http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Orson/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Orson en-us Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:16:06 +0000 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:16:06 +0000 From Luxembourg I entered Belgium through the Ardennes passing through many towns whose names recalled the Battle of the Bulge. Into France and on to the English Channel the terrain devolves into rolling farmland. Not too interesting on a motorbike so I got on the autoroute blasted to the Channel and hopped on the 5pm ferry to Dover where I got a hotel room for the night. Met an old timer on http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Belgium/Luxembourg/blog-394620.html The last day of my triphellip and I wanted to make it count. I blasted west on the motorway all the way to Bristol near south Wales. This took up half a day so I had another half day to enjoy as much of Wales as I could. At first it didnrsquot seem all that special but the deeper I got into Wales the more I was captivated by its beauty and its GREAT motorcycling roads. I may have stopped to http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/blog-394616.html I followed the Mosel River into the tiny nation of Luxembourg. I ended up staying an extra day in Luxembourg. I usually blast through the tiny country on my way to something more interesting. This time I decided to spend a day touring within its borders. What a great choice Wonderful roads along the Mosel Riverhellip other roads wandering through forests so thick that no sunlight penetrated the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Luxembourg/blog-394615.html After a couple of days in Prague I continued westward. I pulled up to the German border entry and received a doleful look. I said ldquoHi. Irsquom Canadian.rdquo The border guard said ldquoBye. Go away.rdquo Didnrsquot even ask to see my passport. I guess theyrsquore not too worried about people on sport touring bikes. I laughed and went on my way. It surprised me a bit. I thought http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-394609.html I entered the Czech Republic from Poland. I donrsquot know what it is but my Canadian passport freaked out the border guards. They had to take it into the main office and confer with their colleagues. I guess they donrsquot get many Canadians. Fortunately I havenrsquot had any troubles. After a few moments the passport gets stamped and Irsquom on my way. Unfortunately I havenrsquot b http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/blog-394604.html I couldnrsquot follow the Carpathians into the Ukraine because of visa requirements so I dodged back into Hungary then made a quick lunge to the north into Slovakia to rejoin the Carpathians. The High Tatras are the highest peaks in the Carpathian range. This part of the Carpathians is a national park in Slovakia as well as in neighboring Poland. Unfortunately the weather still hadnrsquot http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Slovakia/Presov-Region/High-Tatras/blog-394602.html One day from Budapest and I was at the Romanian border. I was a bit apprehensive as I didnrsquot really know what to expect or even whether I needed a visa. I pulled in behind a Swiss couple in a station wagon who were bringing in aid for an orphanage or something. The customs guy was going through their stuff with a finetoothed comb. I gulped and waited my turn trying not to think about the m http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Romania/blog-394601.html It never ceases to amaze mehellip the scope of the Roman Empire. From Portugal on the Atlantic to Romania on the Black Sea someone who speaks one of the romance languages can essentially get by. All the languages are that similar. Truly a legacy of the power and influence of the Roman Empire. Quite a heavy police presence though. Theyrsquore mostly parked on the side of the road. I was lucky http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Hungary/Central-Hungary/Budapest/blog-394598.html On the second day of my vacation I proceeded to fight my way through the Italian Alps bypassing the Passo Di Stelvio because I think that 500 hairpins in 11 kilometers is a wee bit much. Passing Bozeno I made my way to the chi chi Italian ski resort of Cortina DrsquoAmpezzo. I think Giacomo Agostini has a home here.No matter how many times you see them the Dolomites never fail to impress. Th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/blog-394597.html The loosely knit plan was to go from northern Italy over to Romania hit the Carpathian mountains and follow them back into Slovakia and the Czech Republic then continue to the UK. Unfortunately The Alps were between me Romania. Itrsquos a tough job but someone had to do it. From Parma I headed north to the south shore of Lake Garda. My route took me along the west bank of Lake Garda. Quit http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Trentino-Alto-Adige/blog-394595.html This morning I was awoken by a loud ray of bright sunshine glaring right thru my window. Someone forgot to close the curtains. Ah well I was to be blessed with 2 days of sunshine in a row From the Yorkshire Dales to the Lake District is but a mere hop skip a jump After another full English breakfast I love black pudding. Donrsquot wanna know how itrsquos made I set off heading northwes http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Cumbria/Lake-District/blog-390345.html It was a dreary drizzly morning as I set off from Nottingham in the British Midlands headed for the Lake District on the Scottish frontier. My route would take me through the Peak District the Yorkshire Dales both designated as National Parks. My English friend Bill had supplied me with maps marking all the day rides he takes through the area. The weather forecast called for clearing skies la http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/West-Yorkshire/blog-390342.html As I make my way south I reenter the RhoneAlpes region dominated by the Massif Central. The wonderful French D roads make me forget the problems encountered near Paris and all seems right with the world. Irsquove said it before and Irsquoll say it again. The French are master road builders although every now and then yoursquoll find a harsh surface.It was on the second to last day of th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Provence-Alpes-C-te-d-Azur/blog-390022.html South of Paris I enter Burgundy the region famous for their wines. They take their wine making very seriously here. The terrain of gently rolling hills may not make for the best motorcycling roads but the beautiful setting makes for a photographerrsquos playground. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Burgundy/blog-390021.html From this point I turn south and start making my way back to Italy. After viewing some of Vincent Van Goghrsquos work in Amsterdam I suddenly decide that it would nicely tie up lose ends if I get a picture of his gravesite. Brilliant The only problem is that the gravesite is in the village of AuverssurOise within the 100 km of Paris the socalled ldquoring of deathrdquo around big cit http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/blog-390019.html Leaving Brittany I encounter the magnificent Mont St. Michel. Continuing east I headed for the beaches of DDay. I passed through SteMereEglise with its famous chapel from which a U.S. Army parachutist dangled on DDay. Now they have an effigy of a U.S. paratrooper dangling from the steeple.The DDay beaches and the U.S. Cemetary near Omaha Beach were something I wanted to see. There really a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Upper-Normandie/blog-390012.html I arrived in Brittany and found a nice friendly hotel in Vannes along the south coast. Near Vannes is where yoursquoll find many megalith stone structures similar to Stonehenge but on a smaller scale. The most famous of these are the Carnac stones an array of stones whose meaning has been lost to the mists of time.After almost a week of perfect weather as soon as I reached Brittany the weat http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Brittany-/blog-390008.html After spending a day touring the Gorges du Tarn I decided that Irsquod better make tracks towards Brittany my final destination. The hilly terrain began to taper off slightly but the French roads never failed to inspire. This area impressed me with its rugged terrain that somehow reminded me a bit of the American southwest. I tried to keep to the backroads as much as possible running through http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Limousin/blog-390003.html From Nimes I headed north to the Gorges de lrsquoArdeche. This is an impressive gorge created by the Ardeche River cutting through limestone rock. The road along the river is quite scenic but not a place you want to try to get a knee down. I can see why the south of France is so popular as it's dotted with scenic villages and farmhouses. I continued west to the Gorges du Tarn. While not as fam http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Languedoc-Roussillon/blog-389998.html After an almost 7 month separation team orson was able to reunite for a three week tour of France. The trip began with a one day layover in Amsterdam where I took the time to browse the shops and visit the Van Gogh museum. This would come to have later repercussions on my trip.The next day I flew into Bologna and hopped on a train to team orson world headquarters at Moto Guareschi in Parma. One http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Languedoc-Roussillon/blog-389997.html