Odessy to Eastern Europe on an S4R (Thanks to Metalhead)

[Gilles]

It's been awhile, and much water under the bridge, since I have posted here. There's quite a story to tell, and I now have some time...

A few months ago, my family (wife + 2 teenaged girls) had to choose between moving to SouthEast Asia (Brunei) with my existing employer, or move to Romania (with a new employer).

Sage advise from a man known as 'Metalhead' was to forget Brunei as it is difficult to get beer. My wife and daughters did not want to go there either, plus I was to get paid much more $ in the move to new (but smaller) company in Romania.

We decided upon doing the jump (amidst the recession and all), and I planned a trans-European trek atop my Monster as part of my rebirth to new job, new country, new life for my family and I. The transition entailed becoming temporarily separated from my wife and daughters (for school purposes) for some 2 months. I was to empty our house in The Hague(Holland), send our pet dog (Jack Russell Terrier) whilst wifey established new house in Bucharest, Romania.

I gave notice to my old employers and began concluding my job. Wifey and daughters moved to strange Eastern Europen country to a hotel room, and start the school year on time.

Meanwhile, my old employers embark upon a reorganization to reduce staff (especially skilled expats like me) by several 000's (basically throwing the baby out with the bathwater). There is much bathwater, but not many babies. It is important to know your business when you are an executive of a major company...

I am so friggin lucky. Whilst all my old colleagues are sweating out major uncertainty for the future, I'm on my way to an exciting new job that pays more, with more seniority and significant scope for a future (I am a Petroleum Engineer). That, plus an exciting cross continent trek with a new S4R. I am walking on sunshine.

I'm gonna add to this story peice by peice. Photos and illustration to come.

[Gilles]

Day 1 was on a Friday, after a hectic week of emptying a large house (by Dutch standards), and finishing up and handing over an important project for Shell (employer I resigned from).

I had 5 days of a really nice hotel room by the North Sea before leaving. Hotel rooms in Europe are very expensive, and rather crappy (comparing to American standards), but this was an exception. Great food, great scenery, and lots of porn on the boob tube.

I just found out that I cannot upload any photos. I have downsized them to 50kb jpg's and I get a file upload failure every time. What is going on... Help please.

Departure day, all set up with the gear I was to travel with using the 1-side Ducati luggage bag, + Duc tank bag, + small backpack. Go to install the side bag and.... I realize for the first time that the rear seat cover must be off in order to install the side bag. As this is a move (rather than just a trip) without coming back, I realize that I must abandon the seat cover (leave it behind). No space/place to bring it. Sigh

Departure day also meant stopping by the office on the way out, and dropping off work PC, telephone, and security badge. That gets done with some measure of joy (I really did not like the job I had, but I did what I had to do to make the best of it). My old colleagues all wish me well, rather morosely (I would be too if I were them).

Finally after some 18 months I am free. I'm on the road en route to reunion with my loved ones (separated for 2 months), and a new life.

The first day destination was not very far. Liege (Belgium) which is only some 400km from The Hague but it is also the most heaviest traffic on the planet, getting through Rotterdam, Antwerp. On a Friday, that is what I got, mega-traffic What should've been a 3 hour blast, was a brutal 6 hours of weaving between cars and tracks

If were not for the sound of those openTermi's making others awae of my presence coming up from behind and in between....anyways a rather uneventful arrival to my first destination. My mother in law's house.

There I am greeted by a huge meal (in laws are Italian), with lots of wine and family. The day ends, totally shagged with fatigue, not so much from the long slow day, but from the long 2 months of transition for self and family.

Day 2 starts early the next day. Destination Munich, Germany (some 800 km).

I need to figure out how to upload the photos. What a bummer.

[Gilles]

Reading instructions and various ways to do this. The attachment upload (usinf .jpg's downsized to the correct dimensions is not working..."File upload failed error"

http://i986.photobucket.com/albums/a...fio/Slide6.jpg

I wanted to post pictures like others seem to be able to do (rather than paste links). This is not going to work like this...

[Gilles]

I am stuck at home all day today, so I'll have to compose well to make up for not being able to post photos

The road to Munich started early the next day 7am. Perfect weather for crossing the Belgian Ardennes and on toward Stuttgart, Germany.

After quietly waking up and making coffee without waking anyone up, only to wake them up 30 minutes later with the sound of the Termi's to let the Monster warm-up (No choice as a long steep uphill climb after Mother in Laws driveway).

Anyways after farting about to get some cash and some fuel, I'm finally on the road heading SE through the Ardennes (very picturesque, I wish I could upload a fargin picture). Weather was perfect, except at 8 am, it's only some 8 degC. Freakin cccccold. Good thing I brought the winter liners.

The Ardennes are really very beautiful countryside, dotted with historic buildings and villages. Best to go off the main carriageways and on to the small country roads. On this trip however, no time! It's blast thru the fast roads and make time. Who knows what delay and trouble I am to eventually encounter across the "used to be" iron curtain. I need to be together with my family. This is a rebirth, not really a joy ride.

Riding trough Western Europe can be quite nice. Roads are quite nice, and fast. Lots of road stops as well. The Monster rides like a dream around and through turns, bends, and hills. I'm lovin it, even though its not really a joy ride. Monster becomes very efficient riding like this. She seems happiest at about 160km/he or so, but gladly obliges more when asked. Comfortably getting 180 km's before the reserve light goes on.

I am soon upon the Autobahns of Germany. Monster really likes these as well, but not great for sight seeing (or taking photos). The best thing about the Autobahns are the German drivers. They know how to drive.

Riding at 180-200 km/hr would not be considered safe by my mother in law, but she is wrong. When the roads are good, and the drivers are competent, and the bike is capable, no problem. Gotta wear earplugs though.

A fuel stop causes me to meet up with a trio of riders all on KTM's, on their way to...Romania. Actually I passed these guys several times on the road earlier. I ride fast, stopping every 100 km's or so, whilst they ride more sedately stopping every 200 km's or so. Regretably I chose not to join their trio as I had thought I would cramp their style needing more fuel stops and all. They were camping and I was hotelling. I instead learn that they plan to ride to Graz (Austria) via Salzburg (basically a scenic route to Hungary) and then Romania.

I choose to go my own way, but to follow the route they described in the hopes I run into them again before getting across the old iron curtain.

After some 6 hours of Autobahn, I get near to Munich and it is time to find shelter. I dial in the GPS (a Garmin Zumo replaced new just days before departure as the old one (a smaller Garmin model) died), and take a detour to a small village. There I find a hotel with a very friendly hostess. She fixes me up in a spotless and spartan room (40 Euro's), and a great meal complimented with fantastic German beers. Outside a wedding is going on with Oom-pa-pa music playing.

A very satisfying day, finsihed off with a spleefer and a couple more beers before going to bed

Day 3: Decision day. Where to cross the iron curtain?

[Muschi]

nice report so far, autobahn is cool, especially in the south,
where 180+ km/h feel as if you are in a roller coaster.



german beer is cool too.



one possibility to upload pics is to use www.imageshack.us
and add the "hotlink for forums" to your answers here.

cheers.