Tour of the Pyrenees 2008

[beemerdons]

Hey there, just back from a Tour of Sicily blessed with gale-force winds, rough seas and constant rain. We covered 3,250 kms (two-thirds of which on wet roads) :huh: My FJR is now seriously dirty...

Anyway, back to the Pyrenees.

I've secured a booking for Don and Bob at the Frontair Congress Hotel in Sant Boi de Llobregat (some 3 miles from BCN a/p and a steal at EUR 55, it being a 4-star joint with an annexed spa where you can recover from the hardships of our trip). I'll let you have all details if you're OK with it, or I can cancel it at no charge.

Caba, as for the Passo Stelvio/Stilfserjoch it's going to be a close call, but we can get real-time info on the reopening of the pass before you leave SK.

Later

Stef

Hello Stef,

Looking forward to more details and photos of your Sicily trip. Too bad about the rain, but I am sure that you guys rode the hell out of those Sicilian roads anyway!

The Frontair Congress Hotel sounds like just what Bob and I are needing for the last night in country. Please send me all of the details and I will relay them to Darleen of Ad-Mo Tours in California to send on to Barcelona.

Many thanks,

Don and Bob

 

[beemerdons]

https://www.alpineroads.com/engadin.php#bernina

Hi Caba: Bernina Pass just opened up between Tirano, San Moritz und Zernez. The industrious Swiss are plowing away snow!

Take the time to view the goofy Norwegian's M/C video. I had no idea that SkooterG was a Norski, until I watched this video!

 

[Caba]

https://www.alpineroads.com/engadin.php#bernina
Hi Caba: Bernina Pass just opened up between Tirano, San Moritz und Zernez. The industrious Swiss are plowing away snow!

Take the time to view the goofy Norwegian's M/C video. I had no idea that SkooterG was a Norski, until I watched this video!

Thanks Don!

Whaddaya mean goofy? This is Eastern Europe! I pass like that in my station wagon here! :crazy:

Still hopin' they're in good shape by the end of May!

Caba

 

[beemerdons]

https://www.alpineroads.com/engadin.php#bernina
Hi Caba: Bernina Pass just opened up between Tirano, San Moritz und Zernez. The industrious Swiss are plowing away snow!

Take the time to view the goofy Norwegian's M/C video. I had no idea that SkooterG was a Norski, until I watched this video!

Thanks Don!

Whaddaya mean goofy? This is Eastern Europe! I pass like that in my station wagon here! :crazy:

Still hopin' they're in good shape by the end of May!

Caba

https://webcam.popso.it/stelvio.php?PIROVANOIV Hola Caba: Was checking out some of the webcams on the passes you may be riding from the East to join us in Barcelona. You might as well forget about Stelvio in 2008. I've been to this exact location where Pirovano's camera is mounted and this picture indicates that the camera is just a meter above the snow!

Austrians will have Grossglockner plowed open for you and the Swiss are plowing their passes. Italianos? Pasado manana!

 

[orestes]

https://webcam.popso.it/stelvio.php?PIROVANOIV Hola Caba: Was checking out some of the webcams on the passes you may be riding from the East to join us in Barcelona. You might as well forget about Stelvio in 2008. I've been to this exact location where Pirovano's camera is mounted and this picture indicates that the camera is just a meter above the snow!
Austrians will have Grossglockner plowed open for you and the Swiss are plowing their passes. Italianos? Pasado manana!

Snow is about 1.5 metres at the pass. There is a road under there, somewhere.

 

[beemerdons]

https://webcam.popso.it/stelvio.php?PIROVANOIV Hola Caba: Was checking out some of the webcams on the passes you may be riding from the East to join us in Barcelona. You might as well forget about Stelvio in 2008. I've been to this exact location where Pirovano's camera is mounted and this picture indicates that the camera is just a meter above the snow!
Austrians will have Grossglockner plowed open for you and the Swiss are plowing their passes. Italianos? Pasado manana!

Snow is about 1.5 metres at the pass. There is a road under there, somewhere.

Dave, Oh Man! That is the location of "Der Wurstmann's" frankfurter und bratwurst stand. Stelvio may stay closed until July!

 

[Caba]

Dang guys!!! you aren't filling me with a lot of hope!!!

I've even arraged it so that I leave from Vienna instead of Kosice. I'll have a two day business trip in Brno, stay the night in Vienna and head out from there. All the good roads will need a skidoo!!!

Ok, now to alternate routes...... :angry2: grumble, whine, moan....ok better.

Any thoughts or suggestions from your experience???

Caba

 

[teerex51]

Caba,

I suggest the following.

From Vienna take the Sud-Autobahn for Graz and Klagenfurt. After the initial superslab part it becomes great fun all the way down to Carinthia and its capital Klagenfurt. From there, head to Villach and the Italian border.

A few klicks before crossing the border hang a right onto the B111 in the direction of Noetsch and Hermagor. Once in Hermagor turn left for the Nassfeld Pass aka Pramollo this side of the border. The pass is 1,530 meters high and should be open in late May. From there head to Pontebba and back to the slab heading South to Udine. Just S of Udine you can join the E-W superslab (that you already know from last year) that'll take you to Milan.

Stef

PS: You can check out the pass thru this Webcam

 

[beemerdons]

https://www.alpineroads.com/passstatus.php

Wow, Stef; you're really fast! I'm still at work and I just handled a few phone calls before reaching for my Michelin Europe.

Caba: Stef's routing is spot on, I wouldn't consider doing it any other way than how Stef has you routed with 2008's snows!

As we speak the industrious Swiss have these passes open: Bernina, Julierpass, Lukmanier pass, Maloja pass, Ofenpass, Splugen und Simplonpass. None of the very high Austrian passes are open yet; but you know that they'll have Grossglockner open on May 1, that is always their #1 goal and they have the best snow plowing and clearing equipment in the world.

Amazingly, even though it doesn't affect anyone on this trip, a lot of the French high passes are open. Col de Vars, Col de Tende, Col de Turini and Col d' Aravis are already open for vehicle travel. I wonder how the French Alps missed the snows?

 

[teerex51]

Staff announcement....

I have managed to secure a killah rate at the Crowne Plaza in Andorra (i.e. Eur 64,00 for a double room). This means that we won't be staying at the Hesperia after all. The Crowne Plaza is very centrally located and has an underground garage for our rides, although Andorra's pretty crime-free as it is. I was hoping we'd get a better rate at this hotel and it worked (late May is slow season for ski resorts anyway).

To "freeze" this rate, I prepaid the rooms with my credit card. Because we'll meet soon in Spain, I'd skip the hassle of wiring me money at this time.

There's another hotel that I prepaid, the Husa Noain in Pamplona, again at a very reasonable rate (abt. 50 Neuros). I suggest you pay me back in cash, diamonds or negotiable instruments when we RV in Barcelona and I won't have to hit the ATMs for the rest of the Tour.

Gents, start packing your bags....time to put this show on the road

Stef

 

[Caba]

SCHWEEET!!!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

It's MAY!! - Been prepping, planning, looking at the passes from the webcams.

After a meeting in Brno on the 21st.... :assassin: I'm disappearin!

 

[beemerdons]

Stef, Outstanding work! I'll tell Doctor Bob that we will be paying our room fees up front in Euros to you when we arrive.

All that is left for we Arizona boys is to get our International Driver's Licenses from AAA in Phoenix a week ahead of flying.

I will also confirm with Darleen of Ad-Mo bike rentals that Bob's BMW R1200RT and my R1200GS are prepped and ready!

I've got your new Schuberth-S you got from Reno John wrapped in my T-shirts in one bag and my Schuberth-C in another.

 

[teerex51]

Muchas gracias, Don

I can sure use a quieter helmet My Arai's feather-light but loud as hell.

In case of further info I'll be in touch again before May 24, that's my cutoff time.

Stef

 

[wheatonFJR]

You boys have fun...and be good...ahhh just have a great time. :clapping:

 

[beemerdons]

Saludos Stef,

I just sent you, Bob, and Dave this e-mail inquiry from my BMW buddy Paul, who is originally from Roseville, California.

Paul lives and works in Switzerland. He is wondering if he could join up with us in the Pyrenees. Since you are Ride Leader, it naturally would be your decision if another rider could join this tour. He will be posting from a Swiss address.

Like yourself, Paul's an excellent photographer; and like you he does fantastic Motorcycle Travel Ride Reports with pictures.

If you go to www.bmwmoa.org and look under Ride Reports and search under franze "El Cid" you will see his M/C articles.

Hi Paul, I just sent this post to my friend Stefano Sarao of Milan, Italy; Stef is the Ride Leader for Pyrenees tour.
I sent it to [email protected] If there is a Swiss e-mail we should be using, please let us know it.

Hola mi amigo Stefano,

BMW R1100RT friend of mine, Paul Franze from Switzerland, is interested in joining up with us in the Pyrenees. Please respond to his mail.

Hello Paul,

For more information on our hotels and routing please go to www.fjrforum.com and look under FJR Rides and Gatherings, then go to Regional Ride Planning and then the Europe header. Stefano has all of the pertinent information listed there. I would recommend joining this forum.

Bob and I cannot wait to touch down in Barcelona and start this great adventure. Three weeks from today we will be riding up into Pyrenees!!!

Thank you and Sincerely yours,

Don Stanley

630 N. Exeter St.

Chandler, AZ 85225

Home: 480-917-3863

Cell: 602-722-0427

Work: 602-254-1191 x 148

[email protected]

[email protected]

 

[JimLor]

Hope you folks have a safe and wonderful time. Can't tell you how much I envy you this trip. Hopefully Lorie and I can make it next year assuming Stef is kind enough to do this again.

Jim

 

[teerex51]

<...> Hopefully Lorie and I can make it next year assuming Stef is kind enough to do this again.Jim

Jim, kindness plays no role here... the one thing I like better than running this tour is sharing the beauy of it with some friends.

But if nobody came, I'd run it alone anyway.

Consider Lorie and yourself signed up for next year. Promesso!

With Slappy's help, I'd run the program on the Forum and see who's interested, like I did this year. But I'm getting ahead of myself here...

Don, I've been in touch with Paul and he now has a list of all our hotels and dates of stay. It'd be great if he could RV with us at some stage

during the tour. He said he'd buy us a round of drinks so, hey, he's already gotten with the program...

Stef

 

[Caba]

OK!

Trip preparations Almost done! Just going through the last minute checks.

Leaving tomorrow on the bike to the Czech Republic for three days of business meetings and then Thursday off to Milan and points West!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

Kinda like getting an extra week of holidays!

Should arrive in Milan Thursday evening and spend friday bumming around there (I know, it's a rough life). Then saturday to the Ferry in Genoa!

See you guys soon!

(oh, found a new sign for the bike)

 

[orestes]

OK!
Trip preparations Almost done! Just going through the last minute checks.

Leaving tomorrow on the bike to the Czech Republic for three days of business meetings and then Thursday off to Milan and points West!!! :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

Kinda like getting an extra week of holidays!

Should arrive in Milan Thursday evening and spend friday bumming around there (I know, it's a rough life). Then saturday to the Ferry in Genoa!

See you guys soon!

Have a safe journey, hopefully some of the passes are open now.

Bike has just been serviced and I set out next Saturday for a slow (mostly on small D roads) but interesting ride through France before arriving in Barcelona on Tuesday afternoon. Your bottles of Glenfiddich Liquer are securely packed. So apart from the final packing on Friday I'm already to go.

 

[Caba]

Your bottles of Glenfiddich Liquer are securely packed. So apart from the final packing on Friday I'm already to go.

Dave,

Ride careful! Wouldn't want any o de alkohol to get bruised!

Got the palinka packed as well.

See ya in Spain!

Now to practice the Thpanith...Thervetha por favor! - ok good enough.