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Published: April 28th 2010
Yes, we are off again - well we have been at home for a whole 10 weeks!!. This time (volcanoes, earthquakes and near civil war permitting) we're riding the bike from London to Beijing then coming home on the Trans-Siberian Express.
Stage 1 is a quick dash across Europe - 2428 miles in 6 days to get us down to Istanbul ticking off France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece on the way.
From the Ace Cafe to the Channel Tunnel we were escorted by friends who we rode the Trans-am with last year. It amazing how natural it felt to be back on the bike. When we had to leave them behind at the last service station it felt really weird the brain could just not compute that they weren't coming with us.
The countryside in mainland Europe was like spring personified: clear blue skies, crisp mornings and sunny afternoons, fresh green crops showing through in the fields, fresh green leaves on the tress, cowslips lining the sides of the roads, blossom tress lining the villages and delicate wild flowers littering the forest floors. Its glorious riding.
Initially its mostly on motorways to cover
Boullion, Belgium
our first stop. The castle was the home of the leader of the First Crusade. Oh yes - and being Belgium there are also good chocolates and beer the miles but predictably as soon as we come off the motorway, in Austria to test out some twisty mountain roads, we are treated to April showers. The next morning, however, we do get clear skies and views of the snow covered Alps. The snow is not just on the mountain tops, there is a lot still down at road level, there has been a lot of late snow this year which is a bit worrying as we have a lot of high passes and plateaus to cross in the coming weeks.
In Croatia the little back roads take us through some beautiful little villages, really rural and rustic. Each one has its special platform where the resident lucky storks are nesting. Magnolia trees are also popular - most gardens seen to have one with the enormous purple flower buds just about to burst open. I don't know if they have any special significance or are just decorative, seems strange that every house has one. The houses are a real mixture; beautiful wooden buildings alongside new brick properties alongside bullet riddled near derelict properties that are just being left to rot. Most have brick barns out the back full
the Triol
typical village with an onion spire church. In other valleys they had tall selender spires. Is it just diferent architecture in different valleys or different denominations? of hay and tall, narrow, wooden stalls full of dried corn cobs. It all seems very self-sufficient. On most street corners there are little pavement cafes where the local men are sat drinking tea or beer putting the world to right. We are forced to join them as there's no nipping behind a bush for a pee here - much of the countryside is still riddled with land-mines, there are signs everywhere telling you not to leave the road. It all feels very eastern Europe with little old ladies in head-scarves out sweeping the road in front of their houses. The feeling is enhanced by the enormous concrete soviet style statues dotted round the countryside and the soviet concrete block hotel we stay in which doubles up as a spa resort so we get a nice relaxing swim at the end of the day.
In Serbia its a similar story; traditional wooden houses, next to new brick houses, next to bullet riddled derelict buildings. But it just all seems to be poorer here, the houses are slightly more run down and the road in poorer condition. Not that this stops the locals smiling and waving as we ride past
Austria
the Alps just peeking through the clouds or the road department erecting a sign wishing you a nice trip!. Instead of magnolia trees they have tulips, small front gardens are crammed with hundreds of yellow and red tulips. In the fields there are proper old fashioned haystacks, no modern hay bales wrapped in plastic. Near our hotel is the Manasija monastery. Its really neat - as you approach it looks just like a castle with big thick walls and towers, then when you go through the gate there is just a large church in the centre of a big empty space, its just not what you are expecting as you walk the castle gate.
Unfortunately we don't see the best bits of Bulgaria. We run round the outskirts of Sophia and just experience slums, real slums, more like shanty towns with refuse piled up on the river bank. Even the posh houses out in te countryside look drab and plain. As we cross into Greece its the first time we have noticed a distinct difference in the two countries either side of the border. In Greece there's lush, green hills dotted with smart, colourful houses. The Greece/Turkey border is the first time we see guns. Its
Austria
typical fairy-tale castle slowly and steadily changing and becoming more Asian.
We take the coast road down towards Istanbul and have it all to ourselves. But then suddenly when we get to the toll booth on the outskirts of Istanbul a enormous mass of traffic materialises out of nowhere. There's hundred of cars and lorries, we have to use the middle tollbooth then immediately cut across all the traffic to get to the right slip road - great fun and a bit of a shock after a week of empty motorways and little country lanes.
So here we are in Istanbul gazing across the Bosphorus at Asia. There's just enough time to poke our noses in a couple of mosques and trawl the Spice Bazaar for goodies to keep us going through those remote areas on high plateaus with no electricity or hot water and only a bowl of rice for dinner - sounds like fun doesn't it? So, with stage 1 successfully completed, tomorrow we will cross the Bosphorus into Asia and pick up one of the many Silk Road routes across the Stans to China.
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Lorraine
non-member comment
Bon voyage! I shall enjoy reading about your new adventure. Best wishes to both of you. May St Christopher travel on your shoulders!