Nurburgring to the god of speed

World Super bikes at the Ring this weekend, 4/9/09, so Friday i headed up the Autobahn to one of the worlds oldest race tracks Nurburgring. built 1920s around the medieval castle of Nurburg in the Eifel (i-fel) region 100ks from Cologne, the town of Nurburg is still in the middle of the track.
Aprilia racing box,

the Ducati box

the track from the main grandstand and the end of the main straight, and its raining. But sun in the distance, with bikes on the track,

in the back of the pits,

The castle in the back ground, the main track is 28.8 ks long around the castle, this is the grand prix end.

looking back at the main straight.

can you get your knee on the ground on a wet track

its a great track, but for spectators Phillip island is a much better view of the track most of this track is hidden from view, with a large distance to the track, and if you get to low there is a 3 mt frence to keep you back so it hard to take pics thru it.

ride to Wien. part 1

We left Traismauen with 70 ks to Wien, but I got us lost and added 6 extra ks to the trip. Riding was a bit quite this morning. They have these small shops on the bike paths just for bikers, this is a family holiday, there were small kids in carts being pulled, some in dinky seats and some riding there own bikes, we stopped for a welcome drink it looked a bit like rain. this is the only photo i took on the last day,s riding. The books said it was a boring ride and it was you just follow the Donau till Wien, its flat and getting busy,
But when we got to Wien what to take a photo off once we got there. And then what to put in the blog, we had most of the afternoon, and all next day to look around and the hotel was out of the city, but very close to the underground, so after showers to the city sight seeing. the size of the buildings is huge,

We did a Guided tour of the Royal Opera House, it is vast and lavish, it has 9 days a year without a show,

back stage looking out, 2000 workers full time.

just a small section out the front.

all the great composer's have a statue,

More Coffee and Cake at Vavaldi house. which is a famous hotel and restaurant,

Just what to take a pic off,

Really is a must is a 1 hour carriage tour of the city the guide/driver tells you when where and who did it where and when to who. 90 Eruo for the hour about $140 Aus.

The Riding School.

us looking very smug

The art Gallery's. there are 2 big main gallery's in Wien for the masters, and they are big and they are the same construction design on opposite side of a huge court yard, we went for the paintings. this marble statue is at the first level of the stairs, its big must be 4 mts high

a bit more of the stairs to the art works,

And the paintings are huge, A whole room of Rubins, just great you can take pics so i did, but which to put here not sure still. this painting was big 5 mt X 2.5 mts

This is the other gallery, across the court yard, on the spire is a figure each building is different a man /women we are in the women. see below.

65 horse carriages operate in the city.

the riding school, they were on summer holidays(bugger)

The man building

modern art in the underground.

more coming on Wien,

day 5 Persenbeug to Traismauer (flat , up and down)

The Days forecast was for sun, cloud and rain it was 8.30am and we were leaving Persenbeug for our longest day ride about 70 ks, we still like each other, but beginning to dislike the bikes, tomorrow we ride to Wien, we study our maps and tip books at night for the next day (Annette did as she reads them better than me) on what to see. and which route to take as we were riding in the the mountains again and the wine region of the Donau (Don-you).
We had ridden 15 ks along flats around the bend the mountains start and every hill had a castle or to me it seems like it.

This is the first of a sprinkle big fat rain drops, we were so lucky with the weather went sun-screen, rain (morning tea) back to sun screen and then a storm we were safe in a church, and the heaven open up, i was lucky i had a coat and hat,

another old fortress,

We had lunch here at Splitz under this fortress.

the church of Splitz, vines behind

We were in the wine region, fruit trees, the main street of St Michael, we rode on 6.5ks thru the vines to Weissenkichen to catch the ferry to the other side, and the have a 2 hour lunch break, (quite normally) so in to a cafe for cake and coffee, and it poured down, 2.00 ferry starts we are heading to Durnstain (see a Church)

The Abby at Durnstein,

The Abby and a old fortress above you can still see part of the wall that went around the fortress and down the hill.

the outside of the Abby. the river is behind us and we are on the balcony,

the sanctuary of the church, Abby in this case. We were watching this storm come thru the valley towards us for a while, it was thundering its coming.

the one thing you need is a very good camera, we saw people with a 50$ thing trying to take pictures of vast colours in not very good light, i have a Fijifilm S2000HD and i have read the big book with it, it had remote control shooting its a must if you want pictures of both of you,

The sky went black with rain clouds, wind lighting and thunder right above us. and did it rain for 20 mins and then the sun came back, with the small floods must have had 25mm of rain or more

inside the Abby chapel it is very big not as fancy as some we have seen, As i am now becoming quite educated on the papal thingy having seen many, many in my travels.

on the top of the hill is a huge Abby

these were not ripe eating grape bit sour,

day 3 Linz to Perg.

Linz to Perg 65 ks the main square in Linz, a very large city, endless old building.

still in the city square, we were heading for the Abbey of St. Florian 15 ks away.

the ceilings of Saint Florian is great art work,

sorry in linz

i seem to have a lot of ceiling painting pics my neck is getting sore

the paints are vast and big,

it was nice to get out of the Abbey, this is the museum of the Abbey's farm equipment, such a large Abbey they had to feed them all.

looking down the monks hallway there is 3 of these halls, with there cells to the right side.

we left all the Abbey to ride to Mauthaunsen for late lunch, 6 ks back up the river was the German concentration camp, we didn't go there,

the decorated buildings adorn the village of Mauthausen ,

Looking out the abbeys farm museum at our trusty steeds,

you will get the impression that you are looking at a church, but no its a private house, if you look along the river there is small shrines and crosses to drowned victims, some 2 years hold, the bike path follows a lot of horse paths where they pulled the barges up stream no locks in them days, the Donau flows at a rapid rate,

more decorations painting on the walls they are great. so it was of to Perg 20 ks. away.

a small street of Linz. Stellotos are not very usefull in most sreets,