Day 1. Arrival and meeting day of the group tour organized by the AlMoto tour operator. The trip started off in Rohrdorf, Bavaria, Germany on a rainy day in late June where the 8 plus me met on a Sunday for a week of fun riding south of the border (Germany to Austria) in the Hotel zur Post. We had a good mix of bikes together with a good mix of riders, a splendid group. Introductions were made fast and a good time was being had in the Biergadten of the Hotel.

Day 2. The next morning we were heading south towards Austria's southern region called Kärnten or in english Carinthia. As we entered the Austrian Alps of eastern Tirol the cloud cover was very low with a steady rain on curvy roads. An otherwise stunning view was swallowed by dark gray low slung clouds. The planned crossing of the Gross Glöckner Pass was scraped due to the low clouds, heavy rain and near freezing temperatures forecasted on the Edelweisspitze near the top of the Pass. Instead we went onto the A10 Autobahn at Bischofshofen to head south to Feldkirchen via the Kretschmer tunnel and Villach where we arrived at our Hotel Nudelbacher riding 6 1/2 hours in steady, heavy rain. I was wet to the bone and cold. So was most of the group, but all in good spirits. The warm welcome of the Hotel staff and the lavish dinner helped to get our energy back for the days of riding to come.

Day 3. The weather cleared up a lot, still cloudy but dry. We started of to a three country loop (Austria, Italy, Slovenia) heading towards Spittal riding along the Ossiacher Lake, now a calm beauty and not whipped up in white caps like the day prior. The serene and picturesque Carinthian landscape unfolded before us as we were heading via the Nassfeldpass into Italy's Friuli region. On large sections we rode as a group but on some fun twisties we did some free riding with a meeting point set up on top at the border crossing. In the historic village of Pontebba we headed south towards Ciusaforte passing through narrow valleys with steep walls. In Ciusaforte we took a left towards east and the Nova Sella pass, passing a beautiful mountain lake and on into Slowenia, up the Predil Pass and high Mangart mountain road, a tiny band of asphalt into the Julian Alps. Stunning and very dramatic. The trip went on descending toward Bovec passing yet another fortification from WW I when this area was strongly contested. Just before Bovek we took a left heading north to cross the 50 hairpin switchbacks, in yet another free riding session, that make the Vrišič pass toward Kranjska Gora. The crossing of the Wurzenpass and thus returning to Austria completed our daytrip arriving back at our Hotel near Feldkirchen.

Day 4. Now the rainy arrival day was a memory of the past. The Hotel had a huge breakfast buffet every morning and with smiles all around we took off passing by the Wörther Lake to visit the tall viewing tower, the Pyramidengogel, near Velden. Then on through flowing hills towards Lavamünd near the Slovenian border to cross the Soboth mountain in a free riding session and come back west through the country side using small secondary roads through picturesque valleys and villages crossing the Klippitztörl Pass. Such beautiful riding with very little traffick on superp tarmac and very little straight road. Shortly after we arrived at Straßburg and soon back at the Hotel. We even had some time before dinner to jump into the heated outdoor pool. Awesome day.

Day 5. Todays daytrip lead up through some very unique and picturesqe Carinthian postcard style country side along the Afritz Lake, Feld Lake and Millstätter Lake and onto the Nockalmstrasse. The toll Nockalmstrasse is a very pretty, long and curvy road crossing two mountain passes that we crossed by spirited free riding sessions. On seconday roads thought historic villages we passed Straßburg and arrived at the huge Hochowitz Castle perched on a hilltop. We planned to get up there for a stroll but black rainy clouds urged us on towards our nearby Hotel. The heavy rain closed in on us fast and just 6km before the Hotel we had to stop to don our raingear, even wait out the heavy rain squalls and thunder that peltered the area for a little while. Todays dinner was in a very festive mood as this was our last night in Austria. Tomorrow we'd be heading back to Rohrdorf in Bavaria, Germany.

Day 6. We where heading west towards Spittal and Winkeler to cross the Gross Glöckner Pass north but once more the weather made us choose a different path due to heavy rain, fog and near freezing temperatures up on the Pass itself. A bit further west we took the Felbertauernstrasse and tunnel north but not before a hearty Austrian lunch. After passing through the traffic of the cities of Kitzbühl and St. Johann in Tirol we came back on small pure bliss secondary roads crossing into Bavaria, Germany. Our last little detour led us along the shores of the Chiemsee Lake and pretty town of Prien. From here we were back at the Hotel in no time sitting in the Biergarten for many hours enjoying local foods and , talking about the great trip we just had, the great company we enjoyed, the smiles and memories we created including the fact that we made it all back safe and sound.

Day 7. Departure day. After a lavish shared buffet style breakfast our group members bid their farewell and we scattered into all directions with new friends met and plenty of memories created. What a great trip.

I posted some images on my #knorkemopete instagram account.

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www.andreaswmatthes.com living in Friuli, Northern Italy