Motorbike trip in Switzerland

[plorf]

Pics from my trip last weekend. Zürich to Lugano (Italian speaking part-South) to Chur (eastern Switzerland) and back:

from:zürich to:lugano to:chur to:zürich - Google Maps


beginning of my trip, hill overlooking smallish Lauerzersee



Lake Lucerne heading towards Gotthard (mountain seperating North from South Switzerland, huge strategic importance for Europe in the past)

Monte Bre, overlooking Lake Lugano and Lugano city, southern Switzerland.

same here, other side.

Lake Lugano

Bernardino Pass, seperating East from South Switzerland.

[natalie8]

Beautiful shots, but can you give us a bit of a commentary so we know what we're looking at?

[plorf]

Sure, can do that, but I'm afraid if you aren't familiar with Swiss geography it won't be that helpful :-)

[withnallstoke]

Great scenery plorf. Any piccies of the bike?

[Khun Custard]

Fabulous place to ride but I would not be so brave as to try it in the snow time
Based in Stabio, we tourered a BMW 1200 thru that area in August of last year
Looks like road south of Lugano and up to that huge dam that featured in a James Bond movie a few years ago.
Hey plorf, did you do the bungy jump off the face of the dam?

[matsalleh]

Sure, can do that, but I'm afraid if you aren't familiar with Swiss geography it won't be that helpful :-)

Thanks for great pix - have any of them bikes???

[panama hat]

A small but very beautiful country. My brother was stationed in Zurich for four years while I was in Amsterdam so I had the opportunity and reason to visit him on many occasions . . .
What a huge contrast, Holland's highest peak is about 30 metres above sea level and is as flat as a <insert Asian breast comparison here> . . . the you reach Switzerland and there is nothing flat . . .

Majestic.

[natalie8]

Thanks for adding the comments. Any more pics?

[somtamslap]

Looks amazing, starting miss Europe and that sort of scenery. Have to make do with Khao Yai for now.

[patsycat]

It's strange, but sometimes I forget what a beautiful country I am lucky enough to live in..

[plorf]

[at] Nathalie: Sorry, no more pics. I was mostly riding and couldn't be bothered taking too many pics to be honest! If I had no bladder I would only have taken 1-2 pics I guess.
[at] Matsaleh: Oh and yes, I've taken a picture of my bike while eating a sandwich:

Nothing impressive, but a nice, maintenance-free '87 V2 with 60PS, perfect and comfortable for long tours in Switzerland and Europe without any sportive ambitions (got one leg full of metal already, no need for a 2nd one)
[at] Khun Custard: Yes, Stabio is a bith South of Lugano, but the Verzasca dam (pic) is up North, before you cross the Alps. Very impressive, but I'm afraid of height, and that 60m bungee jump almost killed me, so no need for 220m!!



[at] Patsycat: Can't blame you, Geneva may be pretty but is getting boring very quickly imho. Without a motorbike I wouldn't have enjoyed my year there too much. (Apart from the really pretty girls there obviously )

[Khun Custard]

^^ Yep, I shat my self just looking over the side - one girl who took the leap spewed on the way down and got her own back on the return!!
Apparently they emptied the dam a few years ago and the buildings / villages that went under are still in tact
Did you go further up the road to that grotto with the amazing blue green rapids?

[matsalleh]

Thanks Plorf, can't green you anymore! As to the bike, well for Europe with all those speed limits and the high penalties it's OK, although I'd had preferred a beemer tourer, or an older blackbird! But then probably had paid thousands in speed fines...

[plorf]

^ I used to ride faster bikes, drove like there was no tomorrow, had tons of accidents, drunk driving, driving one-handed with a beer in my hand and no helmet etc...
Resulted in a heavy accident where I nearly lost my leg, I am more careful now and this bike suits me just well.

[withnallstoke]

Oh and yes, I've taken a picture of my bike eating a sandwich:

Now that would be a good photo.

[sabang]

Well nice. Suisse sure is beautiful- I was on a super lux convention one time that started off in Zurich, and then they bussed us down to San Moritz for a few days skiing, we stayed at the Kulm hotel.

What can I say- lovely city, lovely journey to SM, and a spectacular destination. I can't believe that some oiks on the convention were complaining about the price of a pint at the Kulm, which is one of the worlds classic hotels (about eight quid, this was 1994).

[plorf]

Last weekend, was about 800km but I couldn't be bothered taking more pictures

[Riatsalawhit]

Having been to Switzerland and visiting many towns and villages en-route via the Gottard Tunnel to Italy the scenery is splendid,moutainess yes but then this is the Alps great country to visit it has almost everything for the tourist from hiking,shoping and if your the more daring type you've got the Matterhorn,Jungfrau etc to climb.Good restaurants with excellent entertainment while relaxing with a good beer.