A beer at the bar before heading to a renowned Greek restaurant for dinner - the courtesy umbrellas provided by Achat Hotel proved very worthwhile as the rain bucketed down. Normally I wouldn't be too fast to put my hand up for a Greek meal, out of ignorance more than anything, but tour leaders Graham & Donna really talked up this place, being very good friends of the owners. Over the next four hours we were treated to a feast of epic proportions, the food just out of this world. I have absolutely no doubt this meal (and restaurant) would romp into my all time top ten - quite an accolade. My companions were wisely reluctant to accept the customary ouzo upon leaving the restaurant, and the walk back to the hotel was just what we needed prior to hitting the sack. Prudence dictated wet weather gear be struggled into after loading the bikes, but the effort was not wasted as it rained off and on all day. Despite the rain we enjoyed riding and scenery that would again fit right at the top of my list - none of the featureless landscapes that New Zealand and the USA can often provide. Right from the out skirts of Munich you're into it - quaint villages, farm houses surrounded waist high with firewood cut and stacked ready for winter, the woods and rivers, endless. First stop for coffee at a small town beautiful in every respect other than a slight blip they'd prefer to forget during WWII when they supplied manpower to run the several Death Camps located near by. Today was a parade - after attending the local Church, the locals paraded through the town in their historic finery, bands playing and marching as the Germans do so well. The roads were busy, at least that side of it heading from whence we'd come. Hundreds of bikers on all sorts of magnificent machines, high powered sport bikes (Ducati's, BMWs, Moto Guzzi's and top end Japanese rocket-ships), and the more sedate cruisers (Harley's included) and even the odd outrageous side car outfits, all in motor cycle heaven in the Alps. I'll never again rave on about how great riding is in New Zealand - whilst frickken awesome, this really is another level. Lunch over the Austrian border in a small town famous for crystal, but to us it was somewhere to take pot luck off a menu - ended reasonably well. More rain and the occasional opportunity to see just how far the point of impact was if you went over the edge - a long way! Berechtsgarden maybe a name familiar to some, the village below Hitler's Eagles Lair - our final stop before final destination of Salzburg, and an opportunity for a hot chocolate with cream (the real deal, not out of a packet). Time for dinner. Don Comments are closed.
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Don MalcolmA perfect day involves being on my Harley with a long ride ahead.
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