We're Travellers!

Tiny Slovenia... pop 2 million.

                                 YOU'VE GOT MAIL!
  

Another EU border crossing.

THIS morning a message popped up on the screen from my kid, Holly.

"Hi Dad, just thought I'd send a few pictures, Lisa is still asleep, jet lagged... I'm catching up on homework..."

The photos? 

Berlin's Reichstag, Amsterdam's canals, the Austrian castle where Richard the Lionhearted was reportedly held for ransom... My two girls are doing a Sirocco  tour of five countries including a couple of days in Marrakesh.





In all of Europe... one of my most fave countries!

WHERE does this come from anyway?  How did we get to be travellers?  Beth's side of the family and she herself are not travellers per se, yet my side has been all over the dang place.


Chateau on the banks of the Drava.

LEAVING my cosy Czech Hotel, I was greeted by cool weather, and wind driven rain.  Not so heavy that my MSR jacket was in danger of soaking clear thru, but certainly enough to make the travel less enjoyable.

I breezed by the Austrian border, then crossed the Danube in Vienna, thinking I may head east to Budapest.


Hard too see, but large fish hanging in the current...

THE thought of riding my last couple of days in rainy weather didn't greatly appeal to me, so I bypassed the BP turnoff on the E 60, and continued south on E 59.

Soon I was passing thru Graz and as the sky's cleared so did my mood.  I vowed to come back to Vienna and spend a couple of days in her historic splendor!


Communist era abandoned buildings in the former Yugoslavia.

MY rather short overnight had been somewhat, ahem... extended! 

Sure I'd only planned on a 350km loop into southern Slovakia, and so far I'd seen that country, Poland, Germany as far north as Berlin and was now on my 6th country!!!




Entering Hungary.  Wouldn't be the last time.

THE Slovenian republic crossed under the mag wheels and I began my eastern curve at Maribor... where I had a nice outdoor cafe lunch.  The skies were the most beautiful "sky" blue you can imagine.  The temperature had warmed, and both of us were happier again.  Traffic was light on the back roads I was riding, passing vehicles didn't even require a downshift to fifth.  I would just look ahead and dial it on, the abundant torque of the mildly tuned engine enough to squirt me past in short order.

PIROSKA was doing great and I couldn't have been more pleased.  Like the classy lady she was, we were having a fabulous trip together and were quickly proving to be very content travelling companions.  I'd originally thought of getting a big Enduro single, there are plenty of them over there, including XT 600's like I had at home, but given that most highways in Europe, even the dinky toy ones, were paved, the Divvie made pretty good sense!


Decrepit building across the street. 

LATER that afternoon, I crossed under the E 65 and entered Hungary at Barcs.  Here the border crossing was a bit more elaborate and I had to explain why I was riding a bike I didn't own.  Once they realized I had everything in order, I was allowed to proceed.

AT the city of Kaposvar I was getting mighty tired. I tried a couple of hotels/panzio's but both were full. Pondering my fate at the local McD's (don't laugh, they were always open and had pretty good food), I had no choice but to press on.

AS I motored along, growing ever more sleepy eyed by the moment, I saw a sign! 

As so often happens on my trips, when you are certain you'll be spending a cold night in some farmers barn slash haystack, with his lovely daughters :)  magically your lodgings for the night appear.

I finally pulled off the road at the tiny little village of Domlo, at the absolutely gorgeous Sport Panzio.  Built only 3 years previously, there were no other guests, I had a wonderful room, the boys made me a delicious meal and I had a great sleep under the stars, shining through the abundant sky light.

AS the only guest, the staff were very keen to learn about my travels and about Canada and the USA of course. 

Hungarians generally don't travel often.  It is expensive for them, and they tend to work long hours.  Whenever I traveled in country, I was always greeted by extremely curious locals full of questions. 

"Where did I live, was it really cold, did I own my own home, was I rich..."





Life finds a way... even on a rooftop!

 FOR 4500 forint (about $22 Cdn) it was the best bargain I would find on this trip and nearly on all my upcoming travels.


Overnight, 350Km trip turned into 10 days and 4500km!

TOMORROW I would be home in Jaszkizer. 

As so often happen in the life of the Dr of N Thusiasm... my planned overnight excursion across the Slovak border had encompassed 10 days and 4500km.  I'd ridden my Divvie on her shakedown cruise nearly the breadth of Canada! 

... and I was just getting warmed up...