Discovering the world on $20 per day ......................




Post 41: Austrian Alps


I`ve just woken from sleeping in the tent with quite possibly the best view in the world. It didn`t look àll that` until I´d actually scraped the frost from the inside windows, ...... but it is amazing.

We left the Idyll site in Switzerland yesterday morning heading for Austria and then Liechtenstein. Unfortunately, Liechtenstein is so small and my map so large, that I actually had us heading back into Germany. Again no passports required, but Austria has seen us riding in congested traffic for the first time since leaving blighty. We can see the amazing mountains to either side of us but we're constantly crawling through semi-industrial wastelands along the valley floor and becoming more frustrated with every set of traffic lights that seem permanently set to 'Red'. Eventually we found Liechtenstein, stopped for a pee and then headed back out towards Landeck in search of a camping ground for the night.

With nothing suitable in Landeck, we rode towards the village of Prutz only to be rudely halted by a rockfall. At the head of the queue of traffic I got chatting to a pair of Dutch bikers on a K1100 BMW and asked about suitable camp grounds. With the rocks cleared, we followed them for about 20 miles (at a very considerable pace) along quite possibly the most spectacular roads I have ever ridden, .... Austria has redeemed it's self. We pulled into a field behind the Hotel Weissepitze at around 3,800 feet and very close to the Italian border. We're pitched between mountains capped with snow and under clear blue skies it's impossible to decide on which direction offers the best view.

We were told last night by the hotel manager (Who arrived on an electric 4x4 All Terrain Vehicle which we promptly hijacked and tore up the field until it's charge was exhausted) that the Pass de Stelvio was closed due to heavier than expected snowfall and we'll now need to find an alternate route which is a real shame. However, as there are so many amazing roads around here, it really just presents another opportunity for discovery.

On a more alarming note, Alan is falling in love with every girl that we meet. That's fine for now, but if he gets that glint in his eye and starts wearing his High Karate when we're alone and deep into Siberia, ....... I'm out of here.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Enjoy Austria, Geoff! Just don't let any psychopaths lead you into windowless basement apartments ...

texastengu said...

Sisinlaw
LOL.
You sick bast*rd!