Wasserbüffel Treffen 1999

This run was slightly different to that of 1993.

I was going to meet my friend and fellow SOC member Steve Hazlehurst. Steve had attended the Czech Invader Rally near Brno the weekend before.

My plan was to get to Köln to meet the DB Autozug to Salzburg. I'd meet Steve there and we were booked into the YH.

The bike was packed with my Swagman panniers and the Givi topbox.

The ride to Köln was easy enough and I had lunch near the Dom before finding the station near the exhibition grounds. There were other bikes there going to Villach. 

Mostly HD on their way to some treffen of their own in Slovenia I think.

Just before the train was due to arrive there was a massive storm. The train was "lost" and we sheltered where we could. 

As it thundered and the lightning crashed around us I tried to take a selfie.  Not as easy as you might think with an SLR in those long days before digital cameras were invented.

SLR Selfie - uses self timer!

Actually, I did have one with me.  The first Casio I could get my hands on. But it was/is so basic that even the simplest photos aren't that good.

The Austrian conductor made jokes about German efficiency as the train was very late having been "lost" on its way from Düsseldorf. Probably not PC for the world we live in now.

When the train finally arrived it had stopped raining and we could load the bikes.  Mine was in a different carriage to be detached at Salzburg.  

I shared a couchette compartment with a family from Germany.  I had the very top bunk of three each side. They were very pleasant and spoke some English. Luckily we were all asleep most of the way and they were also Villach bound.

Once spat out into Salzburg at around 7am I had to get breakfast and then locate the city centre and then the YH itself. The YH is walking distance to the city centre.

I had been having a few problems with the battery, the Varta I bought in Austria in 1992 (!) and so looked for a bike shop. 

I found one just across the river from the YH in mid-morning. I bought another Varta.  They had it on charge over lunch and by the time I got back it had enough life to start the bike.  

I went for a little ride before heading back to the YH. Steve arrived in time for dinner at a nearby bar.

The next day we headed south with the intention of going over the Großglockner and then deciding what to do. I tried to book us into the YH at Heiligenblut.

On the way over we had a detour rather than the quick way. We went via the Gerlospaß and the view to the Krimml Waterfall before heading through Fuschl and the toll booths.

Krimml Waterfall in background

We made a few stops on the Großglockner for photos. Looking at these does show the bike leaning over a bit too far.

Once in Heiligenblut we couldn't find the youth hostel and it was getting late so we booked into the Landhotel Post. 

A bit more expensive but parking for the bikes and comfortable for us.

After breakfast we decided to have a look at some of the Dolomites. Steve loves to ride. 

First stop Cortina D'Ampezzo. 

Then we embarked on the the triangle around the Sella Ronda. Three passes; Sella, Pordoi and Gardena.

The roads are superb. Scenic as well as a bikers paradise.

On the way around we needed petrol and stopped at a station to find it closed for lunch. So we had ours too and left the bikes on the pump.  Nearly two hours later the old guy rocked up and we ran over to get served.

From here we had no great plans and looked at the map (no google maps back then!) and headed roughly back towards Austria, sort of north west.

Arriving in Pieve de Cadora we saw a hotel and stopped.  We spoke no Italian and the lady spoke no English, but we ended up with a twin room on dinner B&B basis.  As we had little cash we wandered around to find a machine and being totally dim we had no idea what the exchange rate was. When we settled up the next day it all seemed a bit pricey. Then when we saw the exchange rate was over 2000 lira to the £ it was very cheap!!!

At dinner Steve looked at the map and saw that Venice wasn't that far away.  In fact about 75 miles the wrong way for Austria.  As we didn't have to be at Moosham until that evening we decided to give it a go.

The ride down wasn't too bad. The Kettle ran well (I have never given this bike a name!) and we arrived and parked up in the garage right by the bus station square and the train station.  As we were wary of thieves we paid and parked inside. Chaining our jackets and helmets to the bikes and under cover.

Ready for the off!

We had a walk around,  In St Marks Square Steve and I watched kids trying to catch pigeons. Apparently this was the game for young scousers when he was a kid.

As we had no idea how the river buses worked we risked it an hopped on and off again.  

Sadly, I have been unable to find many of the photos I took on the trip. After finding that tourists will stand right in front of you to have their photo taken whilst you are trying to get one of a sight, we decided to do the same!  In a bright yellow Arsenal 1971 FA Cup Final replica shirt and massive steel tipped boots I must have ruined enough to call it quits.

A bit grainy!

Once back at the bikes we paid the rest of what we owed the garage guy as we had been longer than the time we estimated,

Checked the map again and then looked at a route that would take us through Slovenia for a short distance, up a narrow pass and into Austria near Villach.

The ride past Udine and across the border at Ratece was pretty easy. We used the free to bikes Italian autoroute, I took a couple of photos to show we had entered another country.

Taken on Casio digital camera.

And then looking back the other way....

Taken on an Olympus OM10

The route then took us to Podkoren and then northwards up the road to the Wurzenpass. By the standards we had already ridden, this was a wee one at 1073m. At this time Slovenia wasn't part of the EU and so the borders with Italy and Austria were both properly manned and checked,

Once in Villach we decided as time was getting away from us that we would head for Moosham on the autobahn and so we had to buy the vignette at the petrol station we filled up at.

The run up was once again easily achieved. Both bikes running well and a fool that I was I had forgotten to pack two-stroke oil for the tank.  Buying in Austria required a mortgage to buy a litre.

By post and email I had booked us into the apartments right opposite (and owned by) the Schloss owners.  We checked in.  There followed two days of eating, drinking, and shooting the breeze, plus some rides out,

Once the rally was over, Steve shot off for home as he was riding the entire way. I had a return train to catch but not until Monday evening and so I had a lazy day locally to get back to Salzburg.

All in all and great trip.  The last big trip I have done on the Kettle.  Hopefully, as "renaissance" kicks in it won't be the last.