Blog, blog, blogging away:

           

7/28:  we packed up our tents and headed to town…somewhere in Austria.  That’s the problem with moving every day, and with staying in small towns, is I can’t ever remember where I am or was.   Anyway, we stopped at  a small café/bar for breakfast.  I ordered coffee and a croissant.   I was thinking French style croissant, but I got a whole basket of different kinds of bread.   This is usually what happens to Joe.  He just points at the menu and doesn’t ask any questions.  So, he gets some really wild meals…. Some good and some not so good.  I usually ask a lot of questions, even if I can’t speak the language.  I make sounds, faces and hand gestures and usually I can tell what not to order.   Well, that was the problem since we left Italy.   I’m ok at deciphering Spanish, French and Italian, at least a little… but with German and Austrian…. I have no idea what is going on; either with menus or street signs.   The street signs could warn us of anything and we wouldn’t know.   They could say there are wild, carnivorous, crazed, motorcycle rider eating, opossums ahead and we wouldn’t know.   We would just ride right into the trap, thinking the sign said yield or slow down or something.

We took a road suggested by the campsite owner from the night before.  It was a crazy, winding road through the mountains.   There were free range cows, sheep and horses along the road.  The cows all have bells around their necks.  It reminds me of a commercial.  I expected those Riccola cough  drop guys to jump out with their horns.   We got back on the highway to make some time, and there were a lot of holidayers heading home.  We took a road through the tip of Germany, before heading back into Austria to Mattighofen, where our bikes where made.  Germany looks exactly as I expected.   There are little patches of forest, followed by fields, mainly wheat and corn, followed by little villages.   It is just like many of the movies I have seen from TV and old war movies.   It’s just like Call of Duty, the video game.   I could just hear the soliders boots clomping around the corner. ( shhh…I think I hear something).   On the border, we crossed a couple of old bridges that still had the old guard towers.   It really made me think about how much had happened here and how many sacrifices were made in WWII. 

Anyway, we rolled into Mattighofen and couldn’t find a hotel.  It’s a small town of maybe 6000 people.  So, we stopped on the main street and walked to a café/bar.   The owner came out and we asked about a hotel.  He said there wasn’t one but he knew of a bed and breakfast.  He called for us and said someone would come down to get us and show us the way.  He was sitting with a group of about 5 guys, drinking beer.  As Joe and I started to sit at a nearby table, they insisted we sit with them.  They asked about our bikes and what we were doing.  We gave them the low down, and they loved it.  They would break off into Austrian or German, or whatever they were speaking, and howl with laughter and then they would ask a few more questions, and repeat.   Most of them didn’t speak English well, but they knew enough to give us a hard time about how our bikes would get stolen in Russia or how I needed to get a wife there.   They bought us beers, and within 10 minutes, a blonde haired guy arrived to take us to the B&B.   Well, this turned out to be Andy.  We finished our beers, hopped on the bikes and followed Andy a few miles away to a 3 story, stereotypical looking German/ Austrian house.  Like most, it had the window flower planters and was very beautiful.  Both Austria and Germany are very clean.  You don’t see a lot of trash.  Even the modest homes are very well kept.   Anyway, Andy made room in a smaller garage for us to park our bikes, which also housed his motorcycle and his girlfiriend’s; both sport bikes.  Turns out, Andy’s girlfriend’s mother owned the house, and he and the girlfriend helped run the place.  He spoke only a little English, so we were back to gesturing.   When we would tell him things, he often responded with something that sounded like, “Ah-So”.  We later found out it means something like, “wow.”   Austrians and Germans say it a lot.  I think it is like when we say “really?”.   Anyway, Andy showed us to our rooms.  We got separate rooms, with their own little bathrooms, TVs and everything.   I think we were both a little giddy to have our own private quarters.   He told us they were serving dinner at 6:30 and to come downstairs.   We headed down and they have a full bar and several tables for meals.   The first night we had goulash, which was excellent, and several beers.   We had a good time talking to Andy and hanging out.

 

7/29:  It rained pretty hard all night, and I slept great.   We had breakfast which consisted of a soft boiled egg, bread and croissants, marmalade, cheese, and thinly sliced ham, with OJ and coffee.  We would come to get used to this breakfast, because it is pretty much common everywhere we stayed across Austria and Germany.  

We made it to the KTM plant and walked to the shop, where they sell all kinds of KTM apparel.  The girl said there were no tours at this time because many people were on holiday.  Imagine that!.   I was pretty disgusted.  I had tried to get in touch with KTM in America and spoke to some girl in California, but I found them to be difficult to communicate with; and even harder to nail down to specifics as far as a tour or any kind of technical or logistical support for our trip.   I told them from the beginning we were not seeking money or freebies….we just wanted to have a contact so we could get parts and instructions in case of a breakdown in the middle of nowhere….like Mongolia.   So, I just walked outside, and let Joe handle it.  To that point, I had been in charge of all logistics, but I was ready to throw in the towel.  Joe went in the information center and started working on them, while I strolled around grumbling under my breath.   He apparently told them we had come all the way from Texas and wanted a tour and we were riding the same route as Ewen McGregor and Charlie Boorman.   If you don’t know, KTM had a chance to sponsor them, but declined; leading to BMW being their sponsor.  Huge mistake, because no other motorcycle tour has garnered so much attention.   This must have gotten their attention, because they called Martin, in marketing, and told us to be back the next day at 12:30 p.m. for a private tour.   Good job, Joe!

We headed back to town and a huge storm blew through, which we waited out under an awning at the bank.   We spent the rest of the day catching up on naps and blogs. 

That night, it was downstairs for dinner again.  We had fried chicken.  I thought that was pretty funny.  I rode a motorcycle to Germany to eat fried chicken.  It was good and I’m not complaining.  It just struck me as ironic.  Anyway, a few beers later, and then a few beers after that, Andy came out with his accordion, a guitar, and some percussion stick, with several bells, a bongo- like drum, and a bicycle horn on top.  He gave me the guitar and Joe the stick.  I went up and got my guitar, and it was on.  He played Austrian folk music and I attempted to play with him.   There were  a couple of groups of older people playing cards, smoking, and drinking.  Let me tell you:  those Austrians like to party.   Some really drunk guy started trying to sing to the songs Andy was playing.  He would usually get through the first verse and the chorus and then he would kind of peter out.   Eventually, the owner told him “good night” fairly forcefully.  That was his sign to go home.  Well, after a while Andy pulled out the Jagermeister, and it was all down hill from there.  Then, a guy from KTM, who had ridden the 2007 Paris-Dakar rally showed up and insisted on buying us a couple of more rounds of Jager.   Ouch!!  Yep, they like to party.    They would start getting to the bar in the morning and someone was always down there playing cards, drinking and smoking.  They are pretty gregarious and are very friendly.   They laughed a lot when we were around.  I don’t know if it was with us, or at us.   I didn’t really care.  They were fun.   

 

7/30 :  Did I say ouch?  Well, I meant it.   We limped down to breakfast, and the soft-boiled egg didn’t go down so smoothly.   Soft boiled eggs kind of look like Cadbury eggs… just not as tasty.   We got packed, loaded up, and headed to the KTM factory.   Andy didn’t come to work until 1 p.m., so we missed him.  Joe was pretty bummed about not getting to say bye.  So, I said we should just go back by the house on the way out of town.  We met up with Martin and he showed us the KTM plant.  We were pretty impressed.  He was a really nice guy.   Everybody was getting off for holiday, and they were running out of there..  The good thing is he gave us his contact information and told us he would try to help  us if we ran into any difficulties with the bikes.  That made me feel a lot better.

We headed back to the B&B.   As soon as we pulled up, Andy came running out and said in broken English, “You stay one night.”  We said we would love to but we needed to get moving because we had to get going.  We took some pictures and said our goodbyes.  Joe and I agreed, over the radios, that we were both sad to leave.   We really hit it off with Andy.  I think it was several things.  We stayed at a nice place that had a homey feel, with people we liked.   We had been on the road for almost 2 months and we usually just stay for a night before moving on.  Our contact with people is just a conversation… usually the same conversation over and over about the trip.   At the B&B, we had time to make a friend.  I guess what makes it sad is that, despite him saying he would like to come to the US to visit, we know we will probably never see him again. 

So, we waved and rode off into the rain.   Time to get moving again.   We rode on some smaller roads, but there are just too many villages to make good time.  We had to jump on the autobahn.   We crossed back into Germany and made our way to a campground at dusk.  It was next to an amusement park, that was totally empty but had lights on.   It was called something “land”, and we stayed at a somewhat rundown campground next door.  We drove back into the little town and picked a random restaurant.  It seemed to be pretty authentic German food, and the waitress spoke no English.  I was able to order Bratwurst with sauerkraut and Joe had some kind of snitzel.   When we got back to the campground, the gate was locked.  So, we had to take off our boxes, drive through the pedestrian gate and then put the boxes back on.   The campground had only numbered big lots, instead of marked individual campsites like most campgrounds.  So, you could camp anywhere in the numbered lot, which were 30 yards by 30 yards.  We camped in the middle because it was the driest place, since the rain had soaked everything.  

Both of us are getting antsy to start moving east towards home.  We were still going north, and it didn’t feel like we were making much progress.

 

7/31:  I heard a bunch of noise around my tent early in the morning.   I assumed it was Joe or someone from the other family camping in our lot…. But I heard several cars drive in and it sounded like a lot of commotion.  Our plan was to hang out a little longer in the morning than usual because everything was still wet from the rain and the dew.   We wanted to wait for the sun to come out and give it time to dry out everything.   I hear Joe say, “You aren’t gonna like this..”   So, I stick my head out and there we are right in the middle of several campers.   These people have driven up right beside our tents, which were previously 40 feet from anyone else, and have parked right beside us.   They are now all sitting in lawn chairs and their cars waiting for us to move our tents so they can position their camper trailers.   Their chairs are about 10 feet from us, facing us.   There are numerous kids running around, with two of them wearing no pants, only shirts.  Screaming, crying, and the men are grumbling, just looking at us.   So, Joe and I scramble out of our tents and start packing up everything, and trying to dry it in the sun as much as possible.   But it’s just not working.  I really am not a fan of this holiday crap.   It’s just a nightmare.  It’s like having spring break at Daytona all over the country, except add in kids and old people.  Other than the hordes of people, traffic, heat, everything being closed, and the lack of personal space, holiday is great!!   Ok….over it now!

So, we headed out to the autobahn, which would be great in a Porsche, or even a sport bike… but not a packed down dual sport bike.  Sure, our bikes will go fast, but it’s not comfortable… not enough wind protection, and we are carrying a lot of weight.   We can cruise about 75-80, but that is fast enough on these bikes.  The problem with the autobahn is that the speeds vary so much.  All of the trucks drive in the right lane, and they are really good about it, unlike our trucks in the states, who screw up traffic all the time.   If there are 3 lanes, then the rest of the people are mainly using the middle lane because they are passing the trucks…., and the tiny midget cars that don’t go fast.   If you are in the middle lane, and need to pass, then you obviously go into the fast lane to pass.  The problem is you better be looking as far back in your rearview mirror as possible because it is pretty common for a car to come whizzing by at 120 mph.   In fact, more times than not, it is a black station wagon, which is easily the most popular car in this area…. Especially black Audi station wagons.   That’s the last thing I want to happen is to get creamed by a station wagon.  If I’m gonna get run over, I’d prefer a Porsche, a Ferrari, or something cool.

 

We rode to Ruppichteroth, which is where the friends we met on the English Channel Ferry, Karin and Holger, live.   I’m not sure they really thought we would show up when they invited us to come visit, but there we were.  Actually, we pulled into town and stopped at an ice cream parlor.  Of course, it was mandatory we have ice cream since we were sitting at one of their tables.  I protested but Joe made me eat it.  We tried to call Karin several times on my cell phone but I couldn’t get it to go through.  So, Joe asked some lady if she knew Karin or Holger, and she said no, but she would call them.  So, she did and Karin answered, and told us to come over. 

We got to Karin and Holger’s house, which was very nice.  Holger was away on a motorcycle ride, and was not scheduled to be home until the next day.  Karin showed us around.   The two of them remodeled their own house and it was fantastic.  In fact, they do everything.   They remodel; Karin sews; she makes whisky (we tried walnut, blueberry, quince, and more); she makes preserves/ marmalade, which we had for breakfast; she makes mustard; and the list goes on.  Holger was in a German metal band, and still has the long hair to prove it.   

Anyway, Karin took us out to dinner at a local German restaurant and helped us order authentic dishes, and good German beer.  Really, I had no choice.  I think it’s a law that you must drink beer in Germany.   She had spoken to Holger on the phone and he said he was cutting his trip short and riding home.  He pulled up in the rain on his motorcycle,  a  Triumph tiger, and joined us.   We had a great meal and headed back to their place, where we sampled more German beer and some of Karin’s homemade whiskey/liqueur.   Holger showed us a DVD from his band.  It was great.  The quality of the video and the sound was incredible, and the music was good, assuming you like good metal.  They were all dressed in leather and even had a couple of hot chicks dancing around the stage.  It was rockin’.    Then, he and I broke out the guitars.  He showed me a couple of his originals and I played a few songs I know.  Then, he got out a Beatles song book and we butchered some of their songs. Lol.   Actually, by this time, the homemade spirits improved our sound considerably.  A great time was had by all.    We finally wore out at some wee hour of the morning.

 

 

8/1  I rolled out of my single bed on the 3rd floor of Karin and Holger’s house.  Joe and I were staying in their game room, fully equipped with a bar, foosball table, and a dartboard.   We stumbled down the winding staircase and made our way to the first floor.  Karin had prepared a fantastic breakfast.    It was a traditional German breakfast, with numerous types of bread, soft boiled eggs, all kinds of cheeses, and thinly sliced meats, and Salmon.   Of course, we had some of her homemade marmalade.  Hell, she might have forged the utensils for all I know.  Is there anything this woman can’t do?!!   

After breakfast, we dried out our tents and Holger helped us plan some of our route and scout out ferries ( I’m talking boats, people!)

That afternoon, they took us to some castle ruins nearby.  There was a church , a tower, and a village still in use in the old castle walls.  So, we walked around while they translated.   Of course, we had to stop for some German dessert, which was like waffles with powdered sugar, and one with cherries.  I also was forced to try another German beer, against my will of course.  It rained on and off during the day and really started once we got back to the car.

The funny thing is that Holger had asked us if we wanted to ride the bikes.  Karin rides too.  In fact, the two of them met at a motorcycle hotel, when each of them were on solo trips.  How cool is that?  

Anyway…. The funny part about the car is they have this tiny little Peugeot, which is a typical European car but tiny for American standards.  It’s a little 2 door.  Joe insisted we take the car so we could talk.  I was voting for the bikes, because, as some of you know, I’m not overly found of tight spaces, especially when its hot.   So, we piled in the car with Joe and Karin in the back and me and Holger in the front.  The ride to the castle was fine…. It was about 30 minutes long and we had the windows open, as well as the sun roof.  The ride back was a different story. For those of you who don’t know,  Joe tends to get motion sickness on occasion.  We took the backroads on the way over, and they are a little curvy.  I was fine with it and I think Holger was having fun driving his go-cart, ahem…. I mean car, through the twisties.  But on the way back, it was pouring.  So, we couldn’t’ roll down the windows or the sun roof.   Because there were four adults stuffed in this tiny car, the windows immediately started fogging up.   Holger tried turning the defrost on cold, but it wasn’t working.   European A/C’s are not so great…this you should know from my previous posts.   So, he had to turn on the heat.   Oh yeah!   So, there we are, stuffed in this tiny car, with the heat going full blast, whipping around corners in the rain.   I was getting a little antsy because….well it’s a small space and it was hot (keep up with me here.)   Joe was not doing so well in the back… he was really feeling it because of the little car zipping around, and the heat, which he tells me makes his motion sickness worse.  I had my window slightly cracked and he trying to put his head as close to it as possible, even with the rain coming through it.   By the time we got home, he was looking pretty green around the gills.  Lol.  Serves him right for picking the car over the motorcycles!!  Just kidding… about serving him right, but not about his decision to pick the car…but it was funny. (Holger and Karin: we loved your car and the trip was great…. Lol).  

Back at the house, they insisted on making us German BBQ, which was wonderful.  Steak, sausages (bratwurst), chicken, and some kind of meat on a stick.  It was like ground meat with seasoning placed on a stick and grilled.    Karin also made this fantastic garlic cheese that Joe and I scarfed down in seconds.  It was all delicious.  Afterward, Karin invited her friend Heidi over for drinks and we sat around shooting the breeze.  Karin and Holger speak excellent English, so we had no problems communicating with them.   They attempted to teach us some German, but all I learned was the word for owl, bat, and lawyer.   Lawyer sounds pretty evil…hmmm.   I think Karin is trying to get me to move to Germany by filling me with delicious beer and food, and bringing over her single friends.  We’ll see.  Lol   

I love hearing them speak German. It’s kind of a rough sounding language, and it’s difficult to tell if they are arguing, fighting, happy, sad, or whatever.  

We had another fantastic night.   We watched some a video of Karin and Holger going to Sweden, I think, to drive dog sleds.  They actually travel a lot and the cool thing is they take pictures and video and send them off to some company that makes them into movies and books.   So, they have great dvd’s and books from all of their trips.    Finally, we had to retire, as they had to go to work the next morning and we had to get going.  Actually, Karin took half a day off to help us get things together and mail packages.  I didn’t want to have another Italian “job” at the post office. 

That is one thing that wears on you after a while.: because of the communication difficulties, doing the simplest tasks, that you normally don’t even think about, can become very difficult.  Easy things such as ordering food or mailing a package can become all day ordeals, or sometimes impossible.  Plus, not only can we not communicate effectively in many places, our entertainment is very limited.  We can’t watch TV or movies, and we can’t read anything.  In places where there is no internet, all we can do is talk to each other.   So, all those things that we normally do to relieve stress or just relax, are taken away from us.   Believe me, I’m not complaining because the trip has been great so far.  I’m just trying to explain the nuances of our experiences.

Anyway, back to our story:   the next morning Holger was gone when we got up, and of course, Karin had breakfast for us.   We gathered our stuff and followed her into town.  Before leaving I had to say bye to my new friends in the field behind their house.   From the first day there, I had made friends with a couple of old sheep living in the field behind the house, who appeared to be near retirement age (no sheep jokes are allowed here).  So, I would get apples that had fallen from the apple tree in the yard, cut them up, and feed them to the sheep.  Even though I couldn’t speak German, we still seemed to be able to communicate pretty well.

So, Karin helped us mail packages and we said our goodbye’s.  She told us since it was already noon, that we should just go buy our supplies and come back and spend another night with them.  Just as in Austria with Andy, we really wanted to, but we knew it would be even harder to leave the next day.    We made some great friends in Germany, in Karin and Holger, and I certainly hope they will come visit us.   Joe and I were a little sad leaving.  It is great to be on the road, riding the bikes and seeing the world, but nothing compares to time spent with good friends.   From the bottom of my heart, thanks so much for everything, Holger and Karin.  It was an honor and a pleasure to meet and spend time with you.  I certainly hope to see you again. (maybe next time, we can all ride in my truck, though… lol)

 


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