Well, a lot has happened since my last report. Life has been somewhat of a rollercoaster for about a year and a half. A new job presented itself in Germany and was too tempting to pass up. So with Germany on my mind we left Georgia to move to Hamburg.
Good ole GatorTiger got a parking spot in a garage in Jacksonville, FL. My first thought to bring the bike to Germany was dismissed due to German bureaucracy and their tech specs and all that stuff. So I left it behind, heavy at heart, for future visits to the US and a ready bike for trips!!
But I had to have a bike for Germany!! And again: another chance presented itself! Their was an orange steamer for sale about 30 miles from my parents house. Advertised with 110,000 miles... Had been sitting on the side of some side street in Cologne. Not really a looker, but inexpensive, and: a Tiger!!!! So it didn't take long for me to snatch the thing... While working on getting it road-ready I took a closer look at the odometer. Evidently the guy had been confused by the decimal counter, reading it as a full km! Consequence: it only had about 70,000 miles on it! Guess I really got a bargain then!
A bargain that proved to be a great deal: change the plugs, oil and gas, hook it up to a new battery, hit the starter: vroooom!!!! Oooooh yeeeeaaaah!!!!
With all the hustle and bustle of the move and finding a place to live and get situated it took me about a year to get the bike ready for inspection (passed!!), and the paperwork done to get my license transferred to be legal with that in Germany. But with that out of the way there is no stopping me!!
There is a active Tiger Forum in Germany as well that I had been a part of already for a little while. There I saw the planning for a season opener meet (Season Eröffnungs Treffen or SET) in March of 09. About 200 miles away in a region call the Weser River Mountains in a Biker Hotel called the Lionheart Mansion (or: Villa Löwenherz). 200 miles? Peanuts!!! Another short decision and I was registered!!
It was a weekend event similar to the US Ride Ins that tigertrax organied. Loose gathering of Tiger riders, good rides, good food, cold beer! You know: important things!!! :new_all_coholic
The day of the trip came, the Tiger was packed
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665356_JtZuv-L.jpg)
and I was ready to hit the road. I got on the bike, hit the starter, and that where things went downhill... :shock:
:new_popcornsmiley
It's been a while. Waiting for the next installment.
Just read this over at Adv. Interesting.... :new_popcornsmiley
Quote from: "zadok_oz"Just read this over at Adv. Interesting.... :new_popcornsmiley
Yep... True to the triple spirit I'm posting this triple style: here, triumphrat.net and advrider... :wink:
Gotta do some evening routine things and then grab a beer and take care of the next installment... 8)
Cheers,
HG
My brother and I bringing the steamer back to life after it had been sitting on the side of the street for more than two years. Changed the oil, changed the gas, and changed the plugs. Result: This is why they call it steamer!
http://video.google.de/googleplayer.swf?docid=-517086865296163420
Guess you can tell I'm happy!! :D
Cheers,
HG
The starter went "si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-NO!". Tried it again: "si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-NO!" No start! :shock:
Dang it! Not now!!! I had set a meeting time and place with some more Tiger pilots of the "Schleswig-Holstein fraction". I had some time cushion built into my schedule, but this was eating it up VERY fast!
Again: "si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-NO!" &%*$*$#*^##!!!!!!!!! The battery was new and the crank was strong. It would just not fire. I tried until the battery was so low the starter would hardly turn any more. Of course I had jumper cables. Of course there was NO car in sight to help me out... So I got the charger out and hooked up the battery to it. All I could do now is wait for the charge to go up.
So back in the house I sat down, did some mind games to calm down and control my anger, while the charger was charging.
And all that time my time cushion was loosing air. After half an hour I tried to fire the engine again. "si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-NO!"
This was getting old. I felt like Marty McFly when he tried to start the DeLorean in 1955! Back on the charger...
Another 15 mins later I tried again: "si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-si-BANG-BANG-BANG-Vroooooom!!!!!" Finally!!!
I quickly packed all the cables away, locked the house, hopped on the saddle and went. One hour later than I had originally planned. There went my cushion and then some. As a meeting place we had agreed on a rest stop on the autobahn about half way between Hamburg and Hannover. When I finally got to there (30 mins late) the group had already gone. Rightfully so. I didn't have any phone numbers and couldn't call anyone. Had to make the best of it. After all, some of my tours in the states had been solo and it was great fun!!
So I dropped some fluids and replenished some while GT/2 was enjoying the sun:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665373_U8LNU-L.jpg)
With this morning's coffee out of my system and new coffee in my system I got back on the bike - which started right up - and went on. This rest area's exit ramp back onto the autobahn was also an exit ramp off the autobahn. So I took that to take side roads all the way to the biker hotel. About 100 meters off the ramp the Tiger started to sputter and slow down. Didn't take any gas and finally died! WTF??? I tried to start, it briefly fired up, only to die again the very next second. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!!!!
I ran the starter again and again. Of course I didn't take the jumper cables with me on the trip! Smart... But then a though came to me: I have a Girly in the states and a steamer in Germany. And what does a steamer have that a Girly doesn't?? Right: a fuel tap! A fuel tap that I had closed when I got to the rest stop, but didn't open again when I left. When I opened it now and hit the starter: vroooom! Guess it was time for the cold sweat to dry off...
On with the show... The sun was shining, it was not cold, and bike was (finally) purring along, and I was having fun just gliding through the country... Finally again!!!
After a short while something caught my attention in the corner of my eye. When I had a chance to look at it I was already past it. I did a U-turn and backtracked a little bit before parking the bike on the side of the road:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665427_7uR9k-L.jpg)
And her is what made me pull over:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665386_btsNQ-L.jpg)
No, I wasn't back in the USA... It's part of a Disney World like them park in these parts, called Heidepark Soltau. That would have to wait for another day with the kids...
I continued on. Just enjoying the scenery, the weather, the riding... After doing about 20k miles/year the last few years and about 500 in 2008 due to the move this was like THE fix I needed!!! I could feel my battery recharging with every klick of the way.
The more south I got the higher the hills became. Familiar territory! I was getting close to Bad Pyrmont, home to my aunt and an ex-girlfriend... I went to see my aunt and had about an hour of drinking coffee with her and my uncle before I rode on. I wanted to get to the biker hotel before dark. As the sun was going down it became rather chilly. Spring was here according to the calendar, but the temps had not gotten note of that yet...
With the sun just dropping below the horizon I arrived at my destination:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496668005_cgmGt-L.jpg)
The parking lot was already filled with Brit metal!!
After zig-zagging up the driveway (which can barely accommodate a car - after all, it's a biker-ONLY hotel!!!) I took a spot at the end of the line:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665476_9mqcm-L.jpg)
Even before going in I wanted to make use of the decreasing light and took a first short stroll through the parking lot to check out the bikes and take pix:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665496_fsUZw-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665523_2UCuM-L.jpg)
Here you can see the 'gate' just above the yellow top case
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665589_fbhoa-L.jpg)
And here is the grandeur of the former home to a guy with last name Löwenherz. He made his fortune in the wood industry (furniture and all):
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665607_6ksJk-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665699_fjEQF-L.jpg)
It was getting dark quickly! The whole trip today had taken about 8hours of driving time. 200 miles in 8 hours! Probably the lowest 200 miles in my live! But highly enjoyable! But I was ready to go inside, warm up, and get some cold ones.
The options for the weekend were simple:
- Lodging included AYCE dinner Friday and Saturday
- Lodging included AYCE breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
- You could get single or double rooms, or a "mattress"
Mattresses were in a room in sets of 12 to 15, set up as bunk beds. No sheets, one shower per room. BYOSB (bring your own sleeping bag)! I opted for the mattress, since it was the least expensive option. To give you an idea: for about $60 (give or take at the current exchange rate) you got 2 nights and 4 AYCE meals! And believe you me: they did NOT skimp on the food!!! Between what they had and the and the amount there was no room for lunch at all!!!! Simply awesome!!!
Entering the hall was magnificent! High ceilings, lots of wooden wall coverings, open beams, grand staircase, just great!!!!
The pool table in the entrance hall had been converted into a big table for fixins and desert. To the right was the heavy artillery (meats and chicken):
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665791_jm7Ju-L.jpg)
Most of the gals and guys had already eaten and the amount of food looked pretty raided. Yet there still was lots left: Bratwurst, Chicken Wings, little seasoned steaks, chicken in mushroom cream sauce, chicken legs, half a dozen kinds of puddings for desert. Along with rice, fries, home fires and some seriously good (and fresh!!) bread! Can you say: shduffing!!!
The atmosphere of the entrance halls acted like a seasoning for the food as well:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665826_9etd3-L.jpg)
I got me a free spot at a table and munched down the chow. Several waitresses (even a few cute ones!!) walked around and made sure that everyone had watering mouths... Or rather cold malt beverages in the glasses to keep hydrated...
Solidly and liquidy replenished I had to work out... Get up from my seat, that is... Man, did I stuff myself... Those extra helping of wings might have been too much. So I needed something herbal to help the digestion. I went to the bar:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665929_WnaBy-L.jpg)
This is only the 'main' part. There was some more to the left
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665956_TjtfH-L.jpg)
and around the corner. All nicely decorated with "biker stuff". I need to get me a bunch of GatorTiger decals made to place them on the walls in places like this!!
True to the mansion's spirit the had the proper tab:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669260_Mxr4v-L.jpg)
I got me an "Aquavit" and a new brew. Time to mingle... I found the "Northern Fraction" in one of the rooms near the bar. Figures... Meet the crew:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665881_KL2Rn-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665897_dEqCQ-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665914_mxywQ-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496665976_xic9v-L.jpg)
I got my "talkin' to" about not showing when I said I would or even calling to tell someone. Right they were! I need to get me cell numbers for the next event!
With waitresses showing and the beers flowing time passed quickly... I was having fun!! Before I knew it midnight rolled around and my eyelids were getting heavier. The new job and all the, err, involvement, was taking its toll... Time to hit the hay! After saying good night to the guys I headed towards the room. I was the first one there. The bunks were taken as everybody arrived, but they were all downstairs partying. So I had all the time to take care of my cucumber mask and pedicure without interruptions. After sliding into the sack I was out like a light quickly...
Something woke me up... From the downstairs I could still hear the deep bumping of the speakers... AC/DC were on the highway to hell... Having the room above the bar surely had its advantages: free and longlasting entertainment!
But there was something else... I took a look at my watch: 3am... Still half asleep I tried to get my bearings straight... Some of the bunks were filled by now. It was pitch black. I could not see them, but I could HEAR them!!! 5.1-Surround-Snoring!! Not just a little bit! These guys were cutting down a whole forest!!!
Took me while to fall back asleep, but I managed...
Next time I opened my eyes and looked at my watch it was 6am. This time I could not go back to sleep. I waited til 7am to take a shower and then went downstairs...
I'd like to add three pictures from this meeting.
First the official banner of our meetings:
Second: Sunday morning - SOW COLD - Perhaps: Brass monkey...
Third: A little talisman on every tiger the next morning.
Fabulous, fabulous Bericht! Fantastisch! Sehr gut. Tis the extent of my German beyond telling the waiter that my lobster is small....
Man, wish I could be there. I love Germany but add to that a Tiger meet!! Triumph Tiger Regel! Oh, and....Der Hummer ist klein. :?
@ Groucho:
"Always slowly with the young horses"... 8) You're getting ahead of myself...
@HappyMan:
Sorry to hear about your lobster, man... :wink:
More to come tonight...
Cheers,
HG
Breakfast started at 9am. No exceptions!! The good news were all the things they were prepping!! Yumm!!! Bad news was: Coffee wasn't ready yet!! Over the entire weekend that was the very single thing that I might consider just remotely not perfect... Oh well! Good things come to those who wait!!
So I walked outside to take a look at the bikes in daylight. Still nice and cosi from a hot shower I walked outside in jeans and t-shirt, only to feel my breath freeze on my lips... WTF? The bikes looked like this:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666030_BQfpW-L.jpg)
That ain't no dust or dirt! Well, some of it is: 8)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666090_EfXqg-L.jpg)
And as Groucho already put it: it was lightly cool:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666054_pFpDU-L.jpg)
Even Garfield was shivering!!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666140_6bmpa-L.jpg)
I wanted to know how cold it really was, but needed to bundle up first. So I rushed back into the room - there was still forest sawing going on - and got me a sweat-shirt. For a brief moment I thought about getting some fresh coffee from the supermarket across the street, but after smelling some of that stuff I opted against it... Better wait and get a real cup later...
But what about that temperature? I strolled through the bikes and tried to find one with a thermometer. And sure enough I found one:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666254_axmUu-L.jpg)
The -12C (about 10F) shocked me and I thought the things showed the wrong thing, but it was confirmed by another gauge on another bike. It was the end of March and it was not supposed to get that cold any more. But hey, what can you do? Put another layer on!
So I continued to check out the bikes some more. The were all scattered over the grounds. Couldn't call it parking lot. Think garden-park turned gravel with bikes on them!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666189_29Up4-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666173_46NRg-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666270_QYezz-L.jpg)
One of the 'loudest' tigers around:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666243_EQW9y-L.jpg)
Speaking if bikes........ Now, I have a gator orange Girly sitting in a garage in Florida, I have an (lucifer) orange steamer. There is something still missing... RIGHT! A roady! I found it!!!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666154_uNoEA-L.jpg)
I will take that just like that! Wrap 'er up, please!
Although........ Red is not too shabby, either!!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666303_gtctB-L.jpg)
All that bike-spotting made me hungry... Time was up! 9am!!! Chow time!!!
:D
Back inside a line was forming already. Coffee was also ready!!! Yay!! So first thing first. Coffee, then some pictures... Here is the part where the bread, coldcuts, and cereals are:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666346_LXyhS-L.jpg)
Further in the back far left were the warm things (scrambled eggs and such). Short decision: no more pics! Chow time! :lol: My stomach was growling!!! So I loaded my plate with a couple of fresh rolls, ham, butter, eggs, some scrambled, some not, refilled my coffee, and got me a seat with my little group.
The weather was improving: sky was getting bluer and bluer, the temp was going up, and the coffee combined with a full tommy was doing the rest! Yet nobody was in a rush! We had all day to explore the area. A route was put in the GPS:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666608_XkwQv-L.jpg)
It was about a 60 mile round trip and would give a nice leisurely spin around the area all day. Outside the engines of many others were warming up already.
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666640_kaeBN-L.jpg)
We finished up the preps and got ready ourselves. My Tiger had some trouble starting in cold weather lately and I had not taken my starter cables with me as you know. Strangely enough mine was not the problem. Another steamer was giving his owner a hard time. Eventually it came to life, though.
So we hopped on and started to leave...
The leader went out the gate and turned to the left. But only to stop after about 200 ft. He fumbled with his GPS and turned around, only to pull over again after a view feet. Darn ole GPS!! <hehehehe>
Eventually he got his directions right and led us here:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666676_v3XDw-L.jpg)
It was still somewhat cold (as you can see), but the weather was exactly to my liking! The view from this observation point was as well:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666805_oUv7C-X3.jpg)
Our Group was small, so there we didn't fill up the place
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666784_bXhWw-L.jpg)
but we had fun in the sun
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666714_afaxr-L.jpg)
The peace and quiet was about to change....
I bet the view is even sweater form up there:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666832_EY96i-L.jpg)
Again: fun in the sun:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666876_MrzXD-L.jpg)
Again: it was still cold:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666885_xydAM-L.jpg)
Good thing they were selling coffee up there:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666862_qeAqT-L.jpg)
Like I said, the quiet didn't last long... A sight presented itself that would only see in the US at a Tiger-Ride-In!!! The next one is coming up soon!!! (More info here (http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/topic,5763))
In came a slightly larger group
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666902_Vm7gQ-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666942_P35pE-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666976_7rdRA-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666991_gGqdB-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496666997_zEJod-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667021_BKPpq-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667032_nTCpf-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667090_gCVW4-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667104_BkP88-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667130_7gqbR-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667151_pHG2S-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667174_hYgvj-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667358_2i3ix-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667371_v9W9B-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667380_oXEfK-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667396_XMpHH-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667423_BcGg4-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667443_miTB2-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667462_YyCZN-L.jpg)
Tired of Tigers yet??? How about this one:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667474_hwA2T-L.jpg)
The parking lot was filling up fast with people and machines:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667244_EjG4c-L.jpg)
Everybody was enjoying the show:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667269_Re82h-L.jpg)
Try to get that colorful sight from, well, any other brand:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667283_WY3Td-L.jpg)
Shweeeeeeeet lineup!!!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667543_pxY7X-X3.jpg)
Great.... and the 1050 Outfit is fantastic....
Love the panoramic photo!
When the hands get cold, the gloves get warmed... :lol:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667615_e5ZUf-L.jpg)
Temps were on the incline... The itching in the right hand was getting stronger... Time to go!! While the latecomers were settling in our little group got back on the bikes and left. Our leader/guide had his GPS under control now and we didn't have to change directions at all! :D
After backtracking the way we came just a tad bit we were back on our planned route... And off we went! No stopping or sight seeing! Just riding! I only had my big SLR with me, so pictures during the riding part were not possible. I need to get me something small and mountable for future rides. Some of my best pics were taken at 70 mph on the highways!
The roads in this area remind me a lot of the smokies of northern Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Twisty, scenic, fast! But with one MAJOR difference: LOTS OF TRAFFIC!!! Many of them local farmers with their tractors and the accompanying mud on the roads! One has to be on one's toes all the time to NOT be roadkill because you slid into a truck because of some mud on the road. The numerous cars do the rest. It becomes apparent that Germany is much more densely populated than the US is.
But don't get me wrong:it was still GREAT fun! I was able to get some representative pics later...
After some time of curves after curves we needed some body-fuel. Since warm tea is best for you on warm days, since it adjusts the body temp accordingly, we figured on a cool day some ice cream will do just that! So we pulled into a parking lot of a little town along the way for some of this:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667790_3TJkC-L.jpg)
Some people in the group came up to me and asked, me if I was burning old tires and oil in my bike... It was not blowing steam (like steamers do sometimes...), but rather smelling funny. (A couple of weeks later I had to clean my carbs because a too-tight choke cable was keeping the mix too rich, gonking up the jets, causing bad pickup and all).
First things first though: ice cream!!! 8)
In typical German fashion we too a few tables and lined them up, thus rearranging half or the patio:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667698_5ag3a-L.jpg)
After all the furniture was moved around it was time to choose:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667745_WwZnH-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667758_7qEdh-L.jpg)
"Do they have the Holger-Special? I don't see it yet..."
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667767_4U6o8-L.jpg)
Did I mention that it was somewhat chilly that day?
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667779_hrJbx-L.jpg)
Things got pretty quiet after the ice cream was delivered
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667805_v7Uco-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667823_joreK-L.jpg)
And good ice cream it was!!!!
The sun was going slowly. The temps were dropping quiet a bit. So despite the fact that we were nice and comfy at the ice cafe drinking our cappuccini and eating the sweet stuff we headed back to the mansion. As we were pulling in we could smell the kitchen prepping dinner. Pure torture!!
After parking my bike I headed to the room to drop off my gear and freshen up. I wanted to be in jeans when I went to check out some of the new bikes that had arrived during the day.
There were a couple of black roadies from close to where I grew up:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667842_8tdH3-L.jpg)
Having a dirt(y) bike myself and although I like the 1050s some of the stuff they come with doesn't hit my traditional cord! Bling definitely got into the Tiger scene!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667865_FBwsc-L.jpg)
But to each their own!!! That's what makes it exciting and colorful! Maybe this does it, too:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496667923_DTWX2-L.jpg)
We were not the only group that gave the mansion some business that weekend. There was a bunch of beamer-sidecars-rigs as well. Interesting to say the least!!! They do make for nice photo shoot, though!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496668141_ApXe7-L.jpg)
This last picture gives you an idea how the front of the mansion is set up. See that tall green tree-ish thing behind the flag pole? Rather close to the building itself. The next pic is taken using stitching of multiple pics from that tree-ish thing...
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496668393_2hfks-L.jpg)
Quite a different view of/on things... Like this one:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496668500_S6RCt-L.jpg)
Now THAT'S a solution for when you have two many kids to take them ON the bike...
Dinner wasn't ready yet, but the smell was driving me mad! I was hungry!! So I headed into town to get some pics of things similar to what I saw today and couldn'T take pics of...
The town of Lauenförde is not very big. Maybe half a mile from the mansion was a bridge over the river Weser. The whole area was antique looking. Lot's of tutor style homes, old farm houses. Very nice flavor!!!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496668780_Xs2fe-XL.jpg)
They even have a saloon!!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496668801_4LcCS-L.jpg)
Following the road to the left brings you onto the bridge to Beverungen. In the states you would not even have left your subdivision, and here you're in the next town already! Different places!
Here is the bridge:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496668912_vkL89-L.jpg)
Looking back to where I came from just now I spotted this small one-family-home:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496668954_shU6G-L.jpg)
These are all houses that are being used as such! No museums, no nothing! Just living in a house that was build when your great grandparents were filling up their diapers...
This the house on the right on the pic off the bridge further up. If you look closely you can see how crooked the beams are:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496668984_eHWHr-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669058_vsMiW-L.jpg)
This is the other side of the tower from the other side of the picture... The annex up front is now the towns main bus station:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669033_FwLXR-L.jpg)
This door on the next pic is about 7 feet tall. Check out the wall you can see through the window on top... I would guess 4-5 feet thick. Pure stone...
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669089_Pv9Tr-L.jpg)
The whole place was full of history. Some of the old homes had been lovingly renovated, but kept the look & feel of days gone by:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669109_gZnG8-L.jpg)
About the size of a three car garage in the US this is someones home here:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669173_gDzoD-L.jpg)
The whole tow is very charming indeed!!!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669212_KFsE7-L.jpg)
But enough of that... Dinner should be ready by now... Back to the mansion!!!!!
My timing was a bit off. People were lining up already and some of the meat was gone. On the menu: Schweinshaxe (pig's leg)! Properly grilled with a nice (albeit fatty) crust. "Screw cholesterol!" I thought and asked the chef to load up my plate with a bit of meat and give me a small plate of crust on the side. Yummy! The it was off to the dumplings and some 'antipasti' (cream cheese filled hot peppers, julienne tomatoes and pickled mushrooms!). Top it all off with a nice brown sauce and a cold brew.... Oh baby!!! :wings
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669315_BvfS6-L.jpg)
The crust was already gone when I took that picture. So I guess it was my anti-antipasti... When the guys saw me eat it (well, crunch it would be the more appropriate term) they pretty much all jumped up to get some themselves. Had I not gotten as much as I did I would have 'looked into the tube' as they say here. S.O.L. would be the US term....
There was chewing and crunching going on... I think I went back three more times... Man, was it good!!
But the human body needs some help digesting all that fat. So one has to follow proper protocol for that:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669420_DydyM-L.jpg)
It's not as easy as it looks:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669449_dkBos-L.jpg)
Of course there are always some that don't use the proper tools!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669485_JpBoT-L.jpg)
The 'digestive' did help feel with the bloated feeling... Made room for some more of that cold, fermented, barley water... So the camera went to the room and me, myself, and I went to the bar... :friday
Well, the brewskies help with the snoaring concert. Part two went down that night, ya know... This time I slept longer, though. to the effect that a few guys from my room hit the shower before me and didn't leave much hot water for me. I guess that's why they call it: you snooze, you loose!
After the pre-departure routine of packing up and having a hearty breakfast it was time to leave. The weather was not as cold, but the sky was overcast and once in a while it drizzled a bit. Not the preferred kind...
My group was going to hit the Autobahn and make good time going home. But even with the crappy weather I wanted to make it an Autobahn-free day. So I said my good-byes to the guys and hit the side roads...
Just north of Beverungen is a small town of Holzminden. We rode through it the day before and I like the look of it. Since it was on my way home I decided to get my pics in today. Just had to accept the weather I guess...
I parked the bike and walked to the shore of the river. Like everywhere in the entire area the past was always present:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669614_zAz5i-L.jpg)
Rails from an old railway for the local industry lead to the so called "Weser-Quay" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holzminden)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669632_QLecy-L.jpg)
The bridge didn't look too old, but still had its charm
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669671_nJVDg-L.jpg)
:new_popcornsmiley
This has got to be my most favorite ride report. :wav
Have I mentioned yet today that I love Germany?:occasion14
Deutschland ist der beste!
I wanted to get shot of the riverfront and walked across the bridge. Just as I got to the other side the sun came through!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669701_BaANf-L.jpg)
This little building is used as a youth hostel these days
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669718_2LDhJ-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669777_3PZLd-L.jpg)
Can you imagine a class trip to this thing? Awesome!! The rest of the riverfront is not too shabby, either!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669745_n3ksr-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669763_eEpKm-L.jpg)
See that big tutor style house on the left of the youth hostel up there? Here are some details..... Back then they used local materials to build houses: Wood, straw, mud... And stone! Sliced thin for your convenience and roof covering:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669794_SquYv-XL.jpg)
Of course back then they didn't have the advanced technology to cut beams perfectly straight and the whole thing looks out of whack, one could think:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669813_6ajfU-L.jpg)
But, although back then they didn't have much money, yet they could pay attention to detail... Back then... When was back then?
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669822_uhcmn-XL.jpg)
1662, baby!!! I guess technology back then looked into building buildings that last! Feeling some warm fuzzies I strolled back to my bike, and rode on...
:5moped
For some reason the weather kept the hole in the sky with the sun shining through in my position. Good deal!! I was enjoying the ride and the countryside. The tiger was running great and I was having a great time!!!
Then I came to the town of Polle. They have a castle ruin there: Burg Everstein! Built in the beginning of the 12. century!!! I pulled over and took a look...
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669835_pvvcX-XL.jpg)
They sure had a feel for great entrances, didn't they? However, I don't know what they were feeling when they created THIS back then:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669856_mSdVF-XL.jpg)
I had to chuckle at the thought of this fresco being displayed publicly in the US....
It is an impressive structure, though!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669874_5exsG-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669911_KgLHp-L.jpg)
Don't let the blue fool you!!! 2 mins later the sky was gray again!!
On I went.... The last place on my list was a place called "Castle Hämelschenburg". Located between Bad Pyrmont and Hameln (yes, the town with the guy that played music to catch rats) it is in my old stomping grounds in my early days in the navy (had a girl friend there).
Not a river, but a road runs through it:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496669979_nrBHB-X3.jpg)
It still looks great! There is an article on the German Wikipedia (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A4melschenburg (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A4melschenburg)), but not on the EN one... I will leave it to the interested reader to babelfish a translation......
8)
Once you get off the street this is what you see:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496670451_AcD2w-X3.jpg)
Built in 1400 today the grounds host a horse stud... Quite a romantic setting for horses! The rest of the grounds breath the history!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496670250_N437n-L-1.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496670100_LMpPd-L.jpg)
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496670031_RYKVT-L.jpg)
Nice rain pipes!
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496670056_B5ZAF-L.jpg)
I snacked on some cold hot dogs on the side of the road while soaking up the atmosphere. My path would lead me through Hameln (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hameln (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hameln)). A nice town with a beautiful town center. Lots of old houses and plenty of charm. I can highly recommend visiting it!
Today the weather was not good for a longer stop. There is no parking and rain started again. So I gassed up, stowed the camera, and went on...
I don't know where it was (what town, that is), but somewhere along the way I looked to the right and saw this:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496670282_dsUds-L.jpg)
Damn! THAT I had not seen in a looooooong time!!!!! I quickly parked the bike and got me into a better position:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496670352_XJmFs-X2.jpg)
Storks on a chimney!!! Talk about warm fuzzies!!!
Back on the bike... It was getting late and that blue break in my sky was really gone now... Not really photo weather, but I had to get those storks...
I wasn't really looking for anything to take pics of. Not even close. I was close to getting home and the sights became fewer. But something caught my eye, so again I turned around, perked the bike and took the picture:
(http://gatortiger.smugmug.com/photos/496670444_kBouw-X2.jpg)
Just savor it a bit..................
I chuckled and hoped back on the bike, turned the key, and.....................nothing! Not even a light! Nothing!! WTF? I was only there for a minute to take the picture...
The clock was working, so the there still was juice. Not sure if it was enough, but if there was juice period, should there not be some warning lights working (oil etc)? But there was nothing! And of course it started raining!
I had parked on the parking lot of a grocery store across the street of the "Indiana" restaurant. Since it was Sunday the store was closed and the carts were stored away. I pushed the bike under a little roof where the carts usually are and started to take the fairing off. Had the fused checked before that: all fine... Next up: the key cylinder... I had a broken cable on my Girly in the US once! So that was the next thing I checked. All fine! With the ignition on I wiggled the cables... There! Light!!! I started the bike, it ran fine for 5 seconds, and died again! All lights off! Darn!
Now the fairing was completely off, my hand was in the front checking cables. When I got to plug and fumbled it some I saw the light come and go... Guess I had the culprit! After taking the plug apart and putting it back together I managed to kee the lights on again. I quickly reassembled the bike and drove off before the switch would loose contact again.
I guess after sitting on the side of the road the contacts had corroded and I now was getting the effects of it... But: I managed to get home alright. Just got wet with a few drops along the way. When I got home it REALLY started to come down... Lucked out again!
It was a great weekend! Can't wait to go on longer trips! Since then I overhauled the electrics and contacts. So bit by bit there is less risk of breakdowns. The bike is running great and it a lot of fun...
So stand by for the next trips with pics soon (hopefully....)
:hello2 :hello2 :hello2 :hello2 :hello2 :hello2
Ausgezeichneten Bericht! Vielen Dank.
I think some thing is wrong with your camara as I look fat in your photo`s :lol: