SR 2012 - Day 8 - Long way home

Nothing special today, just more than 500km back home. It went quite nicely. Weather was pleasant, beautiful landscape made good company as it did for the whole week. Oh I almost forgot, both our GS reached some "special mileage". My father's bike did 4,444km and my 44,444km what a coincidence... so just those two pictures for the fun of it.

My father's GS1200 making 4,444km

My GS1150 making 44,444km

SR 2012 - Day 7 - Eagle's Nest

It was more then 400km yesterday and there is about 500km in front of us tomorrow, so today's ride was just about 80-100km around Berchtesgaden and mainly visit of Hitler's "teahouse" called Eagles Nest. 

It's on the top of 1834m high mountain. It was a gift to his 50th birthday. It took only one year to build several kilometers of alpine road, long tunnel in the rock that leads to 124 m high elevator shaft also in the rock, and mainly big unique house on the top of the mountain. Unbelievable structure... For more info check the wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kehlsteinhaus). And now my pictures:

Entrance to the tunnel with elevator inside and the Eagle's Nest on the top

Eagle's Nest itself

Hitler's octagonal livingroom with huge fireplace serves today as restaurant

Huge fireplace in livingroom made of marble was Mussolini's gift to Hitler

Eva Braun's room

Magnificent view from the Eagle's Nest

SR 2012 - Day 6 - Italy to Bavaria again

Another beautiful day couldn't start better - on the world's most famous pass: Passo dello Stelvio, near Bormio, Italy.

That's us on our way to the top of Passo Stelvio
(It's the same place where I took the panoramatic photo last year)

Ok, so I took also one solo picture with my father's bike and himself...

That's us at the top of Passo Stelvio

After passing the Passo Stelvio we continued back to Germany close to the Berchtesgaden where was last accommodation booked. The owner of the Gasthof is also Czech and very friendly guy Miloš Ptáček and I highly recommend staying in his hotel with nice "Biergarten". What's more, it is only 6km distant from famous Eagle's Nest (its visit is on tomorrow's schedule).

Our Gasthof "Auerwirt" just 6km from Eagle's Nest

Nice church right next to the parking place of our Gasthof

SR 2012 - Day 5 - Italy

This day was kind of nightmare for my father. Or at least it's first part - Passo Gavia. It is a mountain pass close to Bormio (Italy) that reaches 2621m. There would be nothing wrong about it.
BUT:

• the road is wide enought usually only for 1-1,5 car,
• there is both way traffic (if two cars meet, they have to stop and one of them usually has to move backwards to some wider place),
• asphalt is not the best in means of quality (holes etc.),
• some sections of the road are missing the crash barriers and the several-hundred-meters long slope starts on the edge of the road

These facts are really good impulse for your body to start producing adrenaline:) But when you reach the top, something like compensation for your suffering is wonderful view on top of the mountains, with alpine lake. I took there few pictures to share the atmosphere with you.

Passo Gavia (those stuff on the left are not bushes, those are tips of trees !)
Sorry for worse quality, picture is taken from the video

Panoramatic photo that I took on the top of Passo Gavia (made of 3 photos)

And the afternoon we spent in Livigno (where we were also accommodated). That is mainly winter-sports oriented town. We've been visiting it for about 10 years now, it was really interesting to see it in summer, without the snow everywhere. We even got to the top of the mountain with cableway lift. There was a lot of downhill bikers that were riding down some of the slopes. It seemed quite crazy to me. Also some pictures from there are following:

View on the stream in Livigno Valley

Livigno - Mottolino

Bike jumpers next to the bottom station of the lift (Livigno - Mottolino)

SR 2012 - Day 4 - Austria to Italy

I would say that this was probably the best day of this year's roadtrip. We rode through the best mountain passes, and all of it in one single day. We enjoyed the Grossglockner's Hockalpenstrasse in Austria, Passo Gardena, Passo Sella in Italy... These are probably the nicest places I have visited (mainly those two in Italy). I don't like too long entries, so just enjoy the pictures:

Because we got to the Grossglockner quite early, I "caught" there one of
Land Rover's prototypes with masking. I've actually seen quite lot of prototypes
on this road (for three times I was there). It is one of the best places for  brake tests.
You can actually smell them when these cars pass next to you.

My father enjoying his cigaret on our way down from Grossglockner's Hochalpenstrasse

Passo Gardena

That's us at Passo Sella (thanks unknown Italian GS rider for the photo)

And the best view on the mountains - from the hotel room with can of beer

SR 2012 - Day 3 - Bavaria to Austria

The third day was as good as the second one. Great weather, low traffic and wonderful landscape. We moved from our "Gasthof" in Bavaria, Germany (where we spent two nights) to Zell am See in Austria, where we were accommodated. We also did a small trip to (10km distant) Kaprun, which is also quite famous for its winter-sports tourism. It was nice to see what it looks like also in summer.

Somewhere in Austria

Big parking house next to Kaprun / Kitzsteinhorn (3203m)

Alpine stream also next to the Kitzsteinhorn

SR 2012 - Day 2 - Bavaria

Today after delicious breakfast in our "Gasthof" we set on the journey through Bavaria to BMW Museum and BMW Welt, that I wanted to show my father. I was there last year but some (most interesting) exhibitions were closed. I must say that the Bavaria is really nice piece of land that provides all: beautiful landscape full of corn fields, hop fields, nice roads, magnificent mountains and lakes. Everything is clean, well groomed... also a reason why we will spend two more days here on our way home. So few pictures of BMW HQ, Museum, and BMW Welt.

BMW Welt building next to the BMW Museum and HQ

BMW HQ

BMW aircraft engine from 1926

Clay model in 1:1 scale is still a part of designing process

BMW Gina - prototype with textile body work - changes shapes
(opens eyes/lights, creates spoiler, opens the hood, etc.)

And one awesome video, probably known from TV commercial. It wasn't done by computer 3D graphic software, but it is 714 small metal spheres that are hanging on strings that are controlled by computer and it creates different 3D structures - cars from whole history (according to some sources it should be: BMW 327, BMW 1500, BMW Z4 coupe concept and Mille Miglia). So just watch the video:

SR 2012 - Day 1 - Czech to Bavaria

First day was mainly in sign of moving from Czech to Bavaria (Germany). It wasn't shortest, so I took not that many pictures. So at least one that is showing river banks in the town of Písek that reminds banks of Amsterdam.

River banks in Písek

Summer Roadtrip 2012 is on!

Today about 8:00 am we should set on our journey through Germany, Austria, Italy and back again. This time I will ride with my father and his GS 1200. So let's hope that doubled GS brings double fun:). Today we should move somewhere between Munich and Regensburg to the land of hops (also beer count(r)y). So let's hope that the weather is fine and that everything goes as it is supposed to...

Just few moments before the journey started