4 July 2005 :We woke up about 9.00am with the help of Vangelis mobile. Went for breakfast, not something terrible but helped us to be strong. From Trento we left easily and filled up with gas our bikes…1,19euro/lt! But the autonomy was clearly increased.
We followed the blue signs for Bolzano to direction SS12. The road was very good and the journey very pleasant. The beautiful landscape was completed from a river nearby our way. The weather was fine but cloudy. The rhythm of the course was quick enough. We did not meet any traffic jam except the time that we cross over some villages. After Bolzano, followed the signs to Brennero, the borders of Italy with Austria.
Approaching to Brennero the german labels to shops and signs were calling us that we were approaching Austria. In one moment, we met a sign informing us that in 5km we entered Austrian territory. At the next gas station stopped to get the necessary stick, that is an obligation for everyone who got in Austria. Unfortunately, the specific gas station run out of sticks. So went on…Reached the autostrada of Austria. The charging system had nothing to do with Italian system. We had learned that in Austria you use the autostrada as much as you want without paying any toll. The only thing you need is the stick that we supplied from another gas station before we entered A13 for 4,20euro/per bike. Entering, however, at the autostrada we paid 8 euro, probably for the use of the Brennero tunnel or the entrance to the autostrada.
Afterwards followed the signs to Innsbruck, followed the autobahn A13 and had just passed the exits to Innsbruck, followed the signs to Munchen A12 and later A8. The weather was very good, sunny and the temperature increased enough. When entered A8, stopped at the first gas station that we found to drink a coffee and rest a little. At first we had decided to get inside Munchen , but we wanted to reach Nurnberg until evening. So we passed the regional of Munchen and followed A9 to Nurnberg.
Reaching to Nurnberg at about 6 in the evening the weather started being heavy …ready to rain! That city had been visited by Manolis and Christos formerly, so we could move some. Got in from a specific entrance and went to a restaurant that they knew with genuine and tasty german food with greek influence – tzatziki! Already had started raining, so we thaught first to find a hotel and after go to dinner…before we stopped to look for the addresses we found in the internet, started a heavy rain! By chance we had stopped in front of a shop with bike’s equipment and the employees try to help us to find the hotel. Regretfully the rain did not stop, so we said that it would be better to go to the restaurant, that was nearby, to eat and wait for the rain to stop.
The restaurant is called: Kerscher's Imbiss (Sigmundsrt./Ecke Ergersheimer Srt.2) and is about a very simple restaurant that does not tell anything with its appearance, but for sure it fills your belly with tasty food in a very nice prices! Thank God when we got there, under heavy rain, it was empty so we could put our staff wherever we wanted. Ordered from the little german we knew( …from the last visit of the guys) and hung, waited for the rain to stop. The time was passing and Plumisti ordered coffee. That was the reason so we knew better the cook, who spoke good English and asked us from where we came. He treat us homemade sweet from his wife.
In the discussion, we asked information for a cheap hotel. By luck in the restaurant there was a fellow biker that tried to help us but couldn’t, anyway he informed us the address of Ibis Hotel that we found from the internet, for our good luck was in the centre of the city and opposite the main entrance of the castle.
The rain had almost stopped, so we took the road to the hotel and the time showed 20.00. We located the hotel very easily since the places where familiar for Manolis and Christos. Thankfully there where rooms in the price of 25euro/per person. The hotel was very good and with closed parking. At first they would charge us for the parking but then gave us one for the handicaps no charge. We went upstairs to the rooms, after a nice bath and some rest, decided to go out for a small tour to the castle.
Nurnberg is one of the most beautiful cities of Germany. At the past it was one of the wealthiest. Walking at the castle we could easily understand the civilization that was alive at the past. The walls maintained in a very good shape and also the buildings that where inside them. When we went there, the time was already 22.00, Monday and there were no people. We took some photos of the beautiful buildings and church. As we hung out, we saw a nice Cuban bar, so said to honour it, drinking a beer before bedtime.
We returned to the hotel at about 1.00. Passing by the bridges of the canal that cross the old city. Reaching the hotel, we remembered that we should oil the chains of the bikes. Went down Manolis, Ploumisti and Nikos and by accident the alarm of the Vaggelis bike hit. Immediately came the guy from the reception and asked us in greek: “Everything ok with the bikes guys???!!!...Greek from abroad. His parents were from Kavala a city of Greece but he was born in Germany. We chat a little. Told him where we came from and where we will go. He didn’t believe it…gave us 2 bottles of water – valuable abroad – wish us good journey and went to our rooms… Next day we should got up early because we had a lot kilometers to cover until Brussels.