[MrsC_772]

In one of my earlier posts, I'd referred to my idea of European biking heaven involving Luxembourg road surfaces.

After 17 days, crossing 10 countries, below is my vision of what makes touring biker heaven and hell.

In MrsC's European bike touring heaven:
the scenery would be Slovenian;
the roads designed and engineered by Austrians;
the roads surfaced to Luxembourg standards;
petrol prices would be Austrian or Luxembourgeouis;
motorway services Italian (especially the just west of Bologna variety);
other bikers would greet you/wave like the French and Belgians;
breakfast would be Austrian, but with Italian coffee;
daytime snacks would be Austrian (apfelstrudel) - while the proper German Black Forest Gateau was lovely, I'm not sure I could eat it every day, while I could face apfelstrudel quite regularly;
dinner would be Italian;
ice cream would be Friuliani;
beer would be Belgian (or possibly German);
the hotel welcome would be Friuliani;
the hotel facilities Austrian or German.

In MrsC's European bike touring hell:
the scenery would be Belgian;
the roads surfaced to Slovenian (or only marginally less bad Surrey County Council) standards;
petrol prices would be Italian;
motorway services would be Dutch;
other bikers would greet you/wave like the Germans;
breakfast would be Italian, but with Slovenian coffee;
daytime snacks would be Belgian (non-existent Sunday afternoon frites);
dinner would be at an Italian railway station;
ice cream would be Austrian;
beer would be Austrian;
the hotel welcome would be Slovenian; and
the hotel facilities would be found at a truck stop near Mulhouse (members of the UKMOC WDW 2016 van contingent will know to what I refer).

I'd quite like the above lists to provoke a reaction - for people to say I've got it all wrong and in fact European biking heaven would comprise e.g. Norwegian scenery and Spanish roads ... That could give me ideas for the next big tour.

To anyone contemplating such a trip - go for it!