|
From Kiev we will make our way east to Poland, but take a few days instead of going on the highway. The first day was 418 km to Rivne, but via Korosten and Sarny.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8193/2...0c11c067_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-16 at 20.23.56 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The road surface on the E373 was very smooth. The driving here was civilized and trucks pulled over to the verge to let you pass and if you did the same for a car they gave you the “thank you” flash. https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8331/2...8a2cf437_b.jpgRivne CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8533/2...b9c26cdd_b.jpgRivne CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr This changed totally once you head south at Sarny. The road surface is deeply grooved and patched and there is no verge to pull over so back to aggressive Ukrainian drivers passing practices. We had booked a hotel down town that had good parking and a very good restaurant next door. We had a splurge meal of 2 large and 1 small beer, 2 borscht, 2 very good pork chop entrees, coffee and desert for about 15$ Canadian with tip. |
Today the forecast is partly cloudy however it is totally cloudy, but not raining yet. We set out for a 224 km route to Lviv hoping to get in early to get some laundry done.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8109/2...f3120e78_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-17 at 17.40.19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8518/2...1d6f8e78_b.jpgIviv CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We had chosen this cheap hotel because it was close to the only laundry in town. We had not been able to find one in the last 2 towns. The road luckily was good until Lutsk since it started to rain after about a half an hour after we left. It was heavy at times and of course when we on the H17 about 75 km from LVIV, when the road surface for a big section was totally unreal. To quote Dan “horrific”. It was like a sea of massive pot holes with small strips of pavement between. The holes were full of water and there were cars and trucks swerving all over on both sides of the road. Luckily this did not last long. Ice cream therapy https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8842/2...07df80fd_b.jpgIviv CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Arriving to LVIV the traffic was terrible and this is because of the 5 separate accidents we saw in the last 6 km. They just drive too fast here. It really started to rain very heavily just after we arrived to our hotel. Cider therapy https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7501/2...9fea7611_b.jpgIviv CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
The rain did however stop by just after 6 and we walked over to the laundry to drop off all the smelly gear. It was quite amusing trying to confirm that we could pick it up at 9 am the next morning! Thank goodness for the calendar and clock apps on my phone!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8894/2...67749520_b.jpgIviv CC-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Today is a great day the sun is shining, the laundry is clean, and the trifecta…the bikes are washed. Again this guys did an amazing job washing them and then refused payment! Luckily there was another customer there who spoke English and we could find out what the price should be and paid him. https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8065/2...e01381fa_b.jpgIviv CC-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7778/2...57a82789_b.jpgIviv CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We are headed to Gorlice Poland today in 266 km, but this will take at least 6 hours including the border if we are lucky.
https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8339/2...c5a87335_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-18 at 21.27.09 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The road surface is not to bad, except for about 25 km west of Sambir, where it is like swiss cheese. The last 15 are fresh paved. https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8123/2...1f0125bb_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-18 at 21.27.45 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8505/2...8e059a66_b.jpgGorlice CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8174/2...233894ff_b.jpgGorlice CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8471/2...f35c97be_b.jpgGorlice CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8169/2...93fcf368_b.jpgGorlice CC-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
When we arrived there was at least a km of cars and trucks lined up before the border crossing. We drove by the ling long line and no one said anything. It is 1330 and Im pretty sure many of them will still be here at dark.
https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8505/2...2aa1a86f_b.jpgGorlice CC-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr When we arrived to the front the Ukrainian guards came right over and waved us thru to the first gate. They again gave us the little scrap of paper with the plate number on it. Then we were let thru the gate and joined one of the 3 lines since each had about 10 cars. https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8835/2...bc4c4ae4_b.jpgGorlice CC-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The exit from Ukraine took 1 1/2 hours! There again was an issue with our moto “passport” or title. They kept asking why our plates are Colombian if we are Canadian. We finally got them to understand that British Columbia is a province of Canada. Here in Europe they have country plates and not state or province plates like we have in north, central, and south America. Meanwhile while we did this all the people in the cars behind us are lined up to get there papers processed, but since their cars are all trapped in the line there is no getting ahead of the person infant of them. Finally after all this the customs official wanted to look in the luggage (first time in 59 countries) and we rode ahead to the next window. By look I mean we opened the pannier and the dry bag and he looked without touching for about 3 seconds. |
Next to get back into the EU and the Schengen zone. Here they accepted the Titles, but were again confused with the whole Colombia Columbia thing. It was much easier to explain to the Polish officer as he spoke English. After he sent Dan on to customs he wanted to chat about our trip, route and plans. When I said we were going to the stans he said “ you know there can be big trouble there” I said we always take safety into consideration in planning the route and current events play into that. Putin is escalating on the eastern border of Ukraine and of course we did not go to the Crimea. He said of course not “it is Jurassic park there”. He then really wanted to know if anything bad had happened to us in Ukraine, I said no nothing and he was surprised. In fact other that the small shake down we had at the Honduras border we have had nothing bad done to us! Despite everyone telling us we were going to be shaken down by Ukrainian police every day they did not even give us a second look for the 9 days we were there. We had no issues. People were just really nice to us. The Poland entry was a quick 30 minutes.
https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8318/2...1dfdaf99_b.jpgGorlice CC-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8584/2...f09c08a2_b.jpgPoland-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Once you cross the border it all changes. The road is smooth, there are curves and hills. You can read the signage, which helped when we found a nice restaurant 10 minutes later for a traditional lunch. https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8281/2...2a985a67_b.jpgGorlice CC-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
From the border to Gorlice (Gor-leet-se) it is another 2 1/2 hours (211 km) of good road, but one half of the way is on the busy 28. Arriving to the town we stocked up at the LIDL since our homestay had a full kitchen. Yeah home cooked meals.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8450/2...8b35d902_b.jpgGorlice CC-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We had met Rafal on the ferry to Iceland and he is in fact the one who told us about the Schengen zone. He lives in Copenhagen and krakow and since he is in Poland now he invited us to stay with him. We only had to get to Krakow in 132 km, but since we had all day we did a loop into Slovakia and planned to visit the salt mine at Wieliczka as well. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8309/2...0636298e_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-24 at 19.26.59 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We rode south directly from Gorlice to Bardejov Slovakia. https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8056/2...e2b53f37_b.jpgKrakow CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
This is over a mountain pass with a nice set of switch backs on both sides. So nice in fact we rode back and did it again. At Bardejov (which has a very nice market square) we turned almost immediately and headed north west towards Krakow.
https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8482/2...2238a5e9_b.jpgKrakow CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8124/2...99950899_b.jpgKrakow CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8199/2...46d501f2_b.jpg https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8056/2...8bdd0cb5_b.jpgKrakow CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8133/2...d2bbc768_b.jpgPoland-31 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8054/2...6ee63b88_b.jpgPoland-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We arrived to the salt mine just after 430 and the next English tour started at 5.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8745/2...ca0dabb7_b.jpgPoland-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr At the Danilowicz Shaft you walk down 66 levels on the 350 wooden stairs to the first level of the mine at 64 meters under ground. https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7788/2...afedb638_b.jpgPoland-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8032/2...16fb74a9_b.jpgPoland-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8240/2...d4a5a39f_b.jpgPoland-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
“The Wieliczka Salt Mine opened in the 13th century, the mine produced table salt continuously until 2007, as one of the world's oldest salt mines in operation. Commercial mining was discontinued in 1996 due to low salt prices and mine flooding. The mine's attractions include dozens of statues and four chapels carved out of the rock salt by the miners. The older sculptures have been supplemented with new carvings made by contemporary artists. About 1.2 million people visit the mine annually. It reaches a depth of 327 meters and is over 287 kilometers (178 mi) long. The rock salt is naturally grey in various shades, resembling unpolished granite rather than the white or crystalline look.”
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8437/2...b3025025_b.jpgPoland-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Luckily it was only a 25 min ride to Rafal’s place and that we had given him our SPOT so he was not waiting around for us. In fact he was out front to greet us!
https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8508/2...0d713dab_b.jpgPoland-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We settled in and then headed into the city for a tour of the old Jewish area called Kazimierz (Ca-gee-mesh) https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8165/2...57f0bedd_b.jpgPoland-18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8520/2...a5968c0c_b.jpgPoland-49 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr “Since its inception in the fourteenth century to the early nineteenth century, Kazimierz was an independent city, a royal city of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom, located south of Kraków Old Town and separated by a branch of the Vistula river. For many centuries, Kazimierz was a place of coexistence and interpenetration of Christian and Jewish cultures, its north-eastern part of the district was historic Jewish, whose Jewish inhabitants were forcibly relocated in 1941 by the German occupying forces into the Krakow ghetto just across the river in Podgórze. Today Kazimierz is one of the major tourist attractions of Krakow and an important center of cultural life of the city.” |
We stopped for a local street food favourite Zapiekanka or “Polish pizza” at Endzior on Plac Nowy Square.
https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8011/2...8ba75df6_b.jpgPoland-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8348/2...0c705eb9_b.jpgPoland-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8266/2...4501bdb2_b.jpgPoland-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We headed to the famous Pijalnia Wódki i Piwa vodka and beer bar where it still looks like it did in the “Communist” time. Shots of vodka and mixed shots are 1 Euro we you ordered by the half dozen! The best shot is a Krakow specialty the “mad dog” shot or Wsciekly Pies. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8387/2...32f07469_b.jpgPoland-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8211/2...838924a8_b.jpgPoland-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8368/2...070cc50a_b.jpgPoland-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7461/2...24a3fff5_b.jpgPoland-25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8553/2...3548c2a3_b.jpgPoland-51 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8457/2...78abf33a_b.jpgPoland-52 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr To finish off the evening we went to a very cool bar that is in an old house and we got seat in the kitchen! https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8012/2...2594ecfe_b.jpgPoland-26 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8164/2...2e883ed2_b.jpgPoland-50 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Today we did a ride out from Krakow.
https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8385/2...ab48dfd3_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-24 at 19.31.28 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8130/2...a3cacba7_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-24 at 19.34.08 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8441/2...5341d671_b.jpgPoland-27 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8302/2...c6dd99c0_b.jpgPoland-28 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8589/2...c6efa8eb_b.jpgPoland-29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We stuck to the small back roads to get to the monastery in the village of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, which is one of the most important pilgrim sites in Poland. “With a vision while viewing the neighbouring hills and valleys from the Castle of Lanckorona, on 1 December 1602, Mikołaj Zebrzydowski, the Voivode of Kraków commissioned the construction of a calvary, i.e. Roman Catholic monastery and the trails of the Passion of Christ modeled on the Calvary outside the city walls of Jerusalem.” https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8284/2...bbf8d973_b.jpgPoland-54 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8146/2...bd0cfa2a_b.jpgPoland-53 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
From here we rode to the nearby hilltop to the artist village of Lanckorona, where there is a great spot for pirogies and cakes.
“Lanckorona is a village located 30 kilometres south-west of Kraków in Lesser Poland. It lies on the Skawinka river, among the hills of the Beskids, 545 m above sea level. It is known for the Lanckorona Castle, today in ruins. In recent years, Lanckorona has become a tourist attraction for the well preserved 19th century wooden houses in its centre. The township of Lanckorona was established by Casimir III the Great in 1336, to protect the road to Kraków.” https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8183/2...14efa980_b.jpgPoland-33 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8513/2...25082caa_b.jpgPoland-30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8377/2...13c1665a_b.jpgPoland-32 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
From here we swooped thru near the city again to visit the University castle for the view and then to climb the Kościuszki Mound for a 360 degree view.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7474/2...bd8017de_b.jpgPoland-34 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr “The Kościuszko Mound, situated near Kraków is 333 meters above sea level on the Blessed Bronisława Hill. On 15th October 1820 the trunk of a tall tree was planted on top of the hill. Around this the people of Kraków placed earth in the shape of a spiral and it became the Mound, the symbolic burial place of Tadeusz Kościuszko (1746-1817, General, Polish and American national hero, freedom fighter and the leader of the Polish Uprising which in later years was to be named after him). The construction of this Mound continued till 1823 and was paid for only by public subscription. The result is a 34,1 meter high mound, the national memorial monument, seen from almost every where in Kraków. Soil from Polish and North American battlefields where Kościuszko fought was placed here. This Mound was of great importance to Poles during the Austrian occupation of this territory (Poland was partitioned between Germany, Austria and Russia for 123 years). The Austrians tried to destroy it but were unsuccessful. They built fortifications around it which can be visited today. Another threat was the II WW, but the Mound survived. The biggest threat was Mother Nature during the floods of the 70ties and the terrible flood in 1997 which inundated large parts of Poland and destroyed a large part of the Mound. A new strengthened and illuminated Mound was given back to the public in 2002. Here you will enjoy one of the best views of the city from the top of the hill” https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8085/2...edd40bf32a.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-26 at 21.24.32 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Then we headed north of the city to zespół parków krajobrazowych województwa or Krakow landscapes valley park. We arrived to the end of the valley ride just at dusk and so too late to visit the castle. https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8758/2...550b5e62_b.jpgPoland-55 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
So it was again downtown we did a tour of the market square.
https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8292/2...80c28809_b.jpgPoland-42 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8213/2...925ca98f_b.jpgPoland-43 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8498/2...fddc6a05_b.jpgPoland-44 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We ended the evening with a Krakow institution. This sausage truck has been here every night…forever!! https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8328/2...eb04b5a9_b.jpgPoland-48 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8553/2...a872c4e1_b.jpgPoland-46 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8517/2...83e601bf_b.jpgPoland-47 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The next 2 days it rained and so we had some good down time. https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8214/2...27921fe8_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-20 at 21.14.22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7645/2...2776a9a4_b.jpgPoland-39 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8501/2...9be7b294_b.jpgPoland-40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7795/2...ed394e14_b.jpgPoland-41 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8151/2...1c220ab8_b.jpgPoland by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Today we leave Krakow and Rafal will ride out with us.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8107/2...ce747119_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-24 at 19.29.29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7541/2...ceae70a9_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-24 at 19.30.42 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We started going west to Rafal’s home to of Oswiecim (Oh -Svien -chim). The town is best known as being the location of the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. “In 1941, German authorities decided to build a large chemical plant of IG Farben, in the eastern outskirts of the town. Polish residents of several districts were forced to abandon their houses, as the Germans wanted to keep the area around Auschwitz concentration camp empty. A buffer zone with the area of some 40 square kilometres was planned around the camp, and expulsions of local Polish residents took place in 1940 and 1941. All the residents of the Zasole district were forced to abandon their homes. More than 90% of all buildings were destroyed and the residents were transported to Gorlice to fend for themselves. Altogether, some 17,000 people in Oświęcim itself and surrounding villages were forced to leave their homes, and eight villages were wiped off the map.” We only visited the Auschwitz II-Birkenau site. This is a massive site and really shows the scale of what went on here. There are ruined barracks and their chimneys as far as you can see. On the site you can see the main gate thru which the trains arrived, the platform where the sorting of people was carried out, and you can see inside to experience the conditions these people were kept under. There are the ruins of the gas chambers and a memorial wall at the back of the site. This site does not require a timed ticket and as such was easier to access. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8465/2...570c9840_b.jpgSromowce CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8343/2...ab6e538d_b.jpgPoland-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8094/2...8b9fbe5c_b.jpgPoland-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8383/2...9d52be73_b.jpgPoland-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The Main Auschwitz site only allows non tour group individuals visits by timed ticket after 3 pm. We did drive by here but it is a much more touristic feel and seems irreverent. It was heavy enough to visit Birkenau with out the much more difficult to see artifacts and displays here. |
Then we rode south to Slovakia and thru the Tatra Mountains most of the rest of the day.
https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8294/2...2a09a96b_b.jpgSromowce CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8616/2...49dc8ec2_b.jpgSromowce CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr “The Tatra Mountains, part of the Carpathian mountain chain in eastern Europe, create a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. Both Slovak and Polish sides are protected as national parkland and are popular destinations for winter and summer sports.” https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8781/2...01405740_b.jpgPoland-56 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr You can rent these tanks to drive off road. https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8582/2...4a4f99f5_b.jpgSromowce CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8434/2...34295d3d_b.jpgSromowce CC-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
With our late start and stop at Oswiecim we still had 80 km to go at 630 pm but we made it to the Polana Sosny camp site just across the Polish border in Niedzica before dark. They had some great pirogies at the restaurant here and then poor Rafal had a 2 hour drive back to Krakow in the dark.
https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7645/2...0a211185_b.jpgSromowce CC-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8378/2...9687fa06_b.jpgSromowce CC-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8381/2...20a70935_b.jpgPoland-57 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Great write up and photos as always, a bit too much alcohol though for me :mchappy:
Ride safe Gino & Fiona |
Quote:
We must have some Mad Dogs in the next meet up!!! sara |
We had a great night camped by the river and a sleep in. This meant another late start and a big day planned.
https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8387/2...e8dc597c_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-24 at 19.38.37 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We had hoped to skirt along the border and then cross back to Poland. From here we would try to “do the big loop” into the Bieszczadzki Park Narodowy, but as it was getting late in the day we abandoned this plan at Cisna and headed north east to Przemyśl. Here we found a cheap hotel just out of the city that included dinner and breakfast. https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8434/2...40212ecb_b.jpgPrzemysl CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8175/2...f188a4b7_b.jpgPrzemysl CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8248/2...b5836b66_b.jpgPoland-58 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
From Przemysl we kept to the secondary road to get to Zamosc.
https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8486/2...aa5870a0_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-24 at 21.17.19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8490/2...fd2f0cc6_b.jpgWlodawa CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Zamosc is a nice town with a very pretty market square. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8292/2...f1d3961e_b.jpgPoland-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8009/2...e81d3021_b.jpgPoland-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
North from here we rode east to skirt the Poland-Ukraine border all day on the 816. This is a bit rough at times, but mostly good road thru neat and tidy Polish farm villages.
https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8397/2...8ec2050b_b.jpgWlodawa CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8411/2...d0708345_b.jpgPoland-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8518/2...ea3977c2_b.jpg We found a funky small hotel with “traditional” decor in Wlodawa and elected for non Polish Kebab for dinner. This country so far is very clean and neat, very well organized, and the food is great. The drivers and polite and courteous and follow all the rules of the road. So far the most civilized in Europe! |
Again today we skirt the border zone, but this time with Belarus.
https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8372/2...fe6cf9af_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-25 at 20.02.23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The town of Janow Podlaski is know for the very expensive Arabian horses bread here. For me it was the huge box of raspberries for 5 Zloty or about 1.70 CDN$. From here we swooped west as the only direct route north i thru Belarus and we decided the hassle and cost were not with it for us. https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8429/2...c81c75c6_b.jpgBobrowa CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8516/2...f35e0823_b.jpgBobrowa CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8863/2...422cdb1f_b.jpgBobrowa CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We rode north to the tiny town of Grabarka and only knew to come here after Rafal told us about the hilltop covered with crosses.
“The Holy Mount of Grabarka is considered to be the holiest location in Poland for Orthodox Christians. It is the site of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and is home to the women's monastery of Ss. Marta and Maria. Worship of this place and tradition of bringing crosses was born in the 18th century. The famous miracle was recorded in 1710 during the cholera epidemics. Decimated by disease, inhabitants of Podlasie region fled the towns and villages for fear of their lives. At that time an old man experienced a revelation that the only way for salvation was to go to the Mountain of Grabarka with a cross. He went there with some other villagers, brought a cross, bathed his face and drank water from the spring spurting at the foot of the hill and prayed. A miracle happened: all those who followed him were cured and saved. To express their gratitude, the people built a wooden chapel on the top of the hill. It was later extended into the Transfiguration Orthodox Church. Pilgrims have been bringing votive crosses to the hill ever since.” https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8200/2...31ae1aeb_b.jpgPoland-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8329/2...ef8a3752_b.jpgPoland-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8238/2...d8e43668_b.jpgPoland-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8501/2...3e14ea73_b.jpgPoland-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We took a side trip into Bialowieza, which is famous for the wild European bison, but we only saw the few in captivity.
https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8547/2...f6dd597a_b.jpgBobrowa CC-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8469/2...c3df5855_b.jpgPoland-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8243/2...7562bbcb_b.jpgPoland-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8677/2...832d3e6c_b.jpgPoland-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The day ended with a few km on dirt to the village of Bobrowa and hotel in the middle of nowhere! Great place and really good food. https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7789/2...9e331a56_b.jpgBobrowa CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We had planned to go to the Baltic coast of Poland to the town of Hel. They have kite surfing here, but the forecast there is ok today, but rain for the following few days. So we will ride the planned route west from Bobrowa and recheck the forecast, but we will likely give up this plan and head south where the weather is suppose to be more pleasant. We rode north to the city of Agustow which is the gate way to the Lakeland area of Poland for 321 km.
https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8514/2...0648960a_b.jpgPoland-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We did bit of a loop thru here past lush farms and dozens of lakes. It is motorcycle touring heaven. https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8213/2...ce751f13_b.jpgUkiel CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8014/2...baa36e3f_b.jpgUkiel CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8024/2...35a370e3_b.jpgUkiel CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We stopped at a place with a very full parking lot for lunch and had to try out a few local favourites. https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8503/2...ccc0057a_b.jpgUkiel CC-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8406/2...63cb9fc6_b.jpgUkiel CC-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8409/2...caaffbf1_b.jpgUkiel CC-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We continued west and to our destination of a nice camping spot on Ukiel lake near Olsztyn. We had a nice row out on the lake to enjoy the sunset and an absolutely quiet night.
https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8541/2...4e583590_b.jpgUkiel CC-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8155/2...02eff3fd_b.jpgPoland-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8553/2...866bb95c_b.jpgPoland-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8687/2...37416674_b.jpgUkiel CC-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8805/2...40eeb2ae_b.jpgPoland-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8055/2...605d9033_b.jpgPoland-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8173/2...9fca750a_b.jpgPoland-18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8051/2...63f2b908_b.jpgPoland-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8545/2...7c1500a8_b.jpgPoland-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
The forecast in the north is no better and so we decided to make it south. We are headed to Wroclaw (vrot-swave)), but will go in 2 days. Today we are just booking it south on the main roads and will stop at Poznan.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8217/2...273f4bf0_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-30 at 08.36.03 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr This is a fair sized city, but we are staying on the outskirts and will just take a day to rest. https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8702/2...94ce5ee4_b.jpgUkiel CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr South again today the weather is still holding and we made a longer route on the small country roads. https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8170/2...38644848_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-30 at 08.37.20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8272/2...d9eecec2_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-08-30 at 08.43.04 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
At times there were sections with dirt and some cobble roads as well.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8412/2...db12ce4c_b.jpgPoznan-wroclaw CC-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8135/2...d5618f8e_b.jpgPoznan-wroclaw CC-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7532/2...95710c94_b.jpgPoznan-wroclaw CC-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8423/2...e16f00ee_b.jpgPoznan-wroclaw CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8224/2...7c3aa5a2_b.jpgPoznan-wroclaw CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Many farming towns in Germany will have these hay bale sculptures. https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8075/2...bec5254f_b.jpgPoland-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8431/2...0d318286_b.jpgPoznan-wroclaw CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8450/2...0fe22d35_b.jpgPoznan-wroclaw CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Too bad it was not 955! https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8097/2...8d2eba1c_b.jpgPoland-28 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We arrived to the city and were staying just off the market square. This is always a challenge if you stay in the “old town” in any European city as there is often a maze of small streets, one ways, and pedestrian zones which can try the patience of even a saint. The GPS actually makes it worse as it directs you to places you can not go and then reroutes you on some long round about path. Finally we just drove a short way on a pedestrian road to get to the back of the building we were in to access the parking lot.
The main market square if the second largest innEurope after Krakow. The buildings have been rebuild in the old style, but some of the original are still here. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8770/2...c648e25a_b.jpgPoland-32 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8347/2...4551c5be_b.jpgPoland-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8512/2...04c176b1_b.jpgPoland-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8242/2...903dc86c_b.jpgPoland-30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7761/2...01a63a28_b.jpgPoland by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
This is the memorial to the victims of the Katyn massacre.
https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8331/2...626a948a_b.jpgPoland-50 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8252/2...6dcf9bf7_b.jpgPoland-51 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr “The Katyn massacre was a series of mass executions of Polish nationals carried out by the NKVD on Stalin’s orders in April and May 1940. Though the killings took place at several different locations, the massacre is named after the Katyn Forest, where some of the mass graves were first discovered.” This is a very nice city that was almost completely destroyed at the end of the war. https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8442/2...34213596_b.jpgPoland-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8636/2...dc17183f_b.jpgPoland-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8547/2...22c2e20d_b.jpgPoland-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8647/2...3df05ac2_b.jpgPoland-41 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8386/2...62e01887_b.jpgPoland-40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8114/2...635757a0_b.jpgPoland-39 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We did a bit of a walking tour of the city and on elf the fun things to do is try to find some of the 350 brass Gnomes that are hidden around the city.
“One of Wrocław’s most popular, memorable and iconic attractions is not a cathedral, not a castle or monument, but a legion of little people: Gnomes. In Wrocław’s city centre these merry munchkins are simply ubiquitous - dotting doorways, alleyways and street corners; constantly underfoot but only seen by the observant. You may well overlook the first few that cross your path, but inevitably – and often literally - you will stumble upon these popular local residents. Keep your eyes peeled and you’re bound to notice the little fellas engaged in a variety of activities about town – from guarding public space to passed-out drunk. Although it sounds like little more than a tourist gimmick, gnomes have long held a place in Polish folklore, and their current iconic incarnation as symbols of Wrocław actually has a direct correlation to the political climate of the 1980s. Under communism gnomes became the absurdist calling card of the 'Orange Alternative' movement – an underground protest movement that used absurdity and nonsense to stage peaceful, yet subversive protests.” https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8652/2...2137b5be_b.jpgPoland-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8197/2...868b61db_b.jpgPoland-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8364/2...d5e397ec_b.jpgPoland-18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7784/2...3268e80f_b.jpgPoland-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8832/2...0b9a4212_b.jpg https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8819/2...3efdda67_b.jpgPoland-46 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8154/2...f2667d25_b.jpgPoland-44 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8329/2...94719132_b.jpgPoland-42 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8270/2...94415e0d_b.jpgPoland-58 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8504/2...d45f657d_b.jpgPoland-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8053/2...45958810_b.jpgPoland-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8558/2...6368428e_b.jpgPoland-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Leaving Wroclaw we are going south today to the Czeck Republic to hit country number 60! It is a 280 km drive and takes 4 1/2 hours.
https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8158/2...006a7345_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-09-04 at 21.56.08 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr This means we can have a late start and still wander around on some of the small country roads. We started south west to the city of Swindica and then took a small detour to visit the picturesque Ksiaz Castle, which is perched on a hill top. It is reached by a small road with a very unusual name! https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8545/2...9ce4a70c_b.jpgPoland-33 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8062/2...fd1f4725_b.jpgCzeck Republic-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8245/2...46521149_b.jpgPoland-31 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr From here we decided on another small detour to see the ruins of another hill top castle Zamek Ksiazecy Chojnik. https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8404/2...798df409_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-09-04 at 21.55.58 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Then we made for the “border”. We found a motorcycle shop and bought some air filter cleaner and oil so we can do the filters tonight.
https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8337/2...d60de7bd_b.jpgPrague CC by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7471/2...cec725aa_b.jpgCzeck Republic-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The ride south west from here is very nice over the mountains and curving along the river. The last bit is on the main highway. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8828/2...f79d8822_b.jpgPrague CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Arriving to the city we ended up in the very long tunnel system, which made finding our exit a bit of a problem. So now we are stuck in the tunnel (GPS now non functional) and there is a lot of traffic and we are supposed to meet some friends here tonight for drinks and dinner and it is now already 530. Well we finally managed to get out of the tunnel, get turned around, fight the bumper to bumper traffic, get back in the tunnel and get the correct exit at 2.3 km and not called at all what it is on the GPS. We arrived to the hotel, which is one of the few in the city with free parking (most charge 25-30 Euros) and it was 70% off! It is located about 500 m from the Prague castle and you then can walk thru the castle grounds to access the “lower city”, the bridges, and the old town.
We are meeting Tadd and Gaila from Motostays. We have a number of friends in common, we have both been at each others homes, but we have never met. It is Gaila’s birthday today so we did a bit of celebrating. https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8330/2...0884c8e7_b.jpgCzeck Republic by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8505/2...d3debae2_b.jpgPoland-55 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Today we are spending the day touring the city on foot. We started with the castle grounds and the ornate cathedral. There must be a monk convention in town as we saw dozens.
https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8294/2...354e5715_b.jpgCzeck Republic-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8257/2...5f9d0257_b.jpgCzeck Republic-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8218/2...203e3627_b.jpgCzeck Republic-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8796/2...e4575c57_b.jpgCzeck Republic-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8444/2...d2ff603b_b.jpgCzeck Republic-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8519/2...c7f9d580_b.jpgCzeck Republic-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8478/2...b3ab837c_b.jpgCzeck Republic-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8088/2...9061dee9_b.jpgCzeck Republic-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We then made for the Mala strana or lower city. This area lies at the foot of the castle hill and is mostly tourist shops and restaurants along the cobbled streets.
https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8154/2...05fa99d7_b.jpgCzeck Republic-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We stopped to see the John Lennon wall and then headed to Kampa “island" for lunch and some views of the city from the shores of the Vltava River. https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8885/2...8d13dfdd_b.jpgCzeck Republic-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8362/2...59f927df_b.jpgCzeck Republic-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8381/2...87a0386f_b.jpgCzeck Republic-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Here we crossed over the Famous Karluv Most or Charles Bridge.
“Its construction started in 1357 under the auspices of King Charles IV, and finished in the beginning of the 15th century. The bridge replaced the old Judith Bridge built 1158–1172 that had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342. It was the only means of crossing the river until 1841. The bridge is 621 metres long and nearly 10 metres wide. The bridge is decorated by a continuous alley of 30 statues and statuaries, most of them baroque-style, originally erected around 1700 but now all replaced by replicas.” https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8418/2...3771c454_b.jpgCzeck Republic-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The city is packed with tourists, but I'm told a lot less than are here in July and August. The old town is centred around the huge market square. This is full of tourist shops and restaurants. You can stop by the city hall to see the worlds oldest still functioning astronomical clock. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8082/2...602041b1_b.jpgCzeck Republic-18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8658/2...c3afc5d3_b.jpgCzeck Republic-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8497/2...d1817cdc_b.jpgCzeck Republic-25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8347/2...aa289d46_b.jpgCzeck Republic-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
From here you can take a short walk to the old Jewish quarter where there is some very nice architecture. Then we made for the river bank again ti catch sight of the sunset over the Prague castle.
https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8272/2...d49b8af2_b.jpgCzeck Republic-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8029/2...0bc524d2_b.jpgCzeck Republic-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8787/2...7da31ca5_b.jpg60 Country Full Res by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr
Here we are at country 60, about halfway home and it is a good time to reflect and share a few brief observations from our worldwide ride. First and foremost to say that we are fortunate is a massive understatement. There are many days that we question if this journey is for real. To be able to roam freely about the planet on incredible machines with your best friend and spouse carving the corners right behind you is nothing short of extraordinary. Experiencing people and places in their raw form without the colors, smells, sites and sounds being edited is a privilege that at times we find hard to comprehend. The people we meet are of course what counts the very most. The relationships that our journey has blessed us with are an element that has become so much more than we could have ever imagined. From complete strangers inviting us in to share a meal or to stay the night. To having amazing local riders contact us with places to meet up and then explore their favorite roads or to help service the bikes. Just crossing paths with another traveler in the middle of nowhere and then reconnecting with them a year or two later on another continent is surreal. We have not made friends we have made family. People are simply amazing and again the very best part of our journey. Want to have your faith in humanity renewed? Try having a broken down motorcycle in the middle of nowhere only to have a stranger fix it and refuse to take payment. You maybe asking “what about all the bad people?” You know the bandito’s, corrupt police, boarder officials on the take and military checks points shaking you down? Sorry to disappoint those with dire pre-trip predictions, but so far no, nope and none. The funny thing about the world that we have discovered is that it is a good people place. Oh sure there is lots of evil in this world and you will hear about terrible people lurking around the next corner, but as of yet we haven’t stumbled upon them. “Oh Canada our home and native land”……….. We have been to so many unforgettable places. The Pueblo Magico in Mexico, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, the Carretera Austral in Chile, Andalucía, Iceland, Antarctica, Galapagos, and the list goes on and on. One thing is certain though after 60 countries and the kilometers we have done there is still no place for us like our home country Canada. What about the bad places you ask? Here there are no rose colored glasses for us. The world is not all fuzzy and wonderful as so many seem to post. Excuse the language, but there are some nasty shitty places out there and they are going to get a whole lot worse. Thankfully the amazing and stunning still vastly out number the awful. Experiencing the good and the bad though is in part what makes it an adventure. As we embark on our seasonal riding brake to plan, reflect, and catch-up. The very first thing on our to do list is pass along a bunch of “thank you’s”. Without the rider community our journey just wouldn’t be what it is. We are grateful to no end for the pure kindness that we have been shown. The list is very long so to start thank you all for being family, friends and support. Each of you in your own way has been a blessing and down right cool. We look forward to seeing you down the road, but until then remember, “less stuff means a lot more living”. Health & Happiness, Daniel & Sara Pedersen Worldwide Ride.ca |
Outstanding stuff and the pics get better and better, now what am I going to do if you guys are stopped for the winter?
Gino & Fiona |
Quote:
|
Quote:
|
We now have just a few days left until we drop the bikes at BMW on Monday, but that is enough time to make a small detour to Sinshiem to see our friend Wolfgang. He is stopping here in his home town on the way from Hamburg to Corsica. It is almost a direct straight line for us for 570 km.
https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8347/2...9411f5df_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-09-04 at 22.11.00 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We did 2 hours on the highway and then put all the avoidance back on the GPS to get onto the small roads. Germany is so amazing for riding. Beautiful roads thru stunning scenery and picturesque villages. We then got back on the highway for the last 2 hours and unfortunately ran into some very bad traffic. We did a little “driving like the Italians” to get past the almost standstill over 10 km long. We arrived to the home of Wolfgang's brother and sister-in-law and we were welcomed like long lost family. Yvonne had prepared a very special dinner for us including Dampfnudela or steamed German dumplings! We of course then had to go out for ice cream. https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5651/3...941eff7a_b.jpgDresden by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5474/3...2429c627_b.jpgDresden-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5689/3...47dc962b_b.jpgDresden-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5583/3...8ccb7fc4_b.jpgDresden-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Werner had a big day planned for us. We started with a visit to the Auto & Technik Museum. They have both the supersonic Air France Concorde and the Tupolev Tu-144 on display and which you can access. There are 300 vintage cars, 40 race cars, 200 motorcycles, and 50 aircraft among other things.
https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8330/2...6d3ee9f0_b.jpgGermany-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8020/2...043aec45_b.jpgGermany by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8291/2...c31b1f05_b.jpgGermany-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8234/2...e5cd8a29_b.jpgGermany-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8166/2...4202edba_b.jpgGermany-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8813/2...5ee5d84c_b.jpgGermany-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5606/3...2e08fc59_b.jpgDresden-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8258/2...754d08dd_b.jpgGermany-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7572/2...58ec8967_b.jpgGermany-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr They even have a Canadian water bomber that when you go inside it is set up to make you feel like you are diving down for water. https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8012/2...0de3e42c_b.jpgGermany-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The super slide is accessed from the door of a plane mounted on the roof of the museum. https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5548/3...9a06bdfa_b.jpgDresden-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5825/3...df131c0b_b.jpgDresden-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5810/3...2064fc88_b.jpgDresden-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
This evening we drove over to Heidelberg for the annual illumination of the castle and fire works. We luckily secured a parking space and then got some tickets for the evening dinner cruise for the fireworks. We did a bit of a tour of the city, which had one lone pedestrian zone thru the city.
https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8014/2...281c047c_b.jpgGermany-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8173/2...7c87af77_b.jpgGermany-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8085/2...1de4ffe1_b.jpgGermany-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We took the funicular to the castle. https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8097/2...2e7b303b_b.jpgGermany-18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5709/3...78b4ece0_b.jpgDresden-16 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5717/3...9de11a9e_b.jpgDresden-17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Sunset cruise https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8298/2...d95b444e_b.jpgGermany-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8126/2...8432fdd3_b.jpgGermany-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8557/2...5b89e20a_b.jpgGermany-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8638/2...525fe8b8_b.jpgGermany-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8503/2...4975cbde_b.jpgGermany-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5792/3...35f3a095_b.jpgDresden-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8676/2...f1c38e13_b.jpgGermany-25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Today we have another straight shot 478 km north east to Leipzig.
https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8306/2...8d879b7f_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-09-04 at 22.09.50 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8168/2...bc9923e1_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-09-04 at 22.12.28 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr The initial plan was to wander up the small roads and we did this for the first 2 hours. It then began to POUR rain and after 45 min of this we were finally able to get on the highway. Now this was not very pleasant with the heavy rain and the speed of the cars, but at least we were making some miles. Finally about 150 km from the city the rain stopped and we were able to get back off the highway. |
We had booked a hotel that was the closest to the Leipzig BMW. The rain started again despite that we did go out to find a wand car wash to get the bikes cleaned up for their hospital visit. It was unfortunately still raining in the morning for the 5 km trip to the dealership. We had preplanned with the service department here to drop the bikes today so they can have a complete once over after almost 200,000 km. We really want them to have a good once over and some new parts before we set out east and to the Stans.
They will also get some new Heidenau tires. We have decided to prophylactically change out both clutches, despite the fact that they are both working perfectly. We will also have the cam chain tensioners replaced. The water pump on the 800 has a minor leak and we will get a new one. The issue with the dash display on the 800 has gotten worse. The bike runs perfectly, but when hot and at low RPM the entire dash goes wild. The lights all start flashing on and off, the fuel goes to zero km to go, and the gauges go wild. If you give it a few revs it stops. The GS 911 has dozens of fault codes, but once cleared it says the bike is functioning perfectly and it is. This issue started several months ago, but rarely. In the last 2 weeks it has escalated to frequent (turned out to only be a frayed wire!). They will have the bikes for 4 days, but they say they will be done in 3. That said we have a few days with a rental car to tour about. We left the gear and went out to the airport to get the car. By the time we got back a few hours later both bikes were completely stripped down…so i bet they will be done on time with German efficiency. https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5525/3...2296d4ed_b.jpgDresden-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5576/3...a6bc9b61_b.jpgDresden-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
First stop now was to go to the laundromat for clean clothes and YEAH clean suits. Then we made a trip to Louis for some much needed replacement items. New shields, pin locks, and detents for the helmets, new rain pants for Sara that unzip the entire length of the leg to make them so much less frustration to get on and off, some new Rok straps, a chain tool, and some new riding socks for Dan!
https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5583/3...d7de5054c9.jpgScreen Shot 2016-11-06 at 13.22.53 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5553/3...5d44681fd4.jpgScreen Shot 2016-11-06 at 13.22.29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5589/3...f391daa06d.jpgScreen Shot 2016-11-06 at 13.22.11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Now we have decided to go the 130 km east to Dresden and on the highway at 150-170 km an hour it doesn't take long. About 15 km from town torrential rain started and we were so glad to IN a car!
https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5574/3...17a3bca7_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-11-06 at 13.05.04 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We had a hotel near to the market square. We had three days of down time to explore the city. Dresden is a very nice city, but of course it has been totally rebuilt since it was decimated from the bombing in WW2. https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5472/3...82ebdf8e_b.jpgDresden-29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We did the usual walking around the old city centre and actually joined one of the “free” city tours.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5601/3...f808d661_b.jpgDresden-41 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5526/3...d55971b2_b.jpgDresden-31 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5791/3...d30c37e5_b.jpgDresden-27 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5799/3...1413405c_b.jpgDresden-28 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5809/3...a701d9ec_b.jpgDresden-30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5679/3...c1eb4362_b.jpgDresden-38 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5506/3...de970f27_b.jpgDresden-39 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
There is a very good restaurant on the main square “ the Augustiner” with great food and excellent beer.
https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8381/2...d824071f_b.jpgDresden CC-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5777/3...76bc7e1d_b.jpgDresden-26 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5453/3...d7e5367b_b.jpgDresden-40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8206/2...907a45e9_b.jpgDresden CC-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8029/2...343c3ba8_b.jpgDresden CC-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
been following
Been following for a while. Have really enjoyed the photos and commentary. Please keep it coming.
If you get to Central Asia look me up. Willing to help any way we can. Mac |
Quote:
We are done riding for 2016. We arrive back from Canada mid May 2017 and start heading east from Leipzig area. We should be in Kyrgyzstan by mid July give or take. Would love to meet up! Cheers Sara |
It was a fun way to kill a few days waiting for the bike service. There are some nice views of the city at sun set.
https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5471/3...19eabe6b_b.jpgDresden-32 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5570/3...3cbfc6a6_b.jpgDresden-33 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5504/3...82e62106_b.jpgDresden-34 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5692/3...2d7c620d_b.jpgDresden-45 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/6/5743/3...64ec0350_b.jpgDresden-35 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We headed back to BMW Leipzig and a promised all the work was done and the bikes were all ready to go. A big thank you for your excellent service work!
https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5756/3...7b782f22_b.jpgDresden-42 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr We were lucky to have Gaila from Motosoul offer to store the bikes for us. We set them up in one of the garages at the Motosoul’s 17 th century castle or Schloss. We disconnected the batteries, covered them up and stored the riding gear. https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5718/3...a4ab67d4_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-11-06 at 13.07.06 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5612/3...33fedb1d_b.jpgDresden-44 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5737/3...749efe39_b.jpgDresden-43 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Now to fly to Frankfurt and Madrid to drop off most of our gear and pick up the things we had stored there since last April. This included the equipment we had left there for the 900 + km walk we start this week from St. Jean Pied-de-Port France to Fisterra, Spain on the Camino de Santiago de Compostella. This will take us 6 weeks.
Our friend Antonio wanted to show us some things off the beaten track around Madrid. The first was a very unusual Cathedral. “Justo Gallego Martínez (born 20 September 1925 in Mejorada del Campo) is a former monk who has been constructing a cathedral-like building on his own in the town of Mejorada del Campo in the Community of Madrid, Spain, since 1961. He has named the building Nuestra Señora del Pilar. It has neither any planning permissions, nor has it the benediction of any church authority.” Elderly man spends 53 years building an incredible cathedral by hand | Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building https://c8.staticflickr.com/6/5462/3...6c9075d5_b.jpgMadrid Pre-Camino by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5580/3...8f111ce6_b.jpgMadrid Pre-Camino-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We then visited a nearby village that is getting set up for the annual bull fighting.
https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5661/3...6b953168_b.jpgMadrid Pre-Camino-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/6/5674/3...5298c751_b.jpgMadrid Pre-Camino-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5568/3...c4b0bfd4_b.jpgMadrid Pre-Camino-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Sara’s very favourite summer refresher. Tinto de Verano https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinto_de_verano https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5832/3...ab24b76a_b.jpgMadrid Pre-Camino-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
There is a hill top near the city centre of Madrid where people gather to admire the sunset.
https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5767/3...928aef03_b.jpgMadrid Pre-Camino-7 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Here in Spain all roads lead to Madrid not Rome! https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5715/3...99f4d9e2_b.jpgMadrid Pre-Camino-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Summary April to September 2016- Some thought and reflections from the road.
Austria Just amazing riding but at a steep price! Grossglockner https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8799/2...c9989b0d_b.jpgGlossglockner-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8747/2...47c4ce43_b.jpgGlossglockner-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Italy We had a bit of a love and did not love for Italy. The country is very different from north to south. As you go south the nice riding terrain gets less and less, the amount of garbage and general disorder and disrepair increases, and the number of traffic rules adhered to drops precipitously. Stay in Tuscany and the stunning north. Riding the Dolomites is awe inspiring. We are glad we went to Sicily to see for ourselves, but would not recommend it for riding. In general the driving style of Italians becomes very draining. You constantly have one on your back tire, they pass dangerously, and drive at very high speed. Naples was the worst, where there is NO adherence to the rules of the road and absolutely no driver courtesy. It was sort of like being in a swarm of killer bees. Tolmezzo https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7082/2...f01c6ce8_b.jpgTrento by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Castel del Monte https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7636/2...394a3e29_b.jpgCastel del Monte-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Etna https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7352/2...ea9e0739_b.jpgEtna-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Corsica
This small French Island is stunning. The narrow roads around the north cape are amazing. https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7717/2...f225ab23_b.jpgCorsica-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7063/2...b1655139_b.jpgCorsica-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Sardinia This Italian island is also with the visit. We spent our time only on the north half and found some good routes on the coast and inland. https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7483/2...379b5961_b.jpgSardinia-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7087/2...8baec2d0_b.jpgCala Ganon-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Albania
We would recommend this lovely country. Despite the ever-present trash. The people here are universally friendly and helpful. Most of the roads are in good condition, but the off road routes are definitely OFF OFF ROAD. It is really AN experience. https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7343/2...c68cc58b_b.jpgBerat CC-43 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7407/2...b44280cc_b.jpgBerat CC-27 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7189/2...b33e4353_b.jpgAlbania by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7078/2...069141ca_b.jpgAlbania-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7476/2...57daa5be_b.jpgAlbania-12 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy Chanukkah!!!
https://c8.staticflickr.com/1/612/31...84c704a3_b.jpgChristmas Pic by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Greece
This was the birthplace of civilization and it shows. Great people and amazing food. We will be back to do some touring on the Greek islands. The riding here has lots of options both on the coast and inland, but the cultural sites are the attraction as well as the beaches. Meteora https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7288/2...99d06656_b.jpgMeteora-18 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Delphi https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7326/2...5d829c07_b.jpgDelphi-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Quite a ride down a rock cliff to get this shot! https://c5.staticflickr.com/8/7353/2...6ba047d1_b.jpgAthens-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Macedonia Expensive to get in, but very cheap once you are. There are very few thru roads. There are lots of 5 plus km roads up into the hills, but then mostly don’t connect thru to anything. The people are friendly, but the food is very disappointing. The capital is worth the surreal visit. https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7384/2...34b4ac4a_b.jpgMacedonia by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Bulgaria
We just had a visit to Sophia, which was great as we got to go to Bumot, but we will be back next year to the mountains and the sea. Bumot https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7068/2...979239d5_b.jpgBumot Visit-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Serbia Again we will be back next year to the north. We just had on day crossing the south where the roads are flat, straight and crowded with traffic. https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7302/2...b2ea85bf_b.jpgZalatibor-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Montenegro Is a gem of hills, mountain and valleys. The riding here is very good. Durmitor park is not to be missed. https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7399/2...61c93943_b.jpgMontenegro-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7103/2...3d3945c9_b.jpgMontenegro-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7603/2...f432ba52_b.jpgMontenegro-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Croatia.
Not much for riding here, but Dubrovnik is very nice. It really needs a boat to appreciate. https://c6.staticflickr.com/8/7610/2...0426fcb5_b.jpgDubrovnik by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7439/2...27a936ed_b.jpgCroatia-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Bosnia Again we were just here for a few days to check out some sights, but the 38 degree days sent us back to the coast. https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7400/2...59bce87d_b.jpgBosnia-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Slovenia This is a nice little country well with the visit. The riding is not epic, but the people are friendly, and this is a nice place for chilling out. https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8757/2...63e07881_b.jpgLjubljana-29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8798/2...d3514796_b.jpgLjubljana-35 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Hungary
The riding here is not much to speak of since it is mostly flat and farm land, but Budapest is incredible and again is a spot not to be missed. https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8852/2...a049119e_b.jpgBudapest-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8817/2...b1b5aa4b_b.jpgBudapest-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8748/2...4a4d0723_b.jpgHungary by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Romania In a word disappointing or maybe it has just been so hyped up in our minds. There is just too much of bad roads packed with cars in between the few nice bits. I’d go here if it was on my way east, but not specifically even for the Transalpina and Transfagrasan. The capital is not worth a visit for sure. https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8174/2...0fee2176_b.jpgRomania-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/8/7789/2...86afbb94_b.jpgRomania-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Slovakia
So far the small part we have riden is very beautiful, but we will be back next year for more of the Tatra mountains. Great people and food. Kosice is worth a stop for sure and K moto if you need help! https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8710/2...c66288a5_b.jpgSlovakia-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Ukraine We are glad we went for the experience, but can not recommend this a “riding” destination. The roads are often incredibly bad and very straight. The cultural differences here make Ukraine a worth while destination anyway. https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8347/2...3ca70ee0_b.jpgUkraine-5 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8761/2...9a4b6166_b.jpgUkraine-8 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7593/2...fd7e3dd2_b.jpgUkraine-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8644/2...8fe8ddd7_b.jpgUkraine-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Poland
Might be the perfect destination. Great riding, people, food, drivers, and prices. We will be back! https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8387/2...32f07469_b.jpgPoland-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8248/2...b5836b66_b.jpgPoland-58 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8155/2...02eff3fd_b.jpgPoland-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8770/2...c648e25a_b.jpgPoland-32 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Czech Republic We really have only see Prague, which is very nice, but we will need to explore this country more next year on the way east. https://c7.staticflickr.com/8/7471/2...cec725aa_b.jpgCzeck Republic-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8418/2...3771c454_b.jpgCzeck Republic-23 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8029/2...0bc524d2_b.jpgCzeck Republic-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Nice overall
Wow, with what you said about Italy I am wondering what you would think about Kyrgyzstan. The trash problem here is so bad that I normally clean up my camp site before setting up my tent. Much of the time there is broken glass everywhere and plenty of plastic trash too. It sounds like we could say the Kyrgyz drivers are like the Italians just on steroids. I have been chased off my side if the road and still hit, by a drunk. While driving in the States this last summer for 30 days and just under 2000 miles I never had one close call. Here it is every day and several times. Still I would say Kyrgyzstan has some very wonderful rides and some great people. As you know, all over the world there are both good and bad people. If all the roads were the same there would not be a reason to travel.
As always, thanks for your time to share your wonderful photos and your travels. Mac |
Fantastic ride report
Happy new Year and may 2017 bring many MilesofSmiles:thumbup1:
This report is my "goto" report to pass the lunch hour at my desk. Top notch report and fantastic pictures. It is inspiring me to repair the ol 990 Adventure and do some traveling. Looking forward to the upcoming ride reports. |
Mac
We will get to experience Kyrgyzstan ourselves this summer! Hope you will give us some tips. We are always up for a challenge. Hello from Vancouver where its cold!!! Sara |
Quote:
Cheers Sara |
Great to run into Grant and Susan Johnson at the Vancouver Motorcycle show today! See you at the HU Canada West in Nakusp in August 2018.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/674/31...7f561ea6_b.jpgHU by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Great to see you both,
we've been following your travels with envy! Enjoy your time at home and we'll catch up again somewhere...
|
Tajikistan electronic Visas have arrived! Our passports are at the Russian Consul this week and we are hoping their Mr. Putin will grant us the multi-enty Russian visa we requested! Fingers crossed.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2840/3...99523a30_o.jpgScreen Shot 2017-03-26 at 15.50.52 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Happy April 1, but no joke we got the coveted double entry transit Visa for Russia! Next on the list China!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3703/3...583ef930_b.jpgScreen Shot 2017-04-01 at 12.55.59 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3703/3...500339b3_o.png |
Coming together nicely
Looks like things are coming together for you two. I should be in Tajikistan first part of June. I hope I won't miss you in Kyrgyzstan.
|
Quote:
I hope not! We will be to Kyrgyzstan in mid July. The blog will likely be behind our actual location. So you can message at sara@worldwideride.ca daniel@worldwideride.ca too! Would be great to visit you at your Mission. Cheers Sara |
The route so far 2012-2017
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2941/3...ede37809_b.jpgIMG_8047 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Well it’s time to get back on the road again now that spring has sprung the sun is shining! We have been home working in Vancouver for the winter. This is work work and as well a ton of hours with planning, emails, and paper work for the next leg of the trip. There have literally been hundreds of emails. Daniel has been the point man for all 4 of us.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2945/3...351b7f20_b.jpgIMG_8046 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Route 2017-2018 part 1
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3871/3...eca27168_o.pngpart 1 going East by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Route 2017-2018 part 2 https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2829/3...868c3490_o.pngpart 2 going East by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Route 2017-2018 part 3 https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2910/3...caaf26ee_o.pngpart 3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Route Germany-Czech-Slovakia-Serbia-Romania-Turkey-Georgia-Armenia-Iran-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Gorno/Badakhshan Autonomous Region- Krygyzstan-Kazakhstan-Russia-Mongolia-Russia-Mongolia-China-Tibet-Burma-Thailand-Laos-Vietnam-Cambodia-Thailand- Malaysia-Indonesia-East Timor-Australia-Tazmania-New Zealand…
The route in Europe is to loop thru Slovakia (which we skipped last year except Kosice), go south thru Serbia via Novi Sad and Nis, and onto Sofia and Motocamp Bulgaria. Here we will meet up with the rest of the “team” Orvar (King of Sweden) and Trevor (fellow Canadian). We Met Orvar in Guatemala in 2012 and Trevor in Ushuaia in 2014. We have ridden a lot with both of them and we all get along very well. Anyone who has ridden in a group knows that this can be very difficult on many levels. You have to be able to mesh on riding style, safety consciousness, likes and dislikes for travel style, and financial means. We could not ask for 2 nicer guys to travel with. From Motocamp we may head to the Black Sea and travel down the coast or go cross country to the Turkish border. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2874/3...b74fab31_o.pngScreen Shot 2017-04-02 at 18.09.11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Turkey- e visa same day processing valid 6 months. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2882/3...ffff122f_o.pngScreen Shot 2017-04-02 at 18.10.25 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Georgia-No visa for Canadians. Armenia- e visa 3 days processing valid 3 months. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2846/3...616c232f_o.pngScreen Shot 2017-04-02 at 18.13.04 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Iran- Canadians need actuation number only issued in Iran to travel service. Can not apply until 3 months before travel and it can take 1 month to get a number. Canadians require a “guide service” Valid 3 months. We will have all the paperwork done, but must apply in the Iranian embassy in Istanbul Turkey. We will also be here during Ramadan. https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3942/3...6e32f2ba_o.pngScreen Shot 2017-04-02 at 18.15.42 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Turkmenistan- Transit visa for 3-5 days but risk 50% rejection rate. Tourist visa required a tour be booked to get a letter of invitation. We “obtained” a letter without actually booking a tour. Plan for 3-4 days to cross. Can take 3 to 4 weeks to get an actuation number in order to apply for a visa. You can not even apply for a number without a Uzbekistan visa to prove you are leaving. We will pick the visa up in Ankara, Turkey.
Uzbekistan- Need letter of invitation we used Carivanistan. Sent passports to Washington DC to get the visas and they were back in 3 business days. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2840/3...b8a8e29c_b.jpgIMG_8090 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3850/3...5eca8e6d_o.png |
Tajikistan + GBAO- e visa issued in 2 days. (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region - essentially where the Pamir Highway is in south east of the country, which requires an extra permit).
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2840/3...cb669f65_b.jpgScreen Shot 2017-03-26 at 15.50.52 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan- No visa for Canadians, But currently they have a foreigners must register policy started in Dec 2016. This may well be temporary. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2876/3...04f56b2c_o.pngScreen Shot 2017-04-01 at 21.19.36 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2908/3...f41e951c_z.jpgScreen Shot 2017-03-29 at 11.15.07 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Russia- We requested and got double entry transit visas of 9 days each. This is so amazing because they do not issue double entry transit visas to Canadians! This will include a loop from Omsk to the Mongolian border and a loop to Lake Baikal thru Siberia and into eastern Mongolia. Very extensive application. They ask the day/month/ and year of every country you have been for the last 10 years. They (not customs) decided they had an issue that our Canadian and not rented bikes were somehow in Germany and they required proof of ownership and shipping. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2842/3...54a78412_b.jpgIMG_8091 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Mongolia- No visa required for Canadians, but the Swede does need one! https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2839/3...86fd7db7_b.jpgScreen Shot 2017-04-01 at 12.55.59 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
China- Visa required and the form though extensive is easy. They do require a detailed itinerary for getting the visa, but interestingly since it is good for 9 years they do not require this for any subsequent visits. The bikes are another story all together. Foreigners are not permitted to ride their own motorcycles in China without a guide service and they must have Chinese License plates and we need a Chinese drivers license. There is of course no way for us to pass the drivers test in Chinese, but everything has its price. The Companies fee included getting all this done including solving the problem for Orvar who is 63 that it is illegal to drive a motorcycle after age 60. The trip across China is ridiculously expensive, but it is what it is if you want to go overland, thru Mongolia, and not across Russia. We will however ride into Lhasa, Tibet and to the Everest base camp!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2848/3...79b0b20c_b.jpgIMG_8092 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2896/3...b2f43fce_b.jpgScreen Shot 2016-11-09 at 21.06.11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Burma- Visa required, but can not be applied for more than 3 months from entry. For us this means we will have to send the passports to the Burmese embassy. The only place we have the time to do this where we will not need them is in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. They have DHL and we can either send it to Bangkok or Ottawa, but at least for Canada we can pay with visa and not have to come up with the fee in Thai baht. Foreigners also require a guide here. e visa only available for airport entry. As of March 24 the Chinese/Burmese border is closed due to tribal conflicts, so we will make a game time decision in Ulaanbataar. We may spend 1 more day in China and cross into Laos. None of us are too stressed about this issue.
Thailand- Visas now required on arrival. As of May 1 2017 foreigners on motorcycles will require a guide to travel in Thailand. All other overland vehicles have been banned all together. We hope to just get a 3 day transit visa from Mae Sot Thailand to Vientiane Laos. Laos- visa on arrival Vietnam- visa required Cambodia- e visas https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2916/3...9455cff2_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-11-12 at 18.36.09 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Malaysia-No visa Indonesia- No visa Timor-leste- Visa on arrival https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2808/3...452f85a2_z.jpgScreen Shot 2016-11-12 at 18.38.21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr Australia -ETA required New Zealand - No visa |
Phew, I'm tired just reading that, well done guys, impressive bit of preparation, looking forward to the next few months installments , maybe catch you on the road somewhere........... :scooter:
|
Exciting!!
Waiting with anticipation for the blog to be updated with news. Good luck and best wishes |
Quote:
Sara |
Quote:
Troos Thanks for the shout out!! S&D |
"Carnet de Passage en Douane- "Notebook for Passing Through Customs" and is often abbreviated to just carnet.
A carnet (pronounced car-nay) is a simple customs document, which acts as a passport for your motor vehicle when you take it overseas. It allows you to temporarily import your vehicle for a limited period of time without the need to pay cash at the border, equivalent to the customs duty and other excise taxes. It helps to save time and hassle when dealing with customs officers at international borders. The vehicle, to which the carnet refers, once having been granted temporary importation status, must be removed from the country within the time limit imposed by that country. If it is not, the country will be paid all duties and taxes that would normally be required to permanently import the vehicle. The use of a carnet is an alternative to leaving cash security deposits with foreign governments. Use of the carnet is restricted to the countries listed on the back cover and it is valid for one year from the date of issue. The cost of the bond is based on the value of your vehicle and the highest percentage bond required by the countries for which you will use it. Motorists can typically obtain a Carnet de Passages en Douane from their national automobile association or touring club. The U.S. and Canada are a notable exception where a private company experienced in ATA Carnets, boomerang carnets, was appointed as the national guaranteeing association for CPDs in 2015. Required most of Central and North Africa, Asia, Middle East, and Oceania. Recommended for much of the rest of Africa, The Americas do not require a Carnet for Canadians. Our problem comes in with Iran, since our issuing body (Boomerang) is in the USA and will not issue CPD for Iran. Thank goodness for the Swiss. Their national auto association will issue a CPD to any person who’s own country will not issue the needed CPD. They process this in 3-4 days. The carnet comes as a number of sheets, usually ten or twenty-five, stapled together into a book. Each sheet is divided into three perforated sections and each section has details of your vehicle on it. As you enter a country all three section of one sheet are stamped and signed by the customs officials, who keep the first (volet d'entrée) section. As you leave the country the second (volet de sortie) section is kept and the third section, the counterfoil (souche) is stamped and signed again by the customs officials. The double stamped counterfoil, which remains in the carnet, acts as a receipt proving that you have left the country with your vehicle. Once you have completed your trip and returned to your home country you must discharge your carnet. You must return the double stamped counterfoils, along with any unused sheets of the carnet to the relevant Automobile Association or Organization that issued it and they will discharge the carnet. Failure to do this or if you do not have all the double stamped counterfoils could prove costly, as you may not receive any deposit held by the organization or even have to pay importation duties on your vehicle. " https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2906/3...a0067415_b.jpgIMG_4488 2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
One more e Visa done!!
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2811/3...c3472565_b.jpgSara Armenia Visa by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We decided it was time to replace the 5 year old DB blocker ear plugs we have and so we had to go out to get new molds made. Love these vented ear protectors and would never ride without them.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2949/3...8e6f1f6f_b.jpgIMG_7948 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2872/3...c537cd58_b.jpgIMG_7949 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2947/3...04a7b011_b.jpgIMG_7953 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2833/3...004ff0a6_b.jpgIMG_7954 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4160/3...bf581db4_b.jpgIMG_8288 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
The plan is to fly back to Germany to get the bikes near Leipzig. We have a few items to sort out like installing the new Odyssey batteries to replace out 5 year old Deka. We are a bit worried they will be toast after 8 months again. They have been awesome, but we don’t want to risk any battery issues this year. There is a new bash plate for Dan’s 800 since the current is so bent up from hitting rocks on our river bed routes that it is almost impossible to get on and off. We also purchased a couple of Rotopacks for extra fuel, we are putting the exhaust silencers back in, and adding rear shock socks. So we will be a bit busy before we set out.
We are flying out of Vancouver May 1 on the return portion of our ticket home from Spain last fall. Strike one was that our pre-booked cab to the airport was 40 minutes late, but since we were going extra early we still managed to arrive before the check-in cut off. Strike 2 was the flight to Heathrow scheduled to leave at 2045 left 90 minutes late because a luggage container got jammed in the cargo door and they had to cut it out to get the luggage unloaded. This did have a plus since our very long layover was now much shorter. From London we had a 90 min flight to Hamburg, where we had strike three and the skyway wouldn't approach the aircraft. They finally managed to fix it after 20 minutes. We were surprised and thrilled to be met by our fiends Wolfgang and Brigitte who came to get us even though we had a rental car. Now it was time for a beer and Ativan to get thru the night. https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4158/3...ce34d402_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
Wolfgang had a full day of activities planned for us including a visit to the newly finished 789 million Euro Hamburg Concert hall Elbphilharmonie.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4169/3...313759c1_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4187/3...bf5607ef_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4170/3...350205a6_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-4 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4181/3...9fa6bbce_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-6 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4172/3...34acd3e4_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-9 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
We then had a walk on the Elb River, lunch at Northsea, and a visit to the very cool Miniatur Wunderland.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4166/3...69f00e96_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4171/3...5287b7da_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-11 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4171/3...8d4a6856_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-13 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4167/3...228d07da_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-14 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4159/3...c44cf778_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-28 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4179/3...58984121_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-15 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4182/3...9522374e_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-19 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4179/3...db644c61_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-20 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4177/3...aae5d4e8_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4177/3...c0f0e20b_b.jpgReturn to Hamburg-24 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr |
| All times are GMT +1. The time now is 13:12. |