The trip did not end with Africa, of course. We still had to cover the whole Europe, from the West to the East, but due to approaching winter we did not have time to linger and enjoy all that the Old World has to offer. Otherwise there was a great risk of returning home in snow, and from what we'd learnt in the Himalayas, riding in snow is not exactly easy nor safe. So, although we would have loved to explore Europe in greater depth, and meet people that had invited us, we had to make a compromise.
One place that we were sure we wanted to revisit was Lisbon, capital of Portugal, so after Gibraltar, this was our first destination. There we were received by Abilio who rides an Africa Twin. Like most people, he spends his days at work, and only had time to show us around at night, so we had a chance to see Lisbon in a different light - in the dark, that is. A moment that will stay with us for a long time is standing beneath the Ponte 25 de de Abril, a suspension bridge that is the 20th largest in the world - its design (the inner lanes being grilled in order to let the air pass without getting stuck underneath the bridge) causes the traffic above to create strange noises as if it wasn't cars and trucks but space ships.
...::: LISTEN the space sounds the very same bridge is making :::...
The bridge of April the 25th, with the statue of Christo Rei illuminated in the background.
Although we spent a few days in Lisbon we did not do much sight seeing other than what Abilio wanted and could show us. Here is a collection of our moments in Lisbon:
Getting to the 4th floor where Abilio's apartment is located was quite breathtaking - we've become too used to sleeping on the ground I guess
Urban architecture - not much of that in Africa.
Fixing a light switch with Abilio's soldering equipment and electricity borrowed from the street café - the front light switch had simply become too worn with time.
Our bikes in front of some small church.
The Atlantic in the dark.
The Atlantic in artificial light.
Abilio the musician.
A late night ride out with Abilio.
After Lisbon we headed straight to Porto, primarily known for the port wine (sweet, fortified red wine). Because of our rush we could not take the most out of the charming town that we found Porto to be, so we had to limit ourselves to a beautoful sunset accompanied by a bottle of port, and a morning coffee with a local biker Pedro who also showed us around a little. It is a place we would love to go back to one day.
Sunset in Porto.
Cheers to the setting sun.
Sunset panorama of the Atlantic Ocean in Porto (click to enlarge).
Sunset panorama of the Atlantic Ocean in Porto (click to enlarge).
Where the waves meet the earth…
Juicy colours of the sunset.
Cold waters of the Atlantic coming to the shore.
Pedro showing us pictures from his travels.
Estuary of the Douro River, with the town of Porto in the background (click to enlarge).
Old town of Porto hugging the river (click to enlarge).
Afer Porto we paid a brief visit to Fisterra across the border in Spain - supposed to be "the end of the earth", but although the lanscape was pretty stunning, there were far too many tourists to really enjoy the place, so we headed on.
A panorama of the End of the Earth (click to enlarge).
Following a recommendation by both Abilio and Pedro, we decided to visit the national park of Picos de Europa in the Northern Spain, and although we knew nothing about the place before, we were absolutely stunned by the beauty of the mountains, empty tracks and autumn colours of the place. And because the night temperatures have dropped quite low, the tourist season is basically over, so we had the place to ourselves - except for some sheep and cows grazing on the mountains slopes and the valleys.
...::: LISTEN bells of the sheep in the Picos de Europa mountains :::...
Rocky tracks in Picos de Europa (click to enlarge).
Beautiful colours (click to enlarge).
A lone chapel in the shadow of a mountain.
Winter sheds for the cattle.
Tracks in Picos de Europa.
Curvy mountain tracks.
Riding the Bull's Scruff.
Rural architecture.
Panorama of Picos de Europa (click to enlarge).
Fabulous tracks through Picos de Europa (click to enlarge).
Mountain landscapes.
A mountain village in North-Spain (click to enlarge).
Riding through tunnels in the mountains.
The north coast of Spain was beautiful, but the cold air rising from the sea reminded us clearly that we had left the tropics behind and were closing home.
Graffiti in the Basque Country in Spain.
Bay of Biscay (click to enlarge).
Cold mists of the Bay of Biscay.
From there it was a one day's ride (could have been more but once again, we were in a rush) to our friend Denis who is a Scot whom we first met in Romania when we were travelling to Iran, and who now lives in France. He and his friend Uschi received us well, and with their good humour and similar mindset to ours we felt completely at home.
Denis, Kariina, Uschi and Margus.
A local dessert made from fresh cheese, cream and brown sugar.
With help from Denis we found a new tyre to replace the old rear one that we'd installed in Namibia - we still had half of Europe ahead of us… That's our old Mitas E-09.
Then it was Switzerland's turn. We'd never been to Switzerland before, so the decision to pass through this country came easy. Even more so because we'd been invited by Thomas and Andrea whom we'd met right in the beginning of our trip, in Argentina. Back then they were travelling on a Kawasaki KLR 650 and good'ol RD03 Africa Twin 650. Now, however, they live and work in the very north of Switzerland to collect money for the next trip which is due to start in one and a half years, destination: Africa. Two brand new KTM 690-s stand in the garage, while in the cellar, carefully selected gear awaits the adventure. It was an exciting feeling to see all the things prepared, and a map of Africa with notes and marker lines on it. Actually, we felt a little envious, because the truth is that planning is half of the fun of any trip.
We talked a lot about the possibility of life after a trip, but not only - we also tasted some great local foods that really made us wonder why it is that there is so much hype about French and Italian cuisine, for example, but not so much about the food in Germany or Switzerland. What could be better than enjoying some glühwein (mulled wine) with currywurst (pork sausage in curry ketchup sauce) in fresh air? Or sampling a Swiss speciality, raclette, a social dish where every participant basically cooks his/her food on the grill placed in the middle of the table, combining cheese (the principal ingredient), potato and whatever comes to mind, accompanied by some local beer? Or indulge in the sinful richness of the Schwarzwälder Kirchtorte (Black Forest cherry cake) from just across the border?
Some splendid vinyards in Switzerland.
A dam in Gippingen a 10-minute walk from where Thomas and Andrea live.
Sampling local goodies - mulled wine and curry sausages - properly suited stuff in the European autumn cold.
A close-up view - the wine is served hot and tastes good.
Beer from a local microbrewery.
The cherry cake called "Black Frorest cake" - tastes absolutely divine if you do not count the calories. :evil
Feasting on a raclette - a royal treat!
Swiss Raclette - melt the cheese inbetween the grill, then combine with the stuff on top.
Lake Genf with snow topped Alps on the background.
Swiss Alps.
In panorama (Click to enlarge).
Having met Miriam, a brave Italian woman on a motorbike in Argentina, we knew that no matter what our route would be, we wanted to go and visit her on our way back. We had spent quite a bit of time together in Buenos Aires and Perito Moreno, and a great time it was, so we were eager to repeat that. She'd been back at home for a whole year now after having completed her trip through South and North America, so when we found her in Brescia in the north of Italy, she could tell us a lot about how it felt after such a big trip.
We only stayed with her one night, but it was great time, with lots of talking and great italian food (read: prosciutto, parmiggiano, panna cotta, semifreddo… and the list continues…). We got to get a closer look of the town of Brescia which took us a little by surprise with the old churches and a must in Italy - hyper expensive fashion stores. A belt for 215 EUR, anyone???
Friends.
Duomo Vecchio, a round church (the only one in Italy) dating back to the 11th century, but still fully functional.
...::: LISTEN - Final chords of a service at the main cathedral in Brescia :::...
In the cathedral.
Fabulous design, in the name of the Lord.
Window shopping - Italians are mad about fashion and their outer-looks.
Top Milan fashion for you eyes to enjoy.
Impressive prices, too.
I'm telling you, the winter IS coming!
Then it was Slovenia's turn, with Dean and Vlasta whom we had met in Africa waiting for us. First they fed us, then they took us for a walk in the nearby national park. It was absolutely stunning, with milky blue mountain streams and snow capped mountains in the background. I don't know if it is some Eastern Bloc stuff, or the slavic blood we all share, but Dean and Vlasta always means good fun, and this time was no different.
Before we left in the pouring rain in the direction of Austria they packed us some food and Vlasta gave Kariina her brother's warm gloves which proved extremely helpful.
Enjoying a walk through the Slovenian Alps.
Vlasta, Dean and Kariina.
Cool mountainwaters.
The walking trail.
A canyon with super transparent water flowing on the bottom.
Friends.
But as said before, the weather when leaving Slovenia wasn't particularly great, which served as a reminder that we had to move fast - more so as in some places there was snow on the road sides and we were holding our breath not to slip in a curve.
A cold and wet ride.
Whizzing though Austria, we had a reason (but nor time nor place) to celebrate - had to slip into an emergency pocket on the motorway to take the picture!
250 000, not bad it made it that far considering most of it has been two-up fully loaded bad road abuse.
Vienna, the capital of Austria, has always been a must-stop-over on our trips through Europe. Our old friend, Ed lives there, who is a fantastic cook (highly proffesional too), so every time we stop by there is no escape from massive food orgies. This time was no different, and most of our time there was spent on shopping in the Naschmarkt (a market dating back to the 16th century), cooking, and finally - enjoying the results. The Wiener Schnitzel made by Ed was just perfect - thin, crunchy and juicy all in the same bite.
We'd become pretty slim on our route through Africa (me weighing 75 kg instead of 80+ kg and Kariina 55 kg instead of 60+ kg when we left home), but there's no doubt that all the good food in Europe would make up for the "loss"
Too much cheese to choose from. (click to enlarge to see all the cheese
)
Lovely onions at the Naschmarkt.
Citrus fruit waiting for its buyer - we got some.
This is not a wine - a proper selection of fully home-brewed vinegar.
Multicolour freshness at the market.
Ed preparing us some Wiener Schnitzel and Cordon Bleu, bloody taste-fantastic!
Front page shot from his cookbook! Translates as "Food after 0.5 promil" Pity it's only in german, it's a fantastic book with a "slightly" different take on cooking.
Bubbling in the oil - Viennese Schnitzel - the original one in it's home city.
Our chef is moving so fast it is difficult to capture him in the picture.
Tuna tartare.
Mediterranean omelette for breakfast - we were totally spoiled.
From Vienna it was a one day ride to Krakow in Poland where we met another biker who'd been reading our ride report and invited us to stay with him. His name is Michal. He lives in Warsaw, but that weekend he was visiting his girlfriend's parents in the south of the country, and although passing through that area was not in our plans, we somehow still ended up there. Michal took us to Anna's parents house where we were greeted like family. The Slavic hospitality went that far that when we were preparing to leave the next morning, Anna's parents prepared some food for us to take along, and Anna's mother gave Kariina a necklace, saying that she wished there were more people like us in the world. We were moved.
Michal accompanied us on his R1200GS Adventure till Warsaw and even a little bit further, expressing his hope to meet us again somewhere, somehow. It is our hope too.
Bikers with bikers (hence the warm undies :evil), two devils with two angels - with Anna and Michal in Poland.
By the time it got dark we were already in the northern part of Poland. Since we had a definite plan of arriving home the next day we would have liked to push on and find a place to stop closer to home, but we did not want to risk riding in the dark. We had had a serious accident in Poland years ago, and it was enough. We rolled into some roadside forest and got our tent pitched just before it got too dark to see what and where.
We had a strange feeling. It was to be the last night of our expedition, but what made us especially anxious was the memory of the aforementioned accident. In 2005 when returning from our inspirational trip to Iran, a car kicked us out of the road at nearly 100 km/h, leaving the bike wrecked and us (luckily only) terribly shocked. We had thought to arrive home by the end of that day. And we had camped in a forest in the very same area where we were now set up our camp, planning to be home by the end of next day… We had a long way to go and we had to be very careful, although our minds were wandering far ahead of us.
Our bush camp in Poland - it's autumn in every definition, with a very mixed feelings for us - it is our last camping, the very last day of our RTW and the very last photo we took on this trip.
In the morning it was only +3C. We quicly packed our stuff and hit the road. We whizzed through the rest of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and finally reached the border post of Valka/Valga. It was pitch dark by that time and we even failed to see the sign "Estonia" (there is no border control because Estonia is in the Schengen space), leave alone take a picture with it
And if not for the few camera men with their heavy lights we would have failed to notice the few people who'd come to greet us. So dark it was.
After some warm hugs, brief interviews and photo sessions, we were released back onto the unlit road. And after 70 kilometers we were back at my parents' house - the same spot that we'd left 1126 days, 70 countries and over 170 000 kilometers ago. We parked the bike in the garage, key still in the ignition, without having to worry it would disappear. We were back, the bike was safe. The adventure was over.
Thank you all who have been there to make it happen!
Over and out,
Margus & Kariina
One place that we were sure we wanted to revisit was Lisbon, capital of Portugal, so after Gibraltar, this was our first destination. There we were received by Abilio who rides an Africa Twin. Like most people, he spends his days at work, and only had time to show us around at night, so we had a chance to see Lisbon in a different light - in the dark, that is. A moment that will stay with us for a long time is standing beneath the Ponte 25 de de Abril, a suspension bridge that is the 20th largest in the world - its design (the inner lanes being grilled in order to let the air pass without getting stuck underneath the bridge) causes the traffic above to create strange noises as if it wasn't cars and trucks but space ships.
...::: LISTEN the space sounds the very same bridge is making :::...
The bridge of April the 25th, with the statue of Christo Rei illuminated in the background.
Although we spent a few days in Lisbon we did not do much sight seeing other than what Abilio wanted and could show us. Here is a collection of our moments in Lisbon:
Getting to the 4th floor where Abilio's apartment is located was quite breathtaking - we've become too used to sleeping on the ground I guess
Urban architecture - not much of that in Africa.
Fixing a light switch with Abilio's soldering equipment and electricity borrowed from the street café - the front light switch had simply become too worn with time.
Our bikes in front of some small church.
The Atlantic in the dark.
The Atlantic in artificial light.
Abilio the musician.
A late night ride out with Abilio.
After Lisbon we headed straight to Porto, primarily known for the port wine (sweet, fortified red wine). Because of our rush we could not take the most out of the charming town that we found Porto to be, so we had to limit ourselves to a beautoful sunset accompanied by a bottle of port, and a morning coffee with a local biker Pedro who also showed us around a little. It is a place we would love to go back to one day.
Sunset in Porto.
Cheers to the setting sun.
Sunset panorama of the Atlantic Ocean in Porto (click to enlarge).
Sunset panorama of the Atlantic Ocean in Porto (click to enlarge).
Where the waves meet the earth…
Juicy colours of the sunset.
Cold waters of the Atlantic coming to the shore.
Pedro showing us pictures from his travels.
Estuary of the Douro River, with the town of Porto in the background (click to enlarge).
Old town of Porto hugging the river (click to enlarge).
Afer Porto we paid a brief visit to Fisterra across the border in Spain - supposed to be "the end of the earth", but although the lanscape was pretty stunning, there were far too many tourists to really enjoy the place, so we headed on.
A panorama of the End of the Earth (click to enlarge).
Following a recommendation by both Abilio and Pedro, we decided to visit the national park of Picos de Europa in the Northern Spain, and although we knew nothing about the place before, we were absolutely stunned by the beauty of the mountains, empty tracks and autumn colours of the place. And because the night temperatures have dropped quite low, the tourist season is basically over, so we had the place to ourselves - except for some sheep and cows grazing on the mountains slopes and the valleys.
...::: LISTEN bells of the sheep in the Picos de Europa mountains :::...
Rocky tracks in Picos de Europa (click to enlarge).
Beautiful colours (click to enlarge).
A lone chapel in the shadow of a mountain.
Winter sheds for the cattle.
Tracks in Picos de Europa.
Curvy mountain tracks.
Riding the Bull's Scruff.
Rural architecture.
Panorama of Picos de Europa (click to enlarge).
Fabulous tracks through Picos de Europa (click to enlarge).
Mountain landscapes.
A mountain village in North-Spain (click to enlarge).
Riding through tunnels in the mountains.
The north coast of Spain was beautiful, but the cold air rising from the sea reminded us clearly that we had left the tropics behind and were closing home.
Graffiti in the Basque Country in Spain.
Bay of Biscay (click to enlarge).
Cold mists of the Bay of Biscay.
From there it was a one day's ride (could have been more but once again, we were in a rush) to our friend Denis who is a Scot whom we first met in Romania when we were travelling to Iran, and who now lives in France. He and his friend Uschi received us well, and with their good humour and similar mindset to ours we felt completely at home.
Denis, Kariina, Uschi and Margus.
A local dessert made from fresh cheese, cream and brown sugar.
With help from Denis we found a new tyre to replace the old rear one that we'd installed in Namibia - we still had half of Europe ahead of us… That's our old Mitas E-09.
Then it was Switzerland's turn. We'd never been to Switzerland before, so the decision to pass through this country came easy. Even more so because we'd been invited by Thomas and Andrea whom we'd met right in the beginning of our trip, in Argentina. Back then they were travelling on a Kawasaki KLR 650 and good'ol RD03 Africa Twin 650. Now, however, they live and work in the very north of Switzerland to collect money for the next trip which is due to start in one and a half years, destination: Africa. Two brand new KTM 690-s stand in the garage, while in the cellar, carefully selected gear awaits the adventure. It was an exciting feeling to see all the things prepared, and a map of Africa with notes and marker lines on it. Actually, we felt a little envious, because the truth is that planning is half of the fun of any trip.
We talked a lot about the possibility of life after a trip, but not only - we also tasted some great local foods that really made us wonder why it is that there is so much hype about French and Italian cuisine, for example, but not so much about the food in Germany or Switzerland. What could be better than enjoying some glühwein (mulled wine) with currywurst (pork sausage in curry ketchup sauce) in fresh air? Or sampling a Swiss speciality, raclette, a social dish where every participant basically cooks his/her food on the grill placed in the middle of the table, combining cheese (the principal ingredient), potato and whatever comes to mind, accompanied by some local beer? Or indulge in the sinful richness of the Schwarzwälder Kirchtorte (Black Forest cherry cake) from just across the border?
Some splendid vinyards in Switzerland.
A dam in Gippingen a 10-minute walk from where Thomas and Andrea live.
Sampling local goodies - mulled wine and curry sausages - properly suited stuff in the European autumn cold.
A close-up view - the wine is served hot and tastes good.
Beer from a local microbrewery.
The cherry cake called "Black Frorest cake" - tastes absolutely divine if you do not count the calories. :evil
Feasting on a raclette - a royal treat!
Swiss Raclette - melt the cheese inbetween the grill, then combine with the stuff on top.
Lake Genf with snow topped Alps on the background.
Swiss Alps.
In panorama (Click to enlarge).
Having met Miriam, a brave Italian woman on a motorbike in Argentina, we knew that no matter what our route would be, we wanted to go and visit her on our way back. We had spent quite a bit of time together in Buenos Aires and Perito Moreno, and a great time it was, so we were eager to repeat that. She'd been back at home for a whole year now after having completed her trip through South and North America, so when we found her in Brescia in the north of Italy, she could tell us a lot about how it felt after such a big trip.
We only stayed with her one night, but it was great time, with lots of talking and great italian food (read: prosciutto, parmiggiano, panna cotta, semifreddo… and the list continues…). We got to get a closer look of the town of Brescia which took us a little by surprise with the old churches and a must in Italy - hyper expensive fashion stores. A belt for 215 EUR, anyone???
Friends.
Duomo Vecchio, a round church (the only one in Italy) dating back to the 11th century, but still fully functional.
...::: LISTEN - Final chords of a service at the main cathedral in Brescia :::...
In the cathedral.
Fabulous design, in the name of the Lord.
Window shopping - Italians are mad about fashion and their outer-looks.
Top Milan fashion for you eyes to enjoy.
Impressive prices, too.
I'm telling you, the winter IS coming!
Then it was Slovenia's turn, with Dean and Vlasta whom we had met in Africa waiting for us. First they fed us, then they took us for a walk in the nearby national park. It was absolutely stunning, with milky blue mountain streams and snow capped mountains in the background. I don't know if it is some Eastern Bloc stuff, or the slavic blood we all share, but Dean and Vlasta always means good fun, and this time was no different.
Before we left in the pouring rain in the direction of Austria they packed us some food and Vlasta gave Kariina her brother's warm gloves which proved extremely helpful.
Enjoying a walk through the Slovenian Alps.
Vlasta, Dean and Kariina.
Cool mountainwaters.
The walking trail.
A canyon with super transparent water flowing on the bottom.
Friends.
But as said before, the weather when leaving Slovenia wasn't particularly great, which served as a reminder that we had to move fast - more so as in some places there was snow on the road sides and we were holding our breath not to slip in a curve.
A cold and wet ride.
Whizzing though Austria, we had a reason (but nor time nor place) to celebrate - had to slip into an emergency pocket on the motorway to take the picture!
250 000, not bad it made it that far considering most of it has been two-up fully loaded bad road abuse.
Vienna, the capital of Austria, has always been a must-stop-over on our trips through Europe. Our old friend, Ed lives there, who is a fantastic cook (highly proffesional too), so every time we stop by there is no escape from massive food orgies. This time was no different, and most of our time there was spent on shopping in the Naschmarkt (a market dating back to the 16th century), cooking, and finally - enjoying the results. The Wiener Schnitzel made by Ed was just perfect - thin, crunchy and juicy all in the same bite.
We'd become pretty slim on our route through Africa (me weighing 75 kg instead of 80+ kg and Kariina 55 kg instead of 60+ kg when we left home), but there's no doubt that all the good food in Europe would make up for the "loss"
Too much cheese to choose from. (click to enlarge to see all the cheese
)
Lovely onions at the Naschmarkt.
Citrus fruit waiting for its buyer - we got some.
This is not a wine - a proper selection of fully home-brewed vinegar.
Multicolour freshness at the market.
Ed preparing us some Wiener Schnitzel and Cordon Bleu, bloody taste-fantastic!
Front page shot from his cookbook! Translates as "Food after 0.5 promil" Pity it's only in german, it's a fantastic book with a "slightly" different take on cooking.
Bubbling in the oil - Viennese Schnitzel - the original one in it's home city.
Our chef is moving so fast it is difficult to capture him in the picture.
Tuna tartare.
Mediterranean omelette for breakfast - we were totally spoiled.
From Vienna it was a one day ride to Krakow in Poland where we met another biker who'd been reading our ride report and invited us to stay with him. His name is Michal. He lives in Warsaw, but that weekend he was visiting his girlfriend's parents in the south of the country, and although passing through that area was not in our plans, we somehow still ended up there. Michal took us to Anna's parents house where we were greeted like family. The Slavic hospitality went that far that when we were preparing to leave the next morning, Anna's parents prepared some food for us to take along, and Anna's mother gave Kariina a necklace, saying that she wished there were more people like us in the world. We were moved.
Michal accompanied us on his R1200GS Adventure till Warsaw and even a little bit further, expressing his hope to meet us again somewhere, somehow. It is our hope too.
Bikers with bikers (hence the warm undies :evil), two devils with two angels - with Anna and Michal in Poland.
By the time it got dark we were already in the northern part of Poland. Since we had a definite plan of arriving home the next day we would have liked to push on and find a place to stop closer to home, but we did not want to risk riding in the dark. We had had a serious accident in Poland years ago, and it was enough. We rolled into some roadside forest and got our tent pitched just before it got too dark to see what and where.
We had a strange feeling. It was to be the last night of our expedition, but what made us especially anxious was the memory of the aforementioned accident. In 2005 when returning from our inspirational trip to Iran, a car kicked us out of the road at nearly 100 km/h, leaving the bike wrecked and us (luckily only) terribly shocked. We had thought to arrive home by the end of that day. And we had camped in a forest in the very same area where we were now set up our camp, planning to be home by the end of next day… We had a long way to go and we had to be very careful, although our minds were wandering far ahead of us.
Our bush camp in Poland - it's autumn in every definition, with a very mixed feelings for us - it is our last camping, the very last day of our RTW and the very last photo we took on this trip.
In the morning it was only +3C. We quicly packed our stuff and hit the road. We whizzed through the rest of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and finally reached the border post of Valka/Valga. It was pitch dark by that time and we even failed to see the sign "Estonia" (there is no border control because Estonia is in the Schengen space), leave alone take a picture with it
And if not for the few camera men with their heavy lights we would have failed to notice the few people who'd come to greet us. So dark it was.After some warm hugs, brief interviews and photo sessions, we were released back onto the unlit road. And after 70 kilometers we were back at my parents' house - the same spot that we'd left 1126 days, 70 countries and over 170 000 kilometers ago. We parked the bike in the garage, key still in the ignition, without having to worry it would disappear. We were back, the bike was safe. The adventure was over.
Thank you all who have been there to make it happen!
Over and out,
Margus & Kariina
