Europe in the late summer is nearly unbeatable, especially on a motorcycle. Too hot? Twist the throttle a bit more. Too cold. Same. In a hurry? Don’t be!

Beyond the postcard scenery and centuries-old pictorama, the important stuff to Jean, Brian and myself were the people and machines in our touring group. 

After all the planning and preparation to arrive in Aix-les-Bains for our 12-day journey, it was important to be fully present and receptive to the “strangers” who rode their bikes from the far reaches of Switzerland, France and Belgium to join us English speaking Californians and New Zealanders in a French parking lot on Sunday, August 13, 2023.

A third of the way through our 1,491-mile European motorcycle Alps tour — with Switzerland in our mirrors and Italy in our sights — we crossed into Austria, tackling the 8,117-foot Timmelsjoch Pass (Passo del Rombo) in the Tyrol region. Before immersing ourselves into the splendors of Italy, though, extreme heat reared its ugly head before heavy showers greeted us a few days later in the Dolomites.

Our pace was quick and rarely interrupted. We embraced roundabouts, which aren’t as prevalent here in the U.S. This saved unnecessary stops and starts in larger cities, and provided some respite from the heat once the midday sun started beating down.

It was all about checking boxes in Part 1 of this series recounting our motorcycle tour of the Alps, while Part 2 diplomatically described my emotional response to having zero control of the situation once we started rolling through Switzerland. Lesson learned? Be less like Walter and more like The Dude.

We were, after all, riding a beautiful German motorcycle in the Swiss, Italian and Austrian Alps, so why get worked up when there was breathtaking scenery to absorb? The only way to cleanse one’s soul is to embrace awesome, which Europe’s Alps offer in unlimited supply.