We could rename it… « Les Fourons – Drie Landen Punt – Rursee - Nürburgring – Rhin – Moselle – Petite Suisse Luxembourgeoise – Bastogne ».
We head for Nürburg by one of the two proposed itineraries. This road book is the FIRST by Tripy
The first by Tripy via Les Fourons and Les Trois Frontières ; the other one by Spity via Eupen and Monschau. The joint route will reach the Barchon station and the split will happen a little further on the highway to Aachen. It is specially referred to in both road books. Follow Aubel for one, Eupen for the other one.
Instead of sipping a morning coffee at the gas station, head for Aubel to follow thereafter the sign posts (left hand side = 4 km) until Val Dieu. You shall then come back (warmed up and happy) to the programmed road book by following the fat black arrow of your TRM (Tripy Road Master) compass and the sign posts until Aubel. Do not loose time at Trois Frontières (three borders). The arrival is not bad, departure better, but the souvernir picture in front of the milestone.... all right if you have less than 11 years of age. After coffee at the abbey... you shall have no care for a drink here.
You shall favor the small tree planted place of Eupen for an Arabica morning sip. The rb does not go through the centre of Monschau. Ride freely until a waypoint offers you that alternbative. A must if you have not seen « L’Auberge du Cheval Blanc » opera. What's up in Montjoie ? do not leave your eyes from the bike. Europe Assistance shall otherwise take over the road book (overheard).
One way or another, you shall be in Nürburg tonight. At the foot of its castle, this little « burg » looks like a large paddock in which Porsche & BMW share the boxes. Everything we like : sustained accelerations, downgearing in successions, why not through the museum ?
The Motorsporthotel is planting the scenery. Like the entire region, it smells mechanical sports and contributes to entertain the atmosphere. We dine at the first floor under the pictures of pilots of legends that the less-than-fifty cannot have known (Rodriguez brothers; do they mean something to you?) or at the neighbouring pizzeria if you show up your control card late. Useful infos on the web - It shall be illusory not to book in advance.
Kéké Rozberg left us his room; Claude, who fell asleep on Schumi's tail wakes up shoulder to shoulder with Jean-Chris. Who's got the inside? Sand bank secret...
The morning after, we switch to winter time before crossing the Moselle and the Rhine on a carpet of gold and blood foliage. Two final approaches so confidential that we wonder about the possibility to cross "ein gross Teuton 4x4". (the origin, not the weight)
Boppard, Sankt Goar, Bernkastel-Kues, Cochem, Trier will bring us to finally to Echternach.
If the countryside mood still lures you, no doubt, you shall follow the road book until Consdorf at the « l’Auberge du Moulin de Consdorf »
That inn being closed, we have improvised: at the end of the pedestrian path pops up the "Black Eagle". It is not sumptuous, but warm, straight forward and relax. Recommended to the riders, locked parking, the owner rides a K1200LT. Unexpected restaurant : experience … an original menu, plentyfull … local cuisine … a proven quality… generous portions. Excellent quality/price/apero/resto/dodo/moto ratio.
Otherwise, more posh, expensive and multilingual luxemburger-german « Ferme Meyer-Ernzen » Roudenhaff 1 at +- 4 km from Echternach. 00 352 72 04 22 towards Luxemburg and a little further to the left Itinerary booked into ALPASPIT « le Parpaillon » sept. 2005 = Last Day
Tomorrow, you may choose between:
1- a nice sometime technical ride in the woods until Bastogne and then N4 towards Namur. That day it shall rain only once.
2- head for Namur via a lace like itinerary knitted by Gratos returning from « Parpaillon ». In that instance, do not forget to load your TRM.
PS: The second itinerary compiled by Spity, is available here: http://www.tripy.be/roadBookDetails.asp?roadBookID=987
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