Day 21 Pforzheim to Schierstein

Raining as I leave the overnight, but predicted not to be heavy nor all day. But the liner goes into the pants for its first European test.

It didn't last long and I went back to summer gear. Started with some typical Schwarzwald villages and a 5 km section of fast road.












Skirted Pforzheim, then sped past a photovoltaic site which must have been a couple of acres.

Called Bev just after Pforzheim; she was mostly packed, but working on Uni work she had to be free of before she flew away.

Then headed for Bretten on luckily a fast road with some nice agricultural sections.


















After Bretten I let the GPS plan a fast route to the overnight hotel.





Cloud was worsening during the last 100 km, so I kitted up again, and rain started about 20 km before the finish line.





Had to fill up before returning the bike, which put me in a maze of one-way strasses. Those cute little one-way narrow streets aren't so cute when they're gridlocked, it's grey and it's raining. But I got to the Hotel Ambrosius to drop off things before taking bike back to Tullius BMW.










All OK there, and they let me take the tank-bag home for $150. Hard to resist.
Called Lizzie as I was walking to the hotel. She and Rudi were just back from their trek, (Rudi is sick again) and still in Darjeeling, but flying to Delhi tomorrow in time to meet Bev's flight arriving at 10.10 PM.

Thought I'd landed in the sleazy end of Schierstein, from the smokers and the shouting, but very interesting architecture





and some attractive shops - got my first real coffee since Busca at the Eis Cafe Venezia, on the corner of my street. Shouted myself a gelato confection that was too big to finish, and I shouldn't have. Punished myself with a run around an offshoot of the Rhine, the yachting basin, (the bridge traverses the basin entrance)





which used to be a taxing haven and now houses some impressive yachts and powerboats, as well as rowers. Then, opposite the Venezia, a backhaus provided some pastries for later (the customer before me was French, about 25, who had to order in English because he had no German), and a small pizza was located a block away, for the healthy part of the meal. And to end the tale, another sort of European dream.

Location:Schierstein, Germany

Day 20 Bad Krozingen to Pforzheim

Lots of grapes as usual, but also fresh strawberries $5/kilo at the roadside and you can taste the freshness.







Freiburg is bike city, saw several parking areas with hundreds of bikes in each

Serious energy capture here in Freiburg,




then here,

and here



A good ride from Freiburg north, started as a motorway but became a fun B-road or D-road by their system




I sent yesterday's blog from Waldkirch, another little old town that's been touristed up; street cafes, lots of decoration, and the old castle peering down.







Lots of pleasant Black Forest scenery and some fine riding too.









Lunch in Haslach im Kinzigital, at the junction of the B294 and the B33, in a Supermarket parking lot, but the supermarket had its own cafe and seating area

Passed through Walfach, here since 1064, before William visited England




Then east to Schiltach and north to Freudenstadt

Six km past Freudenstadt, visited a giant Bauhaus like Bunnings, but more stylish, for afternoon tea and a cool down. 30 degrees all afternoon.




River and flowers at Gernsbach, before turning east. Street flowers everywhere, and even away from houses you'll see a rose bush in full flower that someone must be caring for.



The usual problems with 50 kph villages, over and over, with only a few less-restricted km between them. Finally, the last 30 km ride section of the day from Gernsbach to Bad Herrenalb and on to Langenbrand was great. Well-marked wide winding roads up and down the mountainsides, little traffic except bikes of both kind. Lots of sweeping 90-110 kph corners, with no surprises and few hairpin bends.



Saw two police radar traps during the day. The first must have been doing a rough pre-assessment based on engine note; he saw me coming and didn't even raise his radar gun. The second was tripod mounted and certainly sighted my number plate but I was doing only 80 at that point (80 zone), so should be OK.

High views almost at overnight, near Langenbrand




Went a bit up-market for the last night; Hotel-Restaurant Jagerhof, 3 stars, but I can't sample the Medaillons vom Schweinefilet because it's Monday night.

Great location in a forested valley, very quiet except for the stream outside, looks classy, lots of heavy wood, but only 2 guests, and the other one is a bit annoyed that there's nothing to eat (Monday night).

Location:Pforzheim, Germany

Day 19 Filzbach, Switzerland to Bad Krozingen, Germany

Motorway to Baden, the capital of Stadt Baden, where my nose for locations parked me right on the river, next to a bridge with a lift to take me up to the heart of old Baden









Gps fight



Overbanding, those buggers offer no grip at all

Albbruck danger. The local version of Macquarie Pass. The ambulance guys must get sick of it. The road was closed because of a crash when I got to the start in Albbruck, but opened a few minutes later. I rode past fireys and police vehicles, and the orange painted marks that ended at the armco. Later was pased by R1's going much too fast. The first 10 k of the road is twisty, narrow and quite dark in places. No fun at all for the RT? I hate the gear-change still. Clunk, clunk, clunk.



Sanct Blazius






More black forest

















Bad Krozingen










Four Riders from Holland also at my overnight. On a week's ride, a different one every year.

No wifi at the overnight, so I'm sending this standing in the street in Waldkirch, north of Freiburg, using their free stuff.

Location:Bad Krozingen, Germany

Day 18 Innertkirchen to Filzbach

Six passes for the day, and most if it faaabulous, though I'm just about astounded-out with the views. Every corner I turn there's another 4 scenes to be appreciated.




















Checking the webcams at 9 AM; passes were fog-free, but sure looks like it snowed on Susten last night

Yesterday at 12.52 PM






And today at 8.20 AM.






The Hospiz near the top of Grimsel looked OK, but foecasts for the day were 2 to 8 at Grimsel



so I put another layer on the trunk to start the ride.

I found the same recent white deposits when I got to the top of Grimsel, the first pass of the day.




Lots of bikes and sports cars all day (Saturday),




and I was passed by several bikes on the way up Grimsel, but heeded the warning not to try to keep up with the locals. I mean, going through a poorly lit tunnel with bends in it, and snowmelt running across the road, and these guys don't slow down. The tunnels with bends in them were a real trial for me. Enter going right, then part-way through turn left, then as you come from dark to light, another bend. I just got slower.

Video'd almost all of the first 3 passes: Grimsel, Furka and Susten. That's the 3 passes route, and took me back to my starting point at Innertkirchen.


Going up Grimsel is stunning all the way. Great road and scenery towering above you, as it does.













2 degrees at the top of Grimsel, but bright sun, and the UV was predicted as extreme. Hot chocolate, of course.




The Furka pass starts at the bottom of Grimsel, and the ride down from Grimsel was excellent for the usual reasons.







The Furka just climbs straight up the wall of the valley, but, other than the hairpins, is another good ride.
















The bit after the top is another story - no centre-line, narrow and dangerous. Lots of blind corners where you could easily be punted over the edge, and the little stone stubs poking up on the edge of the road would do you no good at all.








Eventually it gets much much better.





















The Susten was a bit of an anti-climax, as some have written it as the best road in the alps. Maybe sometime, but the work being done now is the usual bitumen resurfacing where they strip the surface and leave grooves before the new coat goes on. No fun to ride on, even for a few km. Lots of the Susten was fun, but the roadwork spoiled the effect.









































I'd chosen my destination for tonight so that I could ride the Klausen Pass, but to get to the start of the Klausen, I had to cross the range again, so it wasn't hard to choose a repeat or Grimsel and Furka rather than Susten.




















The Klausen was the only failure of the day. The western approach was narrow and dangerous (numerous flower memorials in place)


















Don't watch the scenery . . .and yes, those are houses down there


and the eastern decline was narrow and seriously bumpy for km after km. All of these roads are running up and down the most magnificent towering snowcaps, so the views are fabulous everywhere, so It may be a bit much to expect great roads everywhere; the Klausen is a minor road after all, just going from one Swiss valley to another Swiss valley.

















The last hour of the day dragged badly. Villages wall to waal, all with 50 kph limits. Makes for slow going.

But on to Filzbach, to the Gasthaus Seeblick, which turns out to be more restaurant than hotel, but the price is right. Enter the room, lino on the floor but it's another great view. People would pay for this.




















And now I'm sitting in the restaurant doing up the day. I wasn't going to eat here, as I have lots of healthy food upstairs, but as I was cold I asked for some soup, and it was quite good, so I went on to a schnitzel. The accompanying veges are just commercial frozen stuff (though at least there isn't much of it) but the schnitzel is fresh; I heard the chef pounding the hell out of it in the kitchen, and the result is more than OK. Now the Swiss/German radio station in the restaurant is playing Sailing to Philadelphia, one of my

Location:Filzbach, Switzerland