Sent from my iPhone
Monday 30 May 2011
Venezia
Venezia
Right. So. The first thing to note is that Ancona could learn a few
things about signposting. Like how on earth to get out of the ferry
port without gate-crashing the boarding queue at a different departure
pier. Seriously, 200 odd Harleys thundering through your orderly queue
will cause chaos very fast.
We tried to find the coast road to Venice, but the satnav and Italy
disagree as to the definition of an autostrada, so to save time we
wound up on the motorway to bologna. Which was full of roadworks and
slow trucks.
We got off at Ferrara and rejoined (after a few false starts and stops
to checkthe map as the satnav was sulking and the roads weren't
marked) the SS16 along the coast. Do not try this at home. It is not a
good road. Believe me.
We got into Venezia around 4 and the day improved with pre-booked
parking, hotel nearby and near the centre and time to do a little
sightseeing.
Tomorrow we head (hopefully) for the Dolomites. Lots of twisties.
Should be fun. Um.
Right. So. The first thing to note is that Ancona could learn a few
things about signposting. Like how on earth to get out of the ferry
port without gate-crashing the boarding queue at a different departure
pier. Seriously, 200 odd Harleys thundering through your orderly queue
will cause chaos very fast.
We tried to find the coast road to Venice, but the satnav and Italy
disagree as to the definition of an autostrada, so to save time we
wound up on the motorway to bologna. Which was full of roadworks and
slow trucks.
We got off at Ferrara and rejoined (after a few false starts and stops
to checkthe map as the satnav was sulking and the roads weren't
marked) the SS16 along the coast. Do not try this at home. It is not a
good road. Believe me.
We got into Venezia around 4 and the day improved with pre-booked
parking, hotel nearby and near the centre and time to do a little
sightseeing.
Tomorrow we head (hopefully) for the Dolomites. Lots of twisties.
Should be fun. Um.
Sent from my iPhone
Buongiorno Italia! (yawns).
6am is way too early to be up. But the ferry docks at 7 and I need to
hand in my cabin key in order to get my passport back.
The most insane thing on the ferry has been that they don't take card
and don't have any kind of overpriced ATM either. They also only take
euros and only exchange kuna with reluctance (despite advertising a
forex desk). This left us a bit short as we didn't gave much euro cash
left and couldn't draw euros in Croatia, only kuna.
Anyway, we managed enough for our needs and will have a better
breakfast when on land.
Otherwise it's been fine. Nothing's been too expensive and we're
nearly back in a land that takes card (Croatia is a cash economy).
Time to go down to the bike and reload, strap down and kit up.
hand in my cabin key in order to get my passport back.
The most insane thing on the ferry has been that they don't take card
and don't have any kind of overpriced ATM either. They also only take
euros and only exchange kuna with reluctance (despite advertising a
forex desk). This left us a bit short as we didn't gave much euro cash
left and couldn't draw euros in Croatia, only kuna.
Anyway, we managed enough for our needs and will have a better
breakfast when on land.
Otherwise it's been fine. Nothing's been too expensive and we're
nearly back in a land that takes card (Croatia is a cash economy).
Time to go down to the bike and reload, strap down and kit up.
Sent from my iPhone
Sunday 29 May 2011
Split
I am sitting in Split, about 50 yards from the remains of Diocletian's palace. I have managed to get wifi again and discovered an error in my last attempt to post stuff. But it's all up now.
We are here far too early, as our ferry's not till 8pm, and it's barely lunch. Still, I have been loving Croatia so don't mind wandering around Split for a few hours.
We are here far too early, as our ferry's not till 8pm, and it's barely lunch. Still, I have been loving Croatia so don't mind wandering around Split for a few hours.
Fwd: Me at krka falls
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 29, 2011 11:11:24 GMT+01:00
To: ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com
Subject: Me at krka falls
Reply-To: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Krka reserve, Dalmatia
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 29, 2011 11:10:54 GMT+01:00
To: ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com
Subject: Krka reserve, Dalmatia
Reply-To: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
This reserve encompasses the Krk river valley. It has 19 reptiles incl 1 venomous and 2 semi-venomous snakes (how a snake can be semi- venomous, I have no clue) Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Krka waterfalls
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 29, 2011 11:11:01 GMT+01:00
To: ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com
Subject: Krka waterfalls
Reply-To: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Krka wildlife
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 29, 2011 11:11:15 GMT+01:00
To: ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com
Subject: Krka wildlife
Reply-To: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
These little beasties are the only animals we saw, apart from fishes. Birds were only in evidence by their songs. Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Krka
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 29, 2011 11:11:30 GMT+01:00
To: ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com
Subject: Krka
Reply-To: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Krka
We went to the Krka reserve today, because Grizz and Sue (biker
friends from London) recommended it. We parked up on the gravel (yuk)
and took the tourist bus down to the footpath. As soon as we were on
the bus, I was glad we hadn't attempted to ride the road because it
makes hairpins look straight. With no barriers other than rocky
mountain side and vertiginous cliff.
The reserve is stunning, though (see pics). There's a wooden walkway
through it and informative notices about wildlife and plants. And
strategically placed tourist traps like ethno-historical recreations
of mills, weavers etc, with attendant souvenir shops and local produce
traders. I avoided the gift shops, but fell to the local cherries. No
regrets there.
Croatia is particularly good at cherries, red wine and (Lynn tells me)
beer.
On the way back we got caught in a nasty snarl-up caused by the
obligatory chapter parade of harleys through town, which had closed
the roads.
We shared a look, revved our throaty HD engines and wiggled around the
police block to slide neatly into the parade as it rolled back into
town. First time I've been in the official parade, and it had to be by
accident!
The police didn't try to stop us; I guess they thought we belonged
with all the other HOGs.
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: The rally's most unusual visitor
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 29, 2011 11:10:44 GMT+01:00
To: ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com
Subject: The rally's most unusual visitor
Reply-To: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Is it a boat is it a sub?
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:28:06 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Is it a boat is it a sub?
Coolest boat in biograd marina Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Biograd rally H-D by the sea
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:27:23 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Biograd rally H-D by the sea
I rode this fatboy, but prefer my 1200! Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: You know the tune
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 29, 2011 11:11:31 GMT+01:00
To: ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com
Subject: You know the tune
Reply-To: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
I'm a Harley girl
In a Harley world
Nothing plastic
It's fantastic!
Wind rushing through my hair
Riding everywhere
Exhiliration
Don't need a destination...
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Rally from the new hotel
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:30:51 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Rally from the new hotel
It took 45 mins to go the 30km from zadar to biograd. Once there we ran into various bikers we know, including Gavin and Janet who told us paul's room was free in their hotel as he'd cancelled last minute. All prepaid, and right in the middle of the rally. So we went back to zadar, packed and moved into biograd for the rest of the stay. Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Illyria
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:25:41 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Illyria
Illyria
So having woken Villach stupidly early (8) we headed to Slovenia where
it is illegal to carry petrol on a motorway and illegal to run out of
petrol on a motorway. Hokay. Turns out the mapbook lied and the
klagenfurt services on the Austrian side of the tunnel don't do
petrol, only food and other human comforts. I flicked my fuel tap onto
reserve and held my thumbs for the next 30km, until just inside
Slovenia there is a filling station. Which is significantly cheaper
than Austria, Germany or France. Or the uk, come to that.
I breathed out and filled up.
Actually, you'd have to be criminally stupid to run out of fuel on a
Slovenian motorway because their petrol stations are as frequent as
their casinos (often in the same services. I refrain from analysing
this).
Slovenia's very pretty. I'd heard horrible things about the smaller
roads, but the uk is just as bad and with less excuse. We got to the
border fairly easily and crossed into Croatia.
This involved having our passports checked twice and stamped once, a
first in my eu travels with a red book. Maybe they have residual
issues with some of their neighbours. Anyway, they let us through.
We stopped for coffee in Rijeka and then took the scenic route along
the coast down the 200km to zadar.
Yes. For scenic route read corkscrew in a tornado along a cliff edge
between landslide prone mountains and the deep blue (busy Adriatic)
sea. It took ages.
And just as we were getting close, the traffic stopped. We pulled up
behind a couple of German bikes that turned out to be hired by
Americans.
The road had, a local car told us, been closed while they exploded
some post war mines. The wait was probably an hour. Hokay.
The american's son asked the universe why anyone would have their
country where leftover mines were. Welcome to Europe and the balkans,
kiddo. We have wars on this land. =leftover mines.
I suppose you can't blame him. His parents were apparently certain
people were still getting shot here on a daily basis.
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Austria's idea of a B&B
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:25:40 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Austria's idea of a B&B
Austria's idea of a B&B
We got into Austria just beyond Berchtesgarden and only realized
because the labelling on the petrol pumps had changed slightly.
Luckily diesel is universally clearly marked, so I didn't make that
mistake and thus far have not had to have my engine drained. Thus far.
We rode down from Salzburg to Villach in the south and decided it was
pretty and after last nights hotel nightmare, we didn't fancy trying
our luck in Lubljlana. In Slovene - I mean, at least Austria speaks
German and I can ask for a room without offending anyone.
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Bavarian alps
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:47:23 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Bavarian alps
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Berchtesgaden
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:46:55 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Berchtesgaden
The current locals Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Dachau memorial
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:26:01 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Dachau memorial
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Dachau
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:25:51 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Dachau
Sent from my iPhone
Fwd: Dachau to Berchtesgarden
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
From: Deryn Verner <derynjv@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: May 27, 2011 15:25:38 GMT+01:00
To: "ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com" <ava.verris@babyhogb10g.com>
Subject: Dachau to Berchtesgarden
Dachau to Berchtesgarden
So having arrived too late to see the Dachau museum, we were up early
to see it in the morning. On the way, we thought we'd fill up and
check tire pressures - assuming we could a) find a garage with air and
b) figure out the coversion from psi to bar...
We figured it out in the end and got to Dachau, a very pretty town.
As much as I already knew about WW2, Nazism and the camps, it was
something to stand in the site itself. Unfortunately, world events
since have proved that rememberance is one thing, but learning is
another.
From Dachau we headed for Austria via Berchtesgarden, on the mountain
pass (lots of downhill bends which are my nemesis. It's the combo of
steep downward gradient and hairpin curvature that gets me. I'm trying
to practice before I hit the italian alps on the way home).
Sent from my iPhone
Friday 27 May 2011
Chaos and order
I'd like to apologise for the incoherence of the last bunch of posts. I've been writing them and emailing them to this site whenever I get wifi. This means they get posted in bunches and while I've tried to send them in some semblance of order, order of posting has more to do with post size and picture limits, so I hope they're still in order.
I'm now in a kavana in the middle of the rally site, with one of 2 entertainment stages behind me warming up for the evening.
It's been good so far. The weather has been incredible, the sea invitingly blue and clear and cool, the bikes all shiny and purring like so many tigers... Croatia is beautiful, friendly (if you avoid the landmines) and speaks English enough that my extremely non-existent Croat is not a big problem.
I'm now in a kavana in the middle of the rally site, with one of 2 entertainment stages behind me warming up for the evening.
It's been good so far. The weather has been incredible, the sea invitingly blue and clear and cool, the bikes all shiny and purring like so many tigers... Croatia is beautiful, friendly (if you avoid the landmines) and speaks English enough that my extremely non-existent Croat is not a big problem.
Tuesday 24 May 2011
Schnell
So we gave up the a-road mountain scenic pass idea in favour of caning the autobahn to Dachau. I decided that I can go back to the Schwarzwald and Bodensee area another time. I love autobahn riding. I'd no idea the bike was so happy at 110mph, fully loaded. All was well across the Rhine towards karlsruhe until suddenly (at that speed, pretty much anything is sudden) the traffic stopped. In the muddle if roadworks. And queued in best British fashion. We wondered about the legality of filtering in Germany until the German bike in front of me got bored and headed up the gap between the lanes until he got progress no further. A motorist came to tell him das ist (6 truck pile up). So we sat back on the barrier, helmets jackets and gloves off and chatted with our new German friend who kindly translated the news (must have seen the gb plates). Eventually we moved and caned it to dachau in time to be told the museum was ztu, come back tomorrow.
That's when the fun started be aide the first 4 hotels we tried took one look at us and decided they were full. One called around for us but stopped in embarrassment when he realized Lynn understood the joke about blondes...
We found one now, and hey! It has wifi. So I can post while waiting for my supper.
591km in one day. No wonder I'm tired.
That's when the fun started be aide the first 4 hotels we tried took one look at us and decided they were full. One called around for us but stopped in embarrassment when he realized Lynn understood the joke about blondes...
We found one now, and hey! It has wifi. So I can post while waiting for my supper.
591km in one day. No wonder I'm tired.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)