HEAVEN CAN'T WAIT
20.06.2011
Austria - Tyrol - June 2011
In the village of Plan , Italy, the rise arose recently when Lola begins her day : first a quick exit from the room of the Rosemarie Pension Restaurant for "her things", then an abundant meal of croquettes and organic pate and, when She drank plenty of water Fresh... go back to bed to sleep... but still for a short time, because the day will be long: the Lola's destination is Austria, precisely the Zillertaler ( the Ziller Valley).
THE SUN GREETS LOLA
The Zillertaler is a vale found in Austrian Tyrol, and is famous for two beautiful alpine roads, never traveled before from Lola : the Zillerataler Hohenstrasse ( the oldest alpine road of Austria) and the Gerlos Alpenstrasse.
Upon departure from the quiet village of Plan, we still have in our eyes (and in the heart) the spectacular images of the Tieffenbach Glacier with the Highest Point of Europe which, only the day before, Lola had reached by motorbike, walking before the Rombo Pass and then the Solden Glacier Road.
The stop at Plan had just been fixed with the aim of reaching 2829 meters of height of the highest point in Europe, and we must say that never chosen was more apt: Plan, in addition to being a few kilometers from the summit of Rombo Pass, turned out to be a place truly unique in its kind, immersed in a valley of spectacular beauty.
It is really a place to recommend, but pay attention to one thing: you have to walk about twelve kilometers from Moso in Passiria, before reaching Plan... so you go there if You're really looking for him..
PASSO GIOVO : AN "OLD FRIEND" OF LOLA
We start from Plan with the shining but with an air that is really cold : Lola wears the winter coat right away and, as soon as she left the town, she crouched inside the container and sinks into a serene sleep... only in San Leonardo in Passiria, Lola gives "signs of life". maybe he sensed that we're going to face the ascent of Giovo Pass.
The road that will lead us from San Leonardo in Passiria to Giovo Pass, is an "old friend" of Lola, having already traveled her just in the "distant" 2007, returning from Austria, in the first ascent on the Solden Glacier Road.
In the early morning the traffic is practically non-existent and there are few motorcycles that we cross: probably the cold air advised many motorcyclists, to leave a little more late... but we can't do it, also because Lola doesn't like the heat... and then the day promises to be very long.
The summit of Giovo Pass, as always happens in June, is already "very full", both tourist buses and cars... and certainly the beautiful and modern refuge bar/ restaurant, has enticed many to make a stop....which is not recommended for those traveling by motorcycle with a red cocker on the tank... who from several hairpin bends no longer sleeps and, indeed, you are positioned "beautiful load" with the muzzle outside the windshield of the bike...
Arrived on the top , therefore, we decide not to stop and continue until the next refuge, with its beautiful white church and alpine pond : that is a "place from Lola" who, instantly, wants to get off the bike, as soon as this was raised on the central easel. The stop is not really short, since Lola wants to walk and run on the little mead that surrounds the small pond, and we can't really say no...
The descent to Vipiteno is very quick and, given that we are ahead of the "roadmap", we decide to take a short walk in the medieval center of the beautiful town.. but Lola, after a few minutes, stops and wants to be taken in arm... no longer a "litter" and the races in Giovo Pass have a little tired ...
ZILLERTAL ARRIVAL!!
To reach the Zillertaler, unfortunately, the only chance we have is to take the Brenner Motorway, to Innsbruck (remember to buy the "Vignette" and, above all, to apply it to the bike... in Austria the police are very strict....and present...) and then turn right towards Schwaz on the E45, where you find the exit for the Zillertaler, which will enter you on the road number 169, in the direction of Mayrhofen.
The motorway trip was only used to fill up the bike with gasoline... now Lola, during the refueling operations, it does not even come down from the container, which is only unhooked from the supports and placed on the saddle, waiting to be placed back on the tank... how far away are the times when Lola, every time the bike stopped, he always wanted to go down...
We reach the hotel in the small village of Ramsau, not without noticing that the 169 is really busy, from tractors towing huge wagons full of freshly cut hay to huge lorries... and be careful because, in addition to the police, there are some "speed camera"... then respect the speed limits!.
We arrive at the hotel in the middle of the afternoon, with the sun alternating with the clouds but, for now, there doesn't seem to be any danger of rain... so we decide to take a first "taste" at the Gerlos Alpenstrasse, reserving the following days to Krimml Falls and, above all, at the Zillertaler Alpenstrasse.
A "FIRST TASTE" OF GERLOS ALPENSTRASSE
The Gerlos Alpen Road starts just a few kilometers from our hotel, in Zell Am Ziller, where there is a magnificent fountain of fresh water "so dear" to Lola that, in the following days She will "taste" several times... and right after we've traveled the first few kilometers, we're i realize that the Gerlos has a really deserved fame : it is magnificent!.
The course of Gerlos is almost forty kilometers between Zell Am Ziller and Wald in Pinzgau, and touch the famous Krimml Falls which, on their own, are worth a trip... but not think of finding a road comparable to the Grossglokner (that is unique), because the Gerlos is as it should be a road for motorcyclists : beautiful, smooth, easy and intuitive... with wide and "driveable" hairpin bends....in short: a real fun....a as long as you don't overdo it with gas...
The Gerlos hairpin bends are over twenty but, for the first "taste of Lola", we only need those that, from the base take us to the vantage point of the Gerlos Platte, shortly after the toll station (the Gerlos is for a fee... but it's worth it... the price is really "low"...), located about 1600 meters, the highest point of the Gerlos Alpenstrasse.
We stop the bike to take a walk with Lola in the woods adjacent to the parking lot panoramic... but the walk takes little... a few drops of rain advise us to find shelter immediately... so we get back in motion and go down, in the direction Krimml waterfalls, knowing that after a few kilometers there is a bar - restaurant ( recognized by the huge "ice cream cone" located outside the restaurant). As soon as we park the bike, the few drops of water turn into rain... but we were already indoors , in front of a sumptuous "Wienerschnitzel" and a fresh Weizen Bier....still a time, Lola brought us luck... and brought luck even to the restaurateur, since who, besides us, stopped about twenty German motorcyclists" tremendously hungry."
The rain lasts little, just enough time for Lola to sleep on the wooden floor of the Restaurant... and for us to finish the excellent Weizen beer: the bike starts again in the direction of Zell Am Ziller, leaving the following days to visit Krimml Falls.
The return to the hotel we do with the sun that has, at last, "pierced" the great clouds gray and with a very touristy gait... I dare say "relaxed"... so much so that we have time to stop to admire a postcard-perfect landscape, which you can enjoy by stopping in a admire the artificial lake Durlassboden, which collects the waters that melt from the glaciers of the surrounding mountains : the view is really spectacular, especially when the sun illuminates the cobalt blue waters of the lake (by the way, on the lake you will also find a restaurant and several beaches and, all around, the Zillertal Alps...).
As soon as we arrive at the hotel, just the time for a shower... the sun leaves the place again to a quick rain....and then again the sun... but the Chef of the hotel ( "great friend of Lola." excellent his steamed zucchini for the "Cocker Motorcyclist"...) assures us that in the next two to three days there will be "only sun"!!.
LOLA ON THE ZILLERTALER HOHENSTRASSE
It is with chef Klaus's weather forecast that we go to bed... and had perfectly reason!! The next day the sun is so blinding, that we must put to Lola a "double hand" of sunscreen for the protection of its "truffle"... You never know... Better avoid sunburn in its most sensitive part... and after a short stop for the full of fuel in Mayrhofen, we take the Zillertaler HohenStrasse, with its 48 kilometers and over 30 hairpin bends!
The Zillertaler HohenStrasse, for us, starts in the picturesque village of Hippach and, immediately, we understand "with whom" we are dealing : a spectacular road, with long stretches panoramic... but also very very challenging and, above all, very very tight and without anyside protection....be careful because it should not be underestimated!!.
The first kilometers are nothing compared to what awaits us: buckets of hairpin bends interspersed from short straights, where overtaking a cyclist is a real feat..
We arrive at the very small toll point (the road is for a fee), located in the middle of a very steep climb and after several elbow bends, with some cars (and a campervan..) in line for the entrance ticket. It is not pleasant to stop the bike uphill with a cocker on the tank... with a car in front and a back one....with the engine that, after a while, starts to heat up....and the radiator fan start buzzing... so we decide to "be italians"... and we pass in front of the cars that they wait their turn for the ticket... this, of course, out of necessity and not for Rudeness... so much so that we wait, with motion off and in the shade, on the side of the small house wooden of the toll post, our turn to pay for the ticket.
Never forget that, abroad, each of us represents our own country in the eyes of the Other... and there are none on the Zillertaler Hohenstrasse: only tourists Austrians and Germans....
As soon as you leave the toll payment point ("Maustelle"), the road becomes even more tortuous and narrow, so much so that we decide to stop in the parking lot of the Refuge Melchboden which, in fact, represents the highest point of the Alpine Road, at 2,020 meters of Share. From the parking lot (already crowded with tourists...), a beautiful panoramic path starts that winds along the side of the mountain, much of which is very easy and does not present particular differences in height: ideal for Lola... who immediately takes advantage of it to "play dog", in the middle of the alpine heather plants in bloom...
We resume the bike after an abundant hour of rest and trekking, and we start again on the Zillertaler Hohenstrasse, who immediately descends with slopes of more than 14% and with the roadway that doesn't seem to want to widen... Lola is fascinated by the many who, with their paragliding, they throw themselves into the void... nice to fly!.
From Melchboden, the road winds for several kilometers in a fantastic panorama, with Zillertal Alps whitewashed in the peaks by snow falling in previous weeks... Between the other the road is almost always scenic : a real show!.
The Zillertaler Alpenstrasse offers a whole series of stopping opportunities, both for an excellent lunch (there are about fifteen "Hutte" that meet on the way... a nicer one of the other) than to make excursions (such as the famous Alpine Garden or the picturesque Church of Travelers), all in a breathtaking view... but do attention to the tour buses you cross... and agricultural tractors!.
It's time to make a stop for a nice fresh Weizen beer!. Our choice falls on the Alpengasthof Zirmstadl, which has a special "flat" parking for motorcycle, with concrete bottom... in addition to a breathtaking panoramic view...
We're about halfway along the Zillertaler Alpenstrasse route.. and the day is still Long.. by the way we notice that tour buses are increasing... so we decide to resume the bike and continue... the road continues to come down and, soon, the landscape of high mountains, gives way to a dense forest, within which, in some points, sunlight struggles to filter... and the roadway is always very very narrow!.
Descend from over 2000 meters with a very pleasant temperature... up to the small country of Ried, down in the valley... needs a refreshing stop for Lola... stop that comes carried out in Zell Am Ziller, in a fantastic (and choreographic) public fountain ( it would be better say a "liquid monument"), where she can even swim and go underwater with the muzzle... nice "to be Lola"!.
THE KRIMML FALLS
We resume the bike not before we have perfectly dried Lola's hair : it awaits us the Gerlos Alpenstrasse and, above all, the Krimml Falls, which we reach not before to have made a couple of stops in the meadows of the Gerlos... never forget that Lola is a dog!.
Krimml Falls is a very important tourist attraction in the High Tauern, so don't think you're alone... but the triple jump of water, of almost 400 meters of altitude difference, alone is worth the trip!. There is a trail (for a fee) that, from the base of the waterfalls takes tourists to the top of the first jump : the difference in height is 600 meters and the duration total is about a couple of hours of walking....needless to say that the thing is reserved for those has energy to spend... although the trail is recommended for families with children...
Us we limited ourselves, with Lola, to having a great lunch on the terrace of the Gasthaus which you at the beginning of the path leading to the base of the waterfall, from which you can see all the three jumps that the water makes, sitting comfortably in the shade...
After taking a walk with Lola to the base of the waterfall, from which the paid path, we resume the bike: the day was intense....and Lola must rest... the next day a busy trip awaits her : from Zillertaler ( reviewing for the Gerlos) to Heiligenblut, crossing all over the Grossglockner Alpenstrasse... Lola, the next day, will return to "Paradise"...
LOLA RETURNS TO HEAVEN : THE GROSSGLOCKNER ALPENSTRASSE
Returning to "Paradise" after almost four years, it's always an emotion... but the climate is not of the best... large white clouds are on the horizon, and will accompany us to all of Gerlos, all the way to Zell Am See, where the Grossglockner Alpenstrasse begins... but the Great Mountain has never betrayed Lola... and so, after a stop in the green area that you it is located in front of the "Maustelle"... we enter, with a kind of respect and admiration... In "Paradise"...
The great white clouds gave way to gray clouds which, menacingly, they get closer and closer... but it pulls the wind (very strong)... so, for now, no real danger of rain... but the bike is too loaded to climb up to biker point of the Edelweisspitze... nor can we "distract ourselves" by going to "greet" the Pasterze Glacier on Franz Josef Hohe... better stop at the Hoctor Pass for souvenir photos... and for a nice hot "Gulash" in the new Refuge... which has a small panoramic terrace really beautiful!.
This is the first time we have walked the Grossglockner Alpenstrasse with the snow still well present in quantity on the sides of the road, and this makes Lola's "Return to Paradise" even more exciting....and Lola really enjoyed playing in the snow at the Hochtor Pass…
Arriving at the junction leading to the Franz Josef Hohe, on the windshield of the bike begin to fall the first drops of rain... but the Great Mountain loves Lola... and allows us to reach the "Maustelle" of Heiligenblut without any particular problems... only at the end of the woods... the few droplets turn into rain, increasingly important... but they're missing only a few kilometers to our destination: the "refuge of Lola" in the High Tauri Mountains, the Romantik Hotel Chalet Senger, beautifully run by our Friend Andreas...that, together with "Paki" (a short-haired Australian shepherd) welcomes Lola with a big kiss!.
THE REFUGE OF LOLA IN THE HIGH TAURI MOUNTAINS
As soon as Lola entered the Romantik Hotel Chalet Senger, the Great Mountain greeted the arrival of Lola with a truly important storm... but the "Cocker Motorcyclist" already slept on the bed, immersed in the soft duvet... we like to think that She was dreaming of "Heaven"...
The rain did not abandon us for the rest of the day (but it was already time to dinner...) nor all night....only the next morning, the Great Mountain wanted "reward" Lola... The rain stopped for a couple of hours... just enough time to get back on the and to head to Franz Josef Hohe, to "greet an old Friend" (unfortunately very run down...) : the Pasterze Glacier....with its marmots!.
The Great Mountain, however, could not stop the rain... but Lola was already returned to safety in her "romantic refuge"...It was nice to return to "Paradise"....also because ,maybe, there will be no other time...
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