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  • Rok Lenardic

The Bucket List

A 404-day adventure by Rok Read more
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  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Meet your heroes

    March 8, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    You know how they say one should not meet their heroes? I challenge the statement after just having met one of mine.

    I just had lunch with Lyndon Poskitt (https://lyndonposkittracing.com/) for an hour and a half and we could continue for hours. Lyndon is a three-time Dakar finisher and a major influencer in the adventure motorcycling circles. His down-to-earth attitude makes for incredibly authentic motorcycle travelling videos that even my wife likes to watch :) (search for Races 2 Places) Not to mention his first-class skills as a rider and a mechanic that brought him such incredible Dakar results in the toughest Malle moto category and a recent ambasadorship with Husqvarna.

    He was incredibly inspiring and easy to talk to as if we knew each other for years. His videos are shot by a single person rather than a crew with a script yet they contain amazing attention to detail and a great balance between travelling and motorycle facts. That's what makes them stand out from the crowd. Lyndon, I hope you can continue this way with Husqvarna! Best of luck with your Spanish journey and Camilla!

    If you pick your heroes right, you won't be disappointed in person.

    Greetings from a cute town of Mijas where it's pouring cats and dogs.    Read more

  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Caminito del rey

    March 9, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Na priporocilo sem se na poti ustavil v soteski, na koncu katere je velik jez in elektrarna. Le-ta je tu ze zelo dolgo, po soteski pa so vedno imeli napeljane v skalo vsekane vzdrzevalne poti, na osupljivih visinah. Ker je z leti par ljudi umrlo ob plezanju po teh poteh so 2015 napeljali cisto novo pot, vzporedno oz nad staro.

    Stvar je primerljiva s kakimi koriti Mostnice, le da je cca 10x visje in vecje vse skupaj in posledicno res osupljivo. Se posebej za tiste, ki imamo radi visine ;)

    Vsekakor vredno obiska!    Read more

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  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Bem vindo a Portugal

    March 9, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    In dobro jutro Atlantik! Po vcerajsnjem 450km maratonskem stageu mi je ze ponoci uspelo priti cez mejo na Portugalsko in celo najti neko osamljeno plazo v temi.

    Vceraj je bil sicer dober dan. Sonce, 20 stopinj, od Seville do meje pa raven in suh TET, da sem lahko hitro napredoval. Gora je bilo konec, kar je bilo olajsanje, malo sem jih imel dovolj, pa tudi vsakic ko sem se nekam vzpel, je padla temperatura skoraj do nicle. Zamenjal se je tudi tip terena v bolj kamnito podlago z obcasno mivko.

    Arhitektura je postala manj dolgocasna in bolj kolonialna, ne vem zakaj je vecino his in mest v juzni Spaniji kar dolgocasnih. Seveda ne vsa, prevladuje pa vecino monotona bela barva, verjetno zaradi vrocine. Tu postaja bolj pisano.

    Ko se posusi sotor skocim v Taviro na kavo, potem pa po ACT proti severu!    Read more

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  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Tavira

    March 10, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    During my student year travels across nearly entire Europe I have always kept Portugal as my dearest country.

    And it seems it still is, people are incredibly kind, coffee is great again, Jack Johnson is playing in the background and the sugars are regular 4g sizes :)

    Great decision to hurry up here.    Read more

  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Portugal day #1

    March 10, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Portugalska ne razocara, razen tale klobasa, ki sem jo ravno narocil in bi morala biti neka specialiteta, pa je not sama zvarovna. Cez dobro kranjsko klobaso je ni...

    Prebudil sem se v soncno jutro, spil dobro kavo, in se odpravil po ACT (https://adventurecountrytracks.com/) proti severu. Danes je bil prvi dan, da cel dan nisem uporabil gretja rock.

    Neuradno je ACT malo lazji TET, v resnici pa me je pozitivno presenetil. Bilo je 60% offroada in par tehnicno bolj zahtevnih delov, ki ne vem kako jih z raznimi GSi in Multistradami offroad zacetniki odpeljejo, predvsem pa je track zelo tekoc in pelje cez zelo lepe dele Portugalske. Ni nekega siljenja makadama zavoljo makadama samega. Ne vem, ce sem res pogresal tiste TET dele, kje 4h non-stop vozis, ko pogledas na karto si se pa komaj premaknil :) Predvsem na severu Portugalske se s TETom marsikdaj sekata, kar pomeni, da bom veliko pokrajine ze videl in na poti nazaj na jug lahko kako drajsanje s 1500 off road serpentinami preskocil.

    Pokrajina Algarve je bila krasna, vasice prav tako, bistveno vec lokalov in ljudi kot v Spaniji, lepsa arhitektura kot sem ze omenil. Tudi zelo ruralni deli so lepse urejeni. Dolgo casa sem se vozil okoli najvecjega umetnega jezera v Evropi, Barragemd o Alqueva. Ampak na slikah se ne da ujeti, ker se vozis okoli manjsih zalivckov ves cas in so hribi okoli.

    Jutri spet proti severu in camping v divjini. Baje se spet zacnejo gore...    Read more

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  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Cabo da Roca

    March 13, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Najbolj zahodna tocka Evrope in precej turisticna tocka ampak vredno obiska. Cesta od Lizbone do tu je pa another level, beyond spectacular.

    Zdaj pa zmackano naprej proti Portu, seveda ob obali. Vceraj je cel dan padal dez, tako da danes offroada ne bo NIC!Read more

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  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Porto 10k run

    March 13, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    I rode up to Porto today, leaving Lisbon behind and riding along the Atlantic coast that proved to be a stunning must-see experience. I would have probably missed this part if it was not for the rains as I'd be riding inland along TET and ACT. So I guess everything happens for a reason.

    I was in touch with Carlos, an old friend from BEST years and he was super-kind to offer me a place to stay with his family and a garage for the motorbike which is always an important consideration when staying in big cities. But it gets better, he told me coming on Sunday is fine but he does have this run at 7pm that he's going to which meant he would be away then. Hmm, a 10k run in Porto you say? Lots of people and a nice sightseeing opportunity in good company you say? Obviously I could not pass up the opportunity. It was too late to sign up but that hasn't stopped anyone before. I figured I had decent gear with me to withstand a 10k run so we did it! And it felt goooooood!

    I have to say, having partied in Lisbon the night before and then participate in a big city organized sports event with 10000 people, it feels like Corona never happened. As if, everything is normal again. It was great to get a little piece of the "old" life.

    Tomorrow is sightseeing Porto, doing the laundry, a few errands and hanging out with Carlos and his family which is always the most authentic way to "feel" the country.

    Then on Tuesday, the gods of rain seem to have come to an agreement that enough is enough and offer Portugal some sunshine so I am off to the northern point of Portugal, where TET starts while I still have to tire thread left :)    Read more

  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Caldas Romanas

    March 15, 2022 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Na TET forumu sem zbrskal en dober spot za kampiranje, ki ponuja se brezplacne in redko obiskane naravne termalne bazene, ki so jih zgradili Rimljani. Zadeva je res fina, voda vroca, nobene guzve. Tako da imam danes se dodaten luksuz vrocega tusa ob divjem kampiranju.

    V Portu je bilo izvrstno, malo pocitka po laufu, prijetno druzenje s Carlosom in druzino ter obujanje spominov na studentske zure ob reki Douro. Pranje perila, nekaj opravkov, darila za otroke ter seveda najboljso zeno in picil sem naprej.

    Spot je ravno malo cez mejo v Spaniji, tik pred zacetkom Portugalskega TETa, ki ga napadem jutri, slabo vreme je baje za nami. Pa se natankal sem ceneje, samo 1.87eur na liter je benz v Spaniji v primerjavi z 2.1 na Portugalskem. Đabe!    Read more

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  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler
    1

    Daily summary

    March 16, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    So here's a quick summary of today in numbers:
    - Kilometers travelled: 260 (I was diligent on following TET today and it was mostly offroad)
    - Time on the bike: 10h (including the 1h coffee break when spirits were down)
    - Spanish/Portuguese border crossings: 13 (the track goes along the border)
    - Number of switchbacks: countless
    - Number of times I had to turn back: 2 (Due to the rains, the water levels were high and I just did not feel safe doing two water crossings by myself. That's another good thing if you ride with friends, one can be a lot braver in such situations which often make great stories as well.)
    - Min temperature: 6 degrees C
    - Max temperature: 14 degrees C
    - Max elevation: 1527m (could not see the end of my nose as per photo attached)

    Overall, it was an emotional rollercoaster day. It did end well though. It started with a cloudy but dry morning on a beatiful camping spot. It was a bird and owl extravaganza since early morning. Then, the wind picked up which was in a way good cause the tent dried quickly. Clouds started closing in and it became foggy. The tracks were damp and it was extremely foggy up in the mountains. I got more wet by the fog than the rains. I stopped at the next village a bit lower for a coffee and a battle plan. I figured I should just camp nearby as tomorrow will be a sunny day (how many times have I heard myself say that recently???) and I don't want to miss the views. But when I arrived to what seemed like a great camping spot on Google Earth, it was really windy again and cold. Plan B. I booked a little cabin further down and continued with the track. As it was not as high up in the mountains the fog was gone and the track was not as damp as I would have thought considering the last few days of rain. So the second half of the day was fast & fun tracks, no rain and I made it to a cute little camping village with my own cabana.

    An assortment of Portuguese salami, some wine and all's well that ends well. Aparently I even get a goodnight story written by Dora herself!    Read more

  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Always hungry???

    March 17, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Danes sem mislil zjutraj v restavraciji kampa spit kavo, pojest en toast in picit na TET. 8:30 nobenga, grem natankat, pridem nazaj, ob devetih se nobenga. Mal sem sicer ze vedel, da portugalci niso jutranje ptice. Ok, bom po poti...

    Pridem na TET in se zacne. Kolikor je bilo vceraj tekoce je blo pa danes neumorno. Gor, dol, nesteto strmih kamnitih vzponov, reke, blato, itd. Kar je bilo nenavadno da 6h ni bilo skoraj nobene malo vecje vasi z ostarijo. Se ob 11ih, ko sem preckal vas, kjer je sicer bila oznacena ena ostarija, ob 11ih oni se nimajo hrane. Ok, sej bo naprej kaj... in vozim in vozim, nic. Ura je 15h, dost sem imel vsega, en del sem mal skrajsal in potegnil do vecjega mesta, tam bo za jest! Ampak ura je 15:30, takrat je konc kosila in 3 restavracije so bile zaprte oz so mi rekli, da trenutno ne strezejo do vecera.

    Ma da vam j$&$*@%!, klasika v Italiji, Spaniji in Portugalski, ce ne jes po njihovem urniku si pac lacen.

    Via supermarket, danes bom bolj zgodaj zakampiral in si dal duska s kuhanjem.
    Zacnem s cipsom in pivom, mal za predjed. Naredim kumare v solati s sirom, specem kremenatlcke, v preostalem zosu pa popecem se bucke, mljask. Vi boste mene lacnega pustil!

    Za desert pa kavica in piskoti. Pa ker se nisem bil sit, vzamem se dilco pa mal speha od jutrisnjega zajtrka nasniclam, sej ga mam dost :) Tolk sem bil lacen, da se slikat nisem uspel nic od hrane.

    Kampiram pa na enem hribu nad reko Douro, seveda kicasto.    Read more

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  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Rio Douro

    March 18, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Did you know:
    - at 897km of length, it is only the 26th longest river in Europe despite making its way through most od Spain and all of Portugal
    - originates in the mountains of northern Spain at an altitude of 2160m
    - serves as 120km of Spain/Portugal border which I just rode
    - provides steep slopes yielding some of the best olives, wine and citrus fruits, mostly agricultured by hand due to this steepness
    - commonly considered it was named after the Portuguese for gold, its name actually derives from the Welsh word for water
    - end up in the Atlantic ocean in the stunning city of Porto

    Makes for one stunning ride!    Read more

  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Sosedski odnosi

    March 18, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Grmicevje po sredini je meja med Portugalsko in Spanijo. Ocitno se jim je zdelo, da rabijo vsak svojo cesto, levo od grmovja je Spanija, desno Portugalska.

    Jaz sem se raje kar spanske strani drzal, ce bi bila kaksna bencinska pumpa slucajno, ker bi bil cenej bencin.

    Svasta.    Read more

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  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler
    1

    Long and muddy day

    March 19, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    I left fairly early today and continued TET at the village on a top of a hill called Monsanto, quite stunning. Soon after I ran into a locked gate I couldn't get around and had to turn a long way back. Later I came across another dead end, this time being a blocked railway crossing. The block was constructed out of rails so it was absolutely too heavy to even move and inch. If I was Pol Tarres maybe I could somehow fly over the rails on the side but I was not gonna try that. Another turn around and quite some time lost.
    Later I was stopped by the police saying I cannot go further as there is a cycling race going on and I should go back. But I had to go right there! Well, with all the offroad I have been doing and the maps I have, surely I will find my way. I did, but ended up coming out of the woods in the middle of the damn race! Immediately I got escorted out of the race by a nice cop :) Another hour lost making a long way around.

    Finally, while avoiding a muddy puddle, a broken fence pole was sticking out which I did not see as it was covered by some bushes and slammed into it, pushing me guess where? Smack in the middle of the puddle I was trying to avoid. Obviously getting the bike up while standing in super slippery puddle was not a one minute job. Spinning the bike around made it easier and after about 10 minutes and lots of sweat, I was on my way again.

    Needless to say, I am now officially desperate of a shower and LOTS of laundry. Tomorrow I will end up in Santarem where I will book acommodation for at least two nights. Yasmina is going in for a regular service and a tire change on Monday so I have to stay there for at least a day anyway. I will make good use of the time to get rid of all the mud :) Plus, another set of rainy days are ahead it seems... What's that about sunny Spain and Portugal???    Read more

  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    My kitchen

    March 19, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    So here's a quick overview of my kitchen that actually allows a surprisingly high standard on the go :)

     - The stove consists of a 240g gas canister plus a small Campingaz burner that fits on top. It works really well and the canister can be good for around 10 dinners and some coffees/teas. The problem with these combos is that depending on where you go, you may have difficulty finding the matching gas canister given the burner fitting mechanism (I believe there are at least two). My burner broke and I had a really tough time finding another one. Decathlon in Portugal either had a burner that did not fit my canister and no matching canister or a burner that was way too big. I finally found a replacement at Leclerc.
    - A cup, quite necessary to offer decent coffee & tea experience which the little foldable ones don't do in my opinion. Also acts as a container into which you can stuff things that should not get squashed.
    - Swiss army knife, no explanation needed
    - Two part cooking pots are great as they provide a container for a bunch of other kitched related things that should not be lying or flying around nor get squashed too much. One pot is bigger than the other one so you can use one to cook some pasta and the other one to prepare the sauce or salad/veggies inside. I use them to grill thin pieces of meat or even a burger. Inside we have (yes, this actually all fits into the two pots):
    = Olive oil as a base for grilling the meat, prepare a simple salad or simply mix with some salt and dip bread into.
    = Vinegar for salads
    = Sugar for coffee/tea
    = Salt
    = Pepper (not on the photo as I forgot it this time)
    = Lighter
    = Washing sponge and liquid
    = One or two sets of tissues, also prevents other things to shuffle around while offroad
    = Tea & coffee bags
    = Soup in a bag & pesto, along with some pasta I always have on the bottom of the luggage in case I get stuck somewhere and need to camp without being able to go to the store. Or sometimes I just fancy pasta with pesto or a soup.
    = Spoon and fork (I used sporks in the past and they broke every single time)
    - What is not on the photo and is the first time I brought with me is the foldable chair. I will never go on a trip without it! It is just so priceless to be able to sit back, relax, eat your dinner and drink a cup of tea. Or read the newspaper in the morning. Can't praise it enough!

    What I miss and should probably bring along next time is a small wooden board that I can use for cutting meat or vegetables and to serve prepared pieces of meat and be able to cut it (you can't cut in a teflon pot).

    Voila, and a little Jamie Oliver can be born within each of us!

    PS: A great thanks goes to my buddy Domen who I copied most of the ideas from. He is such a hedonist when it comes to outdoor cooking :)    Read more

  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Laundry day

    March 20, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Danes je dan za pranje perila, mal v stroju, mal na roke. Blato na blato je teklo ven.

    Jaz bi rabil cist drug iskalnik za Booking. Tak da odkljukam, da ima hotel garazo, da je motor na varnem in da ima kopalnica bano, da lahko dobr operem. Po moznosti se klimo, da se vse posusi. No mi je vseeno uspelo najti tocno takega in po dveh urah zelo zgodnjega TETa priti do sosednje vasi od Santarema ter uiti dezju.

    Danes perilo, jutri pa sva na vrsti jaz in Jasmina.    Read more

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  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Yasmina and I get a treatment

    March 21, 2022 in Portugal ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    I'd lie if I said I did not plan to have a 20kkm service somewhere in central Portugal but to work out to this accuracy was pure coincidence.

    Anyways, Yasmina got new blood, filters, rear brake pads, new tires and a thourough clean. I can't thank the guys at Bluemotor in Santarem enough to have arranged everything for me. I recommend them highly for any Yamaha rider needing any sort of service in this part of Portugal. Thanks Pedro and the team!!

    In the meantime, I visited the barbershop for the first time in my life. Very happy I decided to do so rather than cutting half of my head off with a razor in shitty hotel lighting :)

    Sadly, we're both going back into the mud shortly. But not before I hop over to.... well, it's a surprise.    Read more

  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Good morning Sweden

    March 23, 2022 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    My solo motorcycle trip into the wilderness may be perceived as a solitary activity for someone trying to get off the grid and take some time to reflect on things one usually does not find time for during the daily grind.

    And yes, it is. But in a way it's the opposite of that. It's not about being alone, it's about giving yourself the opportunity to meet the people along the way and the stories that are born as a result. They say if you don't go, you don't have a story.

    This trip allowed me to reconnect with many people I met in the last decades and I feel privileged to be able to do so. The surprise trip to Sweden carries an additional emotional component. I started working for a Swedish horse racing analytics company Estable exactly two years ago and that gig turned into a whole new career path for me. One of the main reasons for joining that startup was the fact that Jani (CEO at the time) and I really hit if off and had great chemistry putting the Estable team together. We had a blast launching the product with the whole team. But Covid hit and work was all done remotely so we were never able to meet in person. In the meantime, we all left Estable and went on with new challenges while staying in close contact.

    So fast forward to the rains in Portugal and Jani says: 'Why don't you see if there's a cheap flight to Stockholm from over there? You can stay at our place, it's sunny here and we'll BBQ, sauna and drink beer.' As a good friend commented, it was a first world problem with a first world solution so here I am.

    A great thanks to Jani, Larissa and the whole family for welcoming me into their home and allow me to enjoy the company and the Swedish culture. Another story has been born!

    PS: The icing on the cake is the visit to Solvalla horse racing track on Saturday. We have analyzed the Solvalla V75 races for so long at Estable and now I will finally get to see it in person!    Read more

  • Rok LenardicThe Bucket ListTraveler

    Solvalla race track

    March 26, 2022 in Sweden ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    I worked with Jani and Fredrik for over a year at Estable where we spent countless hours discussing the sport, the racing, the betting, analyzing the data and building a new digital product. Unfortunately, we were not able to meet the entire time due to Covid so it was all online. Thanks to Jani's invitation I was able to hop over to Stockholm for a few days and change that.

    And what a city. I have been to Stockholm several times before but I guess forgot about its beauty lying on 14 islands of the archipelago. I loved it, the city, the vibe, the people and the high quality of life it offers. Good coffee, yummy bakeries, expensive though, especially having just arrived from small towns in Portugal.

    But that was not yet the highlight of the trip. Jani really surpassed the role of a friendly host and organized the Saturday's visit to the Solvalla racetrack which I finally got to see in person. It was odd working with horse racing analytics so deeply while never actually having visited the racetrack. The puzzles really came together today, the sport, the betting, the social aspect, the fun. Unfortunately, we have not yet managed to find the winning V75 combination but I am sure we will!

    Jani, Fredrik, thanks for an amazing day, I cannot describe how awesome it was to finally experience the sport in its entirety.

    Now back to Portugal to head into the muddy forrests again!    Read more

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