Amsterdam, North Holland, NetherlandsStill learning,
Every time you take yourself on a long trip, you learn more
about the world and yourself.
One of the things I learned is that trying to beat nature by
manipulating sleep patterns beforehand does not work and does the body more harm
than good. The fact that I hardly ever get sick and so easily got bronchitis is
proof of this.
Riding the high passes, the edges of deep ravines and
through the thick forests are great but are enjoyed only “for the moment”, like
being on a rollercoaster which you don’t want to stop. However, the moments you
remember most are the times when you stop and take in the sights.
Riding a motorcycle allows you to stop almost anywhere, even
if it is not permitted to do so, like on a bridge across a ravine or the edge
of the road along a high pass. I intend that next time I make less km and make
several bases somewhere from where to make day trips in the area. A place like
Slovenia or Portugal where tourist traffic is still low and the weather is
mostly fine
I covered 9600 km on this trip, too much. To put that into perspective,
that distance takes you from Amsterdam to India. So next time less km
During the last days, I visited friends around Holland and
arrived at my destination in Lelystad on Wednesday afternoon after first taking
the bike through a high-pressure washing installation nearby.
My “new”2010 model BMW R1200GS has performed very well, covering
the distance without any issues, all in all, a great machine.
Now back on the plane. Another mistake is to use a “short”
flight, which is very tiring. By “short” I mean the total distance in time. One
stopover means long flights without a break. The Brisbane to Abu Dhabi trip
takes 13.5 hours followed by another 6.5 hours to Amsterdam. Flying via Singapore
which gives you an approx. 3 x 7-hour
trip, which is much easier to deal with.
In summary, Highs: Monte Negro and Albania. Lows: Sick in Germany and riding South Western France (still sick,cold,rain) Nicest day: Riding with my friend through Sardinia.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the blog. Feel free to leave a
comment on the site or direct via email and let me know what you think.
Until next time,
Richard Wolters
Ian Tubb
2019-06-30
Really enjoy following you on your travels Richard, whether I ever get to see these far away places myself in the future is yet to be seen, maybe a win in the lotto. Looking forward to your next trip where ever that might be.
Ger Hassing
2019-06-30
Hello Richard, I am glad de BMW R 1200Gs has performed well, I have also made fantastic trips on this bike. Ik hope it brings you to a lot off beautyfull place´s in the future and my best wishes to you. Perhaps there are some mistakes in my English . Greatings Ger ( previous owner GS )
Gert Roos
2019-08-08
Weer een prima verslag van een prachtige reis Richard!
JEROME
2019-08-08
Great ... Just have to plan a new trip and keep on riding You're welcome anytime
Linda
2019-08-09
Wow, you are the most seasoned traveller I've ever met! Great tips and advice for our family's next jaunt overseas! thank you, take care :-)
Lin
2019-08-09
Mooie afsluiter Rich, op naar de volgende reis
Jacoline
2019-08-09
Ik heb genoten van jouw blogs, het is leuk om je te volgen terwijl je op reis bent.... Oorden waar ik waarschijnlijk in mijn leven niet zo gauw meer verzeild zal raken. Zeker niet meer op een motorfiets.... Maar ik geniet van jouw ritten mee!