Finally spring, finally the start of the season! And in an area that very few people know. The anticipation for the specialist meeting is therefore so great that almost all participants travel to Upper Lusatia a day early. "Well, if that's the case, then I'll do it too", I think to myself and saddle up our endurance tester Suzuki GSX-S 1000 GT. A fabulous bike with a great engine, super handling and built-in overtaking prestige. So the 600 kilometres of motorway across the country are easy and surprisingly comfortable. Only the wind protection could be better for a "Grand Touring" and heated grips would also be great. It was chilly right from the start, getting colder by the hour, and shortly before the finish it started to rain. Hopefully it won't stay like this ...
The others are already sitting at the table, but a hot shower is still necessary. On the menu are things like "ox cheeks braised in red wine" or "salmon tartare with beetroot and rhubarb" – that makes me feel warm again. But it's not just the cuisine at the Landidyll-Hotel Erbgericht Tautewalde that's good, the surroundings are also perfect. Enrico, his wife Nadine and the entire team know their business perfectly.
The tour through the Elbe Sandstone Mountains on the first day is not completely cancelled, but it is shorter than planned. Nevertheless, everyone can gain a positive impression of Upper Lusatia and it also has its good sides: At the Bastei, where tourists throng on nice days, there is hardly anything going on. And the traffic is also light when we arrive there via Sebnitz through the Kirnitzschtal valley and Bad Schandau. Via small, fine roads we arrive at the farm café in the small community of Gohrisch to test "the best egg roll in the world". That could even be true, because soon the sheet cake, optionally with cottage cheese or poppy seeds, is completely devoured.
The rest of the group arrives in the evening and the sun actually shines the next day. At least for the obligatory group photo. We spend the second round in and around the Zittau Mountains, the smallest low mountain range in Europe, largely dry on our bikes. Unfortunately, the Pekelne Doly bikers' cave is still closed, but the striking Kelchteine near Oybin are freely accessible. Passing the show workshop of the world-famous Herrnhut Stars, we finally arrive at the Obermarkt in Görlitz, exemplarily equipped with free motorbike parking. We stroll through the magnificent old town to the Neisse River, which forms the border to Poland. A great view of St Peter's Church opens up from the bridge. One of the special features is the sun organ, whose prospectus (the outer appearance) has is adorned with 17 suns and organ pipes.
Back at the hotel, the hosts served up an excellent buffet with delicacies from the smoker. Delicious, just like the whole meeting. And everyone wishes for only one thing: a warm, sunny season in 2023.