Ireland -> Greece
16. April 2009 — The first day on the road
So the day has finally come. I set off from Dublin today for the first leg of my trip. The destination is Germany to visit my parents.
After spending a couple of days with my friends Morten & Simone in Lucan I took the ferry across the Irish Sea to Holyhead in northern Wales….
17. April 2009 — Wet, wet, wet
No not the name of my favorite band but the right words to discribe my drive from Wales to Germany. Basically it was raining the whole time. Otherwise the drive was terribly boring with 300km of motorways thru England and another 400km or so from Calais to my home town in Germany.
24. April 2009 — My time in Euskirchen, Germany
Ok so I staid a week with my mum. Pretty stressful, not at all because of my mum, but because of all the bits and pieces I had to do - order a spare throttle cable, book the bike in to get the spokes & rims adjusted. Also spend a day at my dads fixing stuff on the bike - extended the side stand, change the front brake disk and improve the seat fastening…
25. April 2009 — Nice drive along the river Rhine
Got up fairly early today with the best intentions to leave around 10ish. Of course that did not happen, because my stuff was strewn across my mums apartment. So had to pack those things and then load the bike….
26. April 2009 — First border crossing - not really with Europe’sopen borders
Little lie in this morning. Got up at 8:30 and started with the bike maintenance. I was not the quickest getting on the road. left at around 10. Got a good but boring 100 miles done before lunch time. Stopped for refueling on the worst designed service station in the world…
27. April 2009 — Weather gods still not my friends
Tried this morning to be quicker on the road but no real success. Even without bike maintenace only made it around 9.45. Nice drive at the beginning thru the Austrian Alps. Sun came out but then during the climb up to Reschenpass it started to drissle and you could see the higher you got that the second border crossing was all shrouded in clouds…
28. April 2009 — Eat the Miles to Bari
Nice comfy sleep. Packed up and headed down to the cafe for a coffee & a pastry. Then headed off. At least dry and the further south and east I got the better it got. Took the autostrada again, because it was still quiet far to Bari and I wanted to leave myself an easy day for tomorrow…
29. April 2009 — To the Ferry and leaving Italy
Quick early morning update. No more “visitors” during the night. Slept well actually. Early start though. Got woken by the sun at 5:30 packed my stuff and headed down the road a bit. Had a smoke and caught up with my journaling. Then hit the petrol station / cafe for fuel and coffee….
30. April 2009 — Wonderful ride in northern Greece
Ferry docked in Igoumenitsa early in the morning, we’re talking 5:15 or so. Headed straight out into the mountains not before the GPS had gotten me misplaced. Coverage is not the best in Greece. Again took B-roads instead of motorway and boy what a good choise….
01. May 2009 — Mayday in Greece
BTW forgot to update you on the two things from the ferry. Bike ok and my tent was still there as well. Decided to take a rest day. Thought I could sit on the beach but when I woke up it was freezing and very overcast. So no beach life for me. :-(
02. May 2009 — Not quiet in Turkey yet
Thought I would easily make it into Turkey today eventhough it was still something like 290+ miles. Ride started good on the motorway and around Thessaloniki. Still motorway driving is boring. Anyway for lunch I stopped at a small resort town and got ice cream, bread & canned fish. Sat on the beach to eat and got hassled by some flea infested stray dog. He just wanted to play but chewing into my jacket was enough. Finished my lunch under a tree in the shade without the dog….
03. May 2009 — First real border crossing into Turkey
Slept very well in the truck cabin and pretty long as well. Had breaky with Dave and Lenny in the restaurant. Took quiet a while to get going. Not sure if I just was hesitant to about the border. Hmm not sure. Anyway took a group shot with the bike and one of the trucks.
Just have to say thanks again to Lenny and Dave here and have save drive…
04. May 2009 — Istanbul, Traffic & a bike shop
So got up early and had to escape from the camp ground. As I thought no way to drive around the drum and the chain was too tight to go under it. So out came the tools and took out a screw that was holding the chain together at one spot. Out I was & I was good enough to fix the chain again. Drive into Istanbul was interesting - more mad driving. Also I thought it would be easy to pick up a map of Istanbul and Turkey here like anywere else at a petrol station. Not the case, so no map and the GPS not having detailed maps….