It begins again… northward to Germany.

Leaving Australia was actually hard. It was the 3rd May and after the hype of my brother’s wedding, the catch ups with family and friends, road tripping with a friend and the down time at home doing projects and swimming in the pool, it was a strange feeling knowing I was going to be all alone again. It didn’t help that I had a boring overnight stay at an airport hotel in Seoul. Even the next couple of days in my beloved Rome seemed to drag on, so it wasn’t until I got to Milan and finally saw my bike that things felt like they were more or less “in place” again. It was almost a strange feeling of being at home again. Also, I think the killing of time waiting to get to the bike made me somewhat anxious. Nevertheless, I had made it to Milan and courtesy of the team at Mototouring, the bike was ready to go… or so I thought.

I need to backtrack briefly. I went to Church in Rome on the Sunday. I found an English speaking Mass. Sure enough, I couldn’t help but notice a very well dressed man and his wife whom people were recognising and acknowledging after Mass. I immediately thought Newt Gingrich (former US presidential contender). As I emerged from the building I quickly googled to check and sure enough it was him! I also noticed some undercover Italian cops and when Newt and his wife came out onto the street I introduced myself and said hi. I mean, why not? He was pleasant and cordial and then on his way, with his two support cars and half a dozen cops. I wondered what he was up to in Rome, maybe a diplomatic post, but my interest didn’t extend far enough to keep googling and I left it that. Meanwhile, back in Milan…

The next day would be a huge ride to the Gemmingens near Sinsheim, Germany. A six and a half hour journey not including stops. I was eager to make good time, but luck was not on my side. Having pulled up half an hour out of the city to do a couple of random checks I noticed my oil was leaking the and oil drain plug was loose after the service! For those who ride, the sheer terror of losing that plug can’t be underestimated. I was so relieved to have discovered it before it was too late. Continuing on, I noticed that my continually malfunctioning light connector had separated yet again, but this time decided to blow the fuse for good measure. I figured I was fine without a headlight until it dawned on me I had about 17 tunnels to make my way through in order to get through Switzerland. I later realised the taillight and brake light operate off the same fuse, so I probably should have gone to the effrot of unloading all my luggage to get to the fuse switches and replace it… but I didn’t.

Powering on, maps.me (my phone based GPS navigation app) did what it does best and directed me straight through Zurich rather than bypassing it. (I must admit though, it is a pretty city.) Cursing my luck (and the heavy traffic) I then discovered my low fuel indicator was brightly lit and thought “how can this be at only 300kms?” (Basically half my tank range.) A quick pit stop in the nearby park enabled me to discover that the left fuel tank hadn’t been reconnected and so I well and truly had enough fuel. I quickly reconnected it, checked for leaks and was on my way. The fun didn’t end there. Switzerland would present me with the first of many SIM card challenges! My Italian SIM (which I used all around Europe the previous year AND in Italy for three days) decided not to roam! Which meant I had no Internet and given I used data for phone calls as well, meant I had no telephone either. My iPhone was now rendered into an iPod. It’s not the end of the world, but when you need to check Google Maps because, well maps.me is maps.me or you need to let your hosts know you are running late due to multiple malfunctions it makes life challenging. Fortunately, fuel stations in Europe are typically equipped with wi-fi and I was able to connect with my hosts and update them (albeit quite late in the day).

At some point on my (by now) eight hour journey I reflected on these minor misfortunes and it quickly dawned on me what a good thing it was that all these things happened. Firstly, it was a massive wake up call. I am on a bike and things like this are gonna happen. Maybe worse things. And I need to have the right mindset to deal with it. Secondly, it prompted me to schedule a thorough review of the bike itself to not only fix the lighting system, but check for any other surprises. Finally, I was just thankful, that nothing too big happened on day one when let’s face it – you probably aren’t as mentally prepared.

And so, with a few stretches at a 140km/hr (thank you Autobahns!) I was safely at the Gemmingens ready to be treated like a long lost friend. It has certainly become like a home away from home and I enjoyed the down time, the conversations with Mike and Julie and the opportunity to investigate my bike. Sure enough, I discovered some of my wiring was burnt and the left fuel tank was in fact leaking, hence why they’d left it unplugged. (Why on earth didn’t they tell me?) I also went through every item of my luggage to remind myself of what I had and where it was packed. I procured myself a German SIM hoping I’d be all set for the remainder of Europe.

We squeezed in a visit to Heidelberg which is an absolutely beautiful city and after three relaxing nights with the Gemmingens, I was off again. This time Göttingen. More friends! Justin and Sylvia whom I’d met in Portugal live in this amazing university town. Justin’s mother and brother were visiting at the same time from the US and so the five of us did some road trips to Goslar (for its cuteness), Hildesheim (where we stumbled onto or should I say into a wine festival) and Marienburg Castle (which oddly was ruled by Britain, and I must quote Wikipedia to get this right: “Between 1714 and 1837 there had been virtually no royal court in Hannover as the House of Hannover had ruled the kingdoms of Hannover and Britain by personal union”).

 

 

 

 

 

 

My next stop was Berlin and due to some earlier Instagramming, a Brazilian guy named Andre reached out to me. He’d been following my trip and lived in Berlin and offered to meet up for a beer. Andre was and is an awesome guy. We had a great night out and the next day I gave him his Christmas wish “a ride on the Shah”. Funnily enough, as I was waiting for him when a young guy on a BMW GS800 tore past, screeched to a halt, spun around and rode back to converse with me. He’d seen my bike the day before and was keen to meet its owner. Victor of course has his own story. A 20 year old half-Spanish, half-German kid studying in Berlin who has already ridden from the top of Africa to the bottom and back again at the age of 18! Excuse me for having my mind blown. When Andre turned up on his beautiful Husqvarna 701 Enduro (basically a newer, differently coloured version of mine), the three of us headed off for a ride to the lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berlin was an interesting place. Completely not what I expected. So many large open spaces, the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie well and truly “tourist-ified” to death and apologies to Berliners, but quite a number of ugly buildings (even some of the new ones). I expected something a bit edgier and grungier but maybe I didn’t look hard enough. Nevertheless, the area I stayed in called Kreuzberg was simply beautiful. Wide tree lined streets, lovely cafes and like every where else in Germany (or Europe for that matter), everyone riding bicycles! Overall, I think it is an interesting city and I admit there were probably more museums and points of interest I could have visited, but sometimes it’s nice just to chill. My latest SIM card was failing in every possible way and it would take many attempts before finding out I’d been sold the wrong one! Andre helped me get yet another and finally I was reconnected with the world.

The night before leaving for Poland, my Instragramming would prompt another encounter! An email from my mate Klaus arrived in my inbox asking if I was going to Berlin! I had completely forgotten he only lived 70kms north of Berlin in the country side.

Note: Klaus lived in Chile with his partner and daughter and was my tour guide in January 2015 when we rode through the deserts of Chile and Argentina, getting to witness up close the Dakar Rally. What’s more is that we were riding KTM 690 Enduros and it was that seven day adventure that convinced me to buy the very bike I have now!

I quickly replied to Klaus apologising for my oversight and informing him I could make a last minute change of plan and so it was I ended up riding to the rustic and rural Buchholz! Seeing Klaus was the best. After the incredible journey we’d had together on the other side of the world to now both being in completely different circumstances was surreal. They were now living in rural Germany instead of rural Chile and this tiny piece of earth was gorgeous. So much history, charm and fresh air! Klaus prepared an absolute meat bonanza on the grill and between beer and red wine we reminisced and talked about our lives since then. Of course, Klaus gave the Shah a good thrashing and fell in love with it (like all men do) and I couldn’t help but smile. It seems everyone is able to get some joy from the Shah!

 

 

 

 

 

After 10 incredible days in Germany having been able to catch up with so many friends, old and new, I was ready for the next adventure. This time a new country beckoned – Poland. I was extremely thankful for the companions who eased my loneliness during that time and I felt renewed and reinvigorated, ready for what might come next.