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Jer Mahon
Jer Mahon

Jer Mahon

traveled in 22 countries Read more🇨🇦British Columbia
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  • European Summer
    Pfarrkirche Diex
    Huttenberg Mainstreet with MaypoleFuel and rain gear up in SloveniaLost up a wrong turn in VölkermarktSnack time after wrong mountain turn in VölkermarktView from Gasthof Jera room!Pretty good pasta. Very fresh cheeseYummy pizza!Busy track, but electric quietEvening viewDusk view before the Thunder...

    Alps Tour - A Good Hare Day

    July 12, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We were awoken in the early morning by a thunder shower. Finally, after a couple evenings of menacing clouds, the fury of the heavens was finally released. Luckily by the time we roused for the day the storm had passed. J enjoyed watching the birds hop and bath in the puddles outside the hotel window.

    The hotel breakfast spread rivaled that of the hotel in Grein, and set the day with sufficiently full bellies.

    The day's route headed south, and flirted with the foothills in Slovenia. Any deeper would have added hours to the journey through rugged mountain ranges.

    A quick stop for fuel turned in to a wardrobe change as the clouds returned, and unleashed more showers. Nothing too violent, but enough to cause a good drenching, but we were dry.

    Our day started and ended in the Styrian province of Austria, while briefly entering Carinthia. It is interesting to note that the church steeples in Carinthia are much simpler, as with the bell ringing, than in Tyrol and the other northern Austrian provinces.

    While in province Carinthia we encountered a Billy bi-colored goat crossing the road and a hare running on the shoulder of the road. In a last minuet dash the Hare passed before A's front bike tire and narrowly escaped.

    We went through a couple of interesting towns. The first being Diex where J noticed the church wasn't like the rest, it looked very old, and appeared fortified. Further readings found that it was established in the early 1100s.
    https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfarrkirche_Diex
    The next town of Eberstein had a castle (but not the original castle) perched on a rocky mass in the middle of town called Schloss Eberstein.
    https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Eberste…

    We finally arrived in the late afternoon to Gasthof Jera which was perfectly situated in the countryside on the southend of a lake, Furtnerteich. Sadly the place looked a bit tired and in need of repairs; you had to watch your step on the balcony of the room due to broken/rotting boards... Once checked in and settled, set out for a refreshing swim. The warm water and the waning afternoon sun was a perfect combination. The lake was fairly busy with various age groups. It was nice to see such communal interaction of apparent strangers, and yet everyone was respectful of their space without being loud and obnoxious.

    To finish the day we enjoyed outdoor dining on pizza and pasta. Eventually the evening sun was blotted out by clouds, with distant rumbles of thunder...    Read more

  • European Summer
    J getting his swimming in the stainless tub
    Peaceful Danube morningGoldenes Kreuz cool door in basementGoldenes Kreuz, all packed up in the morningQuick beverage in the shadeToo warm!Winding roads 👍View from our room at Hotel Landhaus MoserhofLobby for our wing, Hotel Landhaus MoserhofSupporting local ❤️Vines at the edge of townLocal wildlife at the poolYes please!Abandoned art

    Alps Tour - Head for the hills!

    July 10, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    Although we went down for the Gusthof 7:30 breakfast service, our day started much later than expected. The original accommodation and route previously planned was scrapped due to the unexpected heatwave! We needed to ride to a hotel with AC, which most don't.

    Once again enjoying the cool solitude of the hotel courtyard balcony, we found a hotel with A/C and a pool, a bit further south, but near Vienna. We decided to head south across the Danube on a twisty route more in the mountains and forests to avoid the heat of the day.

    The roads were a perfect balance of twisty mountain switch-backs and sweeping forested valleys with babbling streams. We passed through a number of industrious towns separated by long stretchs of uninterrupted riding.

    We definitely felt the heat on the final few kilometres once we started to meander through the vineyards to our final destination.

    Wow, Hotel Landhaus Moserhof is a gem! A bit more fancy than we need, but the room was cool like a fridge! Once settled we headed down to the cozy garden pool to cool off and relax.

    Before dinner we explored a few blocks of old town of Gumpoldskirchen. Vineyards right next to town. A map search for a wine store revealed that they have a few vending machines, open 24/7!

    Our hotel does not serve dinner, and most restaurants near us close Mondays. We ventured for a 20 minute walk out of the old town. The BBQ restaurant was calling my name! We had a great server, and delicious food. The walk back to the hotel was much needed.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Cesky Krumlov
    Untermuhl ferry, 5€Münzbach. It was a better photo before the truck jumped behind us 🤣GreinOur room view ❤️Lots of Danube river cruises!Amazingly great side salad! If only every night...Sweet scooters for distance touring!Goldenes Cruz parlourGoldenes Cruz courtyard Terrace

    Alps Tour - Charming Czechia

    July 9, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    A much earlier start to the day today. We arrived promptly for Gasthof-Pension Silvia's 8am breakfast service, then headed on our way by 9. Our day's route took us a short ride down a twisting forest road where we were surprised with a ferry crossing the Danube River over to the village of Untermuhl. The whole area was already quite busy with droves of cyclists.

    We criss-crossed the country side through little farming villages, endless fields, and patches of forests. Most of our journey, once we entered Czechia, was along various waterways. We noticed a lot of people beating the heat by floating down Vltava river. Eventually we found ourselves in the historic Medieval town of Cesky Krumlov, Czechia. After a brief break, we eventually we wove ourselves a detour around snarled traffic including using an old road (turned pedestrian path) and past a lumber mill and back onto the main road 🙃. Onwards down to Grein, next to the Danube, for our evening stay.

    It was very refreshing when we arrived at Goldenes Cruz as the protected courtyard was shaded and cool. Once settled in, and showered, we ventured out to walk around Grein. We stopped for dinner at a restaurant next to the river; good location, mediocre food, and questionable service... 🤔

    The evening was relaxing enjoying the self-serve beverages (honor system) on the courtyard balcony, with the sparrows chirping and darting about.

    https://www.hotel-in-grein.at/hotel/    Read more

  • European Summer
    Gondola set up
    AbtenauBack on the saddlesSalzburg coffee. Tourist priced too 🙃Fruit stand snack. "mixed box" hand selected by funny vendor 🤪Sweet parking on this parkHome sweet homeBark barkAmazing patioGin spritzersBeef stewChicken salad with homemade vinaigretteEvening walk

    Alps Tour - Fields & Forests

    July 8, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Feeling well rested after the previous stressful day, A made coffee with the beans we picked at the coffee roaster in Innsbruck; delicious!

    A also discovered the update he was trying to push on to the Garmin GPS didn't complete during the night; the joys of slow rural internet... Once the updates completed, with hopes the previous day issues would be resolved, we headed down for a buffet breakfast. We also got to witness the "run of the gondolas". Apparently they put the gondolas away every night. 🤔

    Once checked out, we back tracked a bit and headed north to Salzburg. An hour later we were enjoying a coffee and lemon pastry next to the walls of Fortress Hohensalzburg!

    Venturing on, the navigation App A used for finding twisty, and off the beaten path routes, didn't disappoint! However, many of the instructed turn-offs caused some skepticism as they looked more like driveways for homes, not roadways. It was another warm day in the low 30s 🥵 Don't stop too long in the sunbeams, or its roasting.

    Venturing on, our path happened to lead us through Mattighofen, past the KTM Motohall. They were featuring a Dakar racing display. No idea that KTM was Austrian.

    We were enamoured with the endless rolling hills of corn, grains, and other agricultural productivity. We thoroughly enjoyed the occasional reprieve from the heat in the the cool forests with seemingly endless curved roads.

    A decided not to pre-book accommodations, and leave some things to chance, but always with a fall back option. Plan-B never happened, and we were very impressed with the first option. We arrived at Gusthof Silvia pension, and were greeted by Barking Deer that they farm. The room was comfortable, and dinner amazing. Very quaint and comfortable country setting to say the least.

    Amazing video for this local business:
    https://tv1.nachrichten.at/oberösterreich/sendu…

    https://calimoto.com/calimotour/t-iIonEDMP3l    Read more

  • European Summer
    Packed!
    Trekking to the rental shop! Free exercise 👍Lunch stop with shade parking. 32C? 🥵Yeah....Free stop after a long tunnel. We had to uturn and got to enjoy it twice 🤣Castles here and there 👀Apreol spritz and sun on the mountainPretty nice simple room

    Alps Tour - Untermieming to Abtenau

    July 7, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    An adventure always starts out with an adventure, right?! Despite the best plans and intentions, anything is possible 🙈. As expected technology only adds to the fray…

    We woke up early to catch the bus to Untermieming to pick up our rented motorcycles. However, when all the busses have similar numbers and arrive at same time, you may find yourself going to unintended places. Luckily J was watching google maps and discovered the "errors in their ways". A quick bus ride back, and an hour later, the original plans began to unfold.

    After a much longer than anticipated time getting the bikes sorted, found numerous navigational issues uploading preplanned routes to the Garmin GPS unit. We had to pull over a number of times to verify our intended route was going to plan. We’re not sure how anyone in Europe can read the posted signage, we found it quite confusing! After a few extra detours getting through Innsbruck, and avoiding tolled motorways, we finally settled into enjoying the ride.

    We passed through many villages, and were impressed with how clean, orderly, and well maintained everything looked. And the various routes were bustling with productivity of all the local farmers. You could say the farmers were having a "hay day"!

    We made a quick stop in Strass, at the Gasthof Hotel Post for a late lunch. It's interesting ordering food as it isn't always what you think you are getting. Our order of what we thought was a bun, sausage, and saurkrat was a plater of sliced baloney with slightly picked onion drizzled in a light vinegar and a bun on the side 🤣

    Many hair-pins and straight-aways later found our way in to Abtenau, a rural resort community outside Salzburg. We arrived in time too as the kitchen closed at 8pm! Veggie Burger and Lamb chops 😋

    https://calimoto.com/calimotour/t-ZPG3h8Anpl    Read more

  • European Summer
    Enjoying the loungers in a park
    Clever entryWarming up on pedal bike before the motorcycleHiker & snowboarder walk lights 😂Kabap! We didn't know what it was going to be, but very yummy,Very famous bubble teaGreat warm sun rays after the thundershowersAfter the showerGrandma MacYum salad

    Exploring Innsbruck

    July 6, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Woke up to a gorgeous, fresh, sunny morning. We were surprised as the forecast wasn’t looking promising. The mountain summits were all cloaked in cloud… so there went the idea of taking the gondola up to look at the valleys beyond.

    A quick coffee at home, and we headed out to explore. First stop was the SPAR grocery where we picked up some delicious pastries for breakfast, and snacks for later. A found a motorcycle store just a few blocks away, and thought it prudent to buy rain pants to cover his vented motorcycles pants, considering all the rain we just had. Luckily they had a 15% off store wide sale, and J bought some waterproof gloves too. Not so lucky finding a wonderful pair of boots. Hope the vented boots that were packed do the trick. 🤞

    A also noticed there were bike share/rental stations around town, and they were associated with the app we signed up with in Ibiza. So we grabbed a couple bikes to explore Innsbruck. The trail system for pedestrians and cyclists is pretty extensive and impressive!

    Arriving back in the old district, Innenstadt, found our way to Maria-Theresien-Strabe, a wide pedestrian area where we found a quick late lunch. The hot kebap donair sandwiches hit the spot. As we started making our way back, a subtle shift in the atmosphere was occurring, and the sky began to look menacing. A few heavy drops had everyone scurrying for cover. We waited out the downpour with a perfectly placed bubble tea store.

    Ended our day in Innsbruck with a scrumptious meal at a less traditional fare restaurant. We were going to do a cafeteria at a fancy grocery store that reminded us of Whole Foods, but they only served lunch. So we found Glorious Bastards for burger and salad, with local brews too.    Read more

  • European Summer
    1Campari soda & afternoon snackThis wasp nest rocks 🤣Rush hour minute 🤣

    Butterflies and waterfalls

    July 4, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    The last day of our Swiss experience. A pretty relaxing and gorgeous day, although the forecast mentioned some showers that never precipitated.

    Decided to go for a relaxing walk around the northern part of Zermatt, then follow the trail along the train track towards Tasch. We saw some amazing slopes, broken by waterfalls and dotted with bushes and wild meadow flowers; the pollinators were busy!

    It got warmer than expected, despite a very steady breeze. We decided to grab a few items from the grocery store for our last dinner and head back to our accommodations.

    Time to pack up for our next adventure Austria, here we come!    Read more

  • European Summer
    The way to start a hike day👍
    Suspension bridgeSpot the rock climberBlackneck GoatsVillage of Zum See with Zermatt behindSempervivum arachnoideum (Cobweb House-leek)Zermatt nestled in the small valley. Furi gondola station in foregroundFurggbach steamMagical farm with million dollar viewBee shed was buzzing 🐝🍯👍Moostrasse stream, on south side of ZermattGrass cutting day! Five people cutting! Sets off allergies a bit 🤧Taste test eve

    Furi-Hangebrucke Hike

    July 3, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    The day started off looking a bit dreary, but the sun soon came out. We were looking into hiking trails in the area, and came upon a loop hike near Ronda, a short train ride north. The loop included a suspension bridge, being the longest in the Alps at 494m. The logistics and efforts to get there were more than we had planned.

    So, Plan B! Luckily there is another suspension bridge much closer at Furi, just up the mountain from Zermatt. The loop in total was just over 8km, with the bridge being 100m long, and 90m above the Gorner Gorge. Along the trail we read up on some the local history on information boards. Apparently the Gorner Glacier advanced rapidly in the late 1860s during a mini ice age, destroying one alpine village, and coming very close to Furi.

    On the return portion of the loop we spotted at a convenient picnic table for a refreshing lunch picnic.

    We meandered back through town to our accommodations where we sampled different flavours of the local brew. A delectable dinner again on our monster deck 😋

    https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/experiences…    Read more

  • European Summer
    More energized than yesterday for a photo 📸👍
    Happy to be walking down this slope instead of up, like yesterday 🥴Glacier fresh, finally able to enjoy our new jackets from Calgary 😎Guessing the reservoir for something 👍Flashbacks to how steep it was yesterdayNoticed these yesterday too ❤️How could we even see the trail yesterday?Marathon sign, but today the other way!Even the majestic Matterhorn has shy days behind a veil of clouds ☁️Yup, more great mountainside we enjoyed yesterday1I found it ironic these guys were also going uphill during the race 🏎️💨Delicious!Great patio!These town views are always prettyDéjà vu! The box of fondue cheese we had earlier this week had two packs 🧀✌️

    Gornergrat Greatness

    July 2, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We were greeted with a gorgeous morning. The sun was up and the birds were singing. A fair bit of hustle and bustle out on the streets many were out early to go hiking, or whatever their intended day's activity.

    We woke up at our usual time despite going to bed a bit earlier than usual. Surprisingly we were not as stiff and sore as was anticipated.

    After enjoying a yummy simple breakfast, A put together a picnic lunch and we set out to explore the area a bit more. Our race passes gave us free admission to the mountain train, so we decided to head back up to Gornergrat to enjoy the views we were too exhausted to enjoy yesterday.

    The views were amazing, but we were unable to see the Matterhorn due to swirling clouds around the summit. Despite a forecast of 4C at the top of the mountain, we found the sun rays very intense. A used his jacket to cover his knees, and still they got a bit pink. The picnic lunch was perfect while we were entertained by wandering tourists 🤣

    We decided to hike down to the next train platform at Rotenboden. The landscape was dotted in alpine flowers. A enjoyed capturing it, flowers, vistas, and all.

    Once the train reached Zermatt, we headed up to CERVO Mountain Resort to use our free beer vouchers! It was a bit of a hike up but worth the trip. We sat on the terrace lounge under shade sails hoping for a view of the Matterhorn, still elusive in clouds. Their Huntsman beer and lounge atmosphere was perfect. Quite a few other runners trickled in for their brews too, though I think we were the only ones to order some fries and a second beer 🍻🍟😋

    We then walked back across town to our accommodation to prepare another cheese fondue dinner. 😁    Read more

  • European Summer
    Start line excitement
    Warm up sillyGetting above ZermattSpot JInto some cloudsA. Huffing and puffin by the famous black nose sheep herdStart of the grueling climbThree and a half hours later: Goal success!Up, up and more up!Rewarding dinnerDidn't tell J about this math before the event 🤣

    Run day: Zermatt to Gornergrat

    July 1, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    The long awaited day is finally upon us. We started training for the Top20 half-marathon run in April.

    Our day started early, with a quick warm up and stretch; still overcast, but not raining or too cool. We did a light jog along the river. After a good stretch, had a light breakfast and headed to the race start location for 9am.

    We started near the back, and slowly meandered our way forward.

    J slowed down as the road incline increased, while A took off like a gazelle. Around the 7 km mark the road levelled out, and J picked up speed, but A was no where in sight. For the next 8km, the route was a combination of road and narrow trail. For the most part, only a slight incline.

    J finally caught up to A after km 15, just passed Riffelboden. Here the route got insanely vertical. From then on things got really gruelling. At this point "running" was just a notion, it was a chore just to get one foot in from of the other. J attempted a slow jog for a short stretch and quickly realized that walking was a better use of energy. A's ambitions of walking a bit faster were squashed by quads and hamstrings threatening to seize up! 😵‍💫

    A typical half marathon is 21.4km, this route was 22.1km... Every twist and crest became the next milestone. It was a bit deflating when the finish line became apparent at the top of Gornergrant. But in the end we both made across! The things we put ourselves through for a "finishers" tshirt 👕🤣

    It was an incredibly beautiful course to complete! This finish line is the highest for an event in Europe, 3089m!

    After some half-hearted stretching, and refreshments, took the train back to Riffelberg to pick up our clothes bags, and shower. The shower space was more like a prison or military shower setup: four rows of shower jets with space for about 40. The warm water felt amazing!

    We then headed over for our free beer🍻. It was terrible 🤢 We found a gopher🐿️ hole to dispose of the rest after a couple sips 🤣 Probably not a bad thing considering soon after J's stomach started to protest. We followed his nose to a Weiner stand, they wanted 9CHF for a slice of bread and sausage. All we had were Euros that they didn't accept, which is strange as its on parity and an international event 😕

    The train down was very hot and over crowded with tourists and runners. It was a challenge to stay upright and get to the bottom. By this point J was very naustious, and crouching near the floor. Once at the bottom, A grabbed a few food items from the store, and we headed back to our accommodations for a quiet restful night homemade Bratwurst and some rose wine.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Marathon pasta dinner and welcome... We didn't understand any of the German
    Pretty flowers on a walkNo, this resident cat isn't discounted 😺

    Clouds & Drizzle

    June 30, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Woke up to a very wet drizzly morning. Settled in with hot mugs of coffee, and used the time to plan more of our European adventure.

    Ventured out a few times between rain bursts. This time we left prepared with an umbrella and our waterproof motorcycle jacket liners.

    A decided to looked at the forecast for Saturday and realized it was going to be pretty cool at the top, 3C, when our race ends! Thankfully the rain is supposed to clear up for race day. So we bought a couple running arm sleeves from the Marathon swag tent to keep us warm.

    Upon returning back to our building we enjoyed the "spa" room, which we had prebooked the day before. Since our building it isn't very busy, we had it all to ourselves! It is not fancy but comfortable!

    Our last walk took us to the pasta party tent to use our voucher for a pasta dinner. Time to "carb up"!    Read more

  • European Summer
    Glacier fresh
    Huge horn. https://www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/Attractions/Bronze-AlphornFunny trinket animalsMoosSt NiklausSt Niklaus vintage buildingExploring St NiklausFunny theme on this row 🤣Deluge, Thunder and lightningFondue yummy!

    Mountainous Thunderstorm

    June 29, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Enjoyed another slightly lazy morning. With a cup of coffee in hand, we sat in the sunshine on our very large private patio. Decided to explore a bit of Zermatt before catch the train (50 minutes) to St Niklaus to pick it up our running race packages.

    We arrived a bit earlier than expected, and enjoyed a walk around St Niklaus before registration opened. In the time it took us to get the packages, the sun disappeared and the sky opened up into a deluge. We managed to get back to catch the train without getting too wet.

    A full-on thundershower was in full swing by the time we arrived back in Zermatt. We took refuge under awnings and in various stores till the rain subsided enough to get back to our accommodation. The rain persisted for the rest of the evening. We settled in and enjoyed an authentic cheese fondue in our suite with bread, apple, swiss salami, carrot and rosted potatoes!    Read more

  • European Summer
    1

    Matterhorn sunset

    June 28, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    From the little we experienced of Switzerland on the train ride, it did not disappoint! The architecture is as expected, and all the towns we passed through looked very clean, well maintained, "cute" and orderly.

    Zermatt naturally has a very resort-town feel, but still very authentic. No private vehicles, so walking or electric mini vehicles (taxi, shuttles, or delivery trucks).

    The check-in to the holiday apartment was interesting. The email said the reception was only open until 630pm. We were arriving just under the wire, until the train was 30 minutes late 🚉😕! I tried calling their numbers but no answer and issues with my sim card. Walking quickly from the station, we discovered no answer at the building upon arrival. 🤔 A maintenance worker appeared and I explained. He seemed confused that we should have gotten a second email with instructions. Walking to the mailboxes he showed us that my name was on one, with the fob keys and unit number inside! Yahoo 👍

    We lucked out with a completely renovated suite! We are the first to use it too! Our patio is huge! No view of the Matterhorn, but we didn't pay the premium for that 😊. The kitchen is great so we popped to the corner store before the map said they closed at 8pm. Well, more like 7pm so they were already closed 😕. Quick! Across town to where we arrived at the train station. Weeeee.

    A quick 20-minute shop before their 8pm closing time, enjoying the inflated resort town prices was successful. The packaged seasoned chicken we bought turned out to be just wings 🐔🤣. It tasted great with the rice and salad 🥗🍚😋!

    Dinning on the patio I noticed the neighbors with the view looking at the mountains. The sun was setting and it looked great on the cloud above us. We paused dinner to go down to the river with a glass of wine where we too could view the sunset 🍷🌄    Read more

  • European Summer
    Impressive doorway into a courtyard
    Lovely courtyardTrain station snackPasta, finally! Though it tasted like Chef Boyardee 😂Milano Central station1Great luggage art 👍Marble quarryDomodossola stationMural on a high up cliffSteep tracks. Teeth in between rails to help!

    Pizza E pasta

    June 28, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    After the previous hectic day, it was nice to sleep-in a bit, and have a relaxing morning. The hotel offered a mediocre breakfast buffet, considering it is a 4-star, to get our day started. We didn't need to check out till noon, so decided to explore the area a bit more before the train trip to Zermatt.

    As experienced on the train, Milan occupies a very large flat area and a fair of sprall. After a few stops countryside opened up and the scenery greatly improved. The foothills of northern Lombardi and into Piedmont provinces were quite picturesque. Our longest transfer was 50 minutes in the town of Domodossola; mostly tunnels from there into Switzerland!    Read more

  • European Summer
    Zucchini pizza
    Spritz time!Mmmargarita mini pizzaLizzards enjoying the bugs ontop of the illuminated signSprawling view North, masked alps mountains.Milan has fab architectureThe bag, as discovered on the side of the motorway 😢

    Milano motorway madness

    June 27, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Another travel day! After all the exploring in north eastern Andalucia, it was naturally time to make our way towards Switzerland 🇨🇭!

    Had a pretty casual morning with another training run and packing the luggage. Our host dropped us off at the Malaga airport for our flight to the regional airport outside Milan, in Bergamo.

    Of course the airport is a way out, so we took the shuttle bus into Milan.

    As our luck would have it, A's luggage was missing upon arrival!? It's a bus, and we put them into the hold ourselves! Amazingly a good semeritan, Palo, found it on the motorway and contacted us on WhatsApp at the same time we were scratching our heads 😵‍💫. Apparently that side hatch wasn't secured properly. The driver did pull over at one point but we thought it was a regular stop. Another rider mentioned they saw our bag on the side of the road. Why, oh why didn't our driver pick it up or announce anything? 😭 An hour and a half, and an extra kilometre of speed walking to meet Palo later we had our bag. Surprisingly the Osprey roller duffle wasn't damaged!

    We checked into our hotel very sweaty on thus 28C day. A cold birra helped! 🍻

    Off for a nice simple dinner nearby turned into another adventure 😮‍💨. The restaurant was busy and the food look great, but the servers didn't deliver, even when we tried to get their attention. Over an hour later we were satisfied enough with our Aperol Spritz and appy pizza that we cut our losses and moved on. The pizza place across from our hotel was enjoyable and quick! It was time to rest before the train to Zermatt, Switzerland the next day.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Walking the lost city
    Fence on the right has a beautiful yard, see next photoThe lovely yardCozy accommodationBees hydratingWhat a lot of the town looked like a decade or so agoWater spot in the shade along the rideLos Bermejales reservoirRefreshing swim may be the fountain of youth!Evening tapas: Spanish poutine? Chicken and sauce. Delicious!

    El Acebuchal "The Lost Village" - day 4

    June 26, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    An even warmer day forecasted!

    Some fantastic twisty roads and a bit of a dirty track into El Acebuchal. The low quality road likely limits the number of visitors. We enjoyed our morning coffee here after a quick walk around.

    https://www.andaluciamia.com/en/tours/the-lost-…

    An afternoon swim in the Los Bermejales reservoir to cool down, as it was up to 37C!

    After a quick sandwich (not so delicious 😕) we saddled up the toasty bikes. The pavement was quite rough and I though it was surprising how much I could feel it in my handlebars! A few km later the pavement improved, but I still noticed sloppy cornering. Then I realized, 💡I might have a bike issue! Thankfully we were passing through a town so I honked my horn to get everyone's attention, signaled and pulled over in the shade.

    My front tire was flat! Graham used his can of flat repair to inflate the tire with goop. The valve stem was damaged so it was leaking out of it and not allowing the goop to seal very well.

    Graham swapped bikes to ride mine. I got to enjoy a Kawasaki Versys 650. It only had 5000km, and rode like a fun toy! The afternoon was getting late and we were toasty, so we took the direct root back home. It was a fair bit of motorway, but none of us minded considering the questionable bike. We stopped once and added more goop before getting back to the guesthouse.

    It was a fantastic to end of the tour safe and sound. We enjoyed a final dinner in town at a different cafe as the one we were at most of the week was closed on Mondays.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Stunning views towards the Mediterranean
    Another picturesque village glued to a hillsideOrchards a la hillsidesOven tastic!Always a ham at hand! Yes, they are real.1Ventas de Zafarraya view point

    Sierra de Tejeda - day 3

    June 25, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    A warm start to the day for the four rested riders. Following guide Graham we twisted and turned km after km 🏍️😁

    The scenery can change a lot in a short distance. Steep mountain hillside, then pine forest beyond and into a plain of Olive orchard fields.

    This coffee stop restaurant was picture perfect with character. The pizza oven must be amazing, though we didn't get to see it in action.

    Yes, you guessed it! Toasty warm again on this June day, probably 34C.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Castillo de Vélez de Benaudalla

    Vélez - "Rest Day"

    June 24, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Our 5 day motorcycle tour included a midway rest day. We took advantage of the time to search for accomodations for our next motorcycle tour through the Alps.

    We decided a quick walk of the town and groceries were in order to beat the 2pm Siesta shop closures.

    It was neat meandering through the winding streets. We even made it up to the old Castillo.

    A bought a whole chicken and a few vegetables for BBQ dinner we shared with the group. It was quite a novelty to be able to pick fresh lemons and oregano from the courtyard to make the marinade.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Capturing the excitement of the photographers: Church, castle and fountain!
    A couple of real assess I found in town on my morning run.Ocean breezes keep these turningJ is loving this new sportMany reservoirs are this amazing colorThey love to Terrace the slopesTropical salad! I saw the neighboring table had this, and pointed to order it. A bit salty.Top floor kitty life. Girl tried to bring it in. He returned immediately!We offer our photography skills 👍👀1

    Contra Viessa loop - day 2

    June 23, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    It was the Long Run day. 6am was a perfect temperature for the 17km plodding around the sleeping town in the dark and into the sunrise.

    Today the Aussie ventured on his own so there were only us four. G&S from England are a fun father son duo! They live and breath motorbikes, and fantastic sense of humour. Glen is a motorcycle seat guru/creator and his son amazingly talented drawing them.

    We did some mountain roads and then a section of coastal road, which was quiet as it was only Friday. Our loop took us through a section of the local wine country. Lucky for us our morning coffee stop sold local wine. We bought a bottle of the Rose to enjoy later.

    We put on another 167km. It was warmer outside today, probably 34C! At least the low humidity and wind while on the bikes kept us from melting.

    The farms with huge covers for their fields was nothing like we have ever seen. Our guide said the temperatures inside them can reach 50C! This industry relies heavily on immigrant workers and pays very little, 😵‍💫    Read more

  • European Summer
    Coffee timeDianese airbag vests. Who needs anything else? 😉Nifty tiles at the cafeJ and his trusty steed150km (yellow route)

    Alpajarro route - day 1

    June 22, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We had a great sleep in the guest house. We were given the bikes we had chosen. My BMW F800GS had 88,000km on it but rode well. J's G650GS was a good bike too.

    Into the mountains/hills we went. Five guests and our British expat guide. Twists, turns, round abouts, morning and afternoon coffee stops as well as lunch. Is was fabulous as expected.

    The 150km took all day to complete, and we returned to the house around 5pm, the hottest part of the day. I believe it was 31C.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Fun fountain in town
    Very fancy screens on the trainVery tempted to purchase this one 😎Fabulous marketLow emissionsHad to at least get a photo up hereBig enough to make me look tinyCats relaxingKabob en Plato. Didn't know what to expect. Everyone ended up ordering them during the week.Motorcycles waiting for us 👀

    Four Cat Corner

    June 21, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Started our day off with another run in the cool of the morning. A few drops of rain fell from a thundercloud before it moved on. Before heading off to explore more of Malaga, we packed our luggage for the next adventure.

    We found another motorbike gear shop, so headed over on the bus to browse. We bough a couple safety airbag vests, and J bought a pair of vented riding gloves! Dainese makes a very nice an comfortable product. We even remembered to get the VAT forms to recover taxes when we leave the EU.

    The market we discovered yesterday was open so we did a quick walkthrough.

    Our motorcycle tour guide picked us up around 3pm. Two other guests joined us on the one hour drive east to Vélez de Benaudalla. Our new home for seven days!

    After getting settled at the guest house, our guide took us for a quick tour of town, then a stop for cold beer and tapas.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Morning oceanside runFuzzy evergreen trunks in the parkCalle Marqués de Larios, pedestrian streetCold cervesas in the shadeCool window color from sunglassesApres adventure snack. Delicious papaya and figsCity art, on way to the butcherPork dinnerPizza vending 🍕😂. Ironically a car parked and I guessed they were going there. They were!Top left two balconies were ours

    Exploring Malaga Centro

    June 20, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    After a refreshing sleep, we decided to beat the heat and run along the beach for our Garmin half-Marathon training plan. The gorgeous morning definitely morphed into a very warm day.

    After a quick breakfast of toast with avocado, cheese, Iberian ham, and tomatoes, we jumped on a bus to find a motorcycle shop. J came out with a new helmet and riding jeans!

    Upon returning to Centro walked through Mercado Central de Atarazanas, a covered market similar to Granville Island. Sadly many of the stalls were already closed for the day. A spotted a fruit booth and bought some delicious figs and an amazing papaya. We continued on exploring a few more of the many winding streets, finding a place that served large chilled mugs of cold beer for 2€.

    Later A found a local butcher and bought some pre-seasoned pork to cook for dinner. It was quite an adventure to find the shop amongst the zig-zaging neighbourhood.    Read more

  • European Summer

    Malaga, here we come!

    June 19, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Well our travel day started off pretty sketchy... First, there was taxi confusion at the hotel; no one seemed to be aware of what taxi was for whom. Then there was the road raging taxi driver that was trying to pass slow vehicles on the outside of the round-about. To top things off, the conveyor belt at the airport for luggage drop off was broken, so the staff were trying to hand bomb suitcases into the back. Our flight was also delayed as the plane selected for our flight had mechanical issues, and it took them awhile to jockey a different plane to our tarmac spot.

    Upon arrival in Malaga, we took the train in to the city where we met up with our gracious and thoughtful Airbnb host. It was the most fun one we've ever stayed in 👍🏡

    After dropping our luggage off, we spent the afternoon walking and exploring the Centro neighbourhood. This included haircuts 💇💈    Read more

  • European Summer
    Spotted this cute kitty enjoying shade in the feeding trough when stopping for some water.The map that started 300km+ of scootering. See highlights 🤣1Last evening walk along Platja de ses FigueretesColorful sign, perhaps for Pride week? 😁

    Ibiza Tour-de-Scooter (day 2.5)

    June 18, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    We got up early to enjoy the last of the scooter rental before the 1130 return time.

    Down to the clothing optional beach, Platja des Cavallet. It was fantastic being there early before the crowds. It was slightly overcast and a great breeze off the water. I enjoyed some yoga and we both swam in the warm water.

    Upon returning the scooter on time, Danny offered us to keep it for a few extra hours! We had a quick shower to get the sea off us and plotted some more roads yet to be ridden. The extra kms were fabulous! Lovely county side orchards and farms. We got a few errands done too.

    We cooked dinner at the apartment, marinated beef, rice, veggies and a salad 🥗🐄🍚😋.

    We packed out suitcases in preparation for the departure to Malaga.    Read more

  • European Summer
    Day 2. GO!
    Well trained to sit on the step outside of the restaurantGreat skills to make this look like metalUp close of the mural detailsHippy Market. Lots and lots of vendors. Thankfully a lot of shade tooLocust Bean treeTHIS GUY jumped into A's shorts 🩳😨PortinatxPortinatxRestaurante Golden BuddhaThe famous Ibiza sunset 🌅Prawn salad. The dressing was warm, and a nice unique touchSea bass 😛Busy area close to Café del Mar.Glad we chose a quieter area to eat and watch sunset 👍

    Ibiza Tour-de-Scooter (day 2)

    June 17, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We had a much earlier start to our day of exploring the east side of Ibiza. Our main challenge was technology; trying to force google maps on to the side roads with various way points. Using our new Cardo heads sets we can talk and listen to music along the way, again, more technology challenges to get things to respond correctly 🙃 We succeeded!

    We had a quick stop in Cala Llonga for a coffee at MOOS cafe where one of the local cats was soliciting for food, exactly on the door threshold. Onwards to Sant Carles where the weekly Hippy Market was in full swing.

    We found a lot of fun narrow and winding roads to navigate along the coastal routes.

    When we were about to stop for fuel, I kept feeling something biting his leg. We pulled over, and shook out the shorts, but nothing. Five minutes later while fueling up, I shook out the shorts because it was still bothering me. Alas! A grasshopper fell out 🦗😱. That's not usually the type of action people get in their pants when on the island or Ibiza 🏝️🤣

    We finally turned to the hotel room to freshen up before taking the moto (scooter) to Sant Antoni for dinner, and to experience the famous Ibiza sunset 🌅👀 Our dive master, Vidal, recommended
    Restaurante Golden Buddha, which had perfect energy for us. Service was quick and the food was the best! We had an evening stroll along the sea wall before motoing home across the island.    Read more

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