Snoopy goes to Greece
- Thread starter Snoopy
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2002
- Messages
- 8,331
- Reaction score
- 10
I can't wait Andrew - hopefully some more videos diaries too
Nice first pic for the ATGATT brigade 
Didn't have a camp fire by any chance, did you? 
Mr K
Registered user
A long long time ago...
It started five years ago. I was 20 and in my second year of university, and one of my good mates was a Greek called Costas. During that year I flew over to Greece, leaving my rubbish Suzuki GS500 rust-bucket at home, and spent two weeks seeing the sights.
I had difficulty settling into the Greek lifestyle which I will try to explain. After work around 5pm Greeks come in and go to bed for a couple hours. At 7ish they awake and get some food. At 9 or 10ish they head out for a coffee. This they will drink until 2ish during which they may optionally have a beer or similar.
Because Greeks don't drink much what they drink is very expensive. A beer can cost anything up to 9 euro (and it's smaller than a pint). If they drank more the prices would come down, but they can't afford to drink so prices are high. My miserable student loan funded bank account tried to self close.
When he went out one of the places was the port of Pireas, a province of Athens. Here bikers jam-packed their pride and joys into non-existent parking spaces and got a drink. I was caught up in a world of very fast sportsbikes, Harleys, Busas and everything in-between. Despite the lack of substance this place was very, very cool. It was a show-case for the latest bikes, in good heat, with huge yachts in the background. And on one 20yr old it made an impression...
It started five years ago. I was 20 and in my second year of university, and one of my good mates was a Greek called Costas. During that year I flew over to Greece, leaving my rubbish Suzuki GS500 rust-bucket at home, and spent two weeks seeing the sights.
I had difficulty settling into the Greek lifestyle which I will try to explain. After work around 5pm Greeks come in and go to bed for a couple hours. At 7ish they awake and get some food. At 9 or 10ish they head out for a coffee. This they will drink until 2ish during which they may optionally have a beer or similar.
Because Greeks don't drink much what they drink is very expensive. A beer can cost anything up to 9 euro (and it's smaller than a pint). If they drank more the prices would come down, but they can't afford to drink so prices are high. My miserable student loan funded bank account tried to self close.
When he went out one of the places was the port of Pireas, a province of Athens. Here bikers jam-packed their pride and joys into non-existent parking spaces and got a drink. I was caught up in a world of very fast sportsbikes, Harleys, Busas and everything in-between. Despite the lack of substance this place was very, very cool. It was a show-case for the latest bikes, in good heat, with huge yachts in the background. And on one 20yr old it made an impression...
I imagine that rather easy-on-the-eye blonde lass made an impression too.
Five years later ...
Despite what many seem to think I don't have that much money. I rent and I'm single so my disposable income is, I guess, high. I'm not being responsible with money, but I don't give two shits either. I want to enjoy my 20's not do what so many of my friends have done; get married and have kids.
My pride-and-joy is my 1200. I've owned a fair few bikes but the 1200 is the one which defined a moment in my life where I thought I'd made it. I yearned for one a couple year back when they first come out but the insurance people shit-themselves and I couldn't. I probably would have regretted the repayments anyway. I settled on the 1150 which oddly I could get insured on and regretted the repayments for that instead.
I bought my 1200 outright last September after a disastrous period with the awful BMW 650. The 1200 is downright wonderful, but it needed a test. Greece was calling. I fitted the GSA tank, some Ohlin shocks, panniers and set off on the 29th of July.
My passenger for the trip was a lad called James I picked up along the way in Oxford. He knew Costas better than I knew him but I'd met him twice and he seemed sound. What was more sound was the sharing of all the transport costs.
The route was Dunkirk, Brussels, Stuttgart, Munich (nearly), over the Austran/Italian alps and to Venice. The Anex Line ferry would deposit us on the Greece Island of Corfu - our first destination.
In Belgium we stopped too late to find a campsite and dossed in our bivy bags in one of the many picnic style spots they have along the motorways. I discovered a lot of oil all over the rear of the bike. After cleaning it up and finding the gearbox oil still full I worked out the engine-oil had been overfilled, had overheated and drained into the airbox where it had leaked out. This is what happens when you remove the center stand.
We did another boring day and stopped at a campsite in the Austrian Alps. We met a Norwegian couple and an American backpacker and spent another 50 euro each on very expensive beer.
Early that morning, somewhere over the Austrian Alps (Innsbruck way) I got annoyed at all the motorway crunching miles we were doing (and had done). Yes we had a ferry to catch but I was bypassing some of the best roads in the world. I thought we had a few hours to play and it was early hours with no traffic around, so I turned off and by luck came down the Penserjoch pass. If you ever get the chance - do it!
We arrived in Venice at 11:00hrs with the ferry due to depart at 12:00hrs. And at the port and all ready to go, the security guy informed us there was no ferry.
Despite what many seem to think I don't have that much money. I rent and I'm single so my disposable income is, I guess, high. I'm not being responsible with money, but I don't give two shits either. I want to enjoy my 20's not do what so many of my friends have done; get married and have kids.
My pride-and-joy is my 1200. I've owned a fair few bikes but the 1200 is the one which defined a moment in my life where I thought I'd made it. I yearned for one a couple year back when they first come out but the insurance people shit-themselves and I couldn't. I probably would have regretted the repayments anyway. I settled on the 1150 which oddly I could get insured on and regretted the repayments for that instead.
I bought my 1200 outright last September after a disastrous period with the awful BMW 650. The 1200 is downright wonderful, but it needed a test. Greece was calling. I fitted the GSA tank, some Ohlin shocks, panniers and set off on the 29th of July.
My passenger for the trip was a lad called James I picked up along the way in Oxford. He knew Costas better than I knew him but I'd met him twice and he seemed sound. What was more sound was the sharing of all the transport costs.
The route was Dunkirk, Brussels, Stuttgart, Munich (nearly), over the Austran/Italian alps and to Venice. The Anex Line ferry would deposit us on the Greece Island of Corfu - our first destination.
In Belgium we stopped too late to find a campsite and dossed in our bivy bags in one of the many picnic style spots they have along the motorways. I discovered a lot of oil all over the rear of the bike. After cleaning it up and finding the gearbox oil still full I worked out the engine-oil had been overfilled, had overheated and drained into the airbox where it had leaked out. This is what happens when you remove the center stand.
We did another boring day and stopped at a campsite in the Austrian Alps. We met a Norwegian couple and an American backpacker and spent another 50 euro each on very expensive beer.
Early that morning, somewhere over the Austrian Alps (Innsbruck way) I got annoyed at all the motorway crunching miles we were doing (and had done). Yes we had a ferry to catch but I was bypassing some of the best roads in the world. I thought we had a few hours to play and it was early hours with no traffic around, so I turned off and by luck came down the Penserjoch pass. If you ever get the chance - do it!
We arrived in Venice at 11:00hrs with the ferry due to depart at 12:00hrs. And at the port and all ready to go, the security guy informed us there was no ferry.
Mr K
Registered user
Mutley
Registered user
Beetle2112
Registered user
Knowing young Snoop's previous
Dare one ask what happened next...
Dare one ask what happened next...
Mr K
Registered user
C'mon then y'lazy twat!
is this the real snoopy?
Mr K
Registered user
DaveGSCymro
Registered user
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2005
- Messages
- 1,504
- Reaction score
- 0
Lack of a boat
I couldn't understand how the ****-up was made but we'd arrived a day early. It was the 31st. The boat was on the 1st. So we had horsed it down and were stuck for a day in ... Venice!
As with so many balls-up on trips abroad they turn into blessings. I'd missed out on a day in the alps but this would make up for it as I'd always wanted to see this famous Italian city.
In the main square I had a spaghetti Bolognaise (as you do). It was the finest I have ever tasted. My god the sauce! Magnificent!
That night we stayed at a crap campsite which for future avoidance, is on the road first right out of Venice about 1/2km along. It is next-door to the BMW Motorrad dealer!
The following day we were ready for the ferry. I love ferries - especially those of "deck" accommodation. Before the hell began I got a few pictures off a really horrible bike (in the middle) and some futuristic luggage capacity.
And then the Anex line service from Venice to Corfu got under way. Yee ha!
I couldn't understand how the ****-up was made but we'd arrived a day early. It was the 31st. The boat was on the 1st. So we had horsed it down and were stuck for a day in ... Venice!
As with so many balls-up on trips abroad they turn into blessings. I'd missed out on a day in the alps but this would make up for it as I'd always wanted to see this famous Italian city.
In the main square I had a spaghetti Bolognaise (as you do). It was the finest I have ever tasted. My god the sauce! Magnificent!
That night we stayed at a crap campsite which for future avoidance, is on the road first right out of Venice about 1/2km along. It is next-door to the BMW Motorrad dealer!
The following day we were ready for the ferry. I love ferries - especially those of "deck" accommodation. Before the hell began I got a few pictures off a really horrible bike (in the middle) and some futuristic luggage capacity.
And then the Anex line service from Venice to Corfu got under way. Yee ha!
Similar threads
- Locked
