Monty Carlo: Austria to Cologne

Took a couple of steps backwards to the Austrian border as I had missed a scenic part of the route. You drive towards the border then.....

Just before the Italian/Austrian border at Resia, I passed the Lake of the same name. There were lots of people walking alongside the lake. Not for me, diesel power is supreme.

Lake Resia

St Valentine a d Haude

On through the border to Nauders and Pfunds to Landeck. In winter there are hundreds of ski slopes, although it is difficult to imagine snow, when the slopes I drive past are full of trees in full sun.

At Landeck I take the E60 through Landecker Tunnel (6955 metres), Perjentunnel (2880 metres), Gumauer Tunnel (355metres), Pianner Quadratscher Tunnel (1545 metres), Strenger Tunnel (5851 metres), Flirscher Tunnel (1226 metres inc Gondebachtunnel), Pettneu (285), Malfonbachtunnel (370) Schnauer (270), the Arlberg Strassetunnel (13,976 metres – YES 14 kilometres), Langener tunnel (2323 metres), All part of the Arlberg Schnellstrasse. I am underground for over 36 kilometres. I left one tunnel in sunshine and came out to a downpour and another toll.

After some daylight on the way to Feldkirch, I then joined a massive queue around the lake from Bregenz to Lindau, It is like a holiday resort with ferries from Bregenz to Lindau. The sat nav SOMETIMES IS A DIMWIT. Another autobahn junction and I would have saved fifteen minutes. However, I arrived at the resting place on SteigStrasse, about a mile from the island. The island was full of tourists, no chance of a photoshoot here.

The Lake from Lindau looking south at mountains

After a night in a quiet part of town it was another jetwash and onward again to Cologne via the A96 to Memmingen over bridges like this....

Bridge on A7 northbound Talbrucke xxx

This was being towed by a 2CV pickup!!!!

Massignani Team Honda MX truck

the A7 to Ulm, Wurzburg and Frankfurt Airport where the Airport Hilton Hotel looks like an airship,

Airport Hilton Hotel Frankfurt

then onto the A3 and finally to Cologne. It was along this section of the journey it was time to see just what Monty(that’s me) could do. 80, 90, 100, 110, 115, 120, 125 on the speedo. NOW WE’RE MOVING………….. Two lanes, three lanes, open country, yeeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaaaaa. Bet I wasn’t doing 55 to the gallon then, more like 25. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Then on the aproach to Siebengebirge a quick DUMP......

Passing a dump........

Soon it was time to go into Cologne Centre. I had my green badge to keep the Enviropolice at bay (another charge to prove your environmental credentials), I went straight to the car park, for a quiet nap so these got took..........

In Cologne, as much of Germany, the rivers are still major freight routes...