a ride to Bohemia [mostly photographs]

[Daniel Kalal]

 
Last year's trip was a ride around the perimeter of France.  For  this ride, I wanted to head a different direction.  I've always  enjoyed riding in the Czech Republic (since 2016 known as Czechia), so that decided  it.
 
Europe Motorcycle Trip #24
 
I'd not ever yet ridden north of Prague, so that much was decided, and I  hadn't visited the ancestral villages where two of my great-grandparents were  born in many years, so that set another point.  Beyond, that, I would  just watch the weather, and see where I'd end up.
 
I packed maps for Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Slovakia,  Czechia, Poland, and Germany--not figuring on going beyond those countries,  but not really expecting to visit all of them, either.
 
Kansas
 
Illinois
 
The usual route has always been through Newark, New Jersey.  But, thanks to the  extended range of the B787, I can now fly a direct route from Chicago to Milan,  which is tremendously better.  The Newark airport has never been a  favorite.
 
Approaching Chicago on my first leg from Kansas.
 

 
I've always liked the walkway to Terminal B--ethereal Gershwin playing  while the overhead colors dance the full length of the long moving sidewalk.
 
 
7
The plane was late arriving, but now it has been cleaned, fueled and fully stocked  with food and is being towed to the gate for the long flight to  Italy.
 

 
Taxiing away from the O'Hare terminal.  When I next wake up, I'll be in  Italy.
 

 
Italy
 
Arriving at Malpensa Airport, walking down the glass-sided bridge to the  terminal, through passport-check and then to the largely empty baggage claim  area.  Last year, difficulties with my riding suit meant that I had to buy a new  (BMW) suit in France.  I left that new suit in Mandello del Lario (and sent  the faulty one back to Duluth, Minnesota for repairs), so that's  one less bulky thing that I'll need to carry.  l'm left with needing to  only carry no more than would be allowable as carry-on, but I still chose to  check the bag for this trip.
 
 
 
Malpensa is an hour from Milano, but there are frequent express trains,  so getting there is easy enough.  From Milano, I change trains to finish  the trip to my destination of Lecco, which is on the right-hand southern leg of Lake Como.
 
 
 
Crossing the Adda River (which drains Lake Como), that's Lecco through the  window of my train.
 

 
Lake Como is just across the street from my hotel
 

 
I've stayed at Hotel Alberi many times.  It's an easy walk from the  train station, and right on the lake.
 
 
 
The Lecco bell tower is seen on the right (below).  I'd thought of taking  one of the passenger ferries (which serve the entire lake), but the schedule  didn't work for me.  In any case, I always schedule two nights in Lecco  to help my body adjust to the local clock, before starting the ride.
 

 
It's market day in Lecco.
 
 
 
The train to Mandello del Lario only takes ten or fifteen minutes, and  leaves every hour.
 
I'll be riding a new 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello Marina Aviazione  Navale.  That's a bit of a mouthful:  I think that just V100  Mandello is sufficient to identify it.  This is a significantly new  model for the company, with many changes from their previous models--the  most obvious change being liquid cooling.
 
The orange SPOT device pings my  latitude/longitude location to a satellite receiver every then minutes.   These locations are then stored so that I can retrieve them, later (which is how I  easily populated the map at the top of this report).  This is more reliable  than using a phone's tracking capability.
 
Preparing to leave from Agostini of Mandello Moto Guzzi.
 
   
 
Switzerland
 
From Mandello, I headed up the Valtellina valley towards Tirano, Italy and  then turned north towards Bernina Pass.  I've done this many times, so  didn't stop for any photographs.  The morning is beautiful and the  traffic is surprisingly light.  The route over Bernina isn't as tightly  twisty or aggressive as other passes over the Alps, but it's gorgeous and you  have time to look around without worrying about plunging down the mountain or  meeting an oncoming car in your lane.
 

 

 

 
A hundred gentle curves while riding along the edge of Engadin Valley.
 

 
Ardez, Switzerland and the ruins of Steinsberg Castle.  You'll see such  castles and towers throughout Switzerland, and nearly always you'll see them near  passes.
 

 
From logs to lumber at the small mill near Martinsbruck, Switzerland.
 

 
Austria
 
Pfunds, Austria and the view from my hotel room.
 

 
I'm often surprised by the quality of the hotels available in such small towns.
 
   
 
The old tower house anchors the south end of the wooden bridge over the Inn  River.  A carved statue of a saint is under the cover on the left side  of the bridge.
 
 
 
 
 
The hotel restaurant is excellent.  Yes, in Austria you are required to  eat Apfelstrudel.
 
 
 
I made sure to stop in Faggen, Austria to purchase a vignette and check the tire pressure.   This short-term sticker is good for ten days and allows me to ride certain  major highways  (motorways).  While Austria (and other countries, including Switzerland) may  not have regular tollbooths such as France and Italy have, that doesn't mean they don't charge to use their  major roads.
 
The device on the far right (photo, below) is a portable air tank that you can  carry from tire to tire of your car.  It tops itself off with air  pressure when you return it to its station near the fuel pumps.  My  dash (using readings from the tire TPS) said I had low tire pressure, but my own gauge said I was  just fine.  The dash was wrong--I ignored the occasional warning light  for the rest of the trip.
 
   
 
The Tschirgant rises dramatically.
 

 
Scharnitz, Austria.
 

 
Germany
 
The Deutsche Alpenstrafe is a scenic road across the southern Bavarian  Mountains--this segment is in private  hands.  There's a man sitting in a chair at either end.  Give him some  money and you can be on your way.   It's a beautiful road, but you need to be watchful for bicycles as they  far outnumber all the cars and motorcycles.
 

 
The Isar River is the classic blue-green color of all rivers fed by mountain  melt.
 

 
Austria
 
Achen See.  You can just see two ferries moving in opposite  directions.  Nearly all the lakes of the Alps have this wonderful color.   I should note that these are real lakes, not reservoirs (which is the only  type of lake that Kansas has).
 

 
The Inn River and Wiesing.  In a few minutes, I'll be down there,  and crossing the bridge over the river.
 

 
The Leogang Mountains.  It's hard not to be swiveling your head left and  right while riding through this valley.
 

 
Saalfelden, Austria.  My hotel is straight ahead.  Underground  parking is across the street.
 

 
 
 
   
 
The Steinernes Meer above the town cemetery.
 

 
   
 

 
I've not had Risotto Verde, before; it's good.  Aperol Spritz is  practically as common as water (at least in the Tyrol and Bavaria).
 
 
 
I am heading generally east and north, somewhat aiming for Bohemia.   But, mainly, I am staying off any road that looks like it might be busy.
 

 

 
Hallstatter See.  This was a good place for a rest break.
 

 
Traunsee.
 

 
When you reach the northern edge of the Austrian Alps, that's it; no more  Alps.  Look  behind you and you'll see mountains, rising up looking very formidable.   Look north, and you see this.
 

 
Hellmonsödt, Austria - north of Linz.  I took no photographs of my  transit through Linz, and I would have avoided it entirely if I only knew  how.  Riding is miserable: lots of traffic, lots of crazy drivers.  At the station, I  stepped into the little cafe and pulled out my map to figure out where I  should be going.  I'm very near Bohemia and decisions need to be made.   Which way to go...
 
 
 
This is Bad Leonfelden, Austria (just south of the Czech border), looking south.   It's a bit too hazy to see the Alps from here.
 

 
Vyšší Brod, Czechia on the Vitava River (called the Czech national river).   I had some notion of following the Vitava River (the English language uses the German name of “Moldau”, which is what the music by Bedřich Smetana is generally known by).  But, it's a meandering river and doesn't seem to have roads that follow its path, so I dropped that idea.
 

 
Český Krumlov, Czechia.
 
The red-and-white “you are here” target (photo, below) also happens to be the location  of my hotel.  There's been a great deal of restoration work that was  necessary after wars and years of neglect.  But, it now is one of the  major attractions of Bohemia.
 

 
Somehow I have this large accommodation, including two bedrooms, a kitchen  and a dining room.
 
 
 
Walking around the town.  This was once a royal city and it has a  very long history.
 
   
 
   
 
The Vitava River makes a tight loop and the city is therefore virtually an island.
 

 
Walk across the multi-level bridge (below, left) and you can take a nice  photograph of the town (above).
 
 
 
there are a few spillways on the river, but if you look to the side,  you'll see a longer “slide” that rafts and other small boats can safely  slide down.  You get used to the occasional screams from people doing  just that.  Maybe it seems scary if you're on a boat.
 

 
 
 
Riding near Vesce, Czechia.
 

[Daniel Kalal]

Rural Bohemia.  I am riding towards Jetětice, which is the hometown  of Jan (John), my great-grandfather.  In 1874 he left Bohemia as a  single man for a new life in Chicago.
 

 
It's land such as this that makes riding in Bohemia so enjoyable.   I've been through this area several times (though not this road).
 

 
The road into Jetětice, Czechia from the west.
 

 
Jan Kalal
 
born: Jetětice, Bohemia 1859
 
died: Cuba, Illinois 1928
 
I doubt that Jetětice is any larger than when Jan lived here some 149  years ago.
 
   
 
The small church has a memorial stone listing the names of people killed  in the 1914-1918 war, and the name Kalal is listed.  Related?   Probably.
 
   
 
A rural “farm experience” B&B is advertised, although I'm not at all sure  that it's still in operation.  The farm is known as the “Kalal Farm.”
 
I talked with the people living here and learned that this farm (just on  the edge of town) has always been known as the “Kalal Farm” and they've kept  that name although they are not of that family.  The name is not a  common one, so it's entirely possible--perhaps even likely--that this house  is where Jan (and many generations before him) once lived.  Even if  not, it's certain that other relations did.
 
 
 
Crossing the Vitava River--or at least a portion of the river that is now a  reservoir.
 

 
More of rural Bohemia.  Sometimes the roads I was on were not far  removed from being a dirt road, but the pavement never vanished completely,  even if things were a bit bumpy.
 

 
The old city of Benešov, Czechia.  This is another small  city that had a royal connection until things all fell apart after the first  world war.
 

 
Everything I carry is in that yellow duffle bag (below, right).  It has served me  for many years and has never let a drop of water inside.  That's my  hotel (below, left).
 
 
 
Walking around Na Karlově in the evening.
 
   
 
These are the remains of a church destroyed by Hussites (who also burned  the town).  You'll  need to read up on Central Europe history when travelling through Bohemia.
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
The Church of Saint Nicholas dates from the 1200s although these things  are built and rebuilt through the centuries.
 
 
 
   
 
Back to the roads I enjoy.
 

 
My great-grandmother, Antonette Benda, left her hometown of Radětice,  Bohemia in 1883, when she was just 19.  She married Jan in 1885 in  Chicago, which had a large Bohemian population.  Eventually, she moved  her entire family (but not including Jan) to central Montana, but that's  another story and another trip).
 
Radětice, Czechia.
 

 
Antonette (Benda) Kalal
 
born: Radětice, Bohemia 1863
 
died: Roy, Montana 1956
 
This is the house that Antonette live in before leaving for America.
 

 
Walking around Radětice.  I doubt things have changed all that much.   It remains a small and fairly isolated town.
 
   
 
The sculpture of the war memorial (photo, below) is also named “Benda.”   A distant relation of mine? I've no idea.
 
 
 
Hrad Kámen (Kámen, Czechia).
 

 
Looking across Záhumenní rybnik (that's the name of the pond) to Bohdalov, Czechia.   Kofola is quite popular around here.
 
 
 
Stopping at Žďár nad Sázavou, Czechia for the night.
 

 
My hotel is at the top of these stairs on a level that is above another  floor.  My room is in the attic, which oddly was the case on several  occasions on this trip--just keep your head down to avoid hitting the  ceiling.  Always, my laundry is done every evening.
 
   
 
The Sázava River flows through the center of town.
 

 
   
 
   
 
Bransky rybnik (this region of Bohemia has lots of ponds)
 

 
The bridge over Strzsky potok.
 

 
Konventsky rybnik.
 

 
 Žďár was founded along with a Cistercian Monastery in the mid-1200s, but  there have been a number of violent events in this area, and the town was  ransacked and burned by Sweden in 1645.
 
 The Poutní kostel svatého Jana Nepomuckého(Pilgrimage Church of St. John of Nepomuk) was built in 1720.   The Bohemian architect (Jan Santini) had some interesting ideas.
 
 There are plenty of steps to get to the top of the hora (hill).
 

 
An aerial view (taken from Google) gives a better idea of the shape.
 

 

 
I took the tour even though it was entirely in Czech; I mostly looked  around.
 
 
 

 
It's a warm day, and I'm sitting down outside the walls of the church.
 

 
Riding through the hills of Bohemia.
 

 
Stínava, Czechia taking a break near a brook.
 
 
 
It's a pleasant bench, and I'm glad somebody took the time to put it here.
 

 
Olomouc, Czechia was once the capital of Moravia.
 

 
My hotel is the yellow building with the tunnel.  I parked the  motorcycle in the inner courtyard.  Again, my room is in the attic.
 

 
I'll note that lodging in Bohemia (and Moravia) is far less expensive  than nearby Austria or Germany.  I've got two rooms and a full kitchen  for a third the cost of a Holiday Inn Express in the U.S.--and the included  breakfast is far better, too.  Just keep your head down when walking  near the walls.
 
 
 
The pinwheels spin in the breeze.
 

 
The historic city center remains.
 

 
The Holy Trinity Column was built in 1716 in gratitude for the end of the  plague.  It was built by Olomouc craftsmen.
 
 
 
 
 
I've always been nervous riding a motorcycle next to tram rails.
 

 
 
 
The Bečvou River near Teplice nad Bečvou, Czechia.
 

 
Slovakia
 

 
I am riding through northern Slovakia and the Kremnica Mountains.  It's  a beautiful area that evidently isn't visited that much.
 

 

 
Bobrov, Slovakia.  I've stopped here (near the border) to pull out  my map and figure out my next step.
 
 
 
Poland
 
The Tatras Mountains in the distance.  These mark the northwest end  of the larger Carpathian Mountains.  There are few roads that go  through the mountains, you've got to go around them.
 

 
Zakopane, Poland (in the old kingdom of Galicia) is a popular town for  winter sports, but as you can see, it's still pretty popular in the fall, too.
 

 
Solid log buildings are very common.  That's my hotel, and yes, I am  in the attic.
 
 
 
 
 
The glass building (below) is a restaurant for people who like to be  seen.
 
 
 
Below is the upper balcony of the dining room within my hotel.
 
 

[Daniel Kalal]

Auschwitz-Birkenau Former German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp.
 
I've been near this part of Poland a few times already, but owing to  weather or my schedule, I never stopped at Auschwitz.  I made the  effort  on this trip.
 
There is no central museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau, no visitor center such  as you might see at other historical places.  It wouldn't make sense.   Guided tours are run frequently and in many languages (and groups can be  accommodated, as well).
 
For disheartenly reasons, security at the entrance is similar to what you'll  see at an airport.  And further, certain speech and behavior is  prohibited.  Photography is allowed, but there are small areas where  that, too, is prohibited.  I never saw anybody behave badly.
 
 
 
It's important to understand the development of Auschwitz.  The  walking tour first covers Auschwitz 1, and then moves to Auschwitz 2.   The first camp was built on the location of an existing military base for  the Polish Army and started as a forced labor camp (similar to the Dachau  concentration camp), the second is far larger, and marked the transition of  Auschwitz-Birkenau from a labor camp into a full extermination  camp--a modern factory for killing.
 
Auschwitz-Birkenau is the largest of all the German Nazi concentration  and extermination centers.
 

 
 
 
Our tour guide has a microphone around her neck, and all of us have been given  headphones.  There are many groups within hearing, so this method is ideal  to avoid shouting and confusion from hearing a mixture of languages.
 

 
The gallows for hanging Rudolf Höss can be seen in the first photo  (below) to the right of the guard tower.  Höss was the commandant of  the entire facility.
 
  
 
 Initially during the existance of the camp, everybody entering was noted and photographed and  detailed records  were kept.  Eventually, the numbers were so overwhelming that the  practice was stopped--or at least they stopped taking photographs.
 
 
 
The photo (below, right) shows the place for executions.  These were not  ceremonial executions done in a military way--it's a place to fire a bullet, and  move on to the next.
 
 
 
An enormous pile of eye-glasses followed by a pile of equipment used by  survivors of the first world war.
 
 
 
Household pots and pans and the suitcases that people brought with them.   The majority came from Poland, but endless trains brought people from all  of Europe.
 
 
 
Shoes.  Everything that was brought was taken from them immediately  after the trains arrived.  When they first boarded in their home  country, they were told that  they were being relocated to a remote town to separate them from the rest of  Europe--they needed to pack.  They were brought here, instead.
 

 
Empty, used canisters of Zyklon B.
 
 
 
The single gas chamber at Auschwitz 1 was something of a prototype for  the much larger ones built at Auschwitz 2 (which each held three times more than  this one).
 
 
 
The ovens are next to the large room where the pellets are dropped  through the ceiling vents.
 
  
 
A special bus takes us to the far larger facility of Auschwitz 2.
 

 
I'm standing within the camp, looking to the entrance that trains from  all over Europe would roll through.  This was a very busy place.   Those healthy and strong enough to be capable of becoming laborers in the nearby factories, were separated.   The rest (including the children) were immediately taken to the chambers.
 

 
The buildings of Auschwitz 2 were not built to a high standard.  Most of the wooden  buildings have been lost, while some of the masonry remains.  Expansion of  the camp was continuing up until nearly the end of the war.
 

 
One of the animal cars (below, left) of the type that was used.   Trains came from as far away as Greece (several days journey), so it's  expected that when the doors were opened, many had already died.
 
 
 
 
 
The gas chambers were destroyed by the fleeing Germans as the advancing Soviet  Army reached Auschwitz.
 

 
 
 
A memorial.  The plaque is repeated in each of the languages of  those who were killed here--over twenty languages.
 
 
 

 
Oświęcim, Poland.  This is the actual Polish name for what  the Germans called Auschwitz.
 
My GPS works the entire day on just two rechargeable AA batteries,  but that's while using just the reflective screen--no back light.  I rarely  ride at night, so that's hardly ever a problem.  But, this evening's  late arrival to my downtown hotel after touring the camps was a bit more challenging.
 

 
This hotel was pretty much identical to what you might find at any other  Hampton Inn in the United States.  Kind of boring, but nice enough.   There are not many choices in Oświęcim.
 
 
 
Sierakowice, Poland at the church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. These  old all-wood churches last hundreds of years.  The underlying structure  is made from large timber.
 

 
Near Kozielska, Poland.  The hills and mountains of Bohemia and Moravia  give way to vast prairies (now, farmland), of course.
 

 
Wierzch, Poland.
 

 
Riding across southern Poland, and looking south towards the hills of  Bohemia.
 

 
Kudowa-Zdrój, Poland.  This a longtime spa town, with water that  will apparently do wonderous things for you.
 

 
My hotel (bottom, left) and room (with no decoration, whatsoever).
 
 
 
People came from all over Europe to recover from an illness or just to relax.   I suppose they still do, and for the same reasons.  It's a lovely town.
 
 
 
 
 
Running water for you to drink.
 
 
 
A list of curative powers of the water (below, right).
 
 
 
I used the translator in my phone to talk with the desk lady.  I was  confused about turning at the “lady-bug” to get to the parking area, and  when I repeated her words back to her, she seemed baffled that she had said  such a thing.  But, when I saw this sign (below) I understood.   Clearly, the translation back and forth wasn't making sense to either of us.
 
The guard dog was sounding quite fierce, but he was nice enough once I  talked to him.  When I put my helmet on, he reverted to being fierce,  again.
 
   
 
Czechia
 
Lanžov, Czechia,  I'm back in Bohemia.
 

 
 Hořice, Czecia.  Time for a break and a chance to read the  map.  Where am I going, exactly?
 

 
 
 
The view looking out the window from my table.
 

 
Hobšovice, Czechia is down in that low valley, next to a stream.
 

 
Hořovičky, Czechia for another look at the map, while sitting next to this  statue.
 
Joseph II was King of Bohemia (and the Holy Roman Empire) from 1780 to  1790 and was evidently quite popular in Bohemia as a reformer (he abolished  serfdom among other good things).
 

 
Karlovy Vary, Czechia is one of the major spas in Europe.  In  English, it's known as Carlsbad (which is where the towns of that name in  the U.S. get their name).
 
Hotels are everywhere.  Parking is  an entirely different  thing.  Luckliy, I'm on a motorcycle, which makes the thing a little  easier.
 

 
My hotel (below).
 
 
 
 
 
The water in the Teplá River is full of minerals.  Drink it; bathe in  it.  It will do you good.  At least, that's what is said.
 
 
 
You might recognize this hotel from the Daniel Craig James Bond movie “Casino.”
 

 

 
Teplá (means “warm”) River - flows to Karlovy Vary,
 

 
Beautiful roads; a lovely area to ride.
 

 

 

 
Trstěnice, Czechia.
 

 

 
Germany
 
Schedlhof, Germany.  I am keeping well away from the Autobaun, or  anything remotely like an autobaun.
 

[Daniel Kalal]

Plößberg, Germany .
 

 
Eichstätt, Germany for the night.
 

 
I arrived in pouring rain.  After wearing the overpants of this  riding suit last year, I knew I needed to bring a pair of suspenders for  this trip.  Having a belt over a belt is a bother.  So, I packed  these durable  Carhart suspenders for the trip.
 
   
 
These men continued working on the sidewalk pavers, even though the rain hardly stopped.   My room is above a cafe and bakery.
 
 
 
The town has a very old (a thousand years) connection to the Benedictine Abbey  of St. Walburga, which remains to this day.
 
 
 

 
 
 
Sad to think about it, but “witches” were once dunked in this river.
 

 
 
 
Stopping at Nersingen, Germany for benzin, kaffee and a hörnchen.
 

 
Heufelden, Germany
 

 
Riedlingen, Germany.
 

 
The Donau River--you'll know it as the Danube.
 

 
Hettingen, Germany for the night.  This was one of the few days when  I had a little trouble finding a place to stay.  For whatever reason,  things were full.
 

 
I stayed at Gasthof Adler.
 
 
 
The view of the church, just out my window.  I quickly got used to the  bells.
 
 
 

 
A walk around Hettingen.
 
   
 
   
 
Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany.  I parked on the side of the road and  walked up this hill...
 

 
...and in the distance, I can see the Swiss Alps.  I am not too far from  Switzerland.
 

 
Switzerland
 
Thayngen, Switzerland.  It's a very quiet border corssing.  The  flag is not flying, and nobody is here.  I did stop in Schaffhausen for a  Swiss vignette to allow me to ride the major roads.  I didn't need it at the  beginning of the trip (or at any rate, nobody noticed), but on the way back, I'd  likely be on at least a couple of motorways.  While Austria lets you buy a sticker  good for ten days, Switzerland says you need to buy one for the entire  year.  Sigh...
 
 
 
Weiningen, Switzerland is the hometown of Henry Hug (spelled Haug at the time).  Henry is the father of Julius and Julius is the father of my grandmother.  Henry came to America in 1859, settling first in Utah, and then in 1879 the entire family moved to northwest.
 
Henry Hug
 
born: Weiningen, Switzerland 1829
 
died: Elgin, Oregon 1902
 

 
I looked for things that were likely here when Henry lived here.   The well, the church, the community building.
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
The speaker is labled “Haug” and possibly would connect me to a distant  relative.  I did not press it.
 
   
 
Hallwilersee.  Sidenote: In 1938, Sir Malcom Campbell set a world  record for a boat of 210.67 kmh on this lake.
 

 
Ermensee, Switzerland off on the side of the far hill.
 

 
Beromünster, Switzerland.
 

 
Once again, my room is in the attic.  By now, I'm even ducking my  head when my room is not in an attic.  In this room, just ducking my  head was not good enough.
 
 
 
 
 
St. Michael's monastery is in Beromünster.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
I'm only a kilometer from the small town of Eriswil, Switzerland.
 

 
Eriswil, Switzerland is where Anna Muller was born and lived as a girl.   Anna became the wife of Henry (we just met him).  She left Switzerland for  America around 1859, which is where she met Henry.  Anna is my  great-great-grandmother.
 
Anna (Muller) Hug
 
born: Eriswil, Switzerland 1836
 
died: Elgin, Oregon 1934
 
This fountain is mentioned in her written remembrances of life in Eriswil.
 

 
 
 

 
The small stream runs through the town.  Anna would have known it,  well.
 

 
A walk around Eriswil
 
   
 
   
 
   
 

 
The Panoramastrasse threads through the Emmental Alps.  It's a wonderful  road, but don't expect much space for oncoming cars to pass you, and do  expect some pretty tight turns.
 

 
These mountains are not as high as the Alps you might know, but they're plenty  scenic.
 

 

 
Glaubenbielenpass.  When there is no center stripe, you'd best be  wary approaching turns for oncoming cars.  Buses and trucks are not allowed,  so you shouldn't need to worry about them.
 

 
I am descending to Lake Sarnen.  This is one of the nicest roads.
 

 
Crossing the Simme River.
 

 
Entering Rougemont, Switzerland as the rain begins to come down.   Soon it will be pouring, but by then, I'll be dry and inside.
 

 
And yes, my room is in the attic.  I'll try not to hit my head, but  I seem to do it anyway (and too often).
 
 
 
Rüeblihorn (mountain) in the Bernese Alps as seen from Rougemont when the  clouds clear a bit.
 

 
The church was built in the 11th century as a convent.  It has been  protestant since 1555, and its current appearance likely dates from then.
 
 
 
I like appreciate that the tree was not removed.
 

 
 
 
Dinner in the restaurant across the street.  You will notice the dog under the table.   That's a pretty common thing.
 

 
   
 
Montrose, Switzerland (on Lake Geneva).  I've been on this motorway  that follows the north shore of the lake many times; perhaps, on some future  trip, I'll stop here longer than to just take a picture.
 

 
Stopping at the Coop Pronto Shop near Agarn, on the Rhône River.   This full tank will take me the distance to Mandell del Lario, Italy.
 

 
You cannot be in Switzerland and not have a bottle of Rivella.  It's  a Swiss thing.
 
 
 
I'm making the long climb up the northern side of the Alps that separates  Switzerland from Italy.  I'm keeping an eye on the weather as it's  forecast to be troublesome.
 

 
Riding through Simplonpass.  This is one of the easier routes over the  Swiss Alps.
 

 
Barralhouse (as it is known) at Simplonpass was built for a missionary society, but now is  owned and still used by the Swiss Army (although there doesn't seem to be any  sign that anybody is home).
 

 
Italy
 
I really, really do not like stopping to pay the toll on the Autostrada.   Some sections (in Lombardia) have electronic tolling, which requires you to log  into an account and pay your toll.  If you don't, they're find you  eventually (as I've found out on a previous trip).
 

[Daniel Kalal]

I am back in Mandello del Lario, Italy with my first stop (after unpacking at  Agostini Moto Guzzi) at the gelato shop next to the lake.  I've been  riding in very heavy rain for the last two hours, so it's nice to be off the  bike.
 
As always, I'm staying at Mamma Ciccia's B&B.  It's the unquestioned  (by me)  best place to stay in Mandello.
 
  
 
Lake Como in the evening.  “The most beautiful lake in the world”
 

 
Waiting for the southbound train in Mandello, with one last look at the  Moto Guzzi factory: “you did a good job, guys.”
 
 
 
My hotel in Milano is across the street from the Milano Central station.   There are virtually no signs for it, and I twice walked by it.
 
 
 
The view of the station out my window.  Nice; I am not in the attic this  time.
 

 
The Milano Duomo on the plazza.
 

 
 
 
The original galleria...
 

 
...and inside.
 

 

 
This is a high-end shopping district for all sorts of things (from shoes  to stoves).  I bought nothing.
 
   
 
   
 
One of the cooks using a trash can (?) to shoo a bird out of the cafe.   I was sitting outside, so the bird didn't bother me.
 
   
 
The view out the window the next morning from the breakfast room of my hotel.
 

 
I walked the short distance back to the station, and up  those stairs...
 

 
...where I waiting for the express train to the Malpensa Airport.
 
 
 
Mont Blanc from the airport window.
 

 
Waiting in the lounge and the boarding my flight that will take me back to  Chicago where I'll catch the next flight home.
 
 
 
Crossing over the Italian Alps as we pass into France.  The windows on  the 787 have electric dimmers, which really messes with digital cameras.  In  color, this view is seen by the camera as bright green.
 

 
Illinois
 
Waiting in the lounge of Chicago's O'Hare for the late night flight.
 

 
It has been a wonderful trip: many roads I'd never ridden (the red dots,  below), and lots of new places to  see.
 

 
The new Guzzi V100 Mandello did a great job, too, with the exception of a  clunky and reluctant  transmission that reminded me of the old 5-speed Moto Guzzi box.  If that's  corrected, the bike will be nearly perfect.

[AJ Huff]

He still exists! Wonderful photo essay. Thanks!

-AJ

[StuCorpe]

A very nice trip report.  Thank you for sharing your phots with us.   

[bmc5733946]

Thank you Daniel for sharing your experiences with us. Your adventures never cease to amaze me.

Brian

[Tusayan]

What a great trip!  Thanks for writing it up so thoroughly.

Oddly enough my direction was roughly similar this year, with the furthest east point being the Tatra Mountains.  Hadn’t ever been so far east before.

On a previous trip I too stayed at the Hotel Romance in Karlovy Vary… July 2018 it says here.  As I recall the breakfast was out of this world, one of the best if not the best I’ve had anywhere.

The ‘problem’ with Mamma Ciccia is that she’s been so successful that she’s putting people in nearby apartments, some distance from the hotel and dining room itself.  Although not so far from the lakefront ice cream in my experience, which is significant compensation 

Thanks again for the write up.  I’m looking at airline ticket prices for spring 2024 and some encouragement is helpful 

[Tom H]

As usual, thank you very much

Tom

[chrisfer]

A very beautiful and pleasant description of your trip full of history, thank you 

[Nick]

Thank you Daniel 

[LowRyter]

thanks Daniel

[Moparnut72]

Wonderful travelogue. Thanks. I hate to say it but this kind of reinforces my belief that the US is becoming a 3rd world country. I am amazed how clean everything is over there. Unfortunately I will probably never be able to visit.
The transmission on my V100 is pretty crude shifting between the first three gears also. Hoping it gets better with more mileage.
kk

[Guzzistajohn]

Awesome as usual Daniel!

[Daniel Kalal]

The transmission on my V100 is pretty crude shifting between the first three gears, also.

On the second day of the trip, I dug into the dash menu and turned the "quick-shifter" OFF.  That helped quite a bit, although it didn't do anything for the stationary neutral-to-1st clunk.  The guys at Agostini expect that Guzzi will ultimately need to take care of the issue in the design.  And, by the way, that menu system has some odd bits:  certain fundamental settings cannot be reached when you are in "tour mode" but are available in "sport mode" even though the riding mode has nothing to do with it.

[Moparnut72]

Here I am again diverting from the main topic. I don't think I have tried changing functions in the sport mode but I don't think it will work there either, maybe not, I will have to check. I don't have the quick shifter on mine but it is pretty notchy. When I first got it I wasn't able to shift into neutral from 2nd or 1st stopped. It would after a couple of hundred miles but only when the engine is warmed up, still the same at 500+ miles. Due to domestic requirements I haven't been able to ride much. My wife broke her leg at work so I have been chief cook and bottle washer. Again wonderful pictures, I still can't get over how clean and neat everything is. Also there seems to be more interest in the beauty of everything from infrastructure to food and everything in between. 
kk

[Daniel Kalal]

I too stayed at the Hotel Romance in Karlovy Vary… July 2018 it says here.  As I recall the breakfast was out of this world, one of the best if not the best I’ve had anywhere.

That is a remarkable coincidence (considering how many choices there are in that town).  Did you park in the "motorcycle parking" out back, supported 20 feet up?  Yes, the breakfast spread was exceptional as was the dinner in the hotel the evening before.

[rocker59]

Epic! As usual.   

[kingoffleece]

Yet again.  Fantastic report.  Thank you!

[Chuck in Indiana]

Well, *of course* you got the attic room.  After all, you were the tallest guy in the area..
Thanks for a wonderful essay. My days of wanderlust are over, but I still enjoy *very much* following your trips. I thought my grandmother had seen a lot from coming to Indiana in a covered wagon to visiting one of her daughters in D.C. on a jet.. but your great grandmother no doubt has her beat. 
Thanks again.. it was awesome. 

[jacksonracingcomau]

Superb, pictures and story, thank you, Daniel.
My 2c
1/ I truly believed Bohemia was a state of mind and thought, perhaps even dress but not actually a place. I have even been accused(accoladed?) of being a bohemian, now I know one , or at least one descended from such, good onya.
2/ V100 gearbox with quick shifter changed my view on concept of quickshifters, truly brilliant, new thread started to discuss
3/ Any time you get to Oz, please contact me, no need to hire bike, I have a few.

[chrisfer]

Superb, pictures and story, thank you, Daniel.
My 2c
1/ I truly believed Bohemia was a state of mind and thought, perhaps even dress but not actually a place. I have even been accused(accoladed?) of being a bohemian, now I know one , or at least one descended from such, good onya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmrUeGogRbI

[jacksonracingcomau]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmrUeGogRbI

Merci

[Chuck in Indiana]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmrUeGogRbI

Awesome..

[pebra]

Wonderful, Daniel, many thanks!

A trip I've been thinking of, but which I would probably never come around to realize - now I know what I'm missing!

[Texas Turnip]

Your trips along with the pictures and writing continue to enlighten me.
Many thanks.
Tex

[PJPR01]

A great write up again for all of us to enjoy...thank you for the details along the way.  I hope that you also do videos for posterity or a Youtube channel at some point.

There are a few really good ones going at the moment, and yours would be fantastic to watch also. 

 

[Gliderjohn]

Thank you for another wonderful tour.
GliderJohn

[Tusayan]

That is a remarkable coincidence (considering how many choices there are in that town).  Did you park in the "motorcycle parking" out back, supported 20 feet up?  Yes, the breakfast spread was exceptional as was the dinner in the hotel the evening before.

I remember parking being an issue, and leaving the bike outside across the street in whatever spot was available.  Everything was on a slope, as you’ll remember!  Loading in the morning was equally an adventure, but by then we had the best breakfast ever on board so overall the Romance Hotel in Karlovy Vary is a good memory.

The hotel was 5 years ago a mixture of wonderful (breakfast) and ‘not enough money to update from socialist hospitality circa 1985’.  Somehow we scored a room above the entrance with balcony and flag, so my wife and I felt like visiting dignitaries regardless.