Remember when flying inverted that down is up and up is EXPENSIVE!
European Bike Week 2019, Faaker See, Austria
My solo ride from London to European Bike Week 2019 in Faaker See, Austria. My route took me through France, Germany, over the Alps via Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse and into Austria. Approx 2000 miles round trip and I experienced just about all the types of weather mother nature could throw at me!
Just outside Ulm, Germany at Squash harvest time. A popular crop in these parts.A quick stop at the base of the alps prior to ascending. Those clouds looked ominous so it was time to don my wet weather gear…. Must be nice living aroung hereUp here the air was so clean. I could have stood for ages taking in the view and the Alpine cattle bells.Between the cloud layers – magicalThe very top – bikers pass. Not much to see at first but then..The fog lifted for literally seconds allowing me to see the road ahead!Got to collect my pressed penny – 2571 metresand the ‘I did it’ sticker 😉The dawn view out of my hotel window in Velden am WörtherseeI can recommend Hotel Eden Park and the staff were very friendly. They even made sure bikers had a dedicated area in the car park and bike washing equipment. Parked up at Faaker See (the only space I could find was next to a BMW; guess no one else wanted to park there 😉Harleys as far as you can see in either direction. The wet weather meant 2019’s event wasn’t quite as popular as 2018, but we are still talking about 120,000 people on 70,000 bikes!Inside the packed out Harley-Davidson tentThe new Livewires were a big hit – especially the static ride booths outsideTens of thousands of bricks and I had to wait at least that long to grab a shot with no one else in the frame – worth it though as who doesn’t still (secretly) love Lego!Le adorabili signore di WillyPatchWork d’Italia 🙂 xxAt least it was on grass…. the rider got a big cheer when it was lugged back upright.Could have done with one of these when crossing the Alps earlierLoud just doesn’t cover itLots of custom parts stands – there was so much to see in the trade villageThis revese kit drew a small crowd, beautiful engineeringSpoilt for choice on the food front. Getting hold of a decent coffee was trickier but the Biker Fest Italian Bike Week stand came to the rescue and made me a perfect Café latte!There weren’t many custom choppers around, probably due to the rain. This guy (clearly a veteran of Faaker See judging by all the patches) kindly stopped to let me grab a photo. Stunning machine!Fun to watch – sadly no Vans freebees. They liked my photo though 🙂A small gift for my parents’ dogI took a little detour through the forests on the second day and ended up at the spectacular Finkenstein Castle .The view from the castle was breathtaking. Faakee See was visible in its entirety from up here – you could also hear the rumble from all those engines too.The famous arena at Finkenstein Castle – “Are you not entertained!?” What I was really searching for – the castle tea roomsBliss! Traditional Austria afternoon cakeI made friends with this (stuffed) fellow while eating my cake. Small and fluffy they may have looked as I crossed the alps – but up close the Austrian Alpine Marmot is a robust animal and those claws are several cm’s longMy way back through Germany took me via Ingolstadt Harely-Davidson where i pulled up in desparate need of some new waterproofs. Max and his team were very welcoming, soon had me warmed up, kitted out and even made me a perfect cup of English tea! Forget Audi HQ, this store was HUGE; several stories, a bar and some lovely bikes.Max and co standing with my bike. Big thumbs up to these guys.
Which takes me to the end of my trip as after that it was back through the channel tunnel to England, where typically, the sun was shining!
James, Planes and Automobiles 