LOADS of driving...sometimes on very very tiny streets with bikes stacked on the roof of the monstervan. A campsite that was flooded from heavy rains, a big big bike show, zeppelins, brats, sleeping in tiny beds, views of the Alps, coffee with Gary Fisher, crazy pastries, heavy breads, hops growing in massive quantities, real bacon, bikes of every size, shape, use, configuration, and price you could imagine, a massive lake with nautical themed bars, cheap camping, an old dude in lederhosen, running into friends from the US and A, cathedrals, stashing 24,000 euros worth of bikes in a hotel dungeon, a German version of chicken fried steak that almost killed me, and more than a few good cheap beers. Check out the photos....
on our way through the Alps
cold at the top too, kinda rainy and Igor and I reached for pants and socks...
Makes you want chocolate doesn't it?
and BEER! This is how hops grow.
On to Regensburg to drop bikes for a tour that started a couple days later.
A cool town, with TINY streets, and meat smothered in kecthup dusted with curry powder, weird but good.
Stashed the bikes in a real dungeon.
The campsite we wanted to stay at, the only campsite in town was more than cold though, it was under water...so we got a hotel room and shared another tiny bed...how romantic huh?
Left Regensburg and made it to the campsite for the weekend.
Can you tell this dude is wearing a lederhosen?
End of the first day felt like we had been in a plane all day, fake sunlight and fake air. We headed in to check out town and had a brew at a nautical themed bar, then some "traditional" German food at the German version of Chili's, a lame atmosphere but good food, and REAL smokey thin bacon.
The next day, found some pastries and coffee
And saw some more bikes...
and some dudes getting RAD...
I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of it so took a nap in the press booth, woke up to the sound of a zeppelin flying over...pretty cool scene, I had to just laugh to myself. Then I found out the press gets free beverages...
Met up with Igor and headed into town for the most MASSIVE plates of food I have ever seen. Note the German side salads...not much on roughage the Germans...
It was kill or be killed...
And I had to kill it. Seriously, those plates and 4 beers was less than 20 euros! Germany is good on the wallet for sure. Went to bed stuffed and happy to be on the road, crashed out as soon as I hit the sleeping bag and thankfully it was a bit warmer.
Woke in the morning, to town for pastries (that thing was GOOOOD!) and found a cool farmers market. Sat by the waterfront and ran into Gary Fisher, of GaryFisher Bicycles. Crazy dude looked lost but remembered meeting me a few years ago at a barley wine festival, and is close to my buddy Nat Ross. We talked a bit and then hit the fair for one last day. Stopped at a factory outlet, almost got busted for picking hops, and hit the road again. Another long drive, through Switzerland in the dark, and back home to the good road side coffee and fast driving Italians. I'm really starting to feel at home here.
Igor is not the tallest dude I know but the hops grow super tall!
Into the Alps at sunset
Back into Italy in the dark again...
Gratuitous parting shot...
S.
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