In 1993 I passed my motorcycle test. The next thing I knew I was sitting on a bike six times bigger than anything I had ever ridden, on 42nd Street, New York, at rush hour, on the wrong side of the street. In front of me lay the whole of the USA, and I took a peak at most of it!
Since my Early 20's I have always wanted an Aprilia Pegaso. I blame that Colin Schiller, the then editor of Fast Bikes for all of those 'Ooligan pictures of wheelies and stoppies on a bike they kept raving about. Bizare really, because fast... It really isn't!
Well, less than 3 weeks to go now, working hard to earn the money to do it! Almost 20 years ago, as I have already said, I went on a much longer trip around North America and the difference in relation to planning and getting ready for the trip has been astounding. I bought my bike in the USA in 1993, whereas I already own my bike for the European trip and I have had to do quite a bit of work on her so that has added to the preparations. What is astounding in this day and age is the amount of information about places you want to travel to, it is mind blowing!
I am wibbling at the thought of getting a GPS to help me get to my desitnations. I do like the thought of easy transition, but I do so love to stare at maps. It is like Mills and Boon to a 45 year old spinster. Places come, about a thrid alive, and you can see things happening. They never happen this way, but the whole thing is a little excercise in the head that keeps you thinking hard! You don't get that with GPS. I will stick to the map and learn to talk, I think!
There does not appear to be too much more to do now. That is, apart from worry. Stupid niggles, worries, thoughts so far in the future that they ruin today. One thought is this whole thing is stupid. I cant speak any language well, the bike is liable to let me down, some places are a bit flighty. And then, reassuring thoughts of 'should I just go to Blackpool for a month and make up some monumental stories'?
This is an era of foundless worries manufactured and used by politicians, the media and every company with a product to sell. I need to forget about worries!!!
8pm: I am sitting in a little hole with a door and a really noisy toilet on the P+O ferry 'Pride of Hull'. I will not complaint because it is cheap!
An interesting journey up, almost ran out of fuel on the M180 and then got lost trying to follow my eye to the Humber Bridge.
This ship is huge. There are 2 cinemas, a disco, a casino, but I have yet to clock a lifeboat. Personally I would prefer a really boring crossing with lots of lifeboats.
Bye bye UK .
Ich Bein... no I won't do it.
Today has been very easy going really... Well Yesterday was a bit hard work to be quite honest for obvious reasons. In fact, World War 3 would of been a breeze in comparison!
Leaving the campsite near Bremen
Today has been a steep learning curve. You should never leave things in your cabin when you leave the ship. If you are going to do this, make sure it is something inconsequential, like socks, not your wallet. If you do do this, then remember to go back before you have covered 20 kms.
I think you can see where this is going. So I retured to the ferry and the people at reception went to have a look. I was thinking my trip is going to be very short, but I was soon reunited with mz wallet and the 600E tht was in it! Absolute plonker I know, should of got up earlier.
How do I describe Berlin? well it has the vibrancy of London, but not the crowds, or maybe it does have the crowds but the pavements are so much wider to accomodate them. It is a wonderful place and I am so glad I went for a good walk around.
So Berlin to Bratislava in one day? could it be done? well I knew a guy with a 'can do' attitude that was going to ride the 730km trip on his single cylinder thumper.
That man was me. I mean, really, is there anyone else as stupid?
I was up and out of the hostel fairly early so I could nose around Bratislava. What a curious and unique place. The majority of the place appeared to be soviet era concrete monstrocities. These were quiet visibly crumbling. In the old town, there were some quite stunning buildings. But just around the corner would be a similar age of building that was falling down.
Bratislava statues take it easy...
I hadn't expected to have enjoyed Hungary so much. People in general seemed very relaxed and friendly despite being the porest country I had so far visited. Or, possiably, it was the other way around.
I would often come across horse and carts which appeared to be the usual form of transport,Trabants were still alive and well, and most cars were at least 15 years old. Skoda, Yugos, FSOs, Ladas and those Zlathy things were the order of the day.
A new day brought sunshine which was a relief. I was down for breakfast at my hotel, The Stari Grad at a reasonable time, because I wanted to look around before I left.
The Banja Luka Gate...
On top of the hill was the castle built by the Bosnic kings and later taken over by the Ottomans. All around the tiny cobbled streets were ancient buildings, It was so beautiful.
It was wonderful not to have to get up for another long day in the saddle. I therefore stayed in bed a little longer than usual. I had gotten myself a single room so vegging out was quite comfortable.
Looking out over Sarajevo from the Yellow Bastion...
Well, it was sad, in some ways, to see the back of Sarajevo. It had a uniquness to it like no other city I have ever been in.
To lighten the load, it was tipping it down with rain. Through the awsome mountains we travelled, some of the Limestone cliffs and buttresses were amazing and the blue colour of the water was magical.
Sheparding Bosnian style. Heard sheep onto main road, no need to look, cars will stop!
Taking a sneeky long distance peak at Dubrovnic the night before, I was confident of being underwhelmed. It was going to be like Newquay, I thought.
The old town of Dubrovnik...
It was worse. There was no Weatherspoons Pub, amusement arcades or McDonalds. I nearly died of hunger. The place was surrounded by a 15 foot thick wall, the streets so narrow, I could hardly shoehorn me belly through them AND, some people were talking foreign. Disgusting.
After the sun had gone down over the Adriatic, I went out like a light. Morning was still warm but clouds were threatening. I joined a long line of traffic leaving Croatia and we chugged on towards the border.
I found this at the camp site... You first or me? I can't remember the polite way to do it
Croatia had been wondeful. Even the well trod tourist areas were brilliant. I am sure I will be back.
I am sitting in a small café, somewhere nea Senj, with the sea just a few feet away.The sun is shining bright and I have just ordered a beer. A bit of a perfect situation, you may say, but it is nothing, compared to the day Betty and I have had on the road.
View from the top of my beer bottle...
The rest of the night in the Dolomites was entertaining. I found my mp3 player and remembered, I liked music. So standing with my back to a tree, I looked up at the wonders of the Dolomites and mouthed the words of many a song as darkness came, with a broad grin on my face.
So a lovely week of respite in Oberammergau, Barvaria.
My family came to join me and we enjoyed a wonderful week of climbing hills, eating in mountain restaurants, taking trains up the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain and relaxing.
Betty has been put right by the local garage and is ready to go, although her oil consumption is beginning to worry me. Saying that, she has been mercilessly thrashed up and down autobahn/autostrada/toll roads, something the lady was really not designed to do. Perhaps this increases the oil consumption?