From Nice to Corsica... on both bikes !!

In the end we stayed two nights in Nice, close to the BMW garage. We took the time to enjoy Nice, wich is a very busy, but still very Mediterranean city. The cities boulevards and roads around the centre and thus sea are packed with traffic, somethimes 5 rows each way. But the good thing is all the motor and scooters in town and there are tons off them, ride as I like it best, passing everywhere, left right in the middle, and the cars let them and give them room... well just enough.
The mechanic managed to get it running fine again (even better), and after I had changed all the broken lightbulbs and installed a new battery (Still not sure why I broke all off them), we got on the ferry to Corsica.

So we were in Corsica. A bit earlier as planned, but the weather on the continent was not helping and to be honest, I wanted to go really bad to the Island.

We ended up in Calvi for the first week, and by luck the first campsite we found, and that had campers for rent was the same one I have been on before with all my friends when I was around 18. 2 minutes from the beach and 15 minutes walk to town.



In the morning Anne goes to get bread....
and I do as if I know what I am supposed to do...













From here we have been riding through mountains and along some stunning cliffs, road vary from good with good tarmac and curves to 30 or less KM an hour stretches with hairpins, no rails or barriers, patched road-repairs which are repaird again, and washed away again.
Oh, and cows here and there, and a horse...

Tomorrow we leave to a new village in an other region, so we keep you up to date...

First stage, France !

OK, and we are off,

Via Belgium (Houffalize) we started our trip. Left the highway in Liege (Luik) and haven't really been on the highway since. Spend one night on a campsite in Houffalize, after tasting some nice beers off course.


The next stage went towards the Vosges (Vogezen), the first bigger hills, and in very nice weather we ended up in a Motorpension run by a Dutch guy, Wim ,Gites Les Tronces.
See his website for some pictures.
After going from one little village to the next even smaller, you end up in a forest were the tarmac ends and you drive through sand and gravel for about 5 minutes.
And then you are welcomed by the to dogs and Wim, off course I have a room, and dinner, you dont want to drive this road by night do you ??
We stayed for two nights so we had some time to drive around in the Vosges. The weather was not very pleasant the next day, so we drove in the mist over Col the la Slucht

After saying goodbye to Wim we were off to the Jura, the second hills/moutains range. And in beautifull sunshine and over winding roads we found after some struggle a very nice campsite in the little village Port Lesney. And in the last sunshine of the day we set up camp there, deceiding to stay there an other day to do some hiking.

But next morning the rain started, and did not stop till the next night. Although we managed to have a great walk in the hills, we were soaked and needed a fireplace in a local bar and some heartwarming local beer to get back to life.

So next morning we put the still wet tent back on the bike, and left for sunshine, SOUTH,
Through the Alps, towards and past the Grenoble, still not a single mile on the higjway !!
We found the sun, and a very empty campsite in the moutains, sunny during the day and freezing at night. Here we managed to dry our tent, and hike in the sunshine.
But still not warm enough for our liking, so off we went again, to Nice !!!
Through real motobike country, corner after corner for hours, untill,,,,,prrrrr,pang,poef...... the BMW stopt......
By going downhill I managed to start it again, but it started running worse and worse.
10 KM before Nice, it died, and no hills anymore, so we bought jumpcables, and started the bike again, but not faster than 40 km an hour in 5th gear.... and then the motor-Gods interveined..... a BMW motorrad garage, the last 200 meters I pushed the bike into heaven.





To be continued........

On the road again !!

So we came back from the Turks & Caicos Islands, to spend a few weeks in Holland preparing our European motorbike-tour.

First off all, sorry for all we did not meet, see, or called during our short stay here. But no worries, we won't be gone longer than 6 months... we think.... maybe...
The weeks here were filled with fixing bikes, shopping for goodies, meeting some family and friends.

The bikes are up and running !! We'll be traveling with a 1982 Kawasaki Z440 LTD and a 1977 BMW R60/7.
Thanks Martijn for doing most of the work on the BMW during my absence.
I was a bit worried when it looked like this :


But in the end it all worked out, and we have wheels !!!




So what is the plan ??
We leave through Belgium (Ardennes) to the east of France. Through the Lorraine, Elsace, Franche Comte, following the Dordogne river, and than one way or the other to Corsica. In Corsica we will spend a few weeks, visiting every corner of the island.
After Corsica there are a lot of options, and we will decide once we're there.


On this website we hope to keep you up to date where we are, and if we have found our little bit of paradise.

See you !!

Seb & Anne