Toscana!!!

Well... here I was. Under that fabled Tuscan sun. It was Spring 2009, Kis Piroska was more beautiful than ever, and together, we were sweeping around one gentle bend after another after another. This was much different than the mountains roads I had been on. Four days of riding more dangerous curves than Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida combined, had exhausted me mentally and physically... but in a good way.

Here, we had a chance to step down a notch or two together, doing what we are best at doing. Relaxing, working together in Harmony as a unit. Man and machine. There were so many photo ops, I had to disciple myself to picking only a few... well a few hundred!

This is what we were both here for, what in effect we were both built for. Neither of us is the 'newest model' That didnt make a damn bit of difference only to those hung up on such things... and we're not talking strictly bikes here.

Sixth gear sweepers, 60-100 kph or so, the odd downshift. No need for heroic 'hanging off', just shove the knee out and bend her in, repeat over and over again.

I passed through Pistoia, then Empoli. One small village after another came and went under the cast wheels of Little Red. I was in the very heart of the Province. I was in Diane Lane's Tuscany!

Now... it was MY Tuscany and I was having my own romance. That of the road.



There is an almost Magical allure to this Toscana of rolling hills, gentle curves, vinyards and stone buildings. What can you say about a place that has been portrayed on film and page a hundred times?

I can tell you from the seat of my Divvie, that no matter what you have seen or heard... nothing does it justice.

I could take a million photos and I couldn't begin to describe the feelings that each bend or vista brought forth. I was so delighted that my voice became hoarse from singing and whooping in the stereo confines of my Zues helmet.

Tuscany is one of those rare places on Earth, you just have to see to believe.

San Gimignano was a fabulous rest stop. I wandered the old walled city for several hours stopping for photos, a conversation or a Coke. Even though it was a small detour, it was worth every km in smiles!

I missed Siena, don't ask me how. I followed the signs, I thought, but like so many times... one wrong turn and I was off towards my next mysterious destination. One roundabout too many and the route signs began pointing backwards. I pulled off, looked at my GPS (map!) and realized that somehow I was 60 km passed the city. Now what? Go back or forward?

I chose forward, as in life I rarely go back only ahead.

The people closest to me will vouch for that...

As in life It was a good choice, the roads got narrower, the pavement better, the scenery even sweeter. Intoxicating, riding Lil Red, my heart pounded. My pulse raced, it was almost unbelievable. Those of you the closest to me will know. (wink wink)

Honest gang... you really would have to see it, feel it.




I saw a sign...

Well not exactly from heaven but a definate sign nonetheless. Now I knew my destination, could I reach it before that fabled sun set for the day?

Stay tuned...

ITALIA!!!

Well Gang... I have covered nearly 3000 km of "drop dead gorgeous, to die for, stunning, spectacular, breathtaking, amazing, incredible, unbelievable, stupendous, outrageous, stunning (oh right, I already said that) indescribeable beauty and magnificence that Mother Earth has to offer. It never ceases to amaze me when I do this, that this little blue planet, 3rd from the sun offers us mere mortals such vibrancy and life and emotions if we just allow it to take place and count ourselves "IN"

I overnighted in Hungary amid wet skys and cool temperatures that first day on the road. The Sport Panzio crew recognized me from last year's visit and wanted to know all about what was happenning in the world.


From there on it was on to Croatia and and hour later, Slovenia. A beautiful and interesting country of just 2 millon people! Under threatening skies on a mountain road, I found my second stop in a peaceful little village, just before the heavens opened up and soaked the bike completely! 20 E bought me a dry room, great shower, the local meal at dinner and breakfast which I shared with a couple driving from just outside Toulouse France. As it turned out, she was Hungarian descent so with her translation we were able to communicate.



I rode in warming temperatures and brigtening skies, into Italia at Gorizia, onwards thru Udine (pro: like Houdini with a silent 'H') My route of back roads and small villages and towns was much slower but far more interesting than the 'autostradas'.


Piroska and her dutiful passenger/pilot turned right at Vicenza, leaving the plains behind and climbing into the Dolomites. The roads became steeper, narrower, cooler and much more exciting. It was Saturday and every sports bike

with sticky tires in Northern Italy seemed to be on that road. My new tires were working very well but I wasnt about to take the chances these pilots were. In Italy... every sport bike rider "thinks" they are Valentino (Rossi) current MotoGP World champion riding Yamaha.

The ride down Lago de Garda was similar to the Okanagan but with millions of scooters and moto's of every description. What could be more Italian than villages lined with Espresso drinkers at streetside cafes watching posse's of brightly clad cyclists doing their version of the Tour de Italia, competing with sports cars from classic Triumphs and MGB's right thru the latest Porsches and Ferrari's (yes gaggles of Ferraris!) Sharing the road with Piaggios Apes crammed with produce, hordes of Ducatis, and with topless young (and not so young!) women soaking up the atmosphere.




Verona, Modena (home of Ferrari) and Bologna (home to Ducati) pass beneath the wheels of my Divvie as I ride the Sunday into the mountains North of Pistoia. I am shocked and amazed at how fluidly lines of traffic are passed in great leaps by riders, whether on blind curves or oncoming traffic or both.



It's getting near 6 pm, my last window for settling for the evening. My stomach growls like Piroska's Italian made pipes and I pull off to have a (groan) Coke and survey the map. I find a beautiful sunflower yellow Desmo 250 RT at the cafe! Now I love and appreciate the latest in hardware, but these old bikes to me are the epitome and essence of what motorcycles are. This Georgeous Duc is simple, light and elegant... and purposeful.

An Italian work of art to me!

I can't find the owner, he's likely one of 2 dozen men inside the cafe watching their favorite 'football' team playing on the big screen TV.

San Momme is a village of 150 just 20km from Pistoia and within day trip distance of Pisa and Lucca. It becomes my 'home' (remember Holly, home is where you hang your helmet) for 3 days while I take a bit of down time with side trips to the world famous Torre of Pisa and the Medival walled city of Lucca. I am finding the 300km days to be exhausting me mentally and physically. One entire day is spent with Piroska under the cover and me, feet propped up, sitting on my balcony, reading a crime novel.



The tennis courts beckon...makes me wish I had my svelte and fit tennis partner to "play with for the day" :)


Pisa is truly amazing. That first glimpse of the tower stuns me! How in the Hell has it not toppled over is beyond me... you have to see it to believe it. Trust me... photos do NOT do it justice! Lucca turns out to be a hidden mountain jewel. I was lost about a thousand times in finding it via the back roads. Worth the effort.







































Deeper into the Heart of Tuscany we ride.





I find another leaning tower... all right, granted... perhaps not as ancient nor as impressive... but it nevertheless impressed in it's stark simplicity, classic yet functional lines. The Italians sure can even the most basic structure truly into a work of art...



Stayed tuned...much more to follow...



Dr N.

W O W!!! Stayed tuned, more to follow in the next few days... DrN

The Time has come!

Well after a hectic bit of ingenuity (if I say so myself to myself) I have enough rear brake to set out with confidence. Having pulled a rabbit out of ye ol' helmet, I swapped the rr brake pads side to side and should have no problem until I find a Yamaha dealer in Mainstream Euro to buy some replacements. The bike is fully loaded and I will leave tomorrow the 14th of May.

I have a stopover planned for early in the day, so won't get out of Hungary until the following morning. One night in Western SLOvenia and the next night I should be in the Tuscan region riding under that fabled Tuscan sun. In fact... if I spot Diane Lane in a floral sundress... well I may not come back! (just kidding hon)

I have a bit of a destination in mind (giggles from the peanut gallery) I'm going to try and arrange my time to visit the Ducati factory and Museum in Bologna!! I may have to putter around the vicinity for a couple of days, but Firenze (Florence) I'm told is a "must see" so I think I "must see it". Pisa ( not P I Z Z A Hance) is not far away. Worth a photo or three I would think. This region is fabled for it's breathtaking beauty, even without DL, and has some of the World's finest collection of Art. With plenty of ACAD (wink wink) experience to rely on, I can't pass this opportunity by.

So my friends and fellow Bloggers... tomorrow... we ride!

AND ON.......

DECIDED to add a few photos, as I will soon be out of P.U.R.R. *

Not sure, but they were looking at me verrrry intently... obviously recognized me as a Cat Guy!

Castle Krasna Horka in southern Slovakia

Hmmmm.... oh where oh where shall I go now.......... ponder, ponder....

Notice the holes in the suit on the right!!

AND ON............

Yup, even have to do laundry on the road :)

These are various guises of "fifties" No plate required in most places.

seen at a resort, go figure eh! What's next... Tim Horton's ?!

AND ON..............................

The Bukk mountains Hungary's second highest point, just under 1000 M

Oh just another spectacular castle on just another CZ hilltop...



And people tell me I've gone around the bend! Hell, I'm not even half way there!

No Brakes... Not a happy camper!

AND ON..........................

I was just reading my FAVE magazine while whiling away the minutes, relaxing in the sunshine.

'WHO'S THAT ANYWAY..."

"What a handsome guy... "

You know I was over at Aunt Bozsi's for my usual midday walk and lunch... she's an amazingly smart woman who has seen much in her lifetime. The American B-24s by the hundreds fying overhead to drop their HE bombs on the Ploesti oil fields or the Bridges in Budapest. She's seen the coming and going (?) of the Communist regimes, the massive changes taking place in her country... the economic hardships. Yet she is still optimistic and certainly a little tiny (4'8") bundle of Energizer Bunny enthusiasm. You can learn an awful lot about life from someone that has lived it!

On the way home I stopped to watch a little black ant dragging a 'carcass' of some insect across the sidewalk. It was fascinating to me... after all, this tiny 2 mm creature towing what to us, would be the equivalent of a Woolly Mammoth clenched in our jaws, a distance of perhaps 10kms, and yet here it is, going about it's business oblivious to me, or the world around it.

I thought to myself, we humans are much the same as this ant (except not as single minded... perhaps) We go about our lives dragging the carcasses of 'work, fear, worry, threat' whether real or percieved, hardly stopping to actually enjoy life. Now of course we aren't ants. We have brains and hearts (well some of us do) so we have the option of choosing, which brings me back to my earlier Blog (I sooooo like that word, who thought that up anyway?!)

Why do we choose to toil away like ants, singlemindedly living to work, rather than working at living...

Now that, is the $64,000 question...

Doc.

P.U.R.R. * photo upload requirement range

AND THE BEAT GOES ON.................

Hey Gang!

Well it's been a vewwwy hectic week I must say. Rode the Divvie up to the Slovak border on Saturday to have a pair of new sport skins installed. The tires on her were the original Dunlop rim protectors and they were totally worn out in last years adventure. In their defence, 28,000 kms is pretty dang good I'd say. ON the flip side (no pun intended) they were never very confidence inspiring around the corners.

Balassagyarmat, where I had purchased the bike, is a very nice little Hungarian city straddling the Republic of Slovakia's border. It sits about a 2 hour tour from here in Jaszkiser (where have we heard THAT before) thru rolling hills and countryside dotted with farms, vinyards, castles and a village or town every 10 k or so. The poppies are sprouting in droves (Hungarian word for fields) and the Storks have returned from their winter vacation in the south of Africa, to their perrenial nests on familiar chimneys and poles.

Hungary is never fast, unless you want to ride the Autopia's, I dont mind puttering... in fact I'd rather. The area is very similar to riding in PEI actually. Queens county reminds me of the Northern Hungarian region known as the Matras.

The Great Hungarian Plain, the Puszta... is similar to our prairies but about one gazillionth smaller in size. Created from thousands of years of massive Glacial Ice pressing down on the earth, this region is barely a few hundred feet above sea levels.

Hungary's highest point is just East of my ride, clearly visible in the near distance.

1014 M, Kekes is a fave spot for hard charging sport bikes!

Who knows, if theres anything left of these sporty tires, I may give it a real go this time around.

New tires, new chain and sprockets were installed, however my rr brake pads are umm, errr, ahhhh, rather worn. The Diversion was imported from Italy, and all I can think of is whoever owned her originally must have lived on a mountain top! I learned this week that this country does not have a parts depot!

Shock and dismay... (Thats 90 degrees right of shock and awe?!) so I have decided that with judicious use of the rear brake I would head out tomorrow as planned (again using this word more loosely than Lindsay Lohan's love life) and somewhere in central Europe I could replace them. The Diversion series from Yamaha, especially the 600, were incredibly popular for many many years in Italy France and Spain. Finding pads enroute shouldn't pose a huge obstacle.

It is after all, and Adventure right!!

Today I will be packing my meagre possessions in my bags and trunk (amazing how simple life can be when travelling by motorbike, Wot!) pointing her nose towards the gate, and setting sail on the early (but not too early) morning tide.

My planned (chuckle) route will take me out of the country at Nagykanizsa, that last large Hungarian city, on into the very Northern tip of Croatia, before I pass thru to Slovenia. Interestingly enough these two countries are not EU, so I have to show passports, paperwork and stand on my head while doing so. Just kidding it's really a breeze...

I'll likely overnight around Maribor SLO. Depending, I may cross into Austria at this point, or continue thru slowly thru SLO to the Italian border. I am Planning (snicker) to stop in Venice for a day, if I can stand the crowds.

Venice is really best shared with a single vewwwwy special person in any case, and the thought of having to leave Piroska on the mainland overnight doesn't appeal to me a great deal. We'll see as we get closer. Besides, riding a gondola singing 'O sole mio' hugging some guys aging tourist wife that's sitting next to me, isn't my idea of a romantic evening on the Grand Canale.

I may leave Venice for a later date when I have my real sweetie along for the ride, ahh paddle.

Bologna on the other hand, requires no other sweetie than the one I am riding. Home to World Beaters, Ducati... this will make an interesting side trip. I might very well hightail it the 150k or so from the outskirts of Venice and stopover here.

From here, I will head back towards the coast passing thru Rimini, Ancona and Pescara, where I should be able to find a cheap (yet good) stopover. For those of you following on your AMA map (available at the AMA) of Europe, this is only around 300km. I have about 8-10 days to wander around Italy which may sound like much but for a country 300,000 sq kms, and the richest History in the civilized world (?) isn't. It's a shame really, we live but one life and so many of us never get to experience much of the world we live in... past or present.

I often hear in wonder ...

"How do you manage to do this Franco...? The time the money...?"

My answer is always the same.

"Time, you never know how much you have. I mean perhaps I can't ride the Baja desert when I'm 65. Money, I travel on a budget rarely staying in resorts and about the only stars I have during my sleeps, are the Universe above me. Why do I need 5 star when I have literally quadrillions?"

Many years back Ski Doo had a pretty good slogan, I hope I'm not infringing on any copyrigths here, but they said...

"JUST DOO IT"

Works for me... I'm Just Dooin' IT !

After last seasons ride that took me the the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and the Acropolis in Athens, I am ready for some new sights in sunny Mediterranean Italy and France.

Stayed tuned, I will endeavour to update this BLOG (Gosh I like that word... blog blog blog blog) from the road whenever/wherever I can.

ps... for those of you that have asked/begged, and you know who you are! I've included more pictures.

Feel free to add your comments as I go, in the 'comments' section at the end of the Blog.

And remember, I'm new at this (Blog thing) so join up and enjoy the Ride...

AM HERE... Let the Bells Ring out...

To all my (former friends and family) you must all be rabid for some news...
















I have crossed the Great Barrier Reef Threshold of my mind, and have thus landed squarely in this alternate reality which I am calling (insert drum role here)
















"A Diversion in Europe"
















The continuation of The Many (Mis) Adventures of myself and my not so alter ego... DR N Thusiast.
















After lining up a very well preserved 1993 Yamaha XJ 600S, via the wonders of the Internet , last year in Hungary... place of my fairly recent birth... and jumping backwards and forwards thru the tangle of flaming hoops and rather bizarre nightmarish red tape (every relation to the former Soviet state) in having it licensed for the road...












I was able to ride the little Divvie a grand total of 10 365 Km thru 16 countries! I could have bought something larger, faster, more modern, certainly more expensive for sure, but the Euro Diversion Yamaha is very nearly identical to the 93 Seca II sitting at home in my garage. She's proven to be a fine bike over the years and fast enough (well nearly), light enough, tight enough and with the high cost of petrol... cheap enough to enjoy immensely.
















I rode "Kis Piroska" named after the very sweet star from the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, to Berlin in the North, and Athens in the south, during the summer of 08. You can catch a little of last summers rides in the April 09 edition of Canadian Biker magazine.
















Having decided to keep her for another season, Piroska was lovingly packed away for winters hibernation in the bustling metropolis of Jaszkiser Hungary (pop: 8000) while I flew home for the winter, to deal with the RSP season.
















By mid April, E ticket in hand (just like being at Disneyland!) and having been voluntarily delayed while waiting for a condo purchase in Phoenix AZ to grind it's way thru... I was on my way to CIAp (no relation to the Central Intelligence Agency) and a seat aboard a Lufthansa Airbus jet, winging its way across Greenland enroute to Budapest via Frankfurt.
















Frankfurt airport proved once again to be a near lethal nightmare, long lines, way too many people, stern looking German security officials (they take this terrorist thing very seriously in Euro) and rushing the 10Km or so, on foot to gate A21 from Gate B44. You'd think a B gate would be next to an A gate, but in reality... nothing could be farther from the truth. (well the gate may have been farther) In afterthought I should have just rang the dinger line overhead and had them put me off near Gate 21. Ha... fat chance. Nien! Is verboten!!
















I made my Hungarian connection only because that plane was delayed at takeoff. First I thought I saw a homeless guy, squeegee in hand, squirting Windex cleaner on the co-pilots portion of the windscreen... however it seems that some dork or dorkettes luggage was deeply ensconced in the belly of the bird, yet the owners of said luggage were MIA! In these post 9-11 days... you do not leave the gate until the owners show up or the luggage is removed. In this particular case, we sat on the ramp while the hold was opened, the tagged luggage retrieved and tossed unceremoniously, onto the tar mac, where the luggage handlers ran over it accidentally. They must have been having transmission problems, because they ran over it 7 times... 4 times forwards and 3 back!
















Reminds me of my long flight last year departing from Calgary. We had been pushed back from the T line only to have to get towed back in while the cargo boot was cracked open, because sam other nameless fool stowed their medications in their checked baggage, only to realize at the last possible second before lift off, that perhaps they should take their required in flight dosage... while in flight!!!
















Duh!!! Ya gotta wonder what the meds were for... TBF?* Perhaps.
















Anyway, after a smooth 12 hours of flying we literally crash landed on the tarmac in Budapest's Ferihegy 2 airport. No idea, wind shear? spare tire change, I dont know... but I can tell you this, thats the roughest landing I've had since Dino flew Lantie, Rock and I into Cutbank MT a few (many) years back during a gale, flying a Cessna. We bounced (well maybe 1 step beyond 'bounce') onto the deck and the A320 did a pretty good imitation of a Texas 2 step, which is nearly as dangerous as as if you were actually in Texas 2 stepping with some else's wife... unbeknownst to you! The young girl sitting next to me stared wide eyed out the window to my right, as the plane shuddered and protested like Levar Burton at a KKK convention.
















I had my luggage in no time, finally getting smart since my last trip, having tied orange racing tape to my suitcase handles to identify them from the hundred other identical bags. I once ended up with several size 44DD brassieres and a dress that didnt flatter me (much) after grabbing the wrong bag at Pearson.
















Berti greeted me with a grin, kisses on the cheek as is the custom, and a handshake and then we had a hard time finding the little silver VW Polo in the lot. Once we'd located the car, we couldn't quite find the exit from the airport. Luckily we had some snacks in the glove box and by dawn, there was enough light to see our way out.
















The next day he'd delivered me and my very stylish orange handled luggage to metro Jaszkiser, to his Moms place. Erzsike (Elizabeth) my cousin was sooo happy to see me, she immediately set me to work fixing a few things around the house. Now don't get me wrong here, I am by my very nature a 'fixer' of things. Ask any of my friends, and I relish the thought of making something derilect work. I've had lots of practice, anyone who knows how my love life has gone will attest to that!
















I retrieved Piroska the next day and set about polishing, changing oil and filter,a few missing nuts and bolts, some instrument bulbs ("But officer... I couldnt see how fast I was riding tonight") Once road ready, we did a couple of little jaunts together (hard to go separately in any case) to iron out the winters kinks in us both. I dare say, I needed more ironing or is that irony? No matter, this week we should have some fresh new skins for her and sometime next week we should be ready to head out on the highway once again.
















Ze Plan, and I do use this term incredibly loosely, is to ride over that way (picture Frank waving his arm here) somewhere in the general direction of Trieste, Italia and then onto Venice. From there I "plan" on riding down the Adriatic coast and then intersecting the boot at some point to the Med.
















Corsica, if time permits, then on to southern France along the French Riviera, where I will hang topless, with Saskia for a few days. (well I'll be topless I don't know about Saskia) I once got slapped for asking a date to go for a ride in my MGB topless. She obviously didn't know anything about English sports cars. I am sure this Hungarian CDN and that Dutch /CDN catgirl transplanted to the south of France, will find a bottle of imported (CDN) vino and catch up on her life on the Continent in great detail.
















Spain next across the southern Pyrenees and the Costa del Sol and again time permitting, Atlantic Portugal, northern Spain, The Biscanye coast to Normandy where I want to check out the WW2 sites and sights, before turning inland to Paree! From here I will wind my way home to Hungary thru either Germany or Switzerland or both... I have about 1 month to do this. Seems like lots but is it really?
















Well that's it for now, I am trying this BLOG, see how it fares.
















WISH I WERE SKIPPING... :) I LOVE SKIPPING !
















From the European hub/beehive of activity... Jaszkiser... chumi chumi. Frank.
















*TBF Temporary Brain Fade