I cannot emphasise enough the great help received at Knopf Tours in Heidelberg. Thanks again! These people are bikers’ best friends. Go there and stay a night or two if you can. After removing everything done by Off The Road I experienced no more bike trouble (see previous chapter). I pent some days at my brothers place in Strasbourg. They were quite busy with visitors, but Trond and I had a really nice bicycle trip around town. What a nice city!!! What a cool brother!!! I cannot emphasise enough the great help received at Knopf Tours in Heidelberg. Thanks again! These people are bikers’ best friends. Go there and stay a night or two if you can. After removing everything done by Off The Road I experienced no more bike trouble (see previous chapter). I pent some days at my brothers place in Strasbourg. They were quite busy with visitors, but Trond and I had a really nice bicycle trip around town. What a nice city!!! What a cool brother!!!
Oops, the wrong way...

Further down the road I had the pleasure of visiting the Touratech shop north of Schwenningen. The staff was very joyful, perhaps because it was Saturday and soon party time, but I suspect they were like that always. Who wouldn’t be, working in the greatest motorcycle candy store in Europe.

Another shop I wanted to visit was Riky Cross west of Milano, but I could not be there before Sunday. “No problem”, said Rikardo on the phone. The next day he met me with his Pajero across the street from a Renault dealer, on a parking lot where a loving couple was having a furious fight in a car. I tailgated Rikardo to his garage, and I got the gadgets I was looking for. He was very interested in my vacation, and sponsored me with a center stand and some luggage straps. Cool, now I have an Italian sponsor. Check it out: www.rikycross.com . Thanks Rikardo! What a nice guy!

The rest of the day was a non stop drive to Slovenia. We arrived in Piran long after dark. Despite being low season many tourists were in the streets. A few restaurants on the seaside displayed photos of their dishes, pictures probably taken years ago, and they were faded and the meals looked like something you likely would vomit in a hotel toilet an hour later. I settled for a steak at a no display restaurant. Finally I indulged myself with a top floor room with a sea view balcony where I could sit and drink my coffee in the morning while deciding which way to go next.

Good morning Piran:)