Crossing the Alps on a motorcycle, AMAZING!!

Trip Start Jun 01, 2005
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Trip End May 14, 2006


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Flag of Austria  ,
Wednesday, June 22, 2005

This is an update 2 months later because while adding pictures I realized I had skipped one of the best two days of driving I had while in Europe on the motorcycle. After leaving Munich, I came down into Austria where I had to purchase a 17 Euro ticket to cross over the Alps. The pass I chose was the GrossGlockner pass. I arrived in the small quaint village of ????, just at the base of the pass the evening after leaving Munich. I had to really push it that evening to get there before dark. The drive from Munich to the base was absolutely amazing. All the small villages, motorcycle hangouts, and small farms were worth the drive along. When I came into the flat area at the bottom of GrossGlockner, I was blown away by its beauty. You can see by the pics what I am talking about. The snowcapped mountains, green pastures, and amazing sunset made for an amazing evening. I set up camp in a small campsite and went into the small town to get something to eat. Everything was closed except a gas station so my evening meal included canned chili, a Austrian beer, and a candy bar A view from the road going to GrossGlockner
A view from the road going to GrossGlockner
 . It was cheap, quick, and easy so the lack of taste was not a factor :) I got up bright and early to tackle the pass.
I really can't describe the next day of driving in any possible words. You can only imagine the beauty the Alps bring to mind, and then 10X them in real life, and then 10X them again because you are on a motorcycle breathing and seeing it in its own elements. I was stopping every chance I could get so I could take pictures, thinking the view couldn't get any better... only to be surpassed again by the next curve or bend that gave an even more spectacular view. I was being passed and passing motorcyclist from all over the world. I was seeing Harley jackets from Australia to Hawaii. It was an amazing site to also see the bicyclist trying to tackle the pass, something that would truly give the muscles a run for their money. I was starting to see snow once I got to the top and the view became even more spectacular. Later that day I finally made it to the peak and started my adventure down the mountain towards the Italian border. Though I was leaving Austria, the views from the descent were just as spectacular.
Crossing over the border into Italy was quite a surprise. I went from the amazing Alps to hot, dirty, and not so spectacular towns. Don't get me wrong, they were still enjoyable to be driving through, but the lust was lost after having just driven through the most amazing pass I have ever crossed.
I left that next evening to get down to Venice to see Pilar (exchange student that went to our high school). We met up in the town right north of Venice where she is staying with 3 other students. We walked around the town that night and it was fun to go out with a local that knows about the city.
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