O.k., just after the big Europe trip I was able to sneak away for a couple of days. I paid for the lack of sleep, travel and too much play with a big cold after the trip. But it was great to get away to the desert with Chris, his family and all his riding friends. Lots of wind, too much wind, sand in everything. Incredible riding. I need to go back. Hopefully, sometime we'll bring Sarah out with a Fourwheeler to ride.
Great scenery
Sand Dunes are in the background (click for full size)
Third day home and I have some time to put up some pictures. (It is 4:00 am in the morning here with my jet lag) What a great trip. Salzburg, Marlborghetto/Tarvisio, Palauro, Santa Croce, Venice, Vienna and Passau. We saw a lot and it seemed that we were gone for 3 months. Incredible hospitality from Titziana and family in Marlborghetto, Sonja in Palauro, the Sosic clan in Santa Croce, Robi and Alessandra in Jesolo and of course Kriszta and Herbert in Vienna.
Waiting for the plane, we at first were charged $250 to take our bikes, but then it looks like it ended up being free. They never charged us.
Upgraded for free at Car rental to little Volvo car. We arrived early and they said they were out of our cheap rental, so we were upgraded for free!
Salzburg (but a bit cold and cloudy in Europe this year)
We bought the "Salzburg card" where you could take all the trams, buses and free entry into museums for two days. This was at Mozart's birthplace.
Up on the Untersberg mountain near Salzburg, free ride up the tram, snow up top
Rotten ski lift (red in German), just across the border near Berchtesgarden
A white Smurf before the Salt Mine Tour near Hallein Austria
On the way up to Terra Rosso (click for full size) Sarah and Titziana
Then we went to Marlborghetto in Italy. Climbing Terra Rosso near Tarvisio
Stambecchi
Doing some Ferrata routes (with cables), don't fall (who is the bald guy?)
Little Stambecchi on the trail, you could go up and pet them on the head
Titziana and Sarah on the mountain
more meat
90th anniversary of the end of WWI, commemoration on a mountain pass -CLICK TO ENLARGE- beautiful and sobering
At Rifugo Corsi near Tarvisio
Outside the "hut"
The Gardner at Sonja's house
Annie gives Chris a bib to eat. Grazie per tutto a Lasko Pivo!
Martin and Roberta family, they are busy with the kids
Trying different grappas
Non lo so, che sta facendo Stojan
Sarah and Matejcheck
Sarah and Alex
Chris shows the girls how to swing in Repen, always wear un casco
Sarah and Valentina
Having a coffee and yucky drink at the Marina bar. They made me drink something that they use to clean the paint off of boats.
They try to take your picture at all the tourist places so and we do our best to ruin the photo each time. This is at the famous Postojna cave on the train. It was an absolutely incredible cave tour.
Predjamski Grad near Postojna, Slovenia
Biking on the canals near Jesolo
Dinner with Robi and Alessandra
Loud, obnoxious American in Venice
This is where all the lost luggage from the airlines ends up, floating on a Mafia boat in Venice
Biking on the Donau (Danube river)
Biking along the Donau (Danube) Thank you Kristza for the jacket!
Here is a video of Herbert demonstrating "Robi" the automatic lawn mowing machine. It is crazy.
hungry Eating in Hungary Thank you Herbert and Kriszta, your hospitality was incredible!
Schornbrunn Vienna real close to Kriszta and Herbert's house
100s of fancy paper weights that Herbert Kafka would love to buy (in Passau)
Biking across a dam on the Donau (Danube)
Biking on the Donau near Passau Germany
Prices in Europe? $7 dollar roll of tape to box up the bikes. Gas was $7.50-8.00 per gallon.
Passau organ concert movie
No European trip without a cigarette machine Buy Symbol "PM" Phillip Morris International today!
It has been cold and rainy lately but finally some sun this Saturday. A bit of snow on the upper peaks around Vail and in Colorado. We don't want summer to end. It was way too short this year.
Some friends up near Minturn needed help with putting hay in the barn for the winter. Sarah couldn't make it, although she enjoys being a country girl for a few hours.
Sarah, Cindy, Beth and Debra did a benefit ride to help raise money to fight breast cancer this past weekend in Aspen, Colorado. They all road 100 miles in about 6 hours 30 minutes riding time and 7 hours and 45 minutes total time with stops and rest. Chris only road the first 30 miles or so with the climbs. He was sick and therefore drove the support vehicle. They didn't need much support. Sorry, but we didn't get any pictures of them riding. Only a few photos of Cindy and Sarah when they were all finished. Taken with the camera phone.
The first two climbs were pretty tough. 1720 feet (520meters) the first 10 miles and then another 1867 feet (565meters) starting at mile 20. Then they had more climbing after that!
Brian and Chris taking a break
Great scenery
Sand Dunes are in the background (click for full size)
Maggie the dog digging for chimpmunks
Messy camp
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