Coming Home

Life was good back then

Life was a lot easier before we had to have all the specific gear for our chosen sports. I found this photo on the wall of my hotel in Söll Austria, the town in which Maggie and I lived for a winter way back in 1982.

Muñeca on Hohe Salve mountain above Söll

Coming back to Austria for the first time in over 40 years was like coming home for me and I even met up with a few friends from those days of yore.

Making Hay

It is incredible to see that hay making on the steep mountain slopes is still done partially by hand with the grass on the very steep sections being cut by scythe. The smell of the fresh cut grass while hiking around these mountains was intoxicating.

Red Bull Romaniacs

Before arriving in Austria I spent a week with my brother and a couple other South Africans watching the Red Bull Romaniacs offroad race in Romania. It is amazing to see the world's top riders competing in what is considered to be the toughest dirt bike race on the planet.

Exhausting!

Prologue in Sibiu

Ferocious bears 

While driving between spectator points in the mountains we came across this sign warning us about the vicious European brown bears.

Terrifying

This beast obviously did not get the memo about baring his murderous fangs when tourists come around the corner.

The Eiger

From Austria I rode through Switzerland with a stop in Grindelwald and a hike in the shadow of the north face of the Eiger. What is known as the Jungfrau region is absolutely magnificent. With gondolas and cogged railways running up the mountains it is easy to reach the hanging glaciers before a leisurely hike back downhill with stop at a picturesque alm for a tea on the way.

I am now in Grenoble France, staying with my friends Alan and Fay with my moto safely stored in their shed where it will remain for another year before being released for another adventure.

Looking forward to getting home to Colorado to see family and friends tomorrow