Everybody comes to Rick's

While there is a Vespa mechanic in every small town (ours is just a few klicks away) Harley Davidson dealers are a bit hard to find in our area. So, my mission for today was to visit Rick's, the closest dealership, and yet about 70km away.

Our buddy F. was kind enough to loan Roland his white Vespa GTS300 again, and the three of us rode up to inspect the dealership. I talked to Philippe, one of their consultants, and after checking my Sportster's VIN he came up with a list of things that will need to be changed to get the German TÜV (vehicle inspection) approval.

The "German Upgrade" will definitely punch a big hole in my wallet: Lights and indicators are suddenly no good, and the exhaust system will definitely fail the emission test. All extra mounted parts must be OEM with certificate (which I can't provide...), hence, they will likely have to be removed. So, as long as I don't win the lottery or find a money tree to harvest the project of getting the Sporty on the road will have to be postponed...

On my ride home I was weeping on the inside, and the sky opened its flood gates right on cue.

The view was gone.

The aftermath of a ride in the rain.

I don't know how, but I am going to make it work. The Sportster will be back on the road one day.

***

Jeder kommt zu Rick's.

Vespa-Händler und Roller-Reparaturwerkstätten gibt es bei uns an jeder Gießkanne. Das Netz der Harley Davidson Händler ist leider nicht so eng gestrickt und so musste ich bis ins 70km entfernte Baden-Baden, um mich mal über die Zulassungsvorschriften meiner Sportster zu informieren. Frank, unser guter Geist aus Offenburg lieh Roland wieder seine weiße Vespa und so rollerten wir zu dritt ins Cruiser-Paradies. Keiner machte uns an, als wir von unseren Rollern stiegen und die Beratung bei Rick's war exquisit. Leider müssen Auspuffanlage und Lampen gewechselt werden, da diese nicht EU konform sind, aber mit einer neuen Tröte hatte ich sowieso geliebäugelt. Also wird die Nachrüstung und Zulassung der Harley möglich, aber nicht ganz billig sein. Im Portemonnaie schmerzt es am meisten. Wahrscheinlich wird meine Sporty es wohl dieses Jahr nicht mehr auf die Straße schaffen, aber man wird sehen...

A Flying Visit of Baden-Baden

Our mission was to find something ugly in the beautiful Black Forest. So we thought a visit of another bigger city in the area might help: And we picked Baden-Baden. Nestled in the foothills it's not a big city per say, with a population of 55,000 give or take, and it's a Spa town with Roman roots (of course!).

We were surprised to find a lot of intact old architecture downtown, and learned that the French allies prevented the bombing of the city in WWII, as they were planning in setting up their headquarters here.

River Oos flows through the Lichtensteiner Allee, a green oasis in the heart of Baden-Baden.

Baden-Baden has a lovely pedestrian zone with lots of cafes, bistros and restaurants, you definitely notice the French influence, which isn't a bad thing.

There were painted horses all over the place. It reminded us of Calgary where they had an exhibition of colourful cows, and Vancouver where Orcas were the theme.

We had a quick glance at the Trinkhalle (pump house) which is part of the spa complex. It is said that its water has healing powers. The arcade is decorated with frescos showing heroes and nude females.

A nymph (female, naked) on the left and a knight (male, dressed) in shining armor on the right. It is never the other way round...

 More legalized porn...

 Casino Park

 Casino with culinary festivities in front.

It became a bit too crowded for our taste, and we had a crave for regional food. Our desires were satisfied to the max in the nice ambience of the restaurant in the Atlantic Parkhotel bordering on river Oos.

 A delicious chanterelle salad for the lady, and steak for the man. Needless to say, it was delish!

Baden-Baden made it very high on our list of great German cities today. It certainly won't be our last visit, and it's merely an hour away.

We haven't succeeded in finding something ugly in the area, well maybe one thing: A construction zone stretching 43km (!) along highway A5 with nerve wrecking speed limits and a challenging obstacle course... it even has its own homepage.

Baden-Baden, we will be back!

The Witch Hole Project

With a couple of hours to spare I saddled Alonzo, my orange Vespa GTS300 SuperSport and headed South towards Hexenloch-Mühle (Witch Hole Mill), a popular trip destination in the High Black Forest.

Aside from the usual scenic byways TomTom offered me some very nice sweepers today. I was in motorcycle scooter heaven.

The best part of the trip was the final stretch to the mill leading along a river through a narrow canyon. What a treat!

Although tourist season is still in full force, I didn't encounter a lot of traffic, mostly other motorized or pedal powered two wheelers.

The mill restaurant welcomes bikers, and offers a homestyle menu for meat eaters. There is a rumor that their Schnitzel is to die for. Next time I am going to bring hubby along for him to try it out.

The mill wheels are still spinning. In the olden days they powered a saw, now they provide energy for the restaurant and shop housed in the building.

Alas, I never found out, why this location has been dubbed 'witch hole', though. I suspect it was merely a name chosen by clever Black Forest marketeers to attract bypassing travelers. It certainly worked on me...

On my way back I chose to ride the crests of hills and mountains, and just let it roll. The view was a bit obstructed by hazy conditions, but it was lovely just the same.

Another great little foray through my new homeland.

Alonzo can't get enough of the lonely single track roads.

***

Zur Hexenlochmühle.

So ein Name macht neugierig und so fuhr ich - wie immer auf Nebenstraßen - Richtung Südosten. TomTom, mein Navi machte seinen Job heute besonders gut. Göttliche Kurven und exzellenter Straßenbelag, kein Wunder, dass diese Gegend als Motorradparadies bezeichnet wird. Über dem Fahrgenuss vergesse ich ganz das Fotografieren und finde mich alsbald im Tal des Heubach wieder. Steile, enge Schluchten, ein tosender Wildbach und steile Kurven. Was für eine tolle Strecke! An der Mühle angekommen finde ich zwar nichts über die Herkunft des unheimlichen Namens heraus, aber dafür um so mehr über die Mühle, heute ein populärer Ausflugsort für Zwei- und Vierräder. Mein Rückweg führte über Höhenwege. Leider war es zu diesig für spektakuläre Panoramabilder, aber die Sträßchen waren Genuss pur.