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What kind of weird abbreviations are there some people will ask who don't just happen to have something to do with aviation - stay tuned!
The Sardinia tour took place in the best weather on site from around 25-27 degrees in the valley / town to what I find comfortable around 12-17 degrees in the Sardinian mountains. But what does “for me” mean - who am I anyway? - New member since shortly before Sardinia, I drive my 1200 "air boxer" GS Bj 2011, I am looking forward to tours with you and therefore gladly accepted the request at Espresso whether I would be ready to write a little report. Well then - back to topic. The departure was at 8:00 a.m. at the Höhenrain service station meeting point (A95 motorway towards Garmisch), which meant getting up early for a trip that promised a lot.
The first stage destination was Lake Iseo on the south bank of the lake. The way there should lead over one or the other pass or one or the other yoke. But this calculation was made without the weather, because it is known that this is done on site. Well - in our case already in the relevant weather pages, so that it was clear that snow was to be expected on the Stelvio Pass and nobody wanted to drag their winter tires to Sardinia.
No sooner said than done - when all the travelers had arrived (Peter, Jürgen, Lutz, Haukur with Marilee and I), the air pressure was checked again and the tank was filled (not everyone can drive an ADV 😉), it was then “ready for departure " and off. The first 2 hours went dry as expected and then it got a bit wetter. About so damp that you could feel “pissed off” from Heaven's sluices and I remembered a principle from aviation at the latest on Jaufenpass and quickly realized that it didn't work in two-dimensional space, i.e. on the street. Because if I am traveling under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), but get into Instrument Flight Conditions (IFC), the following applies, since one no longer has the reference points for recognizing the flight plague: "trust your instruments". Was probably nothing. Because the speedometer (trip meter) is also meant, but primarily the artificial horizon, which I have not yet discovered for the GS at Touratech. So I just kept on driving carefully and orientating myself on the shadowy hard shoulder as well as Peter's taillight and the cars ahead (which I otherwise don't like to have in front of me as rolling brake pads). At least now I was happy to have replaced my glasses with contact lenses that morning for the trip. I would not necessarily have needed fogged / wet glasses (but it was also possible, as others have proven 😉).
Well - long story short nonsense - it went a total of 5 hours from the 7 hours drive until we arrived at the hotel. Michael was already waiting for us in the same place and joined our group the next day. As everyone knows, names are the order of the day, next time perhaps you shouldn't stay overnight in a hotel called AQUARIUM.
Incidentally, the pizza next door (Belvadere Clusane) was excellent and after a warm shower we had a cozy evening together over dinner (by the way, my scales always said to me after the tour: "Please appear individually, please appear individually" - Italians know how to cook!).
After one night, the next morning followed the passage of time. There, as expected, with a cloudy sky but a beautiful view of the lake. The breakfast buffet was well arranged, but we didn’t like the meat. With the planned departure at 9:00 - the sentence "at 9:00 am on the starter" ran through the whole following week - you had the communication expert Schulz von Thun again (communication square - or "The message comes from the recipient") disregarded or it was simply not properly listened to. In any case, we didn't leave at 9 a.m.
Either way, the next 2 hours were again characterized by continuous rain, so that I can summarize that my (still new) BMW “Rally” suit holds up.
After the rather boring Po plain was completed on the train - I actually already mentioned that I will take my "Telepass" for the toll booths on the next tour 😉 - it then went the nicer roads dry bike to Livorno first in a burger shop / Snack to have another meal near the dock and then load the machines. With regard to Corona, the temperature was measured contactlessly and I was at least asked for the self-declaration. When I actually wanted to show my printed one, it was enough for the shipping company's employee that I rummaged around for some piece of paper.
The fact that the landscape of Tuscany is considered to be beautiful does not have to be particularly emphasized - but otherwise the most important detail on the route from Lake Iseo to Livorno, we all agreed. In fact, there were two, if not three. Namely the most beautiful pair of brown eyes in Italy, which then brought the best espresso to the table that we had ever drunk the whole trip.
On the Moby ferry, body and material care was first carried out, and then past various air mattresses and bed pads in the corridors and in the common rooms, moving into the same rooms and having a nice beer. You could get the view from the upper deck relatively quickly. Not only because it was getting dark, but also because it was pouring from buckets. I slept rather badly - but every Jeck is different.
Saturday, October 3rd, 2020 around 7 a.m. we got off the ferry, measured the temperature again and turned the handlebars on the right; so on the handle. The tour guide was Peter again, who did a great job (I am now saving all the little waymarks etc. because I have learned one thing - no matter where you leave from, it is always worth a "ride" and you do not do anything wrong. Here, too, Peter has proven himself to be a true “truffle pig” in terms of culinary delights - just like on the mainland with the best espresso and paired with the most beautiful eyes. We have never lacked good food and nice locations.
When we arrived in Arbatax, we went to the Hotel Arbatasar in Tortoli, moved into our rooms, got ready for the evening to test the hotel restaurant and to talk to the club members who were already there. Incidentally, it should have been the first and last time for us who traveled together. In any case, the cook couldn't lamb - not even after it went back twice and ultimately left unnecessary life. For the next few days we stopped in the very good pizzeria “La Comida” after it was recommended to us on an evening stroll. There was never anything to complain about and it never got boring from a culinary point of view.
It paid off that one or the other had not only been to Sardinia and knew beautiful routes, but also that Italian could be spoken, which made life much easier when looking for the next espresso bar or when ordering food. Thank you Haukur and Jürgen.
The following days were simply characterized by an incredibly beautiful landscape, super grippy asphalt and just a nice community that we cared for. I myself, who, as mentioned, was in Sardinia for the first time, definitely had the impression that every 2 km could have been stopped and every photo that was taken would have given a different impression. The beaches were great and the water was simply beautiful - thanks Jürgen for these locations.
One of the highlights on the tour should have been Thursday, October 8th. While Wednesday was mostly a day of relaxation by the sea, on Thursday we should go back to the south of the island together. After an espresso, shortly asked for the way and whether it was passable for motorbikes, we went up for a great 360 degree view of the "Punta Serpeddi". That was - at least for me - my first off-road crate that I had ever mastered. I mean - I didn't know anything about off-road driving and standing on the box and such. The only thing I knew was that you might stand to let the GS work freely among you. Yeah - that was a challenge. So stand - OK, but somehow I still have to loosen up my legs and arms - LOOSE ... but I wasn't at first. That happened when I somehow balanced myself and was able to climb up the machine. In the end I was happy to hear that I would have done it really well. Everyone was happy that everyone had arrived safely and without any complications at the top as well as later at the bottom. It was definitely worth it.
Unfortunately, as is often the case, even the best time comes to an end. So the ways of those who had traveled together and mostly drove together parted ways, namely us, and those who were already there or who came after and stayed there.
The day of departure went to lunch together until noon, then we parted ways briefly, in order to sit together over pizza in the evening and finally on the ferry together. Oh yes! We saw the flamingos, which were passing through and which we had suspected or rather hoped for a few days earlier, at least as we drove past.
The return trip was also unspectacular and unfortunately the other way around in terms of weather. While we had started in foehn location on the way here and the bad weather was hanging on the south side of the Alps, Kachelmann and the like announced snow on the Brenner on Saturday afternoon. So it was nothing to first go to Lake Garda and then continue on the next day. No, in all the best Italian weather we let the goats run all the way on the autobahn, took a sausage or two in a roll at the Brenner when requested and then - indeed again in the rain - we went on the Autobahn back, where we parted ways bit by bit and everyone arrived safely at home.
So I learned three things:
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