The Ride - Texas headed north and east, way east
 

The wife and I took a long awaited long distance ride that was planned but canceled because of the C word. So May 1 we depart from our home near Corpus Christi, Texas to Eureka Springs, Arkansas and ride with the Texas Trike Group that is really from all over. Iowa, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas were represented this year. The theme was TTR (Texas Trike Reunion) Lost in the Ozarks, a fun week with good friends. Pic was at Buffalo River Outfitters by Low Gap, Arkansas. For those that have never ridden Arkansas, it is a bikers paradise. Great roads, food and people and the state encourages bikers. After spending a few days with friends around the camp fire and ridding great roads, we were off to Toronto, Canada to put the Trike on Air Transat May 11 for a trip to Rome, Italy.
What comes next, who knows, we sure don't. We have the first night lodging nailed down but from there, it's a Wing (pun intended) and a prayer. More to come.

Heading to Italy - hope the Trike is on the plane
 

We departed Toronto on Thursday May 11th at 9:30PM, arriving Rome International Air Port on time May 12th at 12:40PM with Trike in tow (we hope, never saw it loaded and we were looking). As we departed the plane in Rome, we went to the airport tarmac to take a bus to the terminal, the Trike was sitting on it’s pallet just waiting. It would be four long hours before we saw it again. We were not allowed to store any gear on the bike to ship it so we had to hump our luggage and a big disposable box containing tools, helmets, wet gear, heat gear and miscellaneous stuff to customs to meet our arriving agent. Seems that rules have changed since the big C word, you now have to have an agent both out bound and inbound, the individual can no longer deal direct with the airline. Our agent in Rome was Mauricio, heck of a nice guy and kept in touch before we departed thru arrival. Getting the bike, though time consuming, was easy with Mauricio’s help. The total bill for his services, custom fees and freight fees (not the shipping) was a little over $450 US. When next I saw the bike,, it was in red velvet jail…..wow, can’t be too careful. People were taking pictures nonstop. Got the bike, loaded the stuff, disposed of the box and off we went, 6 miles to the B&B, we were both exhausted. Who says you can sleep on the plane. We had discovered by accident a gold mine for travel in Italy, though we did not know it at the time. The B&B was AgriSesto, an old converted multi story farm house with entry in the back and a restaurant in the front. The rooms are plain, utilitarian but clean and perfect for us. The restaurant is rustic with a wood burning fireplace, wood fired pizza oven and a wood fired grill. We had a large handmade pizza cooked in a wood fired pizza oven. We met a couple from Canada staying at the same B&B, it was their last night. Apparently there are lots and lots of this places spread out across Italy that vary from working farms to grape vineyards, olive plantations and hunting lodges. They can be found on https://www.agriturismo.it , our new found friends shared this information. Saturday the 13th we are off to Sicily with stops along the way. My quest for Italy is to visit where my father’s generation came ashore with the 7th Army and also visit where Monty made his landing while seeing sights along the way.

On to Sicily - stop in Naples
 

May 13th, heading to Sicily, first stop is Naples and Pompeii, tonight we sleep in the shadows of Mt. Vesuvius. What have we learned;
In Italy –
Cash is king
It cost $46 Euros to fill the trike, 6.2 Gal.
It is not uncommon for 3 vehicles to occupy a 2 lane road at the place at the same time, no worries, just scoot over.
The center line of the road is there to line up the center of the hood on a car, bike can use any part of the road no matter which direction you’re traveling
Stop lights, stop signs, speed limits are all suggestions, not really mandatory
In the city, you dive with your horn, in the country, not so much
Tunnels are everywhere, from one lane to four lanes with S turns in the tunnels.
Southern Italy, including Sicily is mountainous, the main highways are smooth and the village road can be rough. The top speed limit is 81 MPH on the major highways, some of the two lane roads have 62 mph speed limits on roads an Indy cart could not possibly handle the curve at 40 MPH, what are they thinking.
The photo is Breakfast overlooking Naples.

On to Sicily - stop in Scilla
 

May 14 Sunday, Left the Naples area still working our way to Sicily, stopping for the night in Scilla, a little beach resort town. We were one block from the beach in a rustic, clean and very nice hotel. Lots of sea side beach restaurants, we followed the crowd, they made a good decision, loved the dinner. Unfortunately the old castle on the point is closed. Tomorrow we are on Sicily, it just an hour away by ferry.

Finally made it to Sicily and Messina
 

5-15-23 Sicily – Took the ferry to Sicily, Hotel Europa just out of Messina, rained most of the day, Messina is overcrowded, imagine Houston with the same border but 3 times the people. Big 4 course dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was good but just to much. I did, however get my homemade real Italian cannoli and it was everything I had hoped it would be. Did a little shopping, now that is a bottle of white wine, check the price on Pinot Grigio, it is a bit more expensive at Specs or Wine and More.

To Gela and Syracuse
 

5-16-23 Gela, where Patton landed with the 7th Army. Overnight at Masseria Sul Mare, a real farmhouse close to Syracuse. This is the second Agri property we have stayed at, extremely cheap, clean, comfortable and just amazing. The hostess made reservations for us at a Pizzeria/restaurant which was wonderful. We did find out that you do not order coffee before the meal in Italy, the waiter was stunned or shocked or both, I do not know. We insisted and everyone stared. I think we committed a national sin.

5-17, 18 -23 Palermo
 

5-17, 18-23 Palermo Laundry In Avola – headed to Palermo along the same basic track that Patton’s troops would have taken. Over 5000 men died on that march, nearly double the number of people that lived in the town that I grown up in. The price of freedom is certainly not free. Lodging in the Al Poggetto, it appears it was a hunting lodge at one time. Spent two night regrouping, we are tired.

5-19-23 Cosenza
 

5-19-23 – Left Palermo heading for Rome to get a new bike tire. Spent the night at the BV President near Cosenza

5-20,21-23 Fiuggi
 

5-20/21-23 Hotel Abrego Nord Roma - Two nights waiting for the Honda shop in Rome to open for a new tire. On 5-18, we had dinner at the Grill House – incredible, better than Cattleman’s or Reatta of Fort Worth, a couple of the best steak houses in the USA. Found a coffee house that was wonderful as well. We really could get use to the town of Fluggi, it is quite, clean, friendly, easy to get around in.

5-22-23 New Tire and off to Pisa
 

May 22 Monday Honda Moto Rama of Rome installed new front tire. They work by appointment only but made room for us. Such nice people. There was definitely a language barrier to work through but we got there. They were apologetic for taking so long, dealers back in the states take longer and no apologies. We were in by 9 AM, and out by 11AM, incredible. Add to that, this full up motorcycle dealership has a full up, staffed coffee bar along with a wine bar complete with sandwiches and snacks. After the tire was mounted, pictures with the employees taken we were off to Pisa.

5-23-23 Verona and a Castle
 

May 23 Breakfast at Casale La Sterpaini – school kids everywhere, extremely noisy. They lost little Johnny too. (you remember little Johnny, the one all the jokes are a about, we they had there very own)
Did the obligatory stop in Pisa then;
On to Verona, Italy, beautiful, very walkable town.
We were planning on Venice but too many side adventures such as the castle at the Village of Lusuolo, Italy. All that was there was the Castle, which was locked up and the village houses, some occupied, some falling down. After some other stops we decide to RON at Verona, we stayed at Albergo Trento Hotel, very cool, balcony and a undercover locking garage with an electric gate. Bike was overly secure. The hotel was 3 blocks from the city center, the colosseum, an shops everywhere. The entire thing is walking only, no cars allowed. Take a look at the men’s suits, you’re talking 300+ in the states for the same suit which sells for less than $125. Dinner at a place recommended by the hotel owner. He did not tell us that reservations were required. The hostess took pity on us and found us a seat; I am not sure I understand but they turned away a lot of people after seating us. (there may have been a phone call, we will never know)

5-24-23 Venice
 

5-24-23 Verona for Venice
First project was to wash clothes, we will be doing this once a week. The reason this is worth mentioning is that we met the owner of the laundry mat. Turns out he is an avid bike fan. The next thing you know, we are all gathered around his Moto Map (published in Europe) of the US with some of the good rides that are recommended to Europeans coming to the states to ride. Next thing you know we have a crowd, kinda like being your own traveling circus. It was fun and made a friend. We bid farewell and stuck out for Venice. This is the part where preplanning can jump up and bite you. We rode on to the island and quickly discovered that there was no adequate parking. There was a parking garage but the line was crazy and our luggage is not very portable so back across the bridge to the mainland. We found a room at the Plaza Hotel right by the train tracks. We checked in the hotel, stored the trike and took the train to Venice. Cheep enough at !.48 Euro apiece each way. We could have done a better job of exploring but we did have a good time. We did have dinner in Venice at a nice outdoor café then walked down the street for a Gelato. Maybe next time. Oh and one more thing, since we have been in Italy, this is the first day IT DID NOT RAIN ON US.

5-25-23 Pula
 

5-25-23 Pula – Overnight at Oasi Hotel in Pula, Croatia; we had dinner at Boccaporta, Willie our waiter speaks 5 languages, knows US geography better that some US citizens. We have met some incredibly nice people along or way, this is so much fun.

5-26-23 Croatia Zadar
 

5-26-23 Zadar – Visited the Castle at Boljin, met some bikers that were peddling their way from New Zeeland. Amazing bikes, some costing upwards of $10K US and these guys and gals were in amazing shape. Restaurant in the castle opened at 3PM, we could not stick around until they opened, most unfortunate. Visited old town in Zadar for dinner at La Famiglia. Sheila had an amazing, huge hamburger that she said was delicious, I had the chicken wings and a Greek Salad while rocking out to Mick Jagger and the Stones blaring from the restaurant, way kewl. We took the coast road from Pula to Zadar. Part of the route at the north end was closed and it forced us off the coast through, what turned out to be one of the national parks, it was amazing in itself. Once back on the coast, we never lost sight of the Adriatic Sea and all the myriad of Islands that fill the waters. This road is a two wheel bikers paradise, 185 miles of never ending turns, climbs and decent with virtually no straight sections, on a Trike, it is a real workout. I am glad we did it but not sure I would do it again.

5-27-23 Slovenia and Dragatus
 

5-27-23 Tiny town of Dragatus, staying at a Farm Hotel Zupancicev hram –We left Zadar, Croatia this morning without completing the coast run. Our intention was to go all the way to Split but the road is just too much for a Trike. Got back on the big road which is full of twist and turns along with incredible scenery for our return North Within 30 minutes and about same number of miles, temperatures dropped from about 80 Deg. F to 68 and the wind was howling over the mountain passes. There are windsocks on a number of bridges and they were sticking straight out. We decided to venture into Slovenia and had to deal with a vignette. Did not have a clue as to a vignette, but sure messed up a service stations business when we tried to purchased one. I was struggling, the clerk spoke no English and I was about to give up when a nice Croatian lady offered to help in broken but fairly good English. Together we got the job done but there a least 7 people there that wished these crazy Americans would just move on. Now I found out I have to have one of these things for Switzerland as well. Turns out it is a sticker that amounts to a road tax that you must have or pay heavy fines if caught. We came across the WWII display in the middle of a hay field. Obviously there are those in Slovenia that are very proud of their countries participation on behalf of the Allies during WWII. Slovenia was a nation of turmoil, those that supported Germany and the Partisans that support the allies. Had dinner at the Hotel and it was incredibly good as well as incredibly cheap. Started off with soup, a chicken broth with noodles and herbs then a plate with potato, chicken, pork loin, fried zucchini and a wrap that was deep fried containing chicken and ham. Desert was an assortment of chocolate and chocolate cakes.

5-28-23 Ljubljana and a castle
 

5-28-23 We visited Ljubljana, Croatia, the capitol city, just another big town, decided to head to Switzerland. Along the way we happened upon this castle, very unique, built around a cave system. Made it as far as Tolmezzo, Croatia where we RON (for those of U not prior military RON = rest over night) at Hotel Alla Fonte. It turns out that this hotel is a biker favorite, covered parking in the rear, there were 18 bikes including ours when we got up for breakfast.

5-29-23 Travel Day Bolzano
 

5-29-23 Heading to Switzerland, took the long way and got as far as (yep back in Italy) Bozlano, Italy. Incredible ride but slow most of the way, lots of great stops and speeds never topped 50 MPH most of the day. We definitely visited the Hall of the Mountain King today. Snow covered mountains, narrow valley passes, no picture can do it justice. We had to deal with heavy rain in the afternoon on some very slick and narrow roads. Stopped for coffee, little nip in the air. Met some fellow travelers from Germany, they were headed home. I can tell that cost is about to double. We have gotten use to free breakfast and meals costing less than $30 for both of use. Rooms have been averaging about 70 US per night for something as basic as a room with a bed and a shower to full opulence, well that is over. Dinner tonight was at a Ristorante Meta, a roof top bistro with both indoor and outdoor seating. The hotel called and made reservations for us, we were seated outside. This place was crowded but even the places that are not busy frown on just showing up, it is much preferred that you have a reservation. In New Orleans, our favorite haute, it is not uncommon for many of the kitchens to send something special to the table if you are known to them as a thank you (lagniappe; a Cajun-French word meaning a little something extra); we were surprised this evening with a similar offering. A bit of steak tartar in avocado sauce along with a whipped avocado dressing spread covered with truffles. Great way to end a long day!

5-30,31-23 Zurich
 

5-30 &31-23 Zurich Great trip, put the Trike on a train ride through a long tunnel. Again back in the hall of the Mountain Kings. Snow covered mountains everywhere. Rain in the afternoon but we were good. Arrived Zurich, surprised at 1. How expensive it is, 2. How modern it is.
Expensive, the average person makes about $6000 Crowns (CHF) per month. The average apartment goes for $3000 to $3500 per month; health care is mandatory at about $1000 CHF which does not leave a lot to live on. The ultra-wealthy can afford to buy, the rest rent. No paparazzi, personal privacy is insured by the government. This is the world center for banking and insurance. Note: the rest of the Europe uses the Euro, Switzerland still uses the crown and tries not to deal with the Euro. Example, pay in Euro, you’re getting Crowns in change. They can get real snarky if you ask for change in Euro to just down right refusing, take it or leave it. Coffee at $5.50 a cup, bottle of coca cola at $6.50 and an average meal for 2 can cost upwards of $70 CHF without alcohol, people do not eat out a lot.
We settled in for the first night and went to old town, which again did not appear very old. Unimpressive. Booked a tour on the 31st which included a bus ride, walking tour and a boat ride. It again was fun but could have done better with our time. Sheila bought some chocolates which were wonderful. Dinner at the hotel which was good on the 31st.

6-1-23 Bern, Frutigen & Kiental
 

6-1-23 Left Zurich for Bern, the capital of Switzerland. This is more like it, very old, very historic. When we first rolled into town, there was graffiti and strange figures but that gave way to historic buildings that were everywhere. We toured the old town area, just amazing. The amount of wealth on quite display is staggering. After spending the better part of the day we moved on to Frutigen. This is the home town of a friend that owns Edelweiss Inn in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Arkansas is a very biker friendly state with some of the best ridding in the USA, Eureka Springs is a hilly little eclectic community in the NW corner of the state and is ideally situated for some really great ridding, great dinning and just all around good times. The Edelweiss is spotless to a fault and very, very affordable. Fire pit out back and the forest creatures come up every evening to graze in the grass. We tried to stay in Fruitgen but there was no hotel nights to be had. It is fortunate in that we negotiated a killer deal at Kiental, 10 miles up the mountain road so that was our layover for the night. Looking at the map of hotels in Kiental, hotels 1 & 2 have no road, a visitor has to hike to them. Our Trike parked by the Bear Hotel, lodging for the night. The windows that are open along with the balcony you can barley see on the back is our room, what an incredible view. The hotel restaurant was the local place to eat. Last picture taken from the balcony, the moon was very bright.

6-2-23 Matterhorn, not!
 

6-2-23 Some days are diamonds, some days are stones; today is rock quarry.
Got up, had a nice breakfast then explored some of the mountain roads around Kiental, pretty waterfalls, lakes and streams. Off to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn; had to take a train through the mountain which was kewl. It was a longer ride than the first mountain train. On the last leg to Zermatt and the road was closed due to an accident. One way in and one way out. We hung around for a while to see if the road would open but gave up after a while. Decided to head to Germany so same train back through the mountain range and maddening traffic to the German border. Wound up at the Concorde Hotel at Flugplatz, an civil airport hotel. The walls were decorated in an aviation theme. Our room was in Terminal A, gate 128. The twin Beach aircraft in the grass is a large RC model out the window of the large bar/dinning area. Really nice place. Tomorrow the black forest.

6-3-23 Bad Wildbad, Germany
 

6-3-23 Yep, that’s the name Bad Wildbad, Germany, not only is it a real town, it is a resort area with thermal springs that people flock to for the healing waters. It also features a park dedicated to the outdoors and the reason we spent most of the day there. We climbed the 200 foot tower, I was not sure I could make it and yes, we did slid down the tube. We met a family from San Antonio on the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald trails that gave us a bunch of insights on things to see. RON Hotel Alte Linde, room with a balcony overlooking a picturesque stream; dinner at the hotel was amazing. Sheila had the pork medallions in a gypsy sauce and I had the veal cutlets in a brown butter wine sauce.

6-4-23 Schonach then Rothenburg
 

6-4-23 Lunch at Schonach then Rothenburg ob der Tauber (the old Town)
We stopped in Schonach, a very small, very local town for a real German Biergarten and real homemade sausage and German potato salad with their local beir. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. The beer (Zirndorfer on tap) was not cold but was not warm either, just slightly cool, not strong but very mild and good tasting. The sausage and potato salad were amazing. We then set off to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the place is a walled city. We parked outside and entered the tiny portal next to the city map, not sure if we could drive into the walled city. Later we found that you had to have a sticker/pass or room reservation, score. We went back and got the bike. There is a stone catwalk that surrounds the city and the place is unmanageable huge. The picture with the narrow passage way is the catwalk that goes completely around the city and it is about 15 feet above the ground. We spent from just after 1 PM walking the place and only had seen a small portion of it so we were able to score a room at one of the many old hotels in the walled city by about 6 PM so that we could stay and see some more tomorrow. The picture of the trike parked in front of the hotel, our room was the top two windows, upper left. As the sun started setting it started to get cool, we elected dinner at an Italian restaurant right across from the hotel in the middle of the street. I know, we are in Germany and eating Italian, ok we did German earlier. Actually the very best Italian meal we had was in England, that is a story for later. As the evening progressed, more and more restaurants took over the street with lively music and adult beverages. Fortunately we did not have far to stumble to get back to the room. The place had and elevator, a life saver.

6-5-23 Hotel Raeinischer Bad Breisig
 

6-5-23 Overnight at Hotel Raeinischer, spent part of the day exploring Marienberg Fortress in Wurzburg, a city in Bavaria, the hotel we stayed at overlooked the Rhine river, the hotel restaurant was good.

6-6-23 Cologne & Landhotel Krolink
 

6-6-23 Spent the day washing the bike and doing clothes in Cologne, Germany. We did pass through Bonn early in the day, it was a bit disappointing in that I expected an old town, not so, very modern. Would have loved to spent more time in Cologne but rooms were scarce, so we headed off to places west. Wound up in a small farming community on the outskirts of Daun, Germany. The hotel is Landhotel Krolik, owned by lovely young, very gracious couple. We have 4,541.0 miles as the Trike sits in the parking lot tonight over 26 days. Two days were non travel days so really 4541/24 =190 miles per day, not to bad considering how much we stop. It is seldom just road time.

6-7-23 Luxembourg, entered France.
 

6-7-23 Spent the day shopping and wandering downtown Luxembourg, place was really crowded. Evening finds us crossing into France and staying at the B&B Hotel Longway, France. I left the pocket talk, our handy little translator somewhere behind, going to feel lost without it.

6-8 & 9-23 Warwick Hotel in Brussels
 

6-8 & 9-23 Warwick Hotel in Brussels, made it to city center and found the hotel, decide to stay for the night. We found the area called the Grand Place and knew we had to stay another day so made online reservations for the 9th (saved a bit of money doing that) This place is beautiful and fascinating, lots of history, lots of visitors. Chocolate shops everywhere, lots of restaurants with street side dinning. Impressive buildings.

6-10-23 Eurotunnel to the UK
 

6-10-23 After a unremarkable breakfast in a remarkable setting in the Grand Place in Brussels, we set off for the Eurotunnel and the UK. It should have been a 2 ½ hour trip but the traffic was horrible, it took closer to 4 hours. Fortunately we had not booked reservations and planned to do so when we got closer. Got lost as we entered Calais but eventually made our way though, French customs, UK customs and vehicle check. We boarded the train for the short 35 minute crossing. After boarding, we met a group of UK bikers that shared some good information on Scottland. Remarkable, board a train in France and arrive in the UK some 35 minutes later after passing under the English Channel. It was not that many years ago that a huge (for the time) cash prize was offered for the first person to fly across the channel. We departed the train in Folkstone and went straight to Canterbury; Canterbury tales. We found ourselves in the middle of a festival so naturally we joined right in and was having a gay old time. All the shops were open, families strolling about, people laughing and having a great time, concerts going on and then we spotted the Gay Pride banner welcoming participants to Canterbury Gay Pride….ok, so what the heck. We could not secure lodging in Canterbury so we headed up the road to Sittingbourne where we found lodging at a Holiday inn. Went to the Black Pearl for fish, very inexpensive and very good.

6-11-23 Sittingbourne to York
 

6-11-23 A road day; after breakfast we took care of chores, washing and that sort of thing then off to York, about a 6 hour ride with traffic. Lodging at the St Raphael Guest House, no air conditioning and the UK is having a very unusual hot spell, getting to almost 80 deg. F which is hot for them. Had dinner at Il Paradiso Del Cibo, and Italian place run by Italians, we met Salvatore, a really nice guy, cannot say that we have ever been treated better at in dinning place in the world. Before the evening was over, we were drinking shots with our new friend Salvatore, how wonderful.

6-11/12-23 Edinburg
 

6-12/13-23 Edinburg, on the road most of the day, arrived to stay at the Yotel Hotel down town. They advertised parking, what they did not say was that parking was in a remote lot that was 14 minute drive or 10 minute walk from the hotel. Too late, already committed but did not feel like the bike was safe. Decided to spend an extra day in Edinburg and see the Edinburg Castle and a few other things. We moved to the Best Western on the outskirts of town, lovely place, should have stayed here the first night. Manager super nice guy, wanted the trike parked next to the reception entrance, under the light, under a camera, his idea. Great bar, good restaurant and food AND bus sercice right out the front door drops you off one block from the Royal Mile, the gateway to the castle. Look at the photos, if you are a Harry Potter fan you will recognize Victoria Street. It was where he went to get his magic wand in one sequel. I do not remember the name of the street in the movie but it was not called Victoria Street.

6-14-23 Perth Meikleour Hotel
 

6-14-23 Our general destination was Skye, we made it as far as Meikleour, a village just north of Perth. Along the way we visited Sterling Bridge (Brave Heart) where William Wallace defeated the British army and started the fight for Scottish independence. The bridge in the picture was built after the battle. Wallace destroyed the bridge that was there cutting off the British. We also visited the Falkirk Wheel, a very unique structure that raises and lowers vessels 23 meters from one canal to another. Because of the physics principal on how the wheel was built means very little power and not much effort is required to move the floating vessels up and down.

6-15-23 No Skye back to Britian
 

6-15-23 While in Meiklour started checking our destination Skye, there is no room at the Inn. The problem with traveling on the cuff is sometimes there is a music festival that has everything booked solid for the next two weeks. We decided to head to London or at least in that direction. We stopped in a little hamlet on the coast of England named Heysham. Spent the night at Abbey House Hotel which was very upscale but reasonably priced. While there we decided to head to the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man TT, one of the largest motorcycle races in the world just finished last week, this ought to be interesting. We were told that not all the participants have left yet and some of the banners and stands are still up. The race is on city streets. If you have never seen this, look it up on Youtube, amazing, these competitors are fealess.

6-16-23 To the Isle of Man
 

6-16-23 Left Heyshaw for a 3 ½ hour ferry journey to Isle of Man; staying at the airport hotel in Castletown on the island for until Monday, June 19th. Had dinner at a pub, real pub grub at the foot of the castle.

6-17-23 More Isle of Man
 

6-17-23 First full day on The Isle of Man. Rained all night and up til noon, both low beam head lights on bike are out. Replaced left side, spring wire on right side is damaged and I cannot get it loose to replace bulb. One light but we are not running at night anyway so it will be good for now. Got a haircut, was starting to look like mad mountain Dean. Quit raining so we went exploring. We are staying in a village on the south end of the island called Castletown. We ventured to Port Erin, toured the steam train station, walked down to the harbor and listened to the brass band concert, did some shopping then just roamed the streets. Left Port Erin, made a quick stop at the hotel and off to Peel on the opposite side of the island. Visited the Castle at Peel, the bay, the beach, had coffee and wandered about. We left Peel and headed for Ramsey, the second biggest town on the island. Not much to see in Ramsey though but we did discover that we were on the road used by the Isle of Man TT, the race course. Lots of signage, barricades, banners, grand stand are still in place. We followed the mountain road that the TT followed and wound up in the outskirts of Douglas, the biggest town. It was getting late so we decided to do supper in Port Erin and then call it a night. It was a busy day; we are doing Douglas tomorrow.

6-18-23
 

6-18-23 Up, breakfast at the hotel then off to wash clothes at Port St. Mary. Neat little place, had coffee while clothes were drying. Big thing today was to visit Douglas, the biggest town on the island and the seat of government, what a letdown. We did visit the Manx Museum in Douglas but beyond that, it is just a small place trying to be big. We abandoned that early, went to a local tractor and stationary engine show in Castletown then visited the Castle the town was name for. We had dinner tonight at Leonardo’s in Castletown, tomorrow it is back to the mainland. The port will be Liverpool.

6-19-23 Isle of Man to Liverpool via ferry
 

6-19-23 Up early and had breakfast at the hotel; went to Port Erwin and the old train station to have coffee. The three legged decoration is the national symbol for the Isle of Man. They have their own coinage, government and a real sense of national pride. Took to the ferry from Isle of Man to Liverpool, we stayed at the Holiday Inn at Ellesmere Port – most of day spent on Ferry. The Ellesmere Port, right outside of Liverpool is historical with roots going back many decades. Not much is left except for the canals and locks surrounding the hotel.

6-20 & 21 -23 London and the Travel Lodge
 

6-20 & 21-23 Travelodge London – 20th was rain day, later went to Piccadilly Circus, then on the 21st explored London. Texas ranger playing ball in London, they were setting up for it. Baker street to visit the fabled Sherlock Holmes residence and count the 17 steps to Holmes apartment. The Travelodge we stayed at was on top of the tube (train station). There were two grocery stores and other stores at the street level. Very self-contained, indeed, the manager did not, as so many other Londoners, posses a driver's license or own an automobile. Public Transportaion can get you just about anywhere you want to be, you just have to learn the system which can be a bit of a challenge to the newcomer. Sheila took to it like a duck to water, me no so much. Hopped the buss and did all the touristy stuff and had a ball doing it, White Hall, Big Ben, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, the Palace and a host of other places. Where did the day go. Really, a month in London would not be enough but it is time to move on.

6-22-23 Took the Euro Tunnel back to Calais, France
 

6-22-23 Dinner at Le Casa de Tapas, did not get settled into the Kyriad at Rouen, France until 11 PM. Never found out what happened but the train left nearly 3 hrs late. Add the 1 hour time change going back to the EU made for a really long day. We met a fellow rider on the train named Chris, funny guy. Buys and sells bikes on ebay. Riding a Motor Guzzi with a side car to the Netherlands to meet up with some friends.

Stopped at Alencon France
 

Laundry day in Alencon, the cat is protecting the laundry mat. Had dinner at Au Normandy in the village of Sees, France about 15KM from Alencon. The cathedral is right across the street from the restaurant. Sees is much more interesting than Alencon but there is no lodging to be had in Sees.

6-24-23 Working way to Spain, Le Mans then Bordeaux
 

We are working our way through France, stopped to visit Le Mans. The museum at Le Mans is amazing. We took hundreds of photos, there is just too much to absorb at one time. Lots of cars on display, from the very early to the latest winners. Did you know (I did not) that Steve McQueen (know as the King of Cool in France) wanted to race at Le Mans. His personal insurance company would not allow it. He was allowed however by the insurance company and the race officials, to drive a car in the race to film a documentary. Ok, fine line I suppose. The very recognizable GT40 driven by the very controversial driver Ken Miles and Bruce McLaren was on display. If you have not see the movie Ford Vs Ferrari and you like action movies with a bit of drama, you might like this one, some fiction but a lot of facts. All of the cars displayed at Le Mans actually participated in the race; some not so successfully others quite elegantly. The last car is the Jaguar type D, the obvious pre-cursor to the XKE; the automobile described by Enso Ferrari as the most beautiful car ever built in the world. There is a room dedicated to miniatures. The count is 4,478 at the current time, next year that number will increase. Leaving the area, we found ourselves on the raceway track which uses some of the city streets. I have to admit, it was tempting to jump on the throttle a bit. Sheila was telling me to slow down.
We moved on to Bordeaux, it is a very dirty city, not impressed at all. We spent the night at Larmont, just out of Bordeaux at the Holiday Inn.

6-25 & 26-23 San Sebastian, Spain
 

6-25 & 26-23 San Sebastian, Spain, two nights, really like this place. We are in the Basque region of Spain. The people are very proud of being Basque. It defiantly shows. The town is charming, it has it’s old section and new sections. Tapas Bars are everywhere, the food is crazy good, the wine is not bad either. Everything is clean, flowers everywhere; this is a very dog friendly and scooter friendly area. We had planned just one night but liked it enough to stay two. The hotel is cheap (less than $100, with a balcony, just 3 to 4 minutes to one of the two beaches in town. A young lady and her friends were creating art in the beach sand; this display was a plea for Ukraine, the support is seen everywhere, not just in Spain. Mostly quite but flags, art and other displays indicate that the Ukraine situation is on everyone's mind. We have started planning for the return home, we were originally planning to return from Paris but we both want to go back to Italy for a day or two. Also with the riots and demonstrations in Paris, safety becomes an issue. We called the booking agent and she has agreed to the change even though we had paid and planned ahead to depart from France. It is causing them more work but the team is not charging us anything extra. I can’t say enough good things about Carrie at Motorcycle Express. There will be more about the service in the epilog.

6-27-23 San Sebastian to Leon Spain
 

6-27-23 After two day we leave San Sebastian, headed to Leon Spain. San Sebastian is one of the key Basque towns. They have there on state and local police and the Basque pride is evident everywhere. The town is spotless clean to a fault, the people are fun, kind and friendly. There is a very strong sense of national pride that can be felt and seen everywhere, unlike Bordeaux, just 4 hours away which is grungy, derelict and dirty. Cool, cloudy, about 62 deg F as we pull out though the mountains next to the sea coast slowly gives way to rolling plains which, by the time we reach Leon we are in the high desert with temperatures close to 90 deg F and bright sun shine. Leon is a spectacular desert town, complete with old town, shopping locations, great food and friendly people. Our hotel is the remains of and old fort and monastery dating back to the 14th century, Hotel Real Colegiata San Isidoro. We were told when we registered that there would be a classic pop concert in the court yard starting at 9:30 and ending at 11:30, ok, go with the flow. Wow, ok this is Tuesday evening, right. Not much going on right; wrong. This place is alive and hopping. By the time our evening is done, we have been to 2 different outdoor concerts (not including the one at the hotel), a fashion show, shopping in a number of locations and had dinner at a fabulous restaurant that makes their own pasta in house. It is going to be hard to spend just one day here but tomorrow it is Portugal.

6-28-23 Novotel Hotel in Caia Portugal
 

6-28-23 Novotel Hotel in Caia Portugal – Just before the Spain Portugal border, the Spanish highway patrol pull us over for hidden license plate. (Bag was obscuring the plate) A ticket was issued which it is required to pay on the spot. You can appeal after the fine in paid. It is on the up and up, receipts were both electronically recorded and I was giving a paper copy. It cost a $100 euro, hate to imagine what would have happened if I could not pay the fine. I am sure it would not have been good, kinda bummed about the whole deal!

6-29-23 Caia Portugal - moved across the street
 

6-29-23 Moved right across the street to the IBIS Hotel, still bummed about the ticket. The Novotel was a nice hotel but the air conditioning did not work and it is getting warmer. We are now on the hunt for Allen wrenches to remove the license plate; have nearly every tool we need to do minor repairs to the bike except for this tiny little wrench. Amazing how hard it is to find something in a foreign country when you are not familiar with the area and there is a language barrier. Thank goodness my wife has a calmer demeanor than I; She took most of the pictures while in Caia. If not for her, we would have no image evidence of being in the area. Even though we moved from Novotel because of the air conditioner, we would eat at their restaurant. The seagull apparently is part of their resident clean up staff.

6-30-23 Lisbon, Hotel Golf Mar
 

6-30-23 Lisbon, Hotel Golf Mar, on the coast in Praia De Porto Novo. On the way we stopped for gas and met Chris on the Triumph. Chris was from the US and had flown his Triumph from
Toronto to Gatwick just out of London. He had quit his job and was on a round trip journey of this big blue ball. He flew Air Canada and they mess up his rear spokes and had to have the complete hub replaced in England. Neat guy; seems that his brother recently died of COVID and he decided it was time to do other things than work. Mike pulled in on his Indian, he was headed to Lisbon as well after visiting with family. Mike was from Austria. Another bummer, I though a toll arm was up when it was not. I had seen cars in front of me flying though the toll area and assumed it was one of the unused toll ticket areas. Short story, hit the toll arm which shattered the windshield (new Wind Bender), scratched the front cowl and the L/H mirror. Luckily no one was hurt, the arm was breakaway. There was an attendant there that I had not seen. He decided that since no one was hurt and there equipment was not damaged, no further action was needed. I left, broken windshield, scratched bike, toll ticket in hand, both a little embarrassed and a whole lot concerned. Have I become a danger to both myself and Shelia?

7-1 &2 -23 Colares, Portugal - suburb of Lisbon, WOT Hotel
 

7-1 &2 -23 Checked into the World of Travelers Hotel, never heard of it but apparently, a fairly large franchised in Europe. Still licking the wounds from the ticket and the broken windshield but on the mend. This little town by the name of Vadea de Colares is really neat, on the side of a mountain close to the sea with a trolley that runs from Sintra to Colares and serves three separate villages. Locals and tourist use the trolley for public transportation. The place has a bohemian atmosphere with a number of social dropouts (we use to be called hippies) keeping a low profile. We went into Libson on Saturday the 1st to try to get a windshield for the bike. The biggest local Honda shop did not have one, but they could order it and have it in a week or so. Let's talk about the Goldwing. We have seen a few on the roads in our travels. For every Goldwing we have seen, we have seen at least 10 Harleys. There are more BMW’s than any other motorcycle. Scooters of every shape and size and name imaginable but motorcycle in Europe, BMW seems to be the king. Honda can never be a world class touring bike simply because of the failed dealer network. I have tried to get oil changed; 7 to 8 weeks by appointment only in the UK, Spain and Portugal. Trying to get a windshield (I can replace it, do not need a mechanic), forget about it. Honda Roma in Rome is the only Honda Dealer that has shown any appreciation for the thru riders unlike Harley, Triumph or BMW. Rant done, back to regular scheduled programing. We found a coffee shop that has been in existence since the sixties just down the street from the hotel, complete with ducks in a river that runs by the shop. We toured a supposed secret ceremony ground that was built specifically for the Mason’s. Visited multiple beaches and had a ball. We really hated to leave but the clock is ticking.

7-3-23 Capricho a suburb of Seville
 

7-3-23 Devmani Hotel in Capricho, a suburb of Seville was our next stop
We tried to get a room in Fora, a beach town but the town was sold out, we had lunch at the Cabana Restaurant on the Beach. From there we moved on to the Devmani Hotel, just out of Seville. This hotel was more of a B&B set in a gated neighborhood complete with guard and gate. Huge main house, Spanish style, lodging was in a converted stone barn. The property was huge, very nice rooms, Olympic pool outside the room. A covered dining area with a club house that was used to serve breakfast. Gated parking in the rear (yes, second gate) The owners sent us a traditional Spanish restaurant in town that was interesting getting too, after a few turns down some one way streets that look more like alleys we came to Casa Rugino Restaurant, it was great, the food was good and the waitress, Christina from Romania, gave us Lemoncello’s on the house after dinner. This is the second time that has happened, I like this pattern.

7-4-23 Old Town Seville
 

7-4-23 Old town Seville and laundry day. Laundry done by noon and we had a room in town so we hoped on the hop on, hop off bus for a tour of Seville.

7-5-23 Gibraltar
 

7-5-23 We left Seville heading to the Admiral Casino and lodge, just north of Gibraltar which was our next destination. After leaving Seville and stopped in Tarifa, the southernmost point in Spain and centennial Europe. The ferry runs back and forth to Tangiers, a town in Morocco on the continent of Africa. From there we moved on to Gibraltar. What a shock, we found ourselves in a line that we could not turn around in, had no clue that Gibraltar was it’s own country. Border crossing and all, passport was stamped leaving Spain, then entering Gibraltar. Big line going in, bigger line going out but like we have found, moto’s (everything from a Boss Hoss to a Bergman is a moto in Europe) gets special privileges, like their own lane to get out, no line for us. Almost every place we have gone, where there is paid parking for cars, parking is free for moto’s and you have designated parking up front on the sidewalk, on the streets in areas where cars are not allowed. You have lanes in cities that are marked bus, taxi and moto only, now how cool is that. We arrived at the hotel and settled in then went to a little town up the road for dinner at La Tarzana Teo which was very good. After dinner we tried to access the Casino, they demanded our passports, we chose not to spend any money with them, something about a casino needing my passport really bothered me.

7-6 & 7-23 Valencia
 

7-6 & 7-23 Valencia – Hotel Port Azafata – Rode the Metro to city center, old town Valencia, good food and fun town

7-8 & 9-23 Hotel Royal Barcelona in Old Town
 

7-8 & 9-23 Hotel Royal Barcelona in Old Town – Dinner at Nuria a very interesting Tapas Bar – wildly good. First time for fried artichoke hearts, will try to replicate when we get home. Sheila was blasted on the Sangria. City Café for breakfast on the 9th then went to the beach in down town Barcelona, it was clothing optional. From there, we went back to old town and spent the rest of the day walking around. Barcelona is a big very busy town and not nearly as interesting at Valencia. Given the choice, we would have been better suited to have stayed longer in Valencia but then who knew. Barcelona reminds me of New York City, way too many people for the area.

7-10-23 Le Grande-Motte - Costa Del Sol, French Rivera
 

7-10-23 Le Grande-Motte, France at the St. Clair Hotel, the French Rivera on the Costa Del Sol. A small resort town that was designed to be a beach resort destination, we were lucky to find a room and at a price we could afford. The parking lot had to be secured by electric gates because people flooded to the area for the carnival atmosphere along with the stage shows and restaurants. Everything was a bit pricey but we were able to locate some really good food at not too bad of a price. One of the things we set out to do was to swim at the Costa Del Sol on the French Rivera and we could not have picked a better spot. The beach was a very short walk from the back patio of the hotel. The sand was hot but the water was clear and cool. What fun.

7-11-23 Bodighera, Italy
 

7-11-23 Bodighera, Italy and the Piccolo Paradiso Hotel on the Italian Rivera – gravel beach but not bad, laundry day. Dinner at a place called La Joya, very interesting.

7-12-23 Genoa and the Hotel Mediteranee
 

7-12-23 Genoa and the Hotel Mediteranee – The hotel was really bad and the traffic was horrible but how we got there was interesting. Our initial plan was to head through the Maritime Alps to Turin Italy. We started the climb up through the mountains on the narrow two-lane roads that were under construction everywhere. After a number of hours heading up the mountain, we came to a sign that said that “passage to Italy, blocked”. Useless Garmin had nothing on it, so found and area where we could get cell service (sketchy in the mountains) and checked google maps. Sure enough, all roads to Italy closed with no estimate as to when they would be open. It certainly would not be hours or even days. We started back down the mountain and saw a sign, medieval village, you know that has to be investigated. The town we found, Le Brigue, Italy was not very medieval but they had a hotel/restaurant name Auberge St. Matin. We decided to stop for drinks. As we were enjoying our drinks, we could not help but notice a young man in the basement kitchen hand making pasta. With that, we decided to eat. The food was great. We asked about staying the evening. The hotel was booked and to my amazement, everything close by was booked solid. That is how we wound up back in Genoa.

7-13-23 Bologna, Italy Stars Hotel Excelsior
 

7-13-23 Bologna, Italy Stars Hotel Excelsior – nice hotel, great bar, noticed they had a bottle of Pimms #1 on the shelf. Had the bartender make me a Pimms cup with a little coaching. He did not know that he even had Pimms (if you are not familiar, look up the Napoleon House in New Orleans, their Pimms cup is by far the best, but they do home make their lemonade) We walked into old town and had dinner at the Buca Manzoni restaurant outside on the street. Food was great, old town was really neat. BTW - I am leaving easter eggs all over the place; we have already planned a trip to New Orleans as soon as we get back to Texas and get our affairs back in order. I really could use a Pimms cup and a warm muff. (Muffuletta, Salvatore Lupo, owner of the Central Grocery of New Orleans invented the sandwich in 1906. Central grocery still serves their muff but it is cold, the Napoleon Houses version is served warm which I prefer)

7-14-23 Cortona, Italy
 

7-14-23 Cortona, Italy – “Under the Tuscan Sun” If you have not seen the movie, consider it, however you may find yourself boarding a plane for Italy. Cortona was one of the locations of the movie, a very small hill top town. It is just as charming as the movie and the people are really nice. The hotel staff recommended dinner at Trattoria Dardano. It was superb. The hotel was very nice even though the air conditioner was not up to snuff. They had a grocery store, probably no more than 250 sq ft if that big. Put on your hiking shoes, everything is either uphill or down. I was struggling. (Agent orange and smoking has really taken it's tole)

7-15 & 16-23 Arezzo, Italy - More under the Tuscan Sun
 

7-15 & 16-23 Arezzo, Italy – Still chasing “Under the Tuscan Sun”, just up the road to Arezzo, Italy and the Hotel Continental, since we could not check in yet, our first stop is the city park on the top of the hill next to the cathedral. We just hung out in the park, had a refreshment at the park concession then went and visited the cathedral, simply beautiful. Arezzo is very much bigger than Cortona and does not have quite the charm but is not to be sold short. The modern city surrounds the walled city of old town which in itself is quite large. We finally went to the hotel and checked in. Score, the hotel has no pool but a roof top terrace that is really, really nice overlooking the center of old town. (The hotel is in the walled city but just barely. Dinner was ok but not as good as Cortona. The 16th is laundry day and some down time. Spent time on the roof top terrace, went to dinner in old town at Al Fogher, a real pizza joint, in fact the line under the name says, just pizza.

7-17 El Cid Campeador in Torre
 

Staying at hotel El Cid Campeador in Torre Pedrera. Oceanfront balcony room. Room is nice, ac works. Had grilled fish for dinner. Mostly gutted but had no flavor. Shrimp cocktail consisted of shrimp, lettuce and thousand island dressing all served in a bowl

7-18 Aquila D'Oro hotel in Sirmione, italy
 

Low tide. Water less than one foot deep before rock jettys. Swimming is out. Strolled the beach. Watched a tour boat come into waist deep water and dock. Staying at the Aquila D'Oro hotel in Sirmione, Italy. Lakefront (largo de garda) w/balcony. Jim taught bartender how to make Tom Collins. Ate at the hotel restaurant

7-19 & 20 Valle d'Aosta, Italy
 

Made it to Valle d'Aosta, Italy. Stopped in little village of Cupolungo La Trinite'. This us a quaint little snow ski village Staying at Hotel Valverde. Balcony room with mountain view. Got some coffee at Bar Favre and an afternoon rain came in, didn't last long.

7-21 Villa Schiavi in Sermide, Italy
 

Raining. Hoping rain will end by checkout time. Yea, blue skies. Staying the night at Villa Schiavi in Sermide, Italy. An agritourism B&B owned by an older couple and sibling. Old farm that was renovated. We started looking at the before/after pics of the renovation. We got the grand tour after and it was beautiful. Dinner homemade and wonderful

7-22 Prato, Italy
 

Stopped at the pizzeria just outside of Sant' Antonio, Italy No one spoke English but they had an English menu. Jim finally found his tortellini en brodo. He didn't like it very much. Played in the mountains, abundance of twists and curves. Found a cute little town called Fiulmalbo. Was going to stay there for the night but there was a very large bicycle race tomorrow. People coming in from all over to spectate and/or participate. All of the mountain hotels were either completely booked or there was only one or two rooms left and they were asking $200+. Was mostly concerned about not being able to get off the mountain, since one road in/out closed for the bike racers. Stayed at Ibis hotel in Prato, Italy. This one was a really bad one. No ac and had to fight toilet to get it to flush

7-23 Hotel Guerrin Meschino, Montemonaco, Italy
 

Riding around the Parco Nazioale dia Monti Sibillini. Staying at the Guerrin Meschino, a small hotel on the edge of the park. The owner gave the bike a parking spot in the garage in front of the tractor. Dinner at hotel...trout, salad, anti pasta. Jim asked for a coke and whiskey. Owner said Jim would have to mix it himself. He came back with a large glass 3/4 full of whiskey and a tiny bottle of coke. When dessert time came around, Jim asked for a coffee to go with it. The owner said no coffee, the coffee would come after dessert, not with. The look on both Jim and the owners faces were priceless. The owner is very boisterous but also very concerned that we liked our room and dinner.

7-24 Hotel Frederico II in L'Aquila, Italy
 

Heat advisory for the area, temp will be a whopping 84 degrees. Rode through the national park. Staying at the Hotel Frederico II in L'Aquila, Italy. Had dinner at Arrosticini Divini. The owner is from Greece and rides a Yamaha. Food was outstanding

7-25 Hote Miramare, Latina, Italy
 

Rode through the mountains, visited little villages, wound up on the coast. Staying at hotel Miramare in Latina, Italy. Balcony overlooking ocean. Good waves and some rip currents. Went to Koskey's Tavern for dinner. Food was really good. The next morning high tide left the life guards and hotel crews work to do, getting chairs un-buried from the sand. There were some people in the water and for some reason a lady was pointing out into the water. The lifeguard starting blowing his whistle and made the people come out of the water.

7-26 Fiuggi, italy Day 1
 

Heading for Fiuggi, Italy today. Staying at the Ambasciatori Place Hotel in city center for 2 nights. This is a SPA hotel, Fiuggi is famous for it waters that are supposed to have healing properties. We like the town because it is so neat, clean, friendly with great shops and restaurants. Built on the side of a mountain, it has lots of different things for different folks. Went the to the La Bottega della Carne (butcher shop) for dinner. Fiuggi population exploding due to championship street race (sprint cars) being in town this weekend. 900 km track using mountain and small-town streets. Each car has 2 people. Tons of cars, people, news crews and rigs. Town is buzzing

7-27 Fiuggi, italy Day 2
 

Riding through the mountains. Checking out the race course. Ride around most of the day. Went to favorite coffee shop in Fiuggi when we got back. Monique bar... the owner makes great pastries. Got a tart that had lemon filling with fresh blackberries on top.

7-28 & 29 To Rome and heading home
 

7/28
Staying at the Marriott park in Rome near the airport until our departure on Tuesday. Emptied bike out. Went to get a box to pack bike gear and on the way back to hotel, guy was looking at his phone and hit us. Luckily want going fast because of heavy traffic. Damaged to left wheel well. No injuries. He told the cops that Jim came into the middle lane and hit him. The police said that since they didn't see him on the phone, there was nothing they could do about it. You would think the number of cameras in Rome, it would have caught what happened. His car already had the whole headlight taped together where he had accident before. Jim showed the police the GPS tracking to prove that we were going to go right not straight like the guy said.

7/29
Bike and clothes wash day.
Ate dinner at hotel. Found out they only had airport shuttle one a day at 630am. Taxi is $50

7-30 Rome and the Jewish Ghetto
 

Went to Jewish ghetto in Rome. Very commercialized. All the restaurants were typical tourist Italian.. getting bike and documents ready for cargo customs tomorrow. Downtown Rome traffic is horrific. Almost got hit a few times.

7-31 Rome Airport and Customs
 

Took bike to customs, the bike has to be in customs twenty-four hours before departure. We met Mairicio, our cargo specialist there, to get bike into cargo customs... flying out ending our journey. Back at the hotel, we had pizza by the pool then Sheila was given a gelato.

8-1 Leaving Rome for Toranto and home to Texas
 

We depart Rome at 6 PM on a 12-hour flight, arriving Toronto at 9 PM, we are chasing the sun. Knowing we will be exhausted by the time we get there, we have a room at the Quality Inn. Our plan is to retrieve the baggage when we arrive at the airport and head to the hotel. We will go to customs and retrieve the bike tomorrow and then head for Texas. We called our trike builder in Mobile Alabama and made arrangements to drop the bike for repairs after the crash in Rome We made the detour, dropped the bike then headed home to our paradise on the bay. We managed to make it home on August 4th.