The European Chronicles 2026.1 - Odenwald Shakedown & Der Schwarzwald
Ch-ch-ch-changes...Turn and face the strange...
Krisanne needed an unexpected surgery that's keeping her off the moto for a bit (all good, and she's recovering well). We spent most of May in Ohio; Krisanne's sister works for a doctor there and it was a great place for the surgery and recovery. She acted as our personal health care concierge. 😂 It was, however, a bit ambitious to do the as-planned trip just a few weeks later, so...
...for the first couple months. I'll put Mia back in storage late July, meet Krisanne in Frankfurt, and we'll do the last month together in a rented VW T-Roc convertible. Making lemonade... 😂. Rather than cancel our reservations, I'm riding the itinerary we already laid out.
It does feel surprisingly strange to do this solo right now; we kinda got into a rhythm for Europe, and I know Krisanne was particularly looking forward to Riva del Garda, among all the other places. We'll just have to go back...
On the other hand, she can now bring more clothes. 😂
I even brought more clothes; normally it is just the BMW liner and a little packable back pack. The roll bag will stay at Stefan's until I return. Still carry on only, which rocks.
Uneventful flight through Houston (the very best kind, especially today) and I navigate the mess that is now Frankfurt airport. Construction and the new EU-wide EES system make for the longest wait I've experienced to get through customs to date.
Eventually, I meet up with Christopher and am reunited with Mia. She starts right up, Stefan had already replaced the battery. Quick oil change, wipe down and battery top up...she's ready! Green card insurance with Christopher, storage and ADAC renewal with Stefan, and the trip can begin.
I'm on the right...
Sadly, the Golden Rose has either been sold or is undergoing renovations. Nooooooooooooo!
Hopefully, it comes back better than ever...it is (was) my "go to" for arrival and departure! The local pizza/kebob places just don't hold a candle...
The weather is a bit iffy; my shakedown ride is a relatively short jaunt through the Odenwald to be back before the storms.
Relive 'Shakedown!'
Yup, the right road... 😂
Pours a couple hours after I get back.
Mia tucked under the awning. Good timing!
Der Schwarzwald
And where I found "the bed." Someone thought of this, planned it, funded it and executed it. Talk about strange... 😂. Mia is keeping a safe distance...
According to google:
Some heavy rain just as I get to Freiburg, but it clears up shortly after I'm checked into the Novotel. Bat cave parking for Mia, of course.
You really shouldn't hang laundry from a Ferrari. 😂
Very nice corner room.
Freiburg has "runnels," a series of small canals that flow water throughout the city. Children float little boats in the current, and they supposedly cool the air as well.
It is a pedestrian oriented city, filled with street cars and bicycles.
The Munster.
Krisanne's preferred pilgrimage.
Drawing Inspiration????
It was published in 1974, and I think I read it a few years later, circa 1976. With 50 years of "life experience" between reads, I thought I'd try it again and see how it "sits."
The first time was a "no go." Will now be different?
I can tell you this: a Negroni is a GREAT planning tool. 😎
Ciao!
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