Kosovo

Melanie de WetLeave a comment

I spent the night in a fab place in Kopaonik and was now ready for the ride through Kosovo. The ride to the border, as I’d discovered the day before, was 20 minutes away. I was enjoying the ride down the mountain, particularly as it had stopped raining, so I was a little taken a back when I saw three army guys on the side of the road with a huge gun (like something you’d shoot an aeroplane down with) and a separate vehicle with what looked like an oblong satellite dish which was spinning around (I was thinking that it was some sort of communication or listening device). 

It was so surreal that for a split second I actually wanted to stop and take a photo but thank goodness my sane mind kicked in. All I could think was, ‘if you’re going to shoot that thing make sure it’s in the opposite direction to me’! 

Okay, that I wasn’t expecting but now I was awake. 

I arrived at the border not knowing what to expect. I had seen from various biker blog posts that you could buy insurance at the border. I had 50 Euros in cash with me. It cost 10 Euros for two weeks. Bargain!

The Serbia/Kosovo border was the friendliest border crossing I have had to date. The border control officers were lovely and again, all spoke English to varying degrees. They also loved Trinity! At a stage there were four of them checking her out. I couldn’t decide whether to be flattered or slightly worried. It turned out to be just fine! What did stand our was that the guys were all lovely but the lady that sold me the insurance was a little grumpy. I’ve experienced that a few times on this trip. It’s been an interesting observation. 

Kosovo was not what I was expecting, not that I knew what to expect. The countryside is beautiful, just like Serbia and Montenegro (although not as mountainous as Montenegro). The towns are buzzing, still a little run down, but you can see there is money being invested in infrastructure. The clearest sign of this was a new road being built in a valley as I was approaching Macedonia. It looked like they were building a bridge along the whole length of this valley. It seemed like a very expensive way to build a road but it was impressive from an Engineering perspective. There were a lot of new motorways being built so there is definitely money being pumped into infrastructure. This is good as the roads in the cities, Phristina in particular, were terrible. Their drainage was nonexistent, which wasn’t great as it was bucketing down with rain. There were points in the road that looked like river crossings – it was nuts! 

At this point I also realised that my new lightweight waterproofs were firstly, too short as water was coming into my left boot and secondly, not up to the standard of my BMW one’s, which I left at home because they’re much bulkier and I didn’t think that I’d need them. Well, I now have vivid memories of passing cars and trucks spraying water all of me. It was kinda funny, even if I had a wet left foot. 

I only stopped twice in Kosovo. The first was to take a photo of a mosque that I liked. They are everywhere but I liked this one. The second time was to fill up with petrol. Kosovo has a healthy mix of traditional and modern petrol filling (gas) stations. It may be the American influence. This was was liked to a hotel (a slightly odd combination) but I knew at least they’d have a clean toilet. It was spotless, albeit a shared bathroom, which was interesting. 

I decided to make use of the opportunity to use their WiFi and try out some local items – a banana chocolate bar (the guy behind the counter recommended it) and a grape juice. Both were good. I’ve included my Instagram post of the two below. 

I got caught in traffic quite a lot in Kosovo. The roads north of Phristina are single lane and there was a lot of traffic. There was also an accident that held things up a bit. I’m not surprised that happened; their driving is a little nuts. At a point there was a guy in a black Golf that was filtering through the traffic like a motorcycle. I couldn’t believe my eyes. 

I also saw an armoured vehicle (the only one). It didn’t have any guns though; a downgrade on my Serbian experience. Outside of the above though, it was a pretty easy ride. 

Next…Macedonia!

Montenegro and Serbia

Melanie de Wet1 Comment

I spent the night in Durmitor National Park which looked fantastic! I say looked because I didn’t have time to actually go into the park – I was really seeing things from the periphery. There is so much to do there if you like adventure holidays, including zip lining the Tara Canyon, canyoning, river rafting and Land Rover tours of the park. The prices range from 10 Euro to 60 Euro for the activities (great value in my books). 

I’d been relying of free WiFi wherever I went, which wasn’t a problem as there is always a cafe, restaurant or petrol filling station somewhere on route that has WiFi. I hadn’t booked accommodation so I pitched up in the little town just outside of the park and walking into a tourist office which was advertising accommodation (Sobe is most of Eastern Europe). It was here that I heard about all the activities in the park. I was very tempted to go exploring but I was already 2 days behind schedule so couldn’t fall further behind.

The room the tourist office (operator really) had on offer was 15 Euro a night. It was basic, again with a shared bathroom, but it was fine for one night. The young guy who came down to fetch me was very friendly and told me how he loved the UK and watching Bear Grills on satellite TV. It made me smile that this is his association with the UK. It’s certainly a far cry from most of the Brits I know.

The young chap recommended a local restaurant at the end of the road which I attended. There were three things that stood out for me about this restaurant. Firstly, the Jazz band that played that night. Secondly, the two American couples at the table next to me (I’d heard a lot of American accents on this trip). Finally, the motorcycle couple from the Netherlands that I’d met earlier on in the day at the Ostrog Monastery were sitting three tables down from me. How funny. We didn’t speak though.

I woke up around 7am and got up shortly thereafter. I knew I had a long day ahead of me as I wanted to get to Nis, Serbia but also wanted to make some stops along the way. The first being Tara Canyon.

Before heading off I popped into a local shop with the hope of getting some breakfast. I thought they’d have some pastries but alas, they didn’t, only bread and bread rolls. I bought a banana and a bottle of Kifir for 76 cents and then went across the road to a cafe. I bought a coffee and what I thought was pie. It wasn’t. It tasted more like pizza. It wasn’t bad but not what I was expecting for breakfast. It was also huge so I only had half is it.

Some photos of the night and start of the day are provided below. 

The coffee was okay. I had discovered that in general the coffee in Montenegro was not particularly good. A huge disappointment for someone who loves coffee. The barista makes a difference too though. I had two lattes at this little cafe with the most gorgeous view over Tara Canyon; the first cup was great but the second only mediocre. 

Tara River Canyon itself is however stunning! The bridge crossing the canyon is featured in a lot tourist material so I was keen to see it. It fits perfectly into the steep canyon, with it turquoise coloured water flowing in the bottom. I could feel my heart beating that little faster as the excitement within me grew by the minute. I am so coming back here for an adventure weekend! 

Some photos of Tara River Canyon an Biogradska Gora National Park are provided below. 

I found it a little difficult to drag myself away from Tara River Canyon, hence the two cups of coffee and a couple of calls. I was dying to show my nieces and dad the canyon but sister-in-law wasn’t available and my dad was out shopping and could only take a voice call (he doesn’t have data on his phone). I had to send and post a photo instead. It’s not quite the real thing but it was the best way I could share the experience with them. 

As soon as I hit the mountains in Montenegro the sunny weather I had experienced down the coast of Croatia was replaced with mist and cloud. There is something really special to me about mist. It makes the mountains look mysterious. I love it!

I left Tara River Canyon and headed east towards Biogradska Gora National Park which is about an hour’s ride away along the twisty mountain roads. The area is wild, unspoiled and beautiful.

It cost 2 Euro to get into Biogradska Gora National Park, which is the price I paid at the others too. I can’t buy a latte in London for that price!

My experience at Biogradska Gora was quite different from Durmitor National Park. The park is definitely more for campers and hikers. There were loads of people about when I arrived at the park; understandably as this is where the visitor centre is. 

After I parked Trinity I headed for the loo, which was in a little hut in the middle of the forest. When I got there I noticed it was another ‘hole in the floor’. As soon as I caught a whiff of the smell I didn’t need the toilet anymore, so I headed to the lake. 

This was the second time I had come across these loos in Montenegro. The first time was at the Ostrog Monastery. I assume these are septic tanks, which may be better for the environment but I am really sensitive to smell and they make me heave. I used the one at Ostrog but I had to breathe into the toilet paper so that I wouldn’t throw up. This was not an experience I wanted to repeat. I’d far rather hold it in or pee in the bush. I opted for the former as I wasn’t that desperate.

The lake is beautiful! There is something so serene about about a lake nestled between the mountains. I stood there for a while enjoying the view and the quietness. Then I took a few photos and went to the visit centre to look at the exhibits before hitting the road again. It was now midday.

I reached the Serbian border just after 2pm. The border control officer did not mind the photocopy of my Green Card. Yay! That’s another one down. Only one more country to go that needed the Green Card and then I was home free. Yes, I am counting them down. 

I had no idea what to expect of Serbia. In a nutshell, it was similar to Montenegro but just a lot busier. Similar to Montenegro there were a lot of unfinished/derelict buildings in the towns but the one thing that really stood out for me was the number of car washing places. They are everywhere! I had to smile because I’m sure the guys that was my friend Angela’s car in London are from Serbia. I’ll have to ask her. 

I stopped at a petrol filling station to use the loo and saw that they had WiFi, so I decided to stay for a coffee and also have a look for accommodation. Nis was still 3.5 hours away. Hmmm! My other slight concern was how safe Trinity would be in the street that night in the city, so I started to look at some other options. 

I had responded to an insurance question on a biking forum on Facebook and as a result started chatting to a guy called Darren a.k.a. The Jersey Biker. I had mentioned that I wanted to go through Kosovo but wasn’t sure if it was safe. As it turn out he works for the military and has been to Kosovo a lot. He told he that it was safe and sent me the contact details of an officer in Phristine, who would be able to show me around on the weekend. I couldn’t stay that long but it gave me the reassurance that I needed. This definitely changed my plans. I could now ride through Kosovo and not around it which would save me hours on the bike. Bonus!

I had a look on the map and noticed a ‘green area’, which are normally parks, so I asked the lady in the petrol station shop what the area was like. It turns out it’s a ski town in Serbia called Kopaonik and it’s very nice. Great, that was the plan then. 

It took me about an hour to get to Kopaonik, basically because I missed my turnoff and ended up at the  Kosovo border. Well, at least I knew where it was now. Kopaonik is about a 20 minute ride up the mountain from the border. 

I ended up staying in a place called Nicole, which is about 2km outside of Kopaonik. There is a lot of building happening in the area; clearly now resorts being built in preparation for the next ski season. Outside of the building at Durmitor National Park, this was the most development I had seen on my trip. 

My room was fantastic! Everything was brand new and very modern in the one bedroom apartment, which cost a grand 32 Euros for the night. Between my room, dinner and breakfast my stay cost 50 Euros and I ate like a queen. The same thing would have cost three times the price anywhere else in Europe. It was brilliant. I also really enjoyed the local beer, which again was cheaper than my coffee in the morning, which had also improved since Montenegro. Photos of Serbia below (click the photo to see all of them). 

It rained all night so there was not much that I could do so I watched a movie; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I couldn’t resist. My younger bother and I watched the cartoon religiously as kids. It made me think of my baby brother and that was just perfect. 

Next….Kosovo. 

Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro

Melanie de WetLeave a comment

I left Split on Saturday morning and headed towards Bosnia. The aim for the day was to go and see Stari Most, a rebuilt 16th-century Ottoman bridge in the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina that crosses the river Neretva and connects the two parts of the city, and then head to Dubrovnik. This would be the first time I ventured outside of the EU on this trip. It also marked the 26th country I have toured on a motorcycle (25 on Trinity). 

There were two things I was slightly concerned about. Firstly, the border crossing (I’ll explain why in a mo), secondly, not knowing what to expect and finally, not having my mobile phone to rely on (I normally navigate using Goodge Maps) but since I was outside of the EU the data would cost a bundle. 

I was nervous arriving at the border as I discovered the day I was supposed to leave Poland that I needed a ‘green card’ to ride through some of the counties I would be visiting. My first thought was what the hell is a green card? Turns out it’s ‘international’ insurance papers for the vehicle you are driving. Apparently I should have given my insurance company three weeks notice before I left the UK. Oops! I was already in Poland at the time and about to head off on my trip. Clearly I should have read my insurance papers earlier! 

Anyway, the lovely chap from Carole Nash managed to get me a green card sorted out in 5 working days and sent me a PDF copy via email. I got a random hotel in Split to print me off a copy (thank you Villa Diana Hotel) so I was hoping this would do. Really, I was praying it would do!

I arrived at the Croatian/Bosnian border with my passport and copy of my green card to hand. After a wait in the baking sun I handed the border officer my paperwork. He proceeded to say, ‘where is the original’? At which point I said, ‘I only have a copy and the PDF the insurance company sent me’. ‘This isn’t valid’, he said. ‘Oh shit’ I said in my head, what now! ‘Where are you going to’, he said. ‘To Mostar and then Dubrovnik’, I said. ‘Don’t make accident’, he said, ‘these papers aren’t valid’. Then he let me enter the country. Phew! Now I just mustn’t make an accident I thought. Thank goodness I didn’t!

It takes about an hour to ride from the border to Mostar. All I did was follow the road signs. There is a distinct difference between Croatia and Bosnia. For one, there is clearly less wealth. Secondly, the architecture is slightly different. Thirdly, it’s a lot drier and finally, there are mosques.

The road to Mostar is well signposted so it was easy to find. I couldn’t find a parking space near the Stari Most (the arch bridge), so I parked down the road and walked up to the bridge. A lot of the shops along, what I assume is, the high street are empty or boarded/bricked up. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. 

The bridge itself and the market where great! There were a lot of interesting lamps and artefacts that you could buy. I have no space on Trinity but I enjoyed looking at them nonetheless. I probably spent about an hour walking around before heading back to Trinity. Just as well as I think two guys were trying to get into her panniers. I’m still not sure but I spotted them from about 100m away and they kept looking around. As soon as they saw me they walked away. I wasn’t sure if they were up to no good at the time but after trying to access her left pannier I knew someone had tried to access it as my key was jumming in the lock. After thinking about it I had to laugh – someone damaged the right pannier in California and now the left in Bosnia. It just shows ‘bad’ thing happen everywhere. Luckily I have two locks on each pannier (one on each side). It’s probably time I have the two damaged ones replaced before I’m locked out of my own panniers One day.

Below are some photos of the day.

I ideally should have driven through Bosnia to Dubrovnik but since I didn’t have Google Maps to rely on I travelled back on the same road. This meant another hour’s wait at the border, and of course a second set of border crossings when I got closer to Dubrovnik. FYI – there is a strip of land outside of Dubrovnik which falls within Bosnia, so you have to drive through Bosnia to ride the full extent of Croatia.  

As I’d been told at the first border crossing that my papers weren’t valid I was expecting to be stopped at the second crossing. My heart started beating faster when I reached border control, only for the border control officer to wave me through. He didn’t even check my passport! There are a lot of people on mopeds that clearly ride between the two countries so he probably thought I was a local. This is my take on it anyway. Whatever his reasoning I was happy! 

By the time I reached Dubrovnik it was about 7pm and I just wanted to find a place to stay and somewhere to eat. As I approached the city I could see a lot of boats in a harbour so I decided I would head that way. There were two places available on bookings.com near the water so I picked the one with the nicest view. They were a similar price so why not!

The room was basic and had a shared bathroom but it was more than adequate. The lady running the place was lovely! She offered me a glass of orange juice and sat speaking to me, in her basic English, before pointing me in the direction of the local restaurants. She was so sweet! 

I left around 10am in the morning to head to Montenegro (I’m not great at getting up early even if I wake up pretty early). The ride south of Dubrovnik is absolutely breathtaking! I will definitely go back there as some stage as I didn’t get to see the city properly and it looks fantastic. 

After a stop at a local cafe for some breakfast…and a giggle (slightly in horror) at the guys on their beers and whiskey at 10:30 in the morning, I hit the road again. This is probably aided by the fact that a beer is cheaper than a coffee (certainly a latte anyway). 

I reached the border around 11:30. Someone is clearly taking good care of me at these border crossings! At the Croatian/Montenegro border they were more concerned about my ownership papers (thank goodness I had the original for that). All the border control officer asked was do you have the original green card. I said yes (well I have a PDF version on my phone so it wasn’t a complete lie). He was happy with that and let me in. Phew!

Slightly worried about racking up a silly phone bill I switched off my mobile data. I could still see where I was on Google Maps and that was all I needed. From the border I went straight to Kotor, which is great. I walked around the old city for a couple of hours before heading for the mountains. I was really looking forward to some cooler weather (the warm weather in Croatia is fantastic but hard going on the bike in slow traffic). 

Below are some photos of the border crossing and Kotor.

The one thing that really strikes you in Montenegro is the mountains. They are similar to those in Norway – very steep but without the water. They are fantastic! 

This was the view from the mountain just north of Budva. I was literally in the clouds!

At the coast Montenegro is quite similar to Croatia but there’s a big difference once you head into the mountains – things become a lot more basic. The bonus is that they use Euros and, like in Coatia, most people speak English to some level. 

My intention for the day was to get as far as Biogradska Gora National Park but I never got that far (just as well as it turns out there’s not much there, which I discovered the next day). I did however manage to see the Ostrog Monastery and meet some more fellow travellers along the way. At the bottom of the hill I met a couple from the Netherlands, also on motorcycles. At the top of the hill, in the long queue waiting to enter the monastery, I met a couple from the UK, Jonathan and Anne (hopefully I remembered their names correctly). They were awesome! 

They had travelled 2 hours out of their way to visit the monastery. I was passing it on my way from Lovcen National Park to Durmitor National Park. I had seen the monastery noted as one of the ‘must sees’ in Montenegro in a YouTube video (the source of all knowledge you know, so I wanted to see it.

Anyway it turns out it is not just a tourist attraction but a sacred religious place. Everyone (except us) were kissing the doorways or doors entering and exiting the monastery. There was also one room where a priest was praying (I assume giving a blessing to someone leaned over what looked like a coffin but I don’t think it was). It was a little freaky as I, as well as my fellow UK travellers, had no idea what was going on or what to do, so we turned around and left before we got to the priest. 

At this point I should say that we stood in a rainstorm for an hour to get into the monastery! I now know for a fact that my North Face Gore-Tex jacket is only good for about 15 minutes of heavy rain. After that it soaked up water like a sponge. I was still wringing water out of it 2 hours later when I was trying to ‘dry out’. That bit was not so much fun but it was hilarious sharing the experience with Jonathan and Anne and also discovering that you can buy an ‘Irish cream coffee’ at the vending machine at the bottom of the monastery. We thought it must be a language thing so I ordered one (it was only 50 cent). It wasn’t, it was the ‘real thing’. As Anne wasn’t driving she offered to have the Irish coffee and I had a hot chocolate instead. We all had such a giggle over that!

Meet Anne and Jonathan!

My attempt to dry out my jacket didn’t work enough to wear it that night but it was dry by the morning.

And here are some more photos of Montenegro.

In my next post I’ll cover my last day in Montenegro and Serbia! Update to follow. 

Rovinj to Split, Croatia

Melanie de WetLeave a comment

I arrived in Croatia on Tuesday, 17 July. Except for an afternoon in Bosnia and Herzegovina (I’ll discuss this in my next post), I was in Croatia until yesterday, Sunday, 22 July. Croatia is fantastic! I now understand what all the hype is about. 

The intention on Tuesday was to go to Rovinj to meet Milan (a friend from London) via Ljubljana but I ended up sending some work emails in the morning which left me only enough time to walk around lake Bled and head straight to Rovinj. Lesson – don’t do work on holiday!

I arrived in Rovinj at 3pm. I met Milan at the place he was staying with his son. It is just as well that I arrived before them as I discovered, as luck would have it, that my panniers had leaked water in so this gave me time to dry them out in the sun. 

Rovinj, as all the towns/cities I visited in Croatia, is gorgeous! Hopefully I don’t do Croatia injustice by describing it as having an Italian look with an European feel. The old cities have a special class of their own though (something I haven’t found anywhere else in Europe). The weather in Croatia is also perfect (if you like sunshine)! It was 31 degrees Celsius for most of my stay and it never rained once. 

Milan and his son, Stephan, were perfect hosts – they spent the afternoon and evening showing me around Rovinj and wouldn’t let me pay for anything. Milan kept saying ‘you’re our guest’. This was something I learned about Croatian people – they are incredibly hospitable. It was wonderful and most appreciated!

Rovinj is a coastal town about an hour south of Ljubljana. From there I headed back inland to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park. This was my one ‘have to see places in Croatia’. It was packed with people but absolutely stunning! I have never seen water like it. 

The bonus pack was that I met a South African couple on my walk to the park. I couldn’t believe it – Dawn and Paul from Durbanville, which is just outside of Cape Town. They were fantastic! I kept getting lost and running into them so eventually I just tagged along with them and they gratuitously allowed me to. 

From Plitvice I headed south to Zadar. I stayed in the old town. My greatest concern was what I was going to do with Trinity as parking in the old town is on-street. Well, in motorcycle terms in Europe, that means on the footway. This wouldn’t fly in the UK but seems to be the norm here. Bonus! 

I stayed in a place called ‘The Secret Garden’. Most of the accommodation in Croatia seems to be apartments for rent (or maybe this is just the case via bookings.com which is what I normally use to find accommodation). The room was perfectly fine, nothing special, but the courtyard garden was fantastic. My host was equally amazing! I arrived and he offered me a beer (no charge) and sat chatting to me. He works in catering for the fashion industry in Milan most of the year and then spend summer at his family home in Zadar. Apparently Zadar, like most of the coastal towns, are empty most of the year but in summer they come alive. I’m so glad they do!

From Zadar I went to Skradin with the plan to visit Krka National Park (which apparently is similar to Plitvice). By the time I got there though I realised I only had three hours until I had to meet my friend Sally in Split, so I wouldn’t have time to visit the park after all. Instead I sat eating lunch overlooking the lake. It was lovely and peaceful and also nice to get out of the heat a bit. 31 degrees in full biking gear gets uncomfortable when you’re not moving (on the bike to get a breeze that is).

My host in Zadar had mentioned that there was a cute little town just outside of Split that I should see, called Trogir. I had an hour to spare so thought why not. I’m so glad I made that call as I loved Trogir. It felt like a Croatian version of Mykonos, just way smaller and no cruise ships. 

Trogir is a 45 min ride from Split so I left in time to meet Sally at 16:30 as we’d planned. Sal is one of my favourite people in the world so it’s always a pleasure to see her. It also gave me the chance to spend some time with her new boyfriend John and son Shaun, which was great. We spent the afternoon walking around the old town, which is fantastic, and pretty much eating and drinking. It was great!

Poland to Slovenia

Melanie de Wet1 Comment

I flew to Wroclaw, Poland on Friday (13 July) to collect Trinity to start our three week Eastern Europe motorcycle tour. I had intended to leave on Saturday morning but I was too tired after a very heavy working week and I still had things to finish off so I ended up leaving at Sunday lunchtime. This put me a day behind schedule but I knew I could make that up on the road.

I had planned big rides for the first two days. I absolutely loved Slovenia the last time I visited it, so I was really keen to spend as much time there and in Croatia as possible. I wasn’t really expecting much from the ride down to Slovenia, mostly because motorway are not exciting, so I was very pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous ride it turned out to be. 

There were a few things that were very special about the ride. Firstly, the weather was amazing – glorious sunshine and a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. Secondly, the roads were beautiful the whole way. To be fair, I did chose smaller more scenic roads between Wroclaw and Brno and I’m so glad I did. Finally, the roads were full of fellow, friendly motorcyclists. I was greeting (what felt like) riders every few minutes. It was awesome! I also got chatting to a couple on a Triumph Tiger at a petrol (gas) station. They were on their way back to Wroclaw after a week in Austria. They were really lovely and even advised on which hotdog to order (my food choices were limited at this stop). 

I was slightly blown away by the Czech Republic; maybe that’s because I didn’t have high expectations (my bad). Like Poland, their infrastructure is fantastic and the countryside absolutely beautiful! I’ve included a few photos of the ride below, although sadly none catch the lovely countryside. For photos on the places that I post about, please visit my Mel & Trinity Facebook page (for some reason the Instagram photos won’t embed in this post).

I arrived in Brno around 7pm. I decided to stay in a hotel which was 3.5km outside of town, thinking that Trinity would be safer with off-street parking. I was expecting to be tired so thought this was a good decision. Of course, when I arrived at the hotel (Hotel Santander) I was full of beans and wanted to see the town. I didn’t have any Czech Korana so the hotel booked me a taxi that would accept cards. They were so lovely (and the room was fantastic)!

Brno town centre is gorgeous and essential enclosed by a ring road. Given the limited scale it was easy to walk around the town centre in a couple of hours before settling down for dinner – rump steak in red wine sauce..YUM!

At breakfast I was amused when I heard a lot of British accents. I started chatting to one of the tables (they had the cutest puppy with them) and it turned out they were all together. A few of the guys also rode motorcycles and they were looking at the shirt I was wearing. It’s a motocross shirt with a big letter M on the front within a circle. I told them that it was a Moose Racing shirt but that I bought it because it made me feel like a ‘superhero’. I’d need to be one to pull off this trip! Let’s see if it works (so far so good). It made my day talking to them though. 

My first stop after Brno was Vienna, which is where I had lunch. Vienna is stunning! However, the jump in class also came with a jump in the price of everything. Poland and the Czech Republic are such good value in comparison. Nonetheless, I cannot fault the city in terms of its aesthetic appeal!

From Vienna I had a long ride to Bled. I was keen to get back into schedule following my late start in the weekend, so wanted to push through. About 2 hours from Bled my nose started bleeding and I had to stop. I call this irony! Anyway, a 30 min stop and a bottom of Gatorade (with salt put in for good measure) seemed to do the trick – no more nose bleeds!

I arrived at Lake Bled just before 8pm. The ride to Bled through Austria was fantastic (even on the motorway). I hit a bit of rain but nothing too serious. Fortunately, I bought some waterproof trousers (pants) in Poland – they worked a treat and were so easy to put on with my boots still on. The bonus about them is that they fold into the size of about a standard mug. This is fantastic in terms of space saving on the bike. 

Bled is stunning, as you will see from the photos. The only thing I didn’t like was that I felt like I was in a high tourist area. The service at the hotel was mediocre and the room, for what I paid, was below par. I really was not impressed that my ‘with balcony’ room had no balcony and that my shower was no shower at all – it was a hand shower in a bath. I ended up ‘showering’ on my knees in the bath. Anyone heading to Bled avoid Hotel Kompas. 

The lake itself though is beautiful! I thoroughly enjoyed walking around it in the morning and watching the people enjoy everything that the lake has to offer. It is definitely worth seeing.

Next up Croatia!

Wet and Wild Germany

Melanie de WetLeave a comment

It’s funny the things that you remember. Sometimes a moment captured in my mind is brought back by a smell, a visual reminder, the feeling of the heat radiating off Trinity or simply the temperature reading on her control panel. It’s not the beauty of the object or landscape that I remember most but how I felt in the moment. The feelings are branded in my memory.

The most wonderful part of every memory is that I’m transported back to that moment every time I experience one of these remainders. The excitement fills me as if I was experiencing it all over again. Those are the moments that make my travelling worth it. The moments that make me feel alive!

Today I was transported back to Utah.

I started my day in Lubeck, northern Germany. The old town is an UNESCO world heritage site with buildings dating back to the 1400s. It is very cute and quaint! I’ve included a few photos for you to enjoy (you may need to click on the photos and visit my Instagram page to view all the photos).

I spotted a chocolate store on my walk around which I decided to visit in the morning. I’m so glad I did. It is the most amazing chocolate store I have ever seen! I was like a kid in a candy store and all I could think about was how Mr G, aka the sweety monster and my ‘adopted’ big brother, would LOVE the store. I had no idea how I was going to fit it into my panniers but I knew I had to bring chocolates back for him. So I did, after having the house special marzipan and cream cake and a latte at 09:45. Yes, it was definitely overkill!

I was barely out of Lubeck and planning my day. 3.5 hours to Munster would mean that I could be there my 2pm and enjoy the day lazing around. That was the plan until route 1 came to a standstill. As far as I could see there was a queue of cars, three lanes across. One of the drivers eventuality jumped out of his car and said that the queue was 3km long and that the road had been closed off due to an accident.

We stood around chatting for a bit but when the traffic in the fast lane started to move I jumped onto Trinity and joined the moving cars. It didn’t take long before they stopped but I decided to drive through the standing traffic. I don’t often do this with my panniers on but I wasn’t keen on sitting in traffic any longer than I needed to.

The queue was easily 2-3km long. People were getting out of their cars and I was even waved by a family clearly trying to keep their toddler entertained. I was soon joined by a fellow rider who I let pass to pave the way. We stopped when we appeared to be getting to the front of the queue. I had no desire to see what had happened as the thought of someone hurt was upsetting enough.

My fellow rider was Swiss and was riding a Ducati Multistrada 1200; a gorgeous bike! He had been touring Germany with some friends and was on his way to Hanover for a Guns ‘n Roses concert and then heading back to Switzerland. How brilliant! I didn’t know Guns ‘n Roses still performed. I was slightly jealous!

We didn’t have to wait long before the traffic started moving. The accident involved two trucks, which explains the road closure, but fortunately it didn’t look too bad so hopefully no serious injuries were sustained.

With that I was off and only about 30-45 minutes off schedule. No harm done and I was ambling along nicely for 30 minutes or so and then I saw the clouds. There was a storm on its way and I was heading straight for it.

As it had been pretty warm and clear I was riding in jeans so had no weather protection. I knew I needed to stop. My stop couldn’t have been better timed. I had just enough time to pull off the road (not something I like to do on a motorway) and pull my waterproof riding pants on when the hail started. That I hadn’t expected!

I had stopped next to some trees along the road but the hail was battering through the gaps so I moved Trinity forward a few meters where I had maximum cover. The hail was blowing in strongly from the shoulder (the north I think) so I faced the road to avoid any damage to my visor. That was the last thing I needed. The strategy worked but resulted in my neck getting drenched. This was going to be a fun ride!

Fortunately the hail only lasted a few minutes. I had no idea how long the storm would last so I hit the road. The heavy rain and wind continued for about an hour; long enough for me to get thoroughly drenched. Strangely the storm didn’t bother me a bit. I think the storm I experienced in the USA had prepared me for anything. I had never been so scared in my life but I got through it so I would get through this. The storm was in Utah.

All I had to do was follow route 1 to Munster so even I couldn’t get lost. Around Bremer the sun started shining and it kept getting hotter and hotter, peaking at 37 degrees. I stopped to have a break and use the opportunity to dry off. Trinity played her part perfectly and makes a very pretty drying horse (see for yourself below).

Every move on the temperature gauge reminded me of a different place. When the gauge hit 32 degrees I was in Vancouver. I so vividly remember the shock of Canada actually getting hot that the temperature on my approach to it is firmly set in my memory.

When the gauge hit 36 degrees I was in Utah. At first I was in Canyonlands and Arches National Parks with their beautiful red rocks but as the temperature rose I was in Capitol Reef National Park. I remember the incredible heat and the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere when I saw a lonely cyclist along the road. I was completely humbled by and in awe of that cyclist!

I reached Munster around 15:00. I stopped at what I thought was a corner cafe but turned out to be post office. No water here! Now drenched with sweat I took a seat in the shade next to the store to find a place to sleep. It didn’t take long before I was chatting to a lady that had popped into the post office. She was so sweet! She thought I was very brave being on a motorcycle and it got us talking about travelling. Turn out she’s heading to Vancouver in six weeks time for four weeks. I gave her some tips of where to go and got quite excited when I thought of the places that I visited while I was in British Columbia. She’s in for such a treat!

On the lady’s advice I booked into a youth hostel near the city. I generally avoid hostels as I like my own space but thought it was worth a try. It’s certainly a lot cheaper than the hotels in this area. My attempt to be sensible with my money then made me giggle. Two nights ago I booked into a ‘BnB’ on Bookings.com that was on the beach and had on-site restaurant facilities. After a day of riding that’s all I wanted. I reached the BnB only to discover that it was a high school which let out its dormitory for extra cash. At first I was shocked but then I couldn’t stop laughing. This was an evening I was not going to forget. I look forward to remembering it with great fondness.

Lucky 21 – Norway

Melanie de Wet3 Comments

There is only one word that can describe Norway, western Norway anyway, and that is exquisite (just bring a raincoat)!

When I entered Norway a week ago I only had an idea of what to expect; who hasn’t seen the photos of the fjords.

The ride up north from Kristiansand to Stalheim was full of surprises. It started out warm and with rolling green hills, becoming more dramatic the more north I rode. The mountains on the approach to Folgefonna National Park along route 134 were covered in snow and the temperature dropped to a chilly 8 degrees. Once over the summit temperatures rose again and I was riding along mountain passes.

There were three things that stood out for along my ride. The first thing was the number of waterfalls; they are everywhere! The second was the bus stops. I love the bus stops! They look like little hobbit houses with their grass roofs. So cute! They are the best in the southern part of Norway though. Finally, the tunnels. The tunnels are amazing! Some are miles long, others climb through the mountains. I rode through one which had two roundabouts / intersections within it. I’ve never seen that before.

I stayed at the Stalheim Hotel on Tuesday night. The view from there is fantastic and the ride from the hotel to Gudvangen didn’t disappoint either. The steep hairpin bends from the hotel to the E16 was flanked by two dramatic waterfalls. It was quite breathtaking. Below are a few photos of the ride (hopefully you can scroll through the set).

I was heading to Gudvangen to catch the ferry to Flam. The 2 hour ferry ride follows the two fjords within a UNESCO world heritage area. It’s quite spectacular seeing the fjords from the water. The contrast between the wide expanse of water and the steep cliffs is impressive. Just avoid sitting at the back of a diesel driven vessel; the fumes can be a little overpowering.

Below are a few photos from the ferry ride.

I was intending to take the 2 hour Flam railway ride but sadly it was fully booked until the late afternoon and I had made plans to meet my friend Sally near Viksdalen about a 2.5 hour ride away. Flam is gorgeous and certainly worth a visit. Next time I will spend a night there and take the train ride.

The ride to Viksdalen took longer than planned because I kept stopping to enjoy the view and take photos. It’s really hard not to! You’ll see why below.

It was great to spend an evening with Sal. As always we chatted and laughed until we fell into bed. We headed in opposite directions the next morning. Sal was ending her trip in Norway and mine was just beginning. Sal had given me a load of tips about where to go and I’m so glad I took her advice. The next two days were undoubtedly the highlight of my trip.

The view about half a mile from the Lote ferry terminal made me stop in my tracks. It was spectacular! I pulled off the side of the road just before the start of the tunnel and had lunch perched on the concrete barrier. It wasn’t the most romantic stop but the view was worth it! Sadly the picture does it no justice but here it is below, along with a video clip of the view.

Briksdalsbre and the area of Olden could come straight out of a fairytale. I felt truly blessed to be there and was so happy that there was a cabin available in the heart of the valley. I spent the night next to a stream surrounded by waterfalls, with the Briksdal glacier only a 40 minute walk away. I had walked up to the glacier when I arrived and was fortunate to see part of the glacier break off and come crashing down like a waterfall of ice. The noise from the glacier was incredible; like thunder during a storm. Below are a photos from the area. This area I would revisit in a heartbeat!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVXsaQGBs4j/https://www.instagram.com/p/BVdCN4ahz0C/

Next on my highlight list was the views around Geirangerfjord from the town of Geiranger. It is fair to say that it doesn’t matter which side you approach this town the view will blow you away. A definite must do if you’re planning a road trip to Norway. This was the view from the northern approach. The southern approach is even more spectacular.

The most north I travelled was to Tollstiegen; a view I was told not to miss. Sadly the weather did not play along and the valley was covered in fog. Nonetheless the ride down was spectacular. I could not see the waterfall from the top, although I could hear it, but I did see it on my way down the valley. The first photo below shows what I should have seen versus what I was able to see on the day. I will definitely return to see this view one day.

Sadly from here on the weather never improved. It pretty much rained solidly the next two days so I didn’t stop much. The two other things I would have loved to do were the skylift at Loen and to spend a night in Skei.

The weather was similar in Bergen. It stoped raining for about an hour, long enough for me to video call my dad for Fathers Day and show him around Bergen as I walked around. Then the rain started again so after lunch I spent the afternoon and evening in my hotel room watching TV and chilling out. After looking at the weather forecast I decided that I was going to head east towards Oslo. I was going to chase the sun and also see if I could avoid the ferry crossing back to Denmark. The idea of spending another 3 hours throwing up on a ferry appeals to me less than driving through Sweden.

I am currently sat in a cafe having lunch about 30 miles from Norway/Sweden border. The sun is shining and I’ve been reminiscing about the now 21 countries that I have travelled through by motorcycle. Without a doubt the USA and Canada still top my list but the Western Cape (South Africa), the Highlands of Scotland, the Swiss Alps and now Norway are on my ‘have to visit’ list.

On that note, it’s time to hit the road again! This time with the sun on my back…woohoo!! 🙂

 

Hello Norway

Melanie de Wet3 Comments

A week ago I was stopped in Ashford, too tired to make it to Folkestone. I didn’t fare much better the next day making it to just outside Amsterdam.

By Sunday I was gaining my strength back and making better progress. I missed the turnoff I should have taken to the west of Hamburg and ended up east of Hamburg in a little town called Malente; a peaceful little town set around a tranquil lake. It was lovely!

I had booked the ferry from Hirtshalls, Denmark to Kristiansand, Norway for 18:00 the next day, so I wasn’t going to see much of Denmark outside of the motorway. The ride was wet and the wind was howling! I strangely love the challenge but I was glad it wasn’t one of my sightseeing days. Below are a couple of photos taken at the port in Hirtshalls.

I hadn’t given much thought to the crossing itself as my thoughts were on arriving into Kristiansand at 20:30 and then having to find somewhere to sleep for the night.

I had a French style hotdog on the ferry before we left the port, thinking that it would save me having to find dinner when I arrived in Norway.

Of course, strong winds equals rough seas. That hotdog came back to haunt me over the now 3 hour ferry crossing due to rough waters. I was so sick and so sorry I ate that bloody hotdog.

When I arrived in Kristiansand all I wanted was a bed and a shower. I headed into the town but after 10 minutes decided I wasn’t leaving Trinity on the street, so I started heading north on route 9 towards Bergen. I had seen cabins advertised on-line in Evje so I was hoping to book into one of those. Worst case scenario I had my tent and would find a spot to sleep or just ride through the night – it’s only dark for about 3 hours after all.

I arrived at Evje at 22:20. There was nobody at the reception of the campsite but there was a sign saying (in essence) grab a set of keys, put your money in an envelope (£350 Norwegian Knone), pop it through the mailbox and enjoy your stay. Awesome! The last time I’d seen this was in Canada.

The little cabin was great value for roughly £30/$35. It had a bunk bed, a little kitchen (including a fridge, stove, kettle, coffee machine and all the cookery and crockery that you need) and a kitchen table with waterside view. Perfect! Below was my view.

Tuesday’s mission was to get to Stalheim and I rocked it, completely inspired by the incredible scenery around me. It was also an amazing 18 degrees Celsius when I left Evje, which I was not expecting, so that made me very happy. The warm weather was short lived though as the temperature dropped to as low as 8 degrees riding over the snow covered mountain passes. The change in topography was great though and also brought back great memories of my ride through the Alps last summer.

No day of mine would however be complete without at least one wrong turn. This one led me to the most incredible waterfall I had even seen on the side of a road. Due to the spray I took this video in my full bike gear (helmet included).

Once back on the right road, and two toll payments later, I made good progress and arrived at the Stalheim Hotel around 17:00. Yippee, I could have a beer and enjoy a stunning view and what a view it was.

I was starting to get a feel for the next few days to come. Hello Norway!

Farewell 2016; Hello 2017

Melanie de Wet1 Comment

2016 was an eventful year and it certainly ended with a bang.

Eight of my friends and I have spent the last week in Beaver Creek, Colorado experiencing our first ski trip in the USA and celebrating both my and my friend Giuseppe’s 40th birthdays. For seven of us it’s been our first ever ski trip and what an experience it has been! The area is absolutely stunning and looks magical covered in snow.

It’s with a heavy heart that we left Arrowhead Village this morning. Except for one day that was overcast the weather has been perfect with crisp blue skies and no/little wind. The warmer weather did however result in some icy slopes towards the end so I was glad that we only had a four day ski pass. This gave us time to tour around the area and visit Vail which has a slightly more European and lively town centre feel about it. Both areas are breathtaking and well worth a visit!

Although I would love to say that I have learned to ski I think I have instead turned falling into an art form. I must have connected with the ground (or snow in this instance) about 15 times in four days. I think next time I’ll go for some lessons before hitting the slopes.

Notwithstanding my falls, I’m glad I headed straight for the slopes as I managed to see most of Beaver Creek mountain. I skied down the majority of the green runs, some blue and avoided the black runs like the plague. That definitely would not have ended well.

Below is a video and some photos of Beaver Creek mountain. I hope it gives you a taster of the area.

As I’m sitting on the plane waiting to take off back to London, I’m reminiscing about this trip and also the year that has just passed with a huge smile on my face.

At the start of the year I set a goal to have toured the equivalent distance of the circumstance of the earth by motorcycle by my 40th birthday on 21 December. I achieved my goal on 20 October when I completed my fifth solo tour, which took me from the UK through western France, northern Spain, Portugal and Andorra.

The tour also marked the start of an exciting new chapter in my life; a new job and the opportunity for a new adventure on a professional level.

Since collecting Trinity on 14 February 2015 my motorcycle journeys have taken me through 19 countries on 3 continents (North America, Africa and Europe), which is far more than I ever imagined I would do when I bought her. Let’s see what adventures 2017 hold.

To all of you reading this blog, happy new year. May 2017 be a wonderful year for all of you and your loved ones. Hopefully I’ll catch up with you soon. Until then keep smiling and don’t stop dreaming!

Barcelona to Portugal

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I left the Pyrenees mountains headed for Barcelona with the intention to ride south along the west coast before cutting across to Portugal. Two things changed my mind, namely the weather and the realisation that I wasn’t enjoying the hustle and bustle of the conurbations. I wanted to be back in the mountains.

I spent the night in Barcelona with the family that I met in Ordesa National Park – what a lovely evening! Josephine called a friend to get some advice about the best route for me to take to Porto. I was really chuffed that I made it to Mallos de Riglos (see photo below) before the rain kicked in. The rock faces up close were absolutely stunning!

My route from there took me via Pamplona, Logrona, Soria to Valladolid, where I spent Thursday night. Parts of the journey were fantastic and parts were on the motorway so nothing exciting. I was quite sad to have arrived in Valladolid so late because it looked like a fantastic city.

As I mentioned to my mom on Skype this morning, I’ve really liked the cities in Spain but I’ve found the smaller towns lack character or maybe they just look like they need a little love and attention. What is however fascinating are all the small hilltop towns or buildings dotted around the countryside. Some of them are abandoned but they did attract my attention.

My fondness for the Spanish cities is the opposite of what I found in the USA where I generally didn’t like the larger cities but loved the smaller cities and towns. It’s been an interesting observation.

Friday was a long day of riding. I started at 09:30 and finally stopped for the night at Casa do Outeiro at around 18:00. I had intended to stay in the Douro Valley but when I saw some fires I thought I’d keep going.

The Douro Valley is unbelievable! Unfortunately my photos don’t do it justice so please do yourself the favour and Google photos of the Valley. I saw an article on-line stating that the N-222 had been voted the best road in the world so this was where I was heading. The road was beautiful but it would not nearly make it to my No. 1. The road leading up to Pinhao however blew my mind. I was so overwhelmed that I needed to stop in Pinhao to catch my breath. Below are a few photos of the area.

Entering Portugal marked my 19th country by motorcycle, 18 of which have been on Trinity. I never imaged a year ago that I would be in this position. Sometimes I have to pinch myself. It’s been one hell of a year! Below marked my entity into Portugal.

Overall I have loved Portugal – the vibrant terracotta tiles, granite cobble streets, the amazing scenery, great roads and warm, wonderful people. It has been such a treat! Of particular note are the Sousa Guedes family who run the B&B where I stayed last night, Casa do Outeiro in Marco de Canaveses. More hospitable and lovelier people you cannot find. If you ever find yourself in this part of the world make sure you pay them a visit.

Tonight is sadly my last evening in Portugal. I’m staying in a town called Vila Nora de Cerveira which is just shy of the Spanish border. What a cute little vibrant town. Below are a few photos I took earlier. The last photo was a painting on the side of a municipal building. At about 4m high it is seriously impressive!

I may be leaving Portugal in the morning but it will be in my heart forever!