Day 14 - The End

Wakening up on the ferry was not a problem. I think one of the screws was actually square and was very noisy and constantly vibrating stuff off the shelf. (First to go was John's glass of water).
The weather provided us with an extremely pleasant ride home. 
On all the roads we have ridden on, it took us being back in the UK to encounter our first major pot hole.  The fact it was on a blind bend just added to the fun!
Stats -
3760 miles
Ave 37 mph (max 80)
14 days
81.45 hours riding
56.4 mpg.
Pot holes 1  !
JB schnitzel tally +7  (50%)

Day 13 - The Building Site.

As promised the builders, who were charming, woke us up as promised, by starting at 7am.  Unfortunately these were the builders up the road, our builders didn't start until 7.15!
We eventually found the breakfast room by going down stairs, past the sparking fuse box, up some stairs and down another couple.
Once again we had spent time the previous night re-planning the days route, more successfully this time.  The roads were no more challenging but were at least quiet and took us through the usual assortment of Dutch farmyards, hamlets etc.
A quick stop to pay homage to the sculpture at Lelystad (fabricated in Macmerry) and on the Zuiderdijk (one of my favourite places) and it was back to the ferry.

Day 12 - Are we there yet?

After an adequate breakfast and a passionate debate about the costs (which I lost) we set off on a route that I had spent some time revising.  This was to replace the boring 'B' roads (highways) for 'L' routes (local).  This was worth while and gave us better roads until the first diversion!
The latter half of the day was mostly conurbation after conurbation, resulting in the traditional refrain of "are we there yet".
A quick lunch stop at a 'drive through' German bakery, it would have been rude not to, resulting in JB commenting that this was his first lunch stop this tour.  (His fault, he could have had lunch at the Austrian bakery a few days ago).
Finally the conurbations came to an end in the city of Munster.  We now know when rush hour on Mondays start!
Finally our GPS tells us we have arrived although we can't see a hotel.  After reprogramming and a lap of the block, we determine that this building site is actually the hotel.  After a conversation with the construction workers we are offered jobs until we revealed that I am an architect and John works in H & S.
In my defense, when I booked I was told that the dining room was under reconstruction, not that they had just started building the hotel!
We agreed though that the glass door to the toilet was a nice touch though !

Day 11 - Good news/bad news

The good news was that the expected rain stayed away but it was a wild ride over the tops with low cloud.
Also good news, no umleitungs today !
Bad news, they just closed a couple of roads completely with no alternative diversion!  The first detour took us an extra 40 minutes, the second one saved us 30 minutes but did mean a motorway stretch.
The only stops today were fluid (petrol and bladder) and a stop to 'layer up' for the cold.
John expressed his feelings that forest glades were much more hygienic for bladder stops than the motorway restplatz.  The general agreement was that neither of us particularly enjoyed the days ride.
From the quaint charm of last night's historic hotel to tonight's where no food or drink is available, we are the only guests with only German and Russian being spoken.  The room is pleasant and the bikes are safely hidden away in a car port though.

Day 10 Autumn

The day saw autumn progress from the green pine trees of the Czech Republic, through wide wooded valleys, to full autumn plumage of greens, yellows oranges and gold's.  A visually spectacular day, if a bit long (260+ miles) and unchallenging.  However, setting into a rhythm a very enjoyable one.
Highlights include goading a local biker into doing a 100 mph stoppie,  apparently ! (John reported this, with him being the meat in the sandwich)
In 'umleintung' news, almost nothing other than a very short Czech one at the start the day, until the last 30 miles.  At this point the Germans appeared to notice their error and attempted to keep up their averages by throwing diversion followed by diversion.  It must be reported that towards the end of the day and faced with yet another detour, John suggested ignoring the 'no entry' signs and riding the wrong way down a one way street.  A decision that turned out to be well worth the risk.
Tonight sees us in a historic town, well cared for by our hosts  (like Soap, a tale of two sisters, or possibly 3 sisters and a daughter) and in single rooms. 
Hopefully we will be well rested by tomorrow when we will have Sunday drivers to contend with.

Day 9 - The creche

With the day promising to be warm we bade farewell to the little roomba robot removing the dew from the gardens.
As we rode we watched the moisture rising from the fields and lakes. The water cycle is a cruel thing because after a a while we rode up into the rising moisture and stayed in it for about an hour !
The scenery of the agricultural land and forests was magnificent and partially made up for the relatively unchanging roads (some of the drivers were extremely challenging though).
The day had a sting in the tail.  Firstly technology, after overtaking, we became separated and our GPS's took us differing routes through a town but due to the miracle of mobile phones and bluetooth headsets, we were soon reunited.  With only 5 miles of the day left, Germany decided to throw us one last Umleitung but our experience saw us through to the Czech hostel.
After a boarding school supper, we hit the town and ended up in a bar that appeared to double as a creche, where John acquired a new grand child (and a slap on the wrist from the hostess for lifting down a toy for said child).  This would seem to have taken us full circle from Ainslie mistaking an old folks home for a bar on the original Barbietour.

Day 7 extra

Day 8 - Snow cannons to the right, snow cannons to the left.

Following last night's drama where a bar tender wanted me to pay for a drink that I hadn't ordered  as he couldn't 'put it back' I would have to pay again. (He then said I would have to pay for it as I had drunk some of it, I pointed out that I hadn't, merely the head had settled.)
We woke up to thick mist which lightened through breakfast.  Due to fueling up/gps failures/removing layers of clothing, our first half hour on the road saw is travel MINUS half a mile!
By then the sun was out and we had an almost perfect day riding through verdant valley roads, forested mountain and gorge roads, taking in Altenmarkt and Schladming.  We even stopped for our first mid-day drinks and ice cream stop (Bad Kleinkirkheim).
The day was only slightly let down by the cement wagon and tractor in the last 20 miles.

Day 7 - Abternau Loop

At breakfast we were given the news that the dining room would be closed tonight so we would have to go elsewhere.  Honestly, I carefully research our hotels so that there are meals, this is the second time this trip, the last time the bar was closed as well !!
Onwards with the day.  The sky was grey and leaden, in fact it was drizzle/rain for about 80% of the day.  Fortunately the rain was not white and frozen this time. There were some good roads and a lot of busy ones.  One truck driver decided to have 2 attempted at killing me, the second time while re-overtaking me.  The few moments when the sun crept out and the roads dried transformed the riding, but those moments were fairly few and far between.
I almost caught dinner on the final stretch when a deer bounded in front of me on a mountain forest toll road.
Back at the deserted hotel, our room was entirely without light and power and no one to report it to.  Eventually, John discovered a master switch (one switch to rule them all......) and we were back in business.  (That would also explain why nothing charged while we were out eating and dining last night.  D'oh!)

Day 6 Back to Germany and Austria and etc.

After checking the local webcams we decide to avoid Kuhtai, for frozen white reasons and set off under a blue sky, with Frau Bloucher waving us off.
The mountains with snow dusting and low clouds wreathing in and out, in the sunlight was fabulous.
Yesterday our speeds were restricted, not by legal limits but by what or extremities could stand without falling off.  Today was much better, although the temperatures still plummeted very quickly in the shade.
Our ride took us along the German alpine road (in and out of Austria) which was mostly dry and gave us an exceptional (and quick) ride.
Regrettably my initial planning omitted another of my favourite roads (the toll road above 'The Eagles Nest' in Berchesgarten.
Or final drive was up a toll, forestry track and again brought us marginally above the snow line.  Wet patches with the possibility of frost/wet leaves in patchy light through the trees made that tricky.
Much to John's delight, or hotel is accessed from a pedestrian precinct!
A quick put stop to replace a headlight bulb and we are off to the bar.

Day 5 - snow!

After a great breakfast we bade farewell to Daggi & Henri and armed with a slightly revised route from Hansi, we off into, what was predicted to be a huge storm.  Still dry we stopped, for the only time in a 7 hour day, just before the Austrian border, to fuel up, put on our waterproofs (and extra layers) and buy our Vignettes.
The border saw the first of the rain (and the only very heavy rain) although showers, mist etc hampered the rest of the extremely cold (1 degree) day.  John communicated telepathically to me that he was extremely disappointed that I had taken him above the snow line.  He later agreed, once we are home safe, that it was VERY pretty, but not to be repeated.
We also found a great appreciation for long tunnels which were a chance to warm up (9 degrees)  this extra heat and the heat coming up from the engines did, however, steam up or visors.
The Hotel Olympia seems to be run by Frau Blucher  (Young Frankenstein) and,despite copious pre-trip research is providing neither beer nor dinner, but John did manage to procure an extra 'bat' for his bed.
As an aside, while having supper, (JB was back on the schnitzels) I was negotiating a new bike for when we get home.

Day 4 V-S

Anther day marred by Umleitungs and ultimately Sunday drivers.
It took until stage late in the day to experience levels of tarmac/asphalt down to British levels.  Arrival at VS was met by the normal amount of madness from our friends and a gorgeous apartment in which to spend the night.
A portion of the evening was spent planning routes for tomorrow in the forecast downpours, taking into account altitudes and temperature probabilities (yes, really)