The European Chronicles 2024.6 - More Grossglockner & The Nockalmstrasse
Krisanne - our back seat Photodocumentarian
Time to climb, and enjoy the Grossglockner together. Krisanne is extraordinarily skilled at pillion photography...these are almost all hers, while trying not to look over the edge. 😂
What are those circles, you ask? More on them later...
Heading to the Kaiser Franz Josefs-Hohe
Made it with only one "we're gonna die" screamed from somewhere behind me...😎. At least I heard only one...
There were several exhibits at the Visitor Center...one celebrating the 75th anniversary of Porsche. Woo Hoo! More Otto Destiny!
Yes, yes we are...and may all yours come true!
Krisanne did a fabulous job capturing them.
Hazard a guess?
They are designed to remind motorcyclists to keep their wheels toward the center of their lane, to prevent leaning the bike and your body into oncoming traffic. No idea if it works, and they are only on a few (of the many, many, many) corners.
Krisanne's in heaven, there are rocks...
Each turn is numbered.
Right here:
There are a few construction zones. Automatic, radar-triggered, lights control the flow. On a Moto, you go around to the front of the line; it's expected.
The Grossglockner's little sister: The Nockalmstrasse
Not too far, and a very pretty transit ride, is the Nockalmstrasse...another one of Austria's "tourist" roads in a biosphere park.
I plot a loop ride, that includes a fossil museum stop right on the road.
The taxi arrives from the parking garage... 😂
Krisanne once again does her thing...
We took the small roads under the Autobahn.
Pay the toll...worth every Euro...
A few turns in is the cafe/mineral museum.
Here:
Due cappuccini and some strudel, then a stroll thru the museum.
You may notice how hazy it is compared to a few days ago. The entire area, most of Europe in fact, is experiencing a "Sahara dust" event.
The Nationalpark Lodge produces a morning briefing sheet that even mentions it:
Notice how the temps change as you climb...
This is henceforth known as "Die Kuhwende," "The Cow Turn"...
All these cows are "committed" in that they decided "we're all going to walk across the road and camp out right in the middle of the turn."
You really never know what will be out for a drive...
Google Lens says this is a Panther J72, the first vehicle of the Panther Westwinds company, styled to evoke a Jaguar SS100 and sold between 1972 and 1981.
Heading back along the Millstatter See
At our last petrol stop was the BMW 600 that was at the top of the Grossglockner a few days ago...what are the odds!
His daily driver... 😎
End of day reward...then off to the sauna!
Relive 'The Nockalmstrasse'
The Pillion POV
Whoo hoo. Here I am again. Alive. And grateful :)
So, what Mike has kindly not said is that I've grown a bit (eh em) fearful of heights. These amazing, stunning, incredible roads, engineered decades ago, hanging stoically onto the side of mountains, therefore, can be a bit of a...well...do you know the saying "you should do one thing every day that frightens you?" All I'll say is - no problem ("kein problem" - or, better, "kein problem, liebling" aka...no problem, my love.)
It's not Mike's masterful (no shit, it really is) handling of Mia. It's just that we're really flipping high up. Sometimes I look away, close my eyes, and pray - to whatever Pagan goddess might be listening - that I want (us both) to make it back to the hotel that night in one piece. (And have a beer. Because, BEER!)
Is that too dramatic?
Whatever.
The rocks here, for a punk-drunk rockhound, are just, well, "stunning" is not exactly right. What's a better word? Maybe the German? "Atemberaubend...???" Unbelievable might work. And they mostly all sparkle. WTF?
Maybe I can just live here and wander around and look at rocks and waterfalls and little sprites that only come out when you call forth their magic. Only, I think Mike might get bored. But perhaps not if there's wine, and great motorcycle roads, and nooky. (Maybe with me? :)
Others seem that they may enjoy rocks nearly as much as I (me? I rarely get that right!) For example, on the way up the Grossglockner there is this incredibly smashing stopping point that caters to we of the rock clan...As one admires and bows down to each huge rock, a hole carved therein shows the area from whence the rock sprung...see the photos below.
I am an incredibly lucky broad, wandering around with my dear hubby, taking short views, putting my hands in glacier-fed rivers, smelling the grasses and wildflowers and trees, loving on the rocks, and leaving it to others, right now, to deal with the cognitive dissonance of everyday life. Thank you, if you are one of those mighty and beloved ones doing so.
More to follow. Stay well. Love deeply. Do one thing each day that frightens you (or trust I will do that for you... :)
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