After a great sleep, up and out to explore the sights of Venice, wandered through the maze of streets, arrived at a Basilica for a visit. Amazing big buildings with elaborate art and decor. Managed to make our way by walking back to the train station, where we brought a tour ticket of the 3 islands, Murano, Burano and Torcello. Lovely 5.5 hours visiting the 3 islands. We watched a glass blowing demonstration where the artisan made a glass horse in 85 seconds, pr...

Up early in Weilheim, 5am to get the 6.10am train to Munich to catch our train to Venice. After ensuring we are on the right train, we settled in for the ride, few snoozes and enjoyed the scenar as it passed through Germany Austria and into Italy. Switched train at Verona for the next 1.30hrs to Venice. At 3pm, arrived Venice train station, busier than Bourke street mall at peak time, people every where. Managed to get the water bus ticket and headed around to o...

Same process breakfast at 8am leave at 9am, short ride via secondary roads to stop at Panaramic cafe for morning tea, while the boys go up and over the Walchensee/ Kochelsee a coule of times. This meant leaving Austria back into Germany. The cafe was on the edge of a beautiful lake surrounded by hills and more pine trees. All gathered up after the final run over the Walchensee/ Kochelsee, prior to a short burst on the autobarn, even though is was not a race we s...

Breakfast at 8am leave at 9am. Plan was for all to take the Timmelsjoch (2509m) crossing the Italian/Austrian border. The pass was the longest one yet, with some parts through the pine trees, then a run alongside the mountain with a few hair pins to reach the top. The Stelvio still has the most hair pins. To get the pass sticker we had to pay the 14 Euro toll. The drop on the other side was into a lovely Austrian valley. Lunch stop was at a supermarket, which had...

Breakfast at 7.30am leave at 8.30, due to a miscommunication we all left at 9am. This being the biggest ride day. We all went to the end of the lake to get to the start of the Malojapass (1815m), with the tightest and most frequent hairpins anywhere. This is highest height-gain to distance ratio in all of Europe. At the top of the pass in the ski town of St Moritz we formed 2 groups as some of the riders were not going to take the Stelvio challenge. We opted for...