Upfront Feldkirch, we start our day with a deluxe breakfast – water and (bread) rolls! Who needs scrambled eggs and croissants? A feast that fills us with pure enthusiasm for the day. Yay!
The walk from the station to the loading bay hasn’t got any shorter despite the remodelling. But a little exercise in the morning doesn’t hurt anyone. We reach the loading ramp a little sweaty and packed, but that doesn’t stop us!
The wagons arrive surprisingly quickly, but unfortunately there’s only one ÖBB hero to undo the tension belts on cars and bikes.
It could take an eternity, but don’t worry – we have time, because surprise! It’s not raining!
After watching the impressively slow spectacle of the belt release for a while, Versya jumps onto the carriage with determination and becomes the heroine of the day.
She triggers a veritable chain reaction and suddenly everyone is at the motorbikes to free them.
It all starts sooner now, than expected!
We then use the time gained for a caffeine extravaganza in Feldkirch’s old town to make up for the modest breakfast water. Strengthened, we continue via Vaduz to Glarus in Switzerland.
Unfortunately, the rain has struck again in Glarus, and the fog shrouds the north ramp of the Klausen and the view of the Urnerboden. But who needs a clear view when you’re in good company and on an adventure?
We stop for lunch in Bürglen and marvel at Switzerland’s culinary and price generosity (warning: satire). As the weather improves, we continue our journey towards the Gotthard, only to discover that two of our drivers have got lost in a traffic jam.
A slight mishap that shows us: The “1st day in Switzerland syndrome” is probably our curse
A quick phone call confirms that a minor incident has indeed occurred. About 20 kilometres from our current position. Thanks to the weekend traffic jam on the popular route, we didn’t notice a thing as the group was happily pulled apart.
But: pure adventure – who needs a smooth ride?
The group splits up in Andermatt as everyone except Versya continues to follow the planned route to Ticino. Versya, on the other hand, turns around and jets back the 20 kilometres, as repair expertise is obviously needed now.
Once she arrives at the scene of the accident, a short overview of the situation shows that: The fairing is slightly bent, the fork a little crooked, but the biggest drama is that the right footrest is now extremely loose and about to come off the bike. But don’t worry, we’ll improvise! Tools out, and it’s time for a temporary fix. However, the “tinkering session” is abruptly interrupted when a police car pulls up alongside the group and a policeman – apparently fresh out of police school – makes demands and asks questions.
Of course, we have to move the remaining motorbike, which is flashing its warning lights, to the small gravelled area next to the road – staying on the right side of the road itself is terribly dangerous, of course. After this heroic deed, the police car also parks on the right-hand side of the road (which is obviously no longer dangerous?).
The two police officers get out, inspect the visible damage to the motorbike (which only insiders will notice) and ask for an explanation of what happened. The young officer then explains that he has to write a report,
To our naive question: Why? We get an answer: Because of the fine, of course!
Our follow-up question: Why? The answer: “For not being in control of a vehicle”.
It may sound funny in the Swiss German dialect , but for us it was anything but fun.
Question after question arose: Can a woman even lose control of a vehicle?
Or is it all just a distraction from hidden dirt on the damp cantonal road?
Is he serious? Apparently he is.
Without further ado, we vary the story of how the accident happened – the footrest simply fell off on the last road bend and we only stopped to put it back on.
The two policemen are irritated at first (they have obviously never dealt with WIMAs before), but the older one convinces the younger one with the prospect of saving paperwork and the advice that a makeshift repair is permitted on site as long as the final repair is carried out in Italy or France. And off they go! Yay, finally!
In the rain, which unfortunately sets in again, the footrest repair is finished, so that it is at least loosely fixed to the motorbike again, and it is also secured with extra strong cable ties.
So the journey continues up to the Gotthard Pass (in thick fog and rain) and then on the motorway to the first junction near Biasca, before finally reaching Aquarossa (in the direction of Lucomagno).
We meet up with the rest of the group again at the pizzeria with overnight accommodation, which proved its worth last year, and swap stories over fantastic pizzas.
Weather: Muggy in the morning, rainy on the passes
Distance: 280 kilometres – with an extra lap for Versya!