Eifel, Germany. 2021

[Marino]

11 hours ago, Gerontious said:

 

This photo was taken on the 4th of August last year, in Italy.

That’s Stelvio, it’s not usual but it happens. Must say I never experienced so much snow there in the summer but few flakes every few years.

[Pie man]

6 hours ago, Marino said:

That’s Stelvio, it’s not usual but it happens. Must say I never experienced so much snow there in the summer but few flakes every few years.

Although the Stelvio is very stunning, it is also very overrated, but I suppose you have to do it at least once, or maybe twice 

[Gerontious]

9 minutes ago, Pie man said:

Although the Stelvio is very stunning, it is also very overrated, but I suppose you have to do it at least once, or maybe twice 

Its a tourist trap... in every sense of the word. So, bikers love to ride it. But, so does everyone else. Not just holiday makers on a road holiday or using a hire car. but also coaches, buses, campervans.  and on and on. plus all the traffic supplying all the businesses up there. The worst part is the holiday makers, unused to driving in the mountains and too busy 'oohing and aahing' at the scenery to bother much about the long queue of traffic behind. You have to be so very 'on the ball' as they misjudge the corners with alarming regularity. Oblivious to vehicles, especially motorbikes coming the other way.. or gaggles of cyclists. "incidents" are frequent.

 

But...

 

I doubt we will have the time, we will be heading for the Grossglockner and after a day on there, we'll use the Felbertauern Tunnel and get down to Cortina d'Ampezzo. I think.

 

But, if we were dawdling, then I would much rather the guys see the Timmelsjoch. Because, not only is it a lovely pass.. but the ride up the Oetz valley is really quite stunning. and there is also a short diversion to the second highest paved road in Europe. Or, if we are really Dawdling, a day on the Silvretta.

 

But, ideally. Zell am See is (avoiding tolls) 700 miles from the tunnel, So, it all depends on how keen the guys are. How much of an effort they are willing to put in over our first weekend. Can we manage it, leaving the tunnel Saturday morning and arriving at Zell, Sunday? Or.. at worst Monday. Tuesday on the Glockner and then its just 110 miles to Cortina. 4/5 days there and then 5 days to return to the Tunnel in a much more relaxed fashion, via the Black Forest.

[Marino]

2 hours ago, Pie man said:

Although the Stelvio is very stunning, it is also very overrated, but I suppose you have to do it at least once, or maybe twice 

Stelvio is best in June first half or early September, of course weather is the gamble.

[Pie man]

I would take the Grossglockner and Timmelsjoch over and over, all day long than do the Stelvio. 

[Gerontious]

Having another try next year.. but as these past two years have been fairly disastrous. (though not for me - personally)

We'll be trying something fairly epic. Im going to put my trip in 2020 to good use, it was mostly a recce.

heading for the Dolomites, in late June.  But, staying just over the border in Austria. As its much cheaper. And there's only so much pizza I can take.

We'll also be having a full day on the Grossglockner and riding the full length of the B500 in the Black Forest on our way back.

 

will be at least 4 of us going, room for a couple more if anyones interested. (and enjoys camping)

 

Doesn't matter if you have never toured or been abroad by bike before.

 

send me a pm and I'l send you the plan.

 

[bonio]

I've now got myself my first AZ vaccination. Can I get myself a second one so I can travel? No chance. I can't find anyone who's prepared to give me a second jab. At this rate I will be doing my touring in Scotland for the rest of time. Starting to get a frustrating.

[Gerontious]

30 minutes ago, bonio said:

I've now got myself my first AZ vaccination. Can I get myself a second one so I can travel? No chance. I can't find anyone who's prepared to give me a second jab. At this rate I will be doing my touring in Scotland for the rest of time. Starting to get a frustrating.

instead of recommending Dostoevsky,  maybe Kafka?

 

I had my 3rd dose last week.

[bonio]

7 hours ago, Gerontious said:

instead of recommending Dostoevsky,  maybe Kafka?

I feel like the character in The Castle. Always being told to go somewhere where it will all be sorted out. Always coming up against another bureaucrat who speaks like a politician and gives me a perfect excuse for doing nothing to help. Never being able to find anyone who will act like a reasonable human being. 

I hated reading it. 

Edited November 3, 2021 by bonio

[DuRavary]

8 hours ago, bonio said:

I've now got myself my first AZ vaccination. Can I get myself a second one so I can travel? No chance. I can't find anyone who's prepared to give me a second jab. At this rate I will be doing my touring in Scotland for the rest of time. Starting to get a frustrating.

Is that simply because you had the first dose too recently?

[S-Westerly]

44 minutes ago, bonio said:

I feel like the character in The Castle. Always being told to go somewhere where it will all be sorted out. Always coming up against another bureaucrat who speaks like a politician and gives me a perfect excuse for doing nothing to help. Never being able to find anyone who will act like a reasonable human being. 

I hated reading it. 

You have my sympathy. Couldn't get my second jab in April so had to wait until I got home which meant the interval between first and second was exactly 7 months. If I want a booster I'm told it will be at least February 2022. Unfortunately by then I'll be away again so once more no chance. 

[Copycat73]

11 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Having another try next year.. but as these past two years have been fairly disastrous. (though not for me - personally)

We'll be trying something fairly epic. Im going to put my trip in 2020 to good use, it was mostly a recce.

heading for the Dolomites, in late June.  But, staying just over the border in Austria. As its much cheaper. And there's only so much pizza I can take.

We'll also be having a full day on the Grossglockner and riding the full length of the B500 in the Black Forest on our way back.

 

will be at least 4 of us going, room for a couple more if anyones interested. (and enjoys camping)

 

Doesn't matter if you have never toured or been abroad by bike before.

 

send me a pm and I'l send you the plan.

Tassenbach ?

[Gerontious]

1 hour ago, Copycat73 said:

Tassenbach ?

 

Where we will be staying. Its handy for several things. Not far from the southern end of the Grossglockner, so we can choose our day if necessary and the Pustertaler high road. its 35 miles from Cortina d'Ampezzo.  The Staller Sattel is fairly close too. Also, there is an Aldi less than half a mile away as well as a petrol station. And crucially, Ive stayed there before and the campsite is great, very laid back. They even have a vending machine for beer, which got a round of applause when it was spotted (and used) last time.

Im quite looking forward to going over the Staller, its light controlled - one way. so no oncoming traffic and is apparently quite beautiful.

 

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by Gerontious

[bonio]

3 hours ago, DuRavary said:

Is that simply because you had the first dose too recently?

First dose was end of July.

 

I took part in the Novavax vaccine trial, during which I got 2 shots of Novavax. I left the trial in June, because I wanted to get approved vaccine such as AZ or Pfizer so I could travel.

So I went to the GP, but the nurse refused to vaccinate me because I'd been on the trial. She spoke to the GP; GP said I should contact PHE; PHE said I should contact the people running the trial; The people running the trial didn't have AZ or Pfizer to give, they only had Novavax.

Went to a walk-in clinic in July and was lucky and got my first AZ shot. Went to another walk-in for the second shot 10 weeks later, in September, but the nurse refused to vaccinate me, because I'd been on the trial. She said I should contact my GP; when I said the GP had already refused me, she said to contact PHE; when when I said I had, she said I should contact the people running the trial. 

Then last month I got a call from the hospital running the trial saying they will give 2 shots of Pfizer to any of us who want them. Yesterday I got a voicemail from them saying they won't vaccinate me, however, because I've already had one AZ. They won't give me a second AZ either. Don't know why.

The only light at the end of the tunnel is that Novavax seem finally to have got themselves out the mess they made of the approval process, and it looks like the vaccine will soon become an approved one, good for travel. The fly in the ointment is that when I got my first AZ, the NHS managed to lose the record of my first Novavax shot, so now it appears as if I've had only one Novavax and one AZ. Can't travel with that.

 

My son in Oz is asking if we can come out to see him when their borders open. As things stand, not much chance.

 

 

[Bungleaio]

@Bonio what a debarcle! I hope you get it sorted mate.