Salzburg to Frankfurt 539km

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What a difference a day makes. There is a song in there somewhere. Woke up to a drizzle and skies that looked like it would not let up. With an unsatisfying breakfast to match the hotel itself, I took off in the rain in a bit of a funk. Something to do with the weather and the trip coming to an end, I suppose.

The mountains were left behind within an hour, as was the rain, but not before it had seeped through my semi-waterproofs. Overall I was lucky as to how little bad weather I encountered on the trip. I planned on being back at the bike shop by 3:30pm and that was exactly when I arrived. No need for a time difference to save me, but otherwise it was all in the spirit of Phyillias Fogg. Same bike man who seemed relieved to see me. Rather than the trip back, which skirted Munich and took me again on the road from Nurenburg to Frankfurt, and which was uneventful, here are a few closing random thoughts.

- Covered 4881km of the allotted 5000km, visited nine countries and although all the drivers were mad, did not see one accident.
- The BMW 1200GS is an amazing motorcycle.
- Some of the places I visited I had been to before many years ago as a backpacker. Country names, political affiliations and the economic well-being had all changed, mostly for the better.
- You can never recreate the excitement of first impressions, or perhaps it is the younger more imaginative mind, less encumbered by experience.
- People were not as friendly as they were in Australia last year (by far).
- Avoid hotels that cater for busloads of old ladies.
- Riding was tiring, as a constant alertness was needed for survival. There is just too much traffic in Europe, period.
- Slovenia is my number one country to revisit.
- Cities - must go back to Istanbul, Budapest and Salzburg with the family.
- Romania as a motorcycling experience will be the foremost in my thoughts when I look back on the trip in a year or two.
- Under no circumstances ride a motorcycle in Istanbul and absolutely never try and follow a taxi in that city.

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