak English,
I dont speak Slovakian. Phrase book left at home, it took a while but no major hassle, as it he understood vignette.
Arrived at Liptovsky and had a ride around looking for somewhere to stay. Typical CZ/Slovakin town, nice centres,
but they are usually surrounded by concrete flats for cheap accomodation. The Slovakian paint theirs
yellow/orange/blue, the Czechs go for the natural concrete look. Spent a few days there, nice area.
Some of the back roads over the hills upgraded via €m EU grants according to the signs. Turn off those
down some smaller roads means patchwork repairs over patchwork repairs. Nice countryside, but not a scratchers paradise.
Took a wrong turn and ended up at a dead end at a car park for the national park. There was this
sign with a picture of a brown bear, and I'm not sure if it said if you are quiet you may be lucky to see a bear
or if you see a bear sees you then you might get eaten.
Best beer of the trip there. Tried some typical Slovakian food off the menu. Routh translation of the dish
was small goats cheese pasties. Turned out to be flour/potato gnocci type mixture formed into ravioli
stuffed with mashed potatoe and boiled, served with mild goats cheese and what looked like 3mm bits
of crispy deep fried pigs skin pieces, and loads of dill. Not too bad, but not a winner.
The goulash soup starter, the Slovakian dish, 2 beers cost €8.80.
Nice slalom course.
Olympic champion Martikan was born there who used to kick everyones arse.
I had planned to head east to the High Tatra mountains but the forecast looked grim to the east,
also the south, didnt fancy Poland so headed west through CZ. Generally the roads were better,
CZ seems to be mostly rolling hills across the norther part. Had a few heavy showers on the way to CZ,
but dried out inbetween, but then light rain for 1 1/2. Worse day of the trip for weather, but not horrendus.
It was a chilly 14c though.
Across to Vrchlabi, a low level ski resort. Then up to the higher level Spinderuv Myln the next morning,
where fishing from 1/2 a raft seemed the way to do it.
Down to 'Saxony Switzerland' area near Dresden/CZ border, where the oddly shaped rock formation
seems to be falling apart.
One onto the road. eek.
Next day was dry in the valleys along the autobahn past Sachsenring, wet in the hills, but then cleared up in the hills
so through Thurlinger National Park, where there was a strange white hill. Not too sure if they are adding to it or taking stuff off it.
Nice area.
The forecast everywhere was for rain/showers the next few days, so went across to Cologne for a few days so
could do the Eifel area when it wasnt raining, or mooch around town or get the train down to Bonn.
The weather was ok in the end, just a quick shower every hour in the morning or a longer downpour in the afternoon.
Stopped off at the 'Ring, picked up a WSB ticket, heading towards Aachen where the towns folk were pleased
Germany beat Portugal and drove around town hanging out of cars for the next few hours to celerbrate
Topic: My trip to Europe (Read 2262 times)
