Germany and Luxembourg. 2024

[Simon Davey]

I can't bear the wait...

Just got my Euros from Sainsbury's.

[Bungleaio]

Panniers are down from the roof. Not long to go now.

 

(traditional upside down photo below)

 

[Simon Davey]

Those are very smart, mine just look like very large hand bags. 

Edited August 26, 2024 by Simon Davey

[Gerontious]

Not quite as shiny and complete with a few scratches now. Not that I care (much) bought before Brexit. The prices now are shocking.

 

But at least I can leave the camping gear at home. I do enjoy doing bike camping tours, but this annual week at the Schloss is a nice change.

 

I’m at work and the rampaging schizophrenics are all tucked up in bed. Last shift tonight so, roll on 7am and I can turn my back on this place for 16 days.

Edited August 26, 2024 by Gerontious

[Pie man]

13 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Not quite as shiny and complete with a few scratches now. Not that I care (much) bought before Brexit. The prices now are shocking.

 

But at least I can leave the camping gear at home. I do enjoy doing bike camping tours, but this annual week at the Schloss is a nice change.

 

I’m at work and the rampaging schizophrenics are all tucked up in bed. Last shift tonight so, roll on 7am and I can turn my back on this place for 16 days.

Quality Panniers though! Made to last. Enjoy your trip. 

[smallfrowne]

14 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Not quite as shiny and complete with a few scratches now. Not that I care (much) bought before Brexit. The prices now are shocking.

 

But at least I can leave the camping gear at home. I do enjoy doing bike camping tours, but this annual week at the Schloss is a nice change.

 

I’m at work and the rampaging schizophrenics are all tucked up in bed. Last shift tonight so, roll on 7am and I can turn my back on this place for 16 days.

That's not Mapperly!

[Gerontious]

1 minute ago, smallfrowne said:

That's not Mapperly!

 

Its Scunthorpe on sea. after a walk under the palm trees on the east parade. I bought a stick of rock and a new hat. very jolly watching the dolphins in the bay. as well as the natives doing their renowned hula dance in genuine grass troosers.

[smallfrowne]

That's the way to do it. They must have those new reform councillors up there. 

[smallfrowne]

Suddenly I heard Club Tropicana coming through. And the front is fitted and balanced.

 

 

 

 

[Gerontious]

It’s gone from months to weeks to days and now 44 hours till we ride away from our overnight stop to check-in at the tunnel on Sunday morning. Next week looks great. Small chance of a few rain showers here and there. But these should be easy enough to avoid or take them as an excuse to eat cake while they pass by. Worst case we’ll just head in a random direction to avoid it. Seems like a very low chance of constant rain. So I’m not worried about a washout. We’ve never once lost a full day to rain. On the plus side it’s going to be much milder during the week. Mid 20s - but 30 on Sunday. The plan is to take it easy with plenty of stops and coffee and cake in Luxembourg at one of my favourite places.

[Simon Davey]

That's looking very much like a  fairy-tale.

[Gerontious]

1 hour ago, Simon Davey said:

That's looking very much like a  fairy-tale.

 
it’s a lovely place and with luck by the time we get there the vast majority of trippers will be gone. After this it’s 34 twisty miles to the hotel. via a petrol stop. Q8

 

Though Im guessing there will be pressure to stop at the view point above Vianden too.. I don't mind. (Its quite special).

 

Edited August 30, 2024 by Gerontious

[Gerontious]

Currently in deepest Belgium and a lunch break, if a bit late. 30c outside so luxuriating in the air con at SPY. Late, but we’re on schedule.

 

everything has gone remarkably smoothly so far. Amazingly

 

 

[Gerontious]

Kebabs and Bitburgs all round at the Saray Grill. (I forget the flash) it’s 9pm here. We arrived about 7:30. It’s been very hot today, over 30c and no breeze. So getting here has been a chore - nobody died. No mishaps at all. One road closed so there followed a bit of a mystery ride to get back on track. The change of tarmac at the Luxembourg border was as incredible as always. And the guys were agog at the petrol station at Dasburg which doubles as the most amazing duty free type place- they sell tobacco by the bucket!! As well as other essentials. (Obviously) like cheap petrol.

 

Edited September 8, 2024 by Gerontious

[bonio]

@Gerontious I love the pic. Very evocative.

I still remember that feeling of agog from my first time at Dasburg. 9 years ago almost to the day. 

Edited September 1, 2024 by bonio

[Simon Davey]

La Roche 

[Bungleaio]

Back home and feeling tired. It was another fantastic week with more rain than we'd have wanted but it added to the experience. I will put some more narrative up when I'm feeling more normal.

[Gerontious]

All the ducks in a row.

 

[Gerontious]

I’m giving this year a 7/10 and that’s mostly because it was highly unusual. Any other year we’ve had blue sky mornings and blue sky days. Occasionally a bit of cloud and either warm or very warm. This year we had 3 wet mornings with light rain for the most part early morning with the rain going away.. aside from occasional ‘spitting’ that didn’t amount to much and as the mornings progressed everything dried up quickly. Once again we didn’t lose a day to rain though our starts were a little later than is normal 10am to 11am instead of soon after 9. Not a washout by any stretch but VERY unusual for this, our normal week for the past 12 years. We did get caught in a thunderstorm on one of the days and were sheltered from the worst of it. With a lightning strike that hit mere feet away. The bang was VERY loud.

 

and then Thursday happened and a rainstorm that came from nowhere, just as we were returning to base. and was absolutely ferocious in its short-lived intensity. Rain drops that individually could have filled a tea cup. Preceded (and I’m so glad we missed it) by what was by all accounts a brief intense wind storm over Neuerburg, not a tornado but one if those down drafts that have knocked planes out of the sky. The rain though… was absolutely outrageous and I was really worried about the guys as we were spread out and visibility was measured in feet. The road became a river and that last 2 miles was the longest ride of my life. I have never seen, let alone ridden through conditions like that. A proper super concentrated tropical summer rainstorm.

 

But.. everyone came through it unscathed if a bit wet. Its onset was so sudden and there was nowhere to take shelter and/or time to change into waterproofs. But we all got back to the hotel and this will I’m sure become a story that will be passed down the generations.

 

epic.

 

but rain didn’t define the week, it just made some of the days a bit shorter than usual by an hour or two. 

Everyone had a good time and already the dates for next year are agreed and the countdown has begun. 4 regulars and 4 newbies and I can’t praise them highly enough.

 

it was a great week. I’ll let the others tell their own stories.

Edited September 8, 2024 by Gerontious

[Gerontious]

Oh… and in one of the local villages those mucky Germans were having a party and could I convince the guys to pop along?

 

nope. I’ve never been to ‘that’ kind of a party - maybe next time.

[Simon Davey]

[Simon Davey]

It's a pity they're all jumble up....

[Gerontious]

5 hours ago, Simon Davey said:

It's a pity they're all jumble up....

 

Its not important.

 

Top photo is of the last remnants of Nazi Germanys great defence called the 'West Wall" - anti tank 'dragons teeth' that failed miserably. near Großkampenberg.

second is the view over Cochem from the viewing platform on the B259

third is while taking shelter from a nasty thunderstorm near the Geyser at Wallenborn.

fouth is a random arty rain shot.

fifth is our old friend which we simply call 'The Northampton' on the road above La Roche-en-Ardenne. something we always look forward to seeing.

sixth a random group shot.

seventh the castle above Vianden. Luxembourg. we went out for a short evening ride 'around the block' to see it.

eighth - a view of Pieseport. and the Hunsrück beyond.

ninth - while having a rest and sheltering from the rain and thunderstorm before heading to Daun for lunch.

tenth - an overloaded table covered in food. The Schloss does tend to over feed.

eleventh the memorial plaque on The Northampton.

[Bungleaio]

I normally do a bit of a day by day write up for these but this year I stuck with the group and it was all about the riding rather than off wandering about by myself.

 

Despite the rain it was still a fantastic week, the roads were amazing as always and it was great to meet the new guys as well as catch up with the regulars. This was my 3rd year on the trot going to the schloss and 4th time in total and it's the highlight of the year. It never gets boring as there are so many roads that it doesn't feel like we are on the same loops over and over.

 

The only bad thing this year was the lack of mayonnaise but its a worthwhile sacrifice for the extra riding.

[bonio]

1 hour ago, Bungleaio said:

The only bad thing this year was the lack of mayonnaise but its a worthwhile sacrifice for the extra riding.

Proper biker.