• Peter Sprot
maj – cze 2024

Europe

The plan which might change as I go is to ride the BMW from the UK first to Malta via several Balkan countries. Then swap bikes to the 59 Velo for a few days with the classic bike club of Malta to Sicily. Then ride the BMW to Portugal. Czytaj więcej
  • Rozpocznij wyprawę
    8 maja 2024

    South Reims

    8 maja 2024, Francja ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    When I left home at 09.15 this morning the temperature was 9c. The journey to the euro tunnel train was as expected. Busy and the roads are typical of England these days with plenty of pot holes even on motorways.
    In contrast the beautiful almost empty roads of France are a delight to ride down.
    I'm just south of Reims in a Campanile hotel.
    While waiting for the train in England I met two bikers who had ridden from North Wales. Amazing coincidence, first they stopped at the same service station on the motorway and I never saw them on the road and now they have just parked the bikes next to mine at the hotel.
    Tomorrow is a long ride to lake Constance in Germany near the Swiss border.
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  • Lake Constance Germany

    9 maja 2024, Niemcy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Everything was damp this morning at 08.30 as I packed the bike. Petrol was a must as it had been on reserve for a while.
    The sat nav had been programmed the night before so I knew I had a long 475 km ride ahead. Riding on the French main part as you go roads is a pleasure. They ended at the German border but within half an hour I was in an unrestricted go any speed autobahn so I went up to 170kpm only to notice an old lady in a ford fiesta behind me!
    The hotel I'm in tonight is in a forest with a nature reserve walk down to the lake. It is a lovely place. I walked to the lake to find many sitting and relaxing including the guys in the photo which where smoking shishas.
    Tomorrow night I'll be in Austria.

    The evening meal was very good.
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  • Linz Austria

    10 maja 2024, Niemcy ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    I got off to a good start this morning after breakfast which consisted of eggs and more eggs. Good job I could have cold meats. See the photo.
    The roads were a bit busy and got very busy as I got closer to Munich then everything stopped completely so for about ten kilometres I was making my way between two rows of cars until eventually I reached where everything was being turned off the autobahn due to an accident. My bike sat nav is useless in such situations but I had my phone mounted in a way I could access Google maps which showed me a way around the problem. Unfortunately the way around took me close to the city centre with even more heavy traffic.
    Once cleared the roads are nearly all unrestricted so you must watch for very fast cars coming from behind when you overtake.
    I stopped three times (every two hours) for a coffee and a rest. On the third I met a biker who is a tattoo artist. He must love his work. See the photo.
    Now I'm at Linz on the bank of the Danube in Austria and I'm making my first major change of plan as the Hungarian friend I was planning to visit tomorrow is out of town so I'm going to visit Denis and Natasha in Croatia who live on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's another long ride but I'm getting used to it now.
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  • Slavonski Brod Croatia

    11 maja 2024, Chorwacja ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    To drive through Austria you must buy a vignette which is a travellers tax. It's only five euros and it's valid for a week. Slovenia has a similar tax but this costs 17 euro and it is digital so you don't get a sticker. Riding out of Austria through so many tunnels and beautiful scenery then through Slovenia took a few hours on smooth roads which had a lot of well managed road works and not much traffic. As I approached Zagreb there was more traffic, then it was a long flat ride to visit my friends Denis and Natasha. I just happened to arrive on the night of a huge bikers festival so after a delicious barbecue we went on the bikes. There were thousands of bikes and a lot of testosterone flying as so many were trying to out do each other with screaming engines. Several stages had really good live music and there was no trouble at all that I saw. It was a night to remember. Czytaj więcej

  • A day off in Slavonski Brod

    12 maja 2024, Bośnia i Hercegowina ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Today was a day to relax. A day off
    A good idea as we had a thunder storm.
    I went in the 2CV Citroen with Denis to see the town and enjoyed a coffee. Then the rain came so we sheltered until it passed.
    In the afternoon we went to the border with Bosnia as it is only five minutes away. I did a trial crossing to check they would accept my paperwork. They did.
    In the evening Denis made from scratch an amazing pizza. A nice day.
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  • Sarajevo Bosnia

    13 maja 2024, Bośnia i Hercegowina ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    When I travel I always regard time not distance and these next two days are prime examples of why I do it this way. Today was over four hours to do 200 kilometres on lovely but slow as you must observe the speed limit here. I enjoyed going slow for a change. The rolling hills of Bosnia and Herzegovina are beautiful. Sarajevo is fascinating. A mix of old which was not destroyed in the war and new to replace what was destroyed. Tomorrow will be a tricky day with a seven hour ride that includes two border crossings and one which I must buy insurance then be in time for the evening ferry to Bari Italy. Czytaj więcej

  • Niksic Montenegro

    14 maja 2024, Bośnia i Hercegowina ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Change of plan today.
    I've cancelled tonight's ferry to Bari and booked for tomorrow. I've also booked a hotel half way from Sarajevo to Durres because the weather was awful when I woke up and the forecast was grim for the whole day all the way to Durres.
    When I set off at 09.00 it was raining so heavily that I put my phone in a plastic bag in my pocket and wore a thin waterproof jacket over my biker jacket just to be sure.
    After an hour it stopped and I was better able to enjoy the ride which ended up being one of the most memorable ever despite the rain. Continuous twisting roads through mountain passes with many crude unlit tunnels cut through the rock some of them quite long. I loved every minute. I took many photos which I will post but they can never do justice to the spectacular scenery. Some of the roads on the Bosnian side were very bad with big sections missing which had fallen hundreds of meters down into the valley and places where an avalanche had blocked half the road.
    The Montenegro side is much better most of the time. Read on.
    I stopped at the first cafe in Montenegro as although they are not part of the European Union they do use the euro as currency.
    Soon I was joined by about 10 bikers I had noticed way behind me at the border. Take a look at the shabby huts used by border control on the Bosnian side. The bikers were part of an organised tour, they were from all over the world and in rather nice bikes.
    I left them as they ordered meals to ride the last hour. The first twenty minutes were nice but then the sky turned black and the rain came very heavy. Just after it started I joined a queue as there were road works. I went to the front and became part of an amazing scene. They had just laid a very hot tarmac. So hot that steam was rising so much that I couldn't see and just had to guess. That came to an abrupt end as I dropped several centimeters down onto the underlay which was a yellow gravel which had me slipping and sliding for the next few minutes. Then that ended and I dropped again into earth which although muddy was not as slippery as the underlay. The continuing heavy rain then washed the bike.
    Now I'm in a very posh 4 star hotel which is costing 40 euros and includes breakfast.
    My bike is parked under cover in the outdoor restaurant.
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  • Albania

    15 maja 2024, Albania ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    I stopped overnight at a place called Niksic it was a nice 4 star hotel with great food for 35 euros. In the morning I ride to the orthodox monastery of Ostrog which is over 800 meters up an incredibly twisty narrow road. The monastery is cut into the mountain side and the views are spectacular. I had a deeply moving experience in this place I'm not normally religious but it got to me.
    Next I had the border crossing which was not as difficult as I was expecting. Although the insurance man was trying to charge me €21 but after a nice chat and giving him some wine gums I got it down to 15. Albania is a beautiful place and I had plenty of time to kill before the ferry so I looked around for something to visit and saw a deserted mosque ruin on a hillside quite high up so I had it for it. It was amazing again. I had the twisty roads to get to but once I got there the views were outstanding. Just take a look at the photos now. I'm on the ferry. We're waiting to leave destination Bari Italy
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  • On the way to tropea

    15 maja 2024, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    I'm writing this entry while I'm stuck in a tunnel halfway to my destination for tonight. I've been here for nearly three hours. Thank goodness. I'm in a tunnel and not outside at 32° .
    It's not nice. There's been a terrible accident ahead of me about 2 km. The road is completely closed. I don't know when it's going to reopen.

    Today my ride started from the ferry in Bari and it was raining. I was with Nick who I'd met on the ferry the night before. We traveled together for the first half an hour and then he turned off because I suggested he went to see Matera.
    Most of the ride was on the motorway and the rain stopped after an hour.
    I had a break at a very smart castle cafe and met some bikers from Croatia who are on their way home from Malta.

    My fun ended when I stopped by police at the end of a 2km queue. I was upset to hear the accident had claimed the life of a young girl.
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  • Pizza

    16 maja 2024, Włochy ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    The accident held me up for three hours and in that time I got to know the lady in the car in front she gave me some biscuits and I gave her some sweets. She had a car full of shopping for her restaurant. Everybody chatted as we waited.
    When the road opened we were sent back the way we came so once again my Google maps instantly knew there was an accident and gave direction to get around it which took me through some lovely countryside.. My Garmin sat nav on the bike kept saying Do a U turn.
    I arrived at my accommodation at 7pm. I had guessed I would arrive around 2pm. I had messaged the hotel and they were fine. The bike is parked in the street and I'm sure it is safe.
    Tropea is a beautiful town. I had a quick walk around and took some photos before heading to the restaurant recommended by the lady in reception..
    I had only one croissant and two biscuits and two small coffees and a small cola all day so I was hungry and very thirsty.
    I drank 1.5 liters of water since arriving and enjoyed one of the biggest and best pizzas of my life. It was in sections each part stuffed with cream and large shrimps
    On top is salmon and cheese flakes..
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  • Synchronicity

    16 maja 2024, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    This entry is being written while I wait to sail on the ferry from Pozzallo southern Sicily to Malta. The journey takes less than two hours. It is a very fast catamaran.
    Breakfast at the hotel this morning was the best so far and included with the room cost of 46 euros.
    I was on the road by 9.30. the first hour was on country roads, slow and bumpy. I wasn't in a hurry and the scenery was lovely. This far south you know you are in the Mediterranean. Palm trees and cacti everywhere.
    I joined the motorway and set the cruise control slower than usual as I was not in a hurry.
    About ten kilometres from the Villa San Giovanni ferry a motorcycle similar to mine overtook me quite fast and I saw the letter M for Malta on his plate so I sped up and stayed with him. When I saw the sign for petrol and coffee I pulled along side and signalled "drink". He followed me in and a few minutes later two of his friends joined us. We chatted for a while then I said I'm going in for coffee. While I waited for them to arrive I messaged Pierre in Malta saying I met some Maltese men on bikes. He replied. Is one of them riding a 500 Honda. Yes I said. Pierre asked if he was called Mario. Yes came the reply. Pierre said he was sitting in an office with his brother.
    Photos were exchanged and we all had a good laugh. (Malta has a population of over half a million).
    We traveled the last few kilometres to the ferry and I went to buy a ticket. When I came out I joined the wrong queue of vehicles and ended up back on the motorway. By the time I returned the ferry had sailed so I got the next one half an hour later.
    I wanted to get to Pozzallo before 5pm as I needed to collect and pay for my ticket. I arrived at 4.15 and was told I'm booked in the 9.30 ferry so I went to the office and they changed it. I also booked the next journey to leave Malta on the 2nd June.
    I can't wait to get to Malta.
    I'm looking forward to the short ride from the ferry to the house which has me smiling every time.
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  • Birgu Malta

    17 maja 2024, Włochy ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    The ferry to Malta was quick and I noticed an amazing car near my bike so I used Google lens to find out about it. It is a Mc Laren Senna. They sell for almost a million dollars. I prefer my bike.
    I'm not going to end this Find penguins adventure as coming to Malta is only the start. I'm having a few days rest here in which I have friends visiting from Kazakhstan.
    On Friday I'm going for a few days to Sicily on my Velocette with the Maltese classic bike club.
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  • Ragusa district Sicily

    24–28 maj 2024, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    At 5am on Friday morning the alarm woke me. I had packed and prepared the 1959 Velocette the day before so I was dressed and had the bike outside ready with its saddle bags within twenty minutes.
    It's only a 10-minute ride to the ferry and when I arrived I thought it was the first one but they waved me on board and saw that there were already quite a few bikes from the historic motorcycle club of Malta on board. 15 of us were travelling together to join a group of Italians for a rally around Ragusa area.
    The crossing was smooth and uneventful but when we arrived in Sicily the weather was very hot and after about 40 minutes riding on beautiful country roads we started to climb a hill that was over 8 km long and my engine started to get very hot. It was my fault. I was labouring it and not thinking about what I was doing. It got so hot that I had to stop and there was a strange rattle from the engine and let it cool and even after 10 minutes I burned my finger when I pressed the button on the carburettor to put more fuel in but it started and it sounded fine. So I continued this time in a lower gear and the ignition retarded a little bit. I had no further problems. We stopped for lunch. It's a nice little restaurant that was next to a castle so I had to look around the castle and its grounds before we set off for another hour to the hotel.
    The hotel is magnificent four-star and quite cheap for 2 days and several meals. Friday night we were the guests of the Ragusa motorcycle club for another massive meal. We went in a 1968 fiat bus. It was great fun.
    Saturday we went for a ride for about an hour and a half and ended up in the free municipal consortium of Syracuse we had to walk around and into two beautiful churches. Their whole town is a UNESCO Heritage site. The churches were very nice. Then we went for a meal of about five courses. I've eaten so much on this trip. I think I'll explode. I knew that rain was forecast for 4:00 and of course the meal went on and on. So by the time we came out it was already raining and the rain turned into thunder and lightning and really heavy. So we just waited and sheltered somewhere until the worst of it was over and then we put on our waterproof clothing and I watched my friend Martin scooping hailstones out of his sidecar before we began the journey home.
    Some of the riders didn't have waterproof clothing so they found some refuse sacks and cut the holes and wore them. I had waterproof over trousers and jacket but I still got damp.
    By the time we got to the hotel. It was sunny
    All in all a good day.

    Tomorrow we have breakfast. We ride around a bit. We have lunch. We ride around a bit more and then we go towards the ferry back to Malta
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  • Ragusa district club ride

    26 maja 2024, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Last night another banquet with countless courses all part of one cost.
    This morning I thought it was just the Maltese club. I was wrong, the rally wasn't over. Our police escorts arrived to stop the traffic for us and we were joined by many Italians on beautiful old Italian motorcycles. I dashed off early to get fuel but I didn't really need it as I'd used only 5 litres on Saturday as we went so slowly. Today was no different so I had time to enjoy the beautiful countryside.
    I heard a touching story of one rider. A girl who was riding her father's very small 90cc old I think it was Benelli. It was in his memory as he died not long ago. Unfortunately the bike has no first gear from three so everyone helped to get her up the hills, her tenancy and stubborn determination got her all the way around.
    We stopped at a historic site for a look at europes biggest collection of Anfora's or Urns. It was at a beautiful location overlooking the sea not far from Scoglitti.
    After that a half hour ride to the beach front for the last multi course meal.
    The food in Sicily is outstanding in volume and quality.
    I'm writing this on the ferry as we leave Sicily for Malta.
    One bike had it's chain snap a few minutes from the ferry. Everyone jumped to help so he still got on board.
    I'm exhausted and happy at meeting many new friends and seeing some lovely sites in great company with everyone on historic motorcycles.

    https://www.facebook.com/share/p/upaCtx8HpVF9gftn/
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  • I nearly sold my ride! 😱

    30 maja 2024, Malta ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    I am in Malta and I was talking to my friends in the old bike club and telling them that when I get back to the UK I may sell the BMW because I can't see myself using it again this year and next year I'll probably go with the MG on a trip with Mandy. So rather than watch it depreciate it would be the sensible thing to sell it and then buy another one for the next trip.
    I heard of a man in Malta who was looking for such a bike so I invited him to come and have a look. He liked it and he was pleased with what I thought was the value And he seemed happy to fly to the UK in July and pick it up from there.
    We agreed that he should contact customs people to see what is involved if he should buy it and they told him there would be a registration fee of $3,500 and then vat on top of that so it made it an absolutely ridiculous proposition.
    I'm pleased that he did not proceed because I like the bike and want to finish this journey which I resume tomorrow Sunday when I catch the very early ferry out of Malta to Sicily and then head north to somewhere just south of the Amalfi coast where I will stay the night and then continue to Civitavecchia which is just north of Rome where I catch the ferry to Barcelona on Monday night.
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  • A long day

    2 czerwca 2024, Włochy ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    I couldn't get to sleep last night thinking about the long day ahead of me. The alarm was set for 4:30 but it was already wide awake. I was at the ferry to Sicily at 5:00 a.m it was already loading. After tying the bike, I went upstairs, found a seat and fell asleep. We arrived in Sicily at 8:15 and I had 650 km ahead of me and another ferry from Sicily to Italy. The ride was uneventful. I had a little bit of rain in Sicily but not enough to get wet. I think Italy must have the same rule as France in that no trucks are allowed on the roads on Sunday because I didn't find any at all today The ferry to Italy arrived just as I got there so I didn't have to wait and then it was a long monotonous motorway until I got about 1 hour from my destination when I came on to a bikers road. It was a great twisty road. Lots of bikes around great fun and my hotel was just off that road so tomorrow morning I will continue down it.
    Tonight's hotel is a farm stay so the food should be good and it's in a very quiet setting. Tomorrow I have four and a half hours to ride to the ferry which will take me to Barcelona.
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  • Civitavecchia Italy

    3 czerwca 2024, Włochy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    I was the only guest at the hotel and last night's dinner was so unbelievably good.
    This morning's breakfast was also nice. Once again, Google translate came to the rescue. After breakfast the lady from the hotel brought me a nice cloth and said this is for you to clean your motorcycle. She was so nice. It did need to be cleaned because it rained last night.
    Because I had plenty of time spare today, I decided to go to a viewpoint which was up a mountain. It was in one of those quaint Italian villages The roads were so steep that I was scared on the BMW because one slight mistake and I would have dropped it. I was in first gear and some of the hairpin bends were so tight and so steep. It was scary. The roads were also very narrow, so only the tiniest of cars could get round.
    After three stops on the motorway for a coffee or just to sit for a while, I've now reached the ferry and I'm sailing towards Barcelona. There are about 200 motorbikes on board because there was a Harley-Davidson rally somewhere near here last weekend
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  • Grimaldi ferry

    3 czerwca 2024, Western Mediterranean ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    I had pre-booked but still had to stand for 45 minutes in a queue to get my room key and a meaningless sticker for the bike. Then all the bikers were made to wait until all the trucks were loaded. It took 90 minutes. We noticed the bikes could have gone any time as they were on another level.
    The food could be best described as service station quality served by underpaid grumpy staff. I prepaid breakfast and didn't realise until I came to the checkout that only the bread bun and coffee were prepaid. Grrr
    About 15 hours into the voyage the lights went out, the engines shut down and we stopped. After a minute the lights came on but it took about half an hour to restart the engines during which no announcements at all were made.
    I feel I should say something nice about the 17 year old ship. The public spaces, bars, restaurants, decks and my room were nicely fitted with the exception of my bathroom which showed its age.
    Everyone was asked to vacate the cabins two hours before we reached the port so they could prepare to upset the next passengers.
    As expected all the bikers where told to go to the bikes then made to wait an hour in a hot car deck while the trucks were unloaded.
    My feeling towards this ferry company is in its name..

    Now I'm in Barcelona. More about that in the next entry.
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  • Barcelona

    5 czerwca 2024, Hiszpania ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Never before has the work of one man had such an effect not only on myself in seeing the result but on the city as a whole and architecture around the world. His work has and continues to inspire architects and artists to this day even though he died in 1926 at the age of 73. Antoni Gaudi took such a radical and different approach to whatever he designed and his attention to detail was endless. I'll give you one tiny example. The door handles within Casa Milã are an odd shape. He took a short rod of clay and gently squeezed it. The imprint became the mould for the handles. It works.
    We visited the most famous Sagrada Familia which was breathtakingly beautiful, Casa Milã, Casa Vincens and Park Güell. Others were seen only from the outside.
    We also visited the cathedral which had nothing to do with Gaudi but was also beautiful.
    I'll never forget Barcelona not only for these buildings but for the clean efficient way the city runs. The roads are clean the transport system is efficient and spotless the food if a bit expensive is on the whole very nice. It has a nice feel to the place. I'm sure I'll return.
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  • Cable car, Funicular rail, Miló museum.

    8 czerwca 2024, Hiszpania ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    From the hotel we needed 7 stops on the lovely clean quiet underground train then change to the funicular train which climbs and climbs then onto a cable car for outstanding views climbing again to a castle and a museum with works dedicated to Miló. If you like modernist art it is a must. I'm not a fan but the views from the terrace are worth the entry fee.
    Tomorrow I leave at around 8am and ride south. Not sure how far yet. Depends how I feel. I haven't booked accommodation.
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  • Weather

    9 czerwca 2024, Hiszpania ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    The forecast is something I look at most mornings when travelling and today it said a storm is coming from the west and rain will arrive in Barcelona mid morning so by 8am I was on the road. It was cloudy and just a few specks of rain came.
    As I left Barcelona the sky darkened so I stopped and took my phone out of its cradle on the bars and put it in my inside pocket. At first it didn't rain and I thought myself lucky but after about half an hour it darkened again and this time it did rain so without stopping I zipped closed all the vents on my jacket as the temperature dropped by 4 to 20c. I continued until the sky became black and the rain started from nothing to heavy within seconds so I stopped under a bridge to put on a thin waterproof jacket made for hikers over the top of everything. Soon after that it poured down so heavily I couldn't see much ahead.
    It stopped as I turned inland after Valencia
    Next the temperature began to rise from 19 at the lowest to 31c. Eventually it remained stable at about 24c
    Tonight I'm staying in a 13th century castle. It is charming and cheap. Tomorrow I'll decide what to do in the morning as the forecast is not good.
    My bike is inside the castle behind the big wooden doors in the photo.
    I went to church and prayed for good weather tomorrow. See shall see.
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  • Seville

    10 czerwca 2024, Hiszpania ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    My prayer yesterday for no rain worked. The 4.5 hour ride was on nice quiet roads. I arrived at my pre-booked hostel at 3pm. Enough time left in the day to meet up with my friend and go for a walk to a nearby park. Then for the evening meal I had tapas and Cerveza
    Seville is beautiful.
    Tomorrow we visit the cathedral and some other sites.
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  • Cappuccino

    13 czerwca 2024, Hiszpania ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    I've arrived in Praia da Luz Portugal.
    More about that in a later post.
    As I was riding the bike I was thinking about the number of times I order a coffee then wait in anticipation to see what comes. I gave up a while ago asking for cafe latte macchiato as I would just get a puzzled look then I get espresso which I don't enjoy. Everyone knows cappuccino so I started ordering that. The photos show the varieties of cappuccino. At least it was always a coffee. Czytaj więcej

  • Praia da Luz

    13 czerwca 2024, Portugalia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I had a leisurely ride from Seville to here in perfect weather.
    This is as far south as I go and from here on I'm heading back to the UK albeit slowly.
    I'm staying with my classic bike owning friend Verner for a few days. I've had a couple of walks and taken photos and there are plenty of good restaurants to choose from. I'm sure I won't get bored. Czytaj więcej

  • Portalegre Portugal

    20 czerwca 2024, Portugalia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Portalegre is just south of the middle of Portugal near the Spanish border. It is a quiet picturesque town with a cathedral, remains of a surrounding wall and a small castle.
    It is the unexpected which delights the most so when I asked a soldier outside an army barracks where is the market he offered to show inside. I was amazed to find a converted monastery with much still preserved.
    This area is famous for tiles, embroidery and not far is a marble quarry.
    I've decided to stay another day too be able to visit a nearby town of Marvão. I do a separate post about that.
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