The Elephant's Travels 2007 - 2008

Jo and Mike Have a short trip back to AustraliaMatthew John Hannan
Born 26 February 1926, Arklow, County Wicklow, Ireland.
Died 1 November 2007, Winmalee, NSW, Australia.

John Hannan came to Australia as a penniless immigrant at the end of WWII. He carved out a life in the New World, raised a family and loved his adopted home like a true-born native man. He was a good man who led a good life.

Mike and Jo get back to business but have some first day blues.20 to 25 Nov 07

Although there was still much to be done in Australia, we flew out on 20 Nov bound for Hong Kong, London and Barcelona. We arrived in Barcelona on the night of 21 Nov, missing two days sleep, but otherwise intact. A late night dinner of local sausage and white beans and a few hours sleep reset the gyros for Spain.

Mike fits up some new storage to the bike.The Big Refit

During our short trip back to Australia, I took the opportunity to prepare two storage kits to fit to the bike on our return to Spain. The kits were intended to provide some extra storage space for our cold weather gear which, while not heavy, is very bulky.

The Elephant breaks down in Granada25 Nov 07 to 4 Dec 07

Our digs at Calpe were comfortable, off-season cheap and equipped with a good kitchen so we could keep eating costs down. As a consequence, it was an easy decision to extend our stay by two days (to six) to catch up on some R&R. At least that was the plan!

Mike and Jo hole up for the public holidays at the home of sherry.4 Dec 07 to 10 Dec 07 After spending too long wandering in new parts of Granada, Mike had to rush to be sure he was back at the BMW dealer at the appointed time to collect the Elephant. That is, if the servo unit had arrived from Madrid and the mechanics had managed to fit it and if the collection time hadn’t been confused in translation.

Mike and Jo cross into Morocco from Spain and head south down the Atlantic coast10 to 17 December 2007

In the Spanish port city of Algeciras we took a 10th floor hotel room with a view over the busy port and across to Gibraltar. There are few things finer than a room overlooking a port. The constant movement of ships and the general hubbub and colour on the docks are always exciting. Waiting for our departure to a new country on a new continent they were doubly so.

Mike and Jo meet their daughter Sarah and her husband Mike at Essaouira, Morocco, for a week of relaxation over Christmas.20 to 27 Dec 07

We rolled south towards Essaouira on Thursday 20 December with the fertile land tilled down to the edge of a placid Atlantic.

Mike and Jo discover some interesting local history in Agadir.27 to 31 Dec 07

First a mystery.

The ride to Agadir down the coast road is a delight as it winds through the foothills of the High Atlas where they sweep down to the sea. The surface is no worse than that on many of our SE Queensland roads and the scenery is excellent.

Mike and Jo get lost in the Anti Atlas Mountains for 10 days and find some of the world's best bike roads.“I’m not anti Atlas” he said. “I’m really quite pro-Atlas”.

1 to 9 Jan 08

Mike and Jo cross the High Atlas to Marrakech and travel north to the Imperial cities of Fes and Meknes.10 to 18 Jan 08

After six weeks, Mike and Jo end the Moroccan leg of their travels on a high note.20 to 24 Jan 08

This is our last post from Morocco.

The Riff Mountains were different to every other part of Morocco we had visited. This place has a Wild West feel to it. Everywhere here you get the impression that central government control is “limited”.

Mike and Jo struggle to get from Morocco to Tunisia without going broke.26 Jan - 1 Feb 08

During our initial planning for this extravaganza we realised that we would most likely have to bypass Algeria to get to Tunisia because the border between Morocco and Algeria has been closed for more than 10 years. All of our experience told us that when we got on the ground and nosed around a little, the local arrangements would become clear and we would find our way through.

Mike and Jo find their feet in Tunisia and come to grips with the plumbing.1 Feb - 9 Feb 08

After our initial introduction to Tunisian bureaucracy, the country has lived up, and down, to our expectations. Jo and the Elephant (being aliens) could only get 30 days on their visas, and with the ferry schedule reduced in winter, we needed to keep moving to get a handle on the country and get out on time.

Mike and Jo explore the east coast and south of Tunisia.10 Feb – 15 Feb 08

Having gotten our gripe about the lack of working plumbing off the chest, we can focus on the things about Tunisia that matter. Like whether we could get a cold beer at the end of a long ride or not. The answer, like many things in Tunisia, is yes…and no.

Firstly, Tunisia is a small country. It is about the size of Victoria, Washington State, or England and Wales combined. Too many long days in the saddle here, and you run out of space.

Mike and Jo continue to discover Tunisia10 Feb – 16 Feb 08

Well, three weeks into Tunisia and I still haven’t addressed the critical issue of getting a cold beer at the end of a long ride. We are pleased to report that the Tunisians make a quite acceptable local beer and at least one very drinkable red wine. The only problem is getting to drink them!

Mike and Jo spend their last few days in Tunisia soaking up the late winter sun at Hammamet.21 Feb - 28 Feb 08

Our Tunisian adventure ended pretty much as it began with a long wait at a ferry terminal and the Elephant strapped down in the belly of a ship. Although the passage was only 10 hours from Tunis we paid the extra for a cabin as we expected the ferry to be more crowded than the trip over from Marseille.

Mike and Jo ride across Italy and land in Greece.28 Feb to 7 Mar 08

Back in Greece after 18 Years, Mike and Jo see many changes, but settle in to life quickly.8 to 15 Mar 08

A lot had changed in the 18 years since our last visit to Greece. The country we remembered was a bit of a backwater, friendly, quaint and a little clunky. The country we found has been transformed by its membership of the EU and monetary union. The place looks and feels prosperous, it has the beginning of a cosmopolitan culture (albeit one with central European bent), and all of the usual problems of a modern western market economy.

Back in Greece after 18 years Mike and Jo find that all of the important things are unchanged, they now just wear tight blue jeans.16 to 23 Mar 08

Happy Easter everyone, we hope you caught up with the Easter Bunny like we did!

On their way north to Bulgaria Mike nd Jo run into some unseasonable Greek weather and revisit a town with some good memories.23 Mar –30 Mar 08
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Sometimes you can put the mochas on yourself with the simplest things. All it took was a single mention of “spring” and a few photos of warm weather; that, and a natural talent for making silly decisions.
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We enjoyed a few days of improving spring weather at Nidri and did some much needed administration which included giving the Elephant a bath.
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