October 1-October 5, 2025 Baden-Baden to Heidelberg, Germany
After we parted ways with Tim and Ditta we rode back south to Heitersheim to visit Heinz (Charlotte’s brother) and Jutta.
They kindly hosted us overnight. The night we arrived, we all (including Heinz and Jutta’s daughters’, Anje and Silke, grandson, Philipe and son-in-law, Sven) walked to a local restaurant and had a great dinner together.
One of the differences between Canada and Germany is that you can bring your family dog into a restaurant.
Tito always likes to be out in front and keep an eye, that the whole group is together!
The next day we went for a short (by German standards) two hour walk. It was wonderful to walk through the local vineyards and see the mountains of France in the background.
Most of the grapes had been harvested but some were left to hang until they get a night of -7, then they are harvested for ice wine!
After a delicious lunch of Pfifferlinger (popular mushrooms)and Kartoffeln (potatoes) we headed back to Heidelberg.
We spent hours sorting through all our gear (to decide what to store here in Germany, until we return) and what to bring home with just a carry-on.
We had such a great time in Germany! The mix of family, fabulous scenery, unbelievable history, too much delicious food, Oktoberfest and friendly people made for a wonderful vacation.
We are however, always happy to come home to Canada!❤️
September 21-October 1, 2025 Toronto to Germany
We had a great flight over on Condor Airlines and arrived in the rain.
Those who have followed our Blogs know how lucky we have been, with the weather, in our travels. It is now time to pay! We have had 7 days of rain but fortunately, not all day long.
We met our cousins Ditta and Tim, in Braubach. We made it 8 feet in one hour-moving from one table in front of the hotel, to another, after Tim and Ditta brought out a bottle of wine!
We walked through a great path in the woods, up to Marksburg Castle but we missed the tour time so ventured back down, collecting chestnuts along the way. Apparently holding chestnuts in your hands is good for relieving arthritis and stress! We were thinking perhaps it would cure hangovers too! Interestingly, a bumper season for chestnuts has lead to the demise of several sheep in the U.K. as they prove to be poisonous in large quantities.
Later we drove to the beautiful area of Senheim.
We had dinner in Cochem (it was still raining), the town where Claus and Ditta’s grandmother was born.
The following day we had a beautiful tour along the Rhine River (in spite of the rain). First we took a train to Assmannhausen and rode an open chairlift up to Rudesheim. Tim and Ditta enjoyed the use of their umbrella but we didn’t have one.
The river cruise arrived back at Braubach a few minutes walk from our hotel!
After dinner we had a beautiful view of the Marksburg Castle we had hiked to the day before!
The next day we rode to Eisenach and toured the Potash Mine (Erlebris Bergwerk”). This is a must-see if you are in the area. The mine was where Hitler stored gold bars and valuable paintings during the war. At the end of the war, when the U.S occupied the area, they learned that the mine had been used as storage for many valuables. They found the hidden rooms (amongst kilometres of tunnels) and were amazed to see the quantity of gold and art stored there. Once the Americans cleaned out all the gold bars and paintings, they exchanged that area with Russia, for possession of West Berlin.
In one of the larger areas of the mine they have converted it to an area for concerts with laser light shows!
The mine recently closed as a working potash mine, and is now a great tourist attraction. You get in a truck with benches and hang on for dear life as they fly through all the tunnels. The posted speed limit is 10-20 kilometres an hour but our tour guide enjoyed going twice as fast. If you tour the mine, make sure you ask for an English tour – unless you speak German!
John (Tim and Ditta’s son) was able to meet us. He is currently living in Berlin and took the train to Eisenach. The next day was very special, as we toured Berka, the town where Ditta’s Mom and Claus’s Dad were born and lived before and during the war. We stood on the bridge over River Werra where some of Fred’s (Claus’ Dad) ashes had been scattered by Steffi (Claus’ Stepmom) last year. The River Werra, was also where Fred had crossed as a teenager to escape from East Germany to West Germany during the war (and back again, since he missed his family). We took pictures outside of the home where the family lived.
We were lucky to have a private tour of the church where Ditta’s Mom and Dad got married and a small “Gasthof” in Berka where Martin Luther had stopped on route to Wurtzburg where he translated the Bible from Latin to German. The history in this town is amazing. Currently, approximately 1400 people live there.
The house on the left is where Martin Luther stayed overnight! The church diagonally across the road dates back to at least 1420! It was Catholic until 1527 when, after Martin Luther’s influence….it was converted to Protestant.
This Sterzing organ dates back to 1697 and was rebuilt in the last 2 years at a cost of $250,000 Euro. The air is driven by pedals in the wall behind it….which the children step on!
The church originally was only a ground floor. As the town grew additional floors were added to the sides.
The baptising “Taufe” is dated back to the 1500’s!
The organ is one of the few of that time period, where the star on top spins while it is operating!
The next day, we said goodbye to John and headed to another fabulous, historical town called Rothenburg. The fountain behind us is dated back to the 1600’s!
Along the way we stopped in NeuStadt to visit the grave of Claus’s grandfather.
We stayed at the Goldener Greisen a small hotel right in the centre of this bustling town. One of the reasons Rothenburg is such a tourist attraction is the wall that surrounds the entire town. This wall was a fortress and still has the holes in the stonework where they could look out and shoot at the “enemy”.
On Sunday we headed to Hotel Henry in Erding. This is the hotel we stayed in last year when we went on the Edelweiss Alps Tour. It is a 45 minute train ride to Oktoberfest in Munich.
The flowers on hotels and homes throughout Germany were amazing!
Each brewery/beer tent had it’s own team of horses and wagon.
Claus and I actually consumed 3 beers (between us) but we managed this year to actually get a seat inside one of the tents. People book a table, over a year out so we were quite pleased to be inside. Each of the breweries have their own “tent” and entertainment. However, the real entertainment is the young people up dancing on tables (keep in mind it was only 3:00 p.m. in the afternoon).
It was really something to behold!! The good news for us, was that it actually went an entire day without rain.
When we went to the train station to head back to Erding, there were dozens of police….just keeping an eye on all the partygoers.
Tuesday we rode our bikes to Baden-Baden….you guessed it, we were in the rain. This was our longest travel day of 382 kilometres, which in Germany takes a much longer time even though we spent some of the time on the Autobahn. We were on the road for about 6 1/2 hours but saw some beautiful countryside.
Germany has many of the same crops (and harvest time) as Ontario. Their local restaurant menus always reflect the season. For example we have had potato salad, pumpkin soup, tomato salad, cucumber salad and apple cake.
We are staying at the Hotel Rebenhof and have a beautiful view out our room of the vineyards. At the restaurant we have enjoyed 2 bottles (on separate nights of course) of wines created from the grapes within our view!!
During the day today we went to the Caracalla Therme Spa. NO RAIN TODAY!!! It has indoor and outdoor thermal heated and cold pools with massage jets and neck showers, saunas, water current pools (like trying to swim against a strong river current),whirlpools, aroma steam baths and a halotherapy salt inhalation room. They also had a restaurant where we had a great lunch.
We are back in the room tonight, after a fabulous meal in the hotel restaurant.
Tomorrow we part ways with Ditta and Tim and head to Heitersheim to visit relatives.
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May 17, 2025 Luxemburg to Heidelberg, Germany-Knopf Tours
The last day of riding was today and it was another sunny, warm day. It was fun following the self-guided route as it again passed in and out of different countries. One minute we would be in Luxemburg and the next Germany and the back again.
We rode some beautiful, twisty roads and went through the incredible wine valley of Mosel.
Yes, when you are in backroads Germany, the speed limit is 100kmh, unless otherwise marked…even on mountain roads!
Their vineyards are on incredibly steep hills!
Asparagus are in full season now and every restaurant has them on the menu.
Since we had over 300 kilometres to cover and get back to do laundry and get the bikes ready for storage, we did do a couple hundred kilometres on the Autobahn. Once you see the lines across the circle on the German autobahn, there is no speed limit!
Tomorrow we head to the airport at around 11:00 a.m.
What a fabulous, fabulous holiday!!
May 16, 2025 Gavrelle to Eselborn, Luxemburg -Hotel Du Golf De Clervaux
What a beautiful day, AGAIN!! Sunny and warm all day!
As we are near the border of three countries, we rode from France to Belgium, back into France back to Belgium and then into Luxemburg!
The old border crossings/customs offices are abandoned and they have mannequins in the window….
Most boarder crossings are now just a sign!
Beautiful roads!! We did spend some time on the highway, as we had close to 400 kilometres to travel. This isn’t a lot by Canadian road standards but doing the small country roads of Europe, is a much slower pace. We drove through the town of Chimay, home of the famous Chimay beer!
At the end of the day, we visited the Bastogne War Museum.
WOW! What a great interactive museum based on the “Battle of the Bulge” and the end of World War 2. The museum takes you through that period of the war from the perspective of four different “characters “. A German soldier, an American soldier, a Bastogne school teacher and a 14 year old Bastogne boy who lost both his parents in the war. There are war relics and war footage as you work your way through the 3 floors of the museum and watch 3 videos, one of which you wore 3D glasses. It really is a great experience of immersion.
Tomorrow, we head back to Heidelberg to store our bikes. What a fabulous adventure!
May 15, 2025 Honfleur to Gavrelle, France-Logis Hotel La Gravelle
Mother Nature decided she had been nice enough to us, so she changed it up a bit! Still no rain but cloudy with a high of 10°.
It was a day to feel grateful for everything we have as Canadians, thanks to those who gave their lives in World War 1 and World War 2.
Besides our usual touring through the beautiful farmlands of France, we first rode over the Normandy suspended bridge. This exceptional structure spans the River Seine.
We rode on to Dieppe. This was France’s first seaside resort 200 years ago but of course it’s significance in World War 2 is what is important to Canadians.
Here is an excerpt from Canada’s Veterans Affairs:
The men who participated in the Dieppe Raid paid a great price. Of the 4,963 Canadians who embarked on the mission, only approximately 2,200 returned to England and many of those had been wounded. More than 3,350 Canadians became casualties, including a total of 916 who lost their lives as a result of the raid and approximately 1,950 more who were taken prisoner. A total of 210 British and American personnel also lost their lives.
Those who were captured faced especially harsh treatment in prisoner of war camps and most would remain in captivity for more than two-and-a-half years. As the end of the war neared, many of them also had to endure forced wintertime marches as the Germans moved the prisoners away from the advancing Allied forces who otherwise could have liberated them.
The Dieppe Raid also took a considerable toll on the ships and aircraft that supported the assault.19 August 1942 saw the Allies’ worst single day losses for aircraft of the entire Second World War, with 119 of their warplanes being shot down as they tried to protect the landing force.
We visited the Canadian Memorial Cemetery.
The Cotre d’Albatre stretches for 130 kilometres. The landscape alternates between Cliffs and valleys.
Visiting the Vimy Canadian Cemetery is unbelievable. The memorial has been listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco. The monument is spectacular, as it should be, since it pays tribute to 66,000 Canadian soldiers who died in France during World War 1.
Amazingly, there are signs within the 107-hectare forest telling you there is danger because of un-detonated explosives!! It is very chilling and makes you fully appreciate the sacrifices of the allied troops.
May 14, 2025 Cherbourg, France to Honfleur, France -Hotel Monet
We had a great ferry ride from Dublin , Ireland to Cherbourg after riding some more beautiful Irish roads yesterday to get to the ferry.
We found our way near the ferry terminal…. then missed one “corner man” and ended up at a toll booth to enter the next highway! Luckily there was a gated escape and someone watching the security cameras opened the gate that we could essentially make a u-turn!
We got loaded onto the ferry and had a toast to Ireland (with it in the background behind us!) Goodbye Ireland! What a spectacular country with wonderfully kind people.
Last night Laureen was a little perplexed by the size of my cocktail, compared to hers!
The ferry ride took approximately 18 hours, of which we mostly ate and slept!
This morning we enjoyed a light breakfast in a quiet part of the ferry.
Around 11:00 a.m. we went down to the bikes and started packing them up for the departure.
What a pleasant surprise when we rode off the ferry and saw many of our group there waving goodbye!
Sean and Laureen headed back to Tours, France and we started our new journey.
We were humbled by visiting some of the beaches of Normandy. We stopped at Utah Beach (mostly American soldiers) and then drove on to Juno beach (Canadian soldiers) where the countries have done a great job memorializing the soldiers from World War 2 D-Day(s).
There are still remnants of bunkers on the beaches.
It was a long day, with glorious sun and about four minutes of rain. We were glad to arrive at our destination by 6:45 p.m.
A 15 min walk down into town for some dinner and the ability to walk it off on the way back up the hill to the Hotel!
The town was first settled by Vikings! There are many old buildings still standing.
May 12, 2025 Dublin to New Ross-Brandon House Hotel
This morning we actually had a bit of rain!
We were all in shock, however by 10 a.m. the sky began to clear and it was beautifully sunny the rest of the day.
In the morning we drove on the Wicklow Mountain roads. The views were amazing.
Interestingly, this is the mountain range where the water for Guinness is collected.
We visited the ruins of Glendalough Monastery. It has amazing history, as it was raided first by the Vikings and later by Irish Kings and rulers. While the raids caused damage and destruction, the monastery continued to flourish and was a significant religious centre for centuries.
Although a lot of it is in ruins, it’s so impressive that the base of the cathedral is still standing from the 10th century!
A round tower from the 11th Century that stands 33 metres high is still standing. It was used for rare books and Christian relics.
More importantly, it was a place to pray. Once they used a ladder to access the tower, they then pulled it inside so no one could access the tower. It likely also served as a lookout post and a place of refuge during attacks.
The grounds are very calming.
Interesting data from a 2023 Census, indicates there are just over 5 million million people living in Ireland. Additionally, there are almost 4 million sheep!! Here is some additional information:
- Wool and linen were once major industries in Ireland, with numerous wool mills operating throughout the country.
- The Irish wool and weaving tradition is deeply rooted in the country’s history, dating back to the early medieval period.
Current Challenges:
- Decline of the Industry: The Irish wool industry has declined significantly, with many wool mills closing down.
Makes you worried what all those cute little lambs will be used for!!
We visited a site that has a replica of the Dunbrody. During the terrible Irish Potato Famine many people left Ireland looking for a better life. There was mass starvation and disease lasting from 1845 to 1852. This was a historical social crisis and is worth reading about.
Made it in to our hotel in New Ross in good time!
Tomorrow we head directly to the Dublin Ferry. It has been an outstanding vacation in this beautiful country with such friendly people. We hope you continue to read about our journey, once we get back on the mainland and ride through France, Belgium, Luxemburg and back to Germany.
May 11, 2025 2nd day in Dublin
It was nice to spend a day without travelling to another town.
We hopped on the bus and went to the Guinness Brewery and had a self-guided tour. It really was informative and fun.
At the end of going through 4 floors of exhibits, you got a Guinness. We don’t like beer but we are now educated on how to drink a Guinness. You must first smell the beer, then drink a good slug of beer so as not to just get the bitter tasting top part (head). You then have to breath out through your nose to appreciate the aroma and taste. We followed the instructions but we are sorry to report that we did not finish the full glass of beer! The one pictured here is a sampler but we did get a large beer glass full of Guinness (that’s the one we couldn’t finish).
After the tour we walked around, had lunch and then walked a couple of kilometres back to the hotel….we stopped by the famous “Temple Bar” and it was packed so we kept walking to another pub!
We hopped on the Spyder and went to do laundry. We ended up at the UCD (University College of Dublin) residence doing our laundry!
In for the night after a nice dinner at the hotel restaurant.
May 10, 2025 Belfast, Northern Ireland to Dublin, Ireland – Hotel Sandymount
Here is another angle of the North West 200, which rally shows the speed the motorcycles were travelling.
When we left Belfast we stopped briefly to look at the wall paintings of Belfast.
It is a long succession of old and recent paintings that illustrates the conflict that occurred in Northern Ireland. The drawings sometimes evoke violence or even a desire for peace.
Another structure called “The Walls” was built in 1969 by the British Army.
The walls were initially constructed to prevent violence between Nationalist (Catholic/Irish Republican) and Loyalist (Protestant/Unionist) communities during the period of conflict known as “The Troubles” however they still remain in place. In some sections the walls are as high as 18 metres.
We stopped by the place where St. Patrick was buried. Yes, of St. Patrick’s day parades! With a huge cathedral in his honour.
At one point on the country roads we came across a bull who had escaped from his farm. No one on a motorcycle wants to dance with a bull!!
Later we drove along the coast and came to an area we referred to as “The Wasaga Beach of Ireland.” It’s actual name is Newcastle. There were a huge number of arcades, souvenir shops and ice cream shops.
Children seem to be somewhat immune to the cold ocean water, when they want to go for a swim!
Coming into Dublin, there is a very cool bridge.
May 9, 2025 Portrush to Belfast, Ireland at the Corr’s Corner Hotel
Today we did less kilometres (on yet another spectacular, sunny day) but it was still very busy.
We headed out in the morning and arrived at Torr Head. In Gaelic it means a large mass or mound. This is the closest point to Scotland. It is separated by only twelve miles across the sea of Moyle.
We then headed down the coast; what a beautiful road and scenery! We must say the people here are “hearty”, as we saw a few walking on the beach in swimwear. There was a breeze with the air temp at 15 C and the water temp around 10C!
Afterwards we went to the Belfast Titanic Museum.
Wow, what a well done historical perspective. When you come to Ireland, it is worth a visit! The museum is located on the site of the shipyard that gave birth to the ship. It details the manufacturing history of Belfast during this period and the details of the construction of the Titanic as well as the tragic end of the maiden voyage.
Here is a picture of garlic potatoes. Beside the roasted potatoes is a mound of garlic butter that is at least 1/2 cup. Our arteries are questioning our choices!!
May 8, 2025 Second day in Portrush at the Roe Park Resort
Again it was sunny and beautiful today!
We started the day by visiting the Joey Dunlop Memorial. He was a famous Irish motorcycle racer who won the Isle of Man race 26 times. Additionally he won multiple other races in Ireland.
Motorcycle racing is a family passion. He, his brother and nephew all died racing motorcycles. In the races we watched later in the day, the brother Michael raced.
With all the visits to historical and tourist sites…it’s important to take advantage of “facilities” when they are available!
After leaving the Memorial, we went to the Dark Hedges, which became famous from the Game of Thrones series.
The estate on the grounds was built in 1775 and named Gracehill House after the builders wife. They planted over 150 beech trees which is now one of the most photographed phenomena in Northern Ireland.
After leaving there we headed to the Giant’s Causeway. This is an incredible, gigantic geological formation made up of over 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns, some of which are 12 metres high. They were formed by volcanic action under the water and then water erosion but the legend is a fun story told to Irish children, for over three hundred years, to explain the origin of the Giant’s Causeway. Legend had it that an Irish giant named Finn MacCool wanted to fight against Benandonner, a giant living in Scotland. But no boat was big enough to carry them both. Finn MacCool put an end to the dilemma by constructing a road connecting the two countries, using stone columns. Benandonner took up the challenge and crossed this road to Ireland. He was taller and stronger than Finn MacCool. As soon as the wife of Finn MacCool realized that, she decided to trick and disguise her giant husband as a baby. When Benandonner arrived at their house and saw the “baby” he was frightened. He thought that if the child was this size, he would prefer not to meet his father. He returned to Scotland and to be sure that Finn MacCool could not follow him, he destroyed the road behind him.
The most exciting part of the day, by far, was watching the North West 200 bike race. This race is held every May in Northern Island (mentioned earlier about the Dunlops) and is the largest annual sporting event in Northern Ireland. The route is approximately 14 km between the towns of Portstewar, Coleraine and Portrush.
It is impossible to explain the speed and excitement even when you know that the 200 part of the name is because the motorcycles can get up to 200 MILES per hour in the straight stretch. The following pictures and video might give you some sense of the craziness!!! We mentioned earlier that Michael Dunlop placed first, fourth and first in today’s race. Some feel that his victory in the North West 200 race in 2008, two days after his father, Robert Dunlop tragically died during the practice shows Michael’s strength and unwavering commitment to the sport, despite the personal loss.
They go by so fast one can’t see or hear that all 5 bikes are airborn as they fly over the crest of the little hill! See enlargment of “freeze frame”;
May 7, 2025 Sligo to Portrush, Roe Park Resort
We left the hotel at 8:57 (keen French people are always ready before the 9 a.m. departure time), happy that the sun was shining!!. We traveled approximately 245 kilometres and once again saw beautiful scenery.
We rode to the Ben Bulben mountain. This is a giant geographical formation covered with rock and stretches of bright green grass.
The sheep are most often sprayed with different colours ! A way of identifying them should they jump the fence! Additionally for breeding purposes, as a coloured spray from a ram’s chest can indicate which ewes have been bred. (Naughty boys)
These cattle were spooked by the motorcycles going by!
Later in the day, we came to Londonderry (Derry). The area experienced huge tensions between Protestants and Catholics.
On August 12, 1969 the Battle of the Bogside broke out and left 9 people dead and more than 750 injured! Three years later on January 30, 1972 more than 10,000 Catholics marched through Bogside. The British Army opened fire on the unarmed crowd, killing 14 people. The troubles in Northern Ireland started much earlier in 1919 when the Original IRA (Irish Republican Army) fought in the Irish War of Independence against British rule. The goal was to end British rule and unify Ireland. There has been a long history of the IRA and it is actually several groups that have had various objectives over the years. Now part of Ireland is a separate republic within the British Empire. There is of course, a long history which you can research as it is more complicated than Protestants versus Catholics. It began as Unionists and loyalists (mostly Protestants) who wanted Northern Ireland to remain within the United Kingdom and Irish nationalists (mostly Catholics) who wanted to leave the United Kingdom.
On a much less serious note, the resort we are staying at is very pretty (with a golf course) and we are well situated to see the test run of the motorcycle race, North West 200.
May 6, 2025 Galway to Sligo, The Glasshouse Hotel
We are getting a little afraid to say it out loud , as we don’t want to jinx it, but we had another fabulous weather day!
Zoom into the picture of this monument and see what historical event happened here.
We rode approximately 270 kilometres and made lots of stops. We went through the Connemara region, which reminded us of the Connemara pony breed from here in Ireland.
The Sky Road is a twenty kilometre road right in the heart of Connemara. The scenery, again spectacular, is often used on postcards.
We had lunch in Veldon’s.
We made a brief stop at Kylemore Castle but didn’t venture inside. It was built in 1868 by the architect John Fuller. It was a gift from Henri Mitchell (a wealthy Liverpool merchant) for his wife Margaret. Unfortunately, a few years after the castle was complete Henri’s wife died and then his daughter. The castle is now owned by Benedictine nuns.
Sitting well above the castle is the Sacred Heart statue. It commemorates the safe delivery of the Benedictine Community from Belgium to Kylemore after WWI. In 1923, ten local men carried it up in a custom-made hand-barrow. The Community blessed the statue at its resting place overlooking the valley. The steep path is inaccessible, but the statue can be seen from here. You can see from the picture what a feat it would have been to carry the statue up, let alone mount it.
Our final stop of the day (other than a crazy traffic jam) was at Aasleagh Falls. A very pretty area right in the heart of Connemara.
We also had a delay trying to get into the underground parking at the hotel. The bikes weren’t heavy enough to trigger the sensor. The guys ended up putting one bike on either side of the ramp and that got it working.
The food in Ireland, for the most part, has been quite good!
Fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow!🤞
May 5, 2025 Glenbeigh to Galway The Connacht Hotel
We want to mention a little bit about the “Rally of The Lakes” that took place yesterday.
This is a once a year rally that had over 100 cars registered to run. It is a huge event in the County of Kerry. The roads at the top of the mountain are completely lined with traffic on both sides so spectators can look down the mountain and see parts of the rally.
These are crazy twisty roads and so there happen to be crashes.
In fact when we were heading back to our hotel we had to take a different route because the road was blocked from cars and debris.
This morning was another bright sunny day! We are riding a lot of the “Wild Atlantic Way” – this is the longest signposted coastal route in the world. It stretches for almost 2,500 kilometres.
We headed toward the Dingle Peninsula. According to National Geographic, it is the most beautiful place in the world and we agree. Just when you think you have spotted the most breathtaking view, you round a corner and see another! It includes many beaches.
In some areas the soil is a peat bog; very soft …. you can just lean your bike on it!
This part of the Blog is for Nora, whose family lives in Tralee. For lunch we stopped at Kirby’s Brogue Inn located in this beautiful town.
After that, we visited The Cliffs of Moher. This is beginning to sound like a broken record but the scenery is spectacular.
If you followed our Blog in Portugal you might remember us saying to put that on your Bucket List and after 3 days here we are strongly suggesting you visit Ireland!
It was another long day on the road-close to 10 hours- but even though everyone is very tired we are all very grateful to have experienced such a great ride!
May 4, 2025 Glenbeigh Loop back to The Towers Hotel
A very long (10 hour ride) but absolutely fantastic day. It is so hard, with words to explain the majestic beauty of Ireland. So under the theme, “A picture says a thousand words.” enjoy the pictures of the sea, roads, animals, car rally (that’s actually a story on it’s own) and our group!
May 2- May 3, 2025 Tours, France to Roscoff, France to Cork, Ireland and then Glenbeigh, Ireland
At 9:00 a.m. we rode our bikes to the Ride in Tours headquarters and met two of the other group members, as well as Sean and Laureen. The rest of the group would be meeting at the ferry in Roscoff.
We enjoyed a leisurely ride through country roads combined with a bit of highway driving.
We got to the ferry terminal around 6:00p.m. and met the rest of the tour group. We lined up to clear entry with the ferry service, then customs to leave France and enter into Ireland.
There are 14 bikes in total for this tour group. The ferry was massive!
We weren’t sure what our accommodations would be like on the overnight ferry but here is a picture of our room!
It was the size of a closet with a bunk bed that dropped down out of the ceiling! You would need to attach a ladder to get into it!
Now, here is a picture of the upgraded room.
Some things are just worth the money spent. It stopped us arguing over who would climb the ladder into the top bunk!
Instead we enjoyed looking out from our balcony as we departed from France and arrived in Cork, which is the country’s second largest city.
We docked in Cork around 11:00 a.m. and then waited in a room filled with passengers until we were able to access the lowest floor of the ferry where our bikes were parked. It was sweltering! Once we got to our bikes, we waited until they allowed us off the ferry. Nothing like the smell of approximately 90 bikes all starting up!
We were counting our blessings with a beautiful sunny day, as our first day in Ireland.
Riding on the opposite side of the road to Canada, takes getting used to but the group did a great job.
The scenery is spectacular.
We are staying at the Towers Hotel in Glenbeigh.
April 30- May 1, 2025 Dijon to Tours, France
After replacing a dead battery in the Spyder we were getting an error code. Even though the bike was working, it would hesitate when trying to start it. Since we didn’t want to have any issues when we got to Ireland, we decided to head to Tours, France early (this is where the tour company is headquartered). They confirmed that they had a new battery in stock. This was a really good thing because May 1st is France ‘s Labour Day and all the stores are closed. We were travelling the roads less traveled and came across a road block:
So, after lunch, we jumped on France’s Autobahn and with a speed limit of 130, we were able to cover great distance in short time. We passed by the exit to Paris, less than 100 km away!
In our travels through France we kept seeing laundromats in the middle of grocery store parking lots. Actually a very handy thing- put your laundry in and then go do your shopping. Or if you’re hungry, you can buy a loaf of bread from the dispenser beside the washing machines.
These two ladies just bought 4 loaves of bread….looks like 1 loaf won’t make it home!
Here is a scientist at work! Is this rapeseed, canola or mustard?
Conclusion: Canola!!
France uses a lot of wind power.
We checked into the hotel and met up for dinner with our wonderful friends Sean and Laureen. They are joining us for the tour around Ireland.
Today, we started the morning at Starbucks because the hotel restaurant was $33/ person for breakfast!
There were several protestors outside of the hotel. When we asked an employee at the hotel, what they were protesting, she said, “We protest everything in France!!” However here is what the local news said:
A political row continues in France over whether certain small businesses – especially bakeries and florists – should be allowed to open on France’s only public holiday when paid rest is mandatory for non-essential businesses.
The issue resurfaced after five bakers in the western Vendée region were taken to court for making staff work on 1 May 2024. They were acquitted last week.
We walked around town a bit, did laundry (not in the parking lot) and then went to a CanAm event.
It was a chance to test drive the latest CanAm “offroad” vehicle.
There were dozens of CanAm riders from as far away as 400 kilometres in France, who came to try the different trikes, on a track.
We also had the pleasure of speaking with Laurent and Rodolphe who ran the Portugal tour last year.
Tomorrow we meet up with one of the tour guides (Eric) at 9:00 a.m. and ride approximately 450 kilometres to catch the ferry in Roscoff, France. On route we will meet up with Marco, the second tour guide.
We are on the ferry overnight and will arrive in Cork, Ireland the following morning. It will depend on the quality of the wifi, whether we can complete the Blog. tomorrow evening.
Cheers!!
Here is our route from Dijon to Tours!
April 29, 2025 Le Val D’Ajol to Dijon, France
For the 3rd travel day in a row, we have enjoyed warm, sunny weather. We spent the majority of the day riding through “farm country” France.
It is so awesome to drive through all the small towns on the roads less travelled.
(This is a 80 kmh zone!!)
Some truck drivers are very talented. This guy (actually probably a woman) was hammering down at 70 kilometres/hour with an 18 wheeler on one lane with 2 way traffic!!!
(No room to pass!!)
Every town has at least one church and many have two!
We felt that it was important to keep up healthy eating when we stopped for lunch.
Just like in Portugal, the buildings get close to the road…not leaving much of a sidewalk!
Tomorrow morning our goal is to do some touristy things in Dijon before we get on the road again.
Here is a little mustard lesson from Wikipedia.
Dijon mustard (French: Moutarde de Dijon) is a traditional mustard of France. It is named after the city of Dijon in Burgundy, which was the center of mustard making in the late Middle Ages and was granted exclusive rights in France in the 17th century.[1] First used in 1336 for the table of King Philip VI,[2] it assumed its current form in 1856 when Jean Naigeon of Dijon replaced the vinegar usually used in prepared mustard with verjuice, the acidic juice of unripe grapes.[3]
Now here is another interesting fact, 80-90% of the mustard seed used in Dijon mustard comes from Canada! The beautiful yellow flowers in the fields could be mustard or rapeseed or both!
When we checked into the hotel, they gave us a sample bottle of Dijon mustard.
Another example of how much further their weather is ahead of ours; first cut hay is down! At home it is usually the end of June!
A must-have for any serious traveler is a collapsible cup! Much better than the questionable hotel glasses.
Here is an overview of today’s route! We went a little further west then south to spend some time in one of their national forests!
Off to dinner now! Cheers!
April 28, 2025 La Broque to Le Val D’Ajol, France
Wow! Another spectacular day. The temperature started out around 10° but then got up to the mid 20s! The sun shone, the entire time.
We decided that since we ate a very big dinner last night, we would go for a hike. We were thrilled that they had two trails leaving right from our hotel.
Since we were feeling energetic, we chose the 11 kilometre route, which would take us approximately three hours.
It’s so incredible the way they have the trails set up. Here’s a poem that was written by someone who stood right at this spot.
Indeed, the sun shone through the trees beautifully and the birds were singing.
Reading that poem, really knocked the energy out of us so after about one kilometre we turned around and headed back to the bikes. 😁
We did want to visit the historic Struthof Concentration Camp but unfortunately, it was closed. It was the only Concentration Camp in France.
We again did numerous twisty roads.
The roads were very tight between the buildings at times as well!
In some towns, to slow traffic down, they blocked a lane and put lifelike plywood cutouts of children and young adults near the road!
Amazing how many foolish (some might call them healthy) people are traveling these roads on bicycles.
Speaking of healthy we decided we would have a small salad and tiny crepe for lunch!
It’s fun to not have a set destination (when it’s off-season) and we booked a hotel in the middle of nowhere. When we got there, they informed us in French, that the restaurant was closed. Thank goodness for Google translate. Something to be aware of, if you try and cancel a booking, the owner of the facility has to approve it or they charge the full rate.
We did manage to get the booking canceled after about 30 minutes and headed to another hotel (after calling to confirm their restaurant is open).
Cheers!
April 27, 2025 Heidelberg to La Broque, France
What a fabulous day, for the beginning of our ride. It was sunny and warm (morning was 10°; then it went up to 20°). Spring is much further along in Germany, compared to Ontario. The canola, in the fields has reached 4 feet and is in full bloom. It smells amazing as you ride by.
We did some kilometres on the Autobahn and appreciated that German drivers know that the left lane is only for passing. However, it is a little disconcerting when you are going 140 kilometres/hour in the centre lane and they speed by you, as if you are parked!!
We crossed into France and were amazed at the huge sign they had to let you know (sarcasm).
We (that’s the “royal we”, as in Claus) found great country roads after that. Sometimes the GPS expected a bit too much from us. Like this “road” it figured we should use.
We didn’t mind some cow paths but the Spyder sits a little low to clear the centre.
On the section of road through the, “Foret Domaniale d’Abreschviller” (an AMAZING motorcycle road) there were several signs telling how many motorcycle accidents there had been at that particular corner.
However, that didn’t seem to slow down the dozens of riders on the road.
We had some more interesting animal sitings and a dog who decided to pee on the Spyder tire as his owner was giving us directions.
We arrived at a nice hotel called, “Neuhauser” and had a fabulous dinner.
White asparagus in a cream mushroom sauce, with puff pastry!
Creme Brulee with ice cream and meringue!
What a great start to the trip!!
April 25, 2025 Toronto, Ontario to Heidelberg, Germany
September 30, 2024 Lautrach to Heidelberg, Germany
The day started with a bit of drizzle, then dried up. We took country roads in the northwest direction, heading towards Heidelberg. We stopped in Senden (Bavaria) at Bayer Motorrad -a BMW, Yamaha, MotoGuzzi, Vespa dealer…
We picked up a golf shirt and looked around at all the new bikes! After spending hours driving thru towns and traffic, we jumped on the Autobahn to make some time (we mostly stayed in the right lane with slower traffic). We found the small road going up the hill to Hotel Konig Stuhl just after 3 pm. The drizzle just started again.
The hotel is beautiful (they just finished renovations in 2021). It overlooks the entire city of Heidelberg.
From here there is a cable car that goes down to the city, which will be tomorrow’s journey.
We had a wonderful meal- they actually had Vegan Currywurst …. and dessert !
Tomorrow afternoon we take the bikes to storage and prepare them for winter. Then back to Canada! Thanks again for following our adventure through Europe!!
September 29, 2024 Schwangau to Lautrach, Germany
It was so great to see the sun shining this morning! Doug found out that you could go to the ticket office and line up for tour tickets for the Neuschwanstein Castle first thing in the morning, as on-line tickets are sold out for 5 days! He was able to get us tickets for an 11:05 a.m. tour. After breakfast we rode the bikes to a parking area and headed for the bus to get way up the mountain to the castle.
It turned out that there was too big a line up for the bus and we would have missed our tour! We started hiking the 1.5 kilometre steep path up to the 6716 foot elevation of the castle. We were all in our riding gear and boots, so we spent a lot of energy getting there….. at least 2 desserts worth!!
The castle is such an amazing structural phenomenon of the 1800’s. It is mind boggling! This is another castle built for King Ludwig 11. He was arrested at this location and had been declared “mad”. Fascinating history you can read about!
You aren’t allowed to take pictures inside the castle.
The views from up there were awesome!
It was nice to see that the horse drawn wagons hauling people up the hill were HYBRIDS! The electric motors assist on the uphill and recharge on the downhill!
After the tour, we said our goodbyes to Doug and Cheryl. They are off in search of more mountain passes and we are gradually making our way back to Heidelberg.
We decided to take some smaller, quieter country roads so we were a little surprised to come across a traffic jam!
The grates in the road keep the cows from wandering further down the road! BUT where they can wander…they do! (best not to upset the ones with horns!)
We turned north back into Germany and away from the Alps.
We made it safely to Lautrach and in for the night!
September 28, 2024 Erding to Schwangau, Germany
Some of the Canadian Group headed back to Canada or other parts of Germany and Claus and I and Doug and Cheryl headed out towards Neuschwanstein (the Disney castle).
The weather was cold and rainy and after several hours of riding in the rain and being drenched we made the wise decision to stop and it turns out we were very close to our destination, in the town of Schwangau. The first two hotels we tried were sold out and we finally landed at Gasthof Elizabeth. It sure was great to get out of our wet gear. We walked to dinner and upon our return, in the dark, we could see the amazing Neuschwanstein Castle of King Ludwig 11 all lit up. What an amazing site!
We were all tired after the wet day of travel.
September 27, 2024 Warth to Erding, Germany
The last day of the trip we all lined up for a picture before we got on the road. You can see Suzanne and Henry’s rented Mercedes in the middle of the pack!!
Our route took us through a lot of beautiful country roads.
This sign asks motorcyclists to “Give your Guardian Angel a chance”!
Our first stop was the Lindau castle.
Marco, one of the Edelweiss crew went ahead and set up a beautiful picnic lunch along a river. We had local cheese, buns, a local traditional meat (like bologna) and lemon cake.
A few more curvy kms…
When we left we rode through more farming areas and then spent about 20 minutes on the Autobahn.
We went back to the Hotel Henry and had a nice farewell dinner with the group. Everyone shared what they appreciated most about the trip. The individual day maps were given out on a draw and the overview map of the entire tour was given to one of the riders.
It was a great way to finish the adventure.
September 26, 2024 Pontresina to Warth, Austria
Well, surprise- we were on more twisty, hairpin mountain roads again today! More spectacular views, weather and fun!
We stopped for lunch at a place called Heidihof. It is near Heididorf which is the town where the Heidi stories are based.
Next we drove thru the country of Lichtenstein…for a few minutes!
Then back into Austria….more narrow twisty roads!
Tonight we are at a fabulous hotel (beautifully set up for skiing) that has saunas, eucalyptus rooms, an indoor pool that leads to an outside pool when doors open up, a great restaurant and bar area, etc.! It is called, Hotel Jageralpe and is in the middle of nowhere!
We finally made it for a walk before dinner but it was raining so we cut it short (maybe a total of 1000 feet)!
Tomorrow breakfast isn’t until 8 a.m. Yippee!!!! At 9:30 a.m. we will start the ride back to where the tour started, Erding, Germany. It is under 300 kilometres but, of course, travelling these roads takes much longer that Canadian roads.
September 25, 2024 Bolzano to Pontresina, Switzerland
Yesterday we found out an interesting fact (from Marco, one of the tour guides). When Mussolini was in power, he outlawed any German language to be taught in South Tyrol. All German signs were removed and people living in South Tyrol (who refused to accept that restriction) taught German secretly in attics of their homes. This remained in affect for 50 years but now all signs in this small region, are in German and Italian and the people speak German , Italian, and many speak English.
Great, great day today (again)!
On route, through South Tyrol we passed acres and acres of apples. Every second apple in Italy comes from this region produced by an impressive 7000 farmers.
We made it to the infamous Passo dello Stelvio (Stelvio Pass). This is a road that most motorcyclists have on their bucket list. Part of the “front” half of the Stelvio was closed for construction, but we were able to get to the top via the back half. It is very technical riding with 39 switchbacks, but our whole group did an amazing job!!! The road was built in 5 years (1820-1825) by approximately 2,000 workers. It is the highest pass in Italy (9,048 feet) and the second-highest paved pass in the Alps.
We had lunch at the famous Bruno’s (a sausage stand) and strolled around, ignoring the few snow flakes in the air.
On our way to Switzerland we stopped for a beverage (no alcohol allowed during the day with Edelweiss) in Livigno, Italy where the 2026 Winter Olympics for snowboarding and freestyle skiing will be held. It was amazing to see the work being done to the roads and buildings, in preparation.
Time to get rested up for tomorrow!! Riding all those switchbacks was tiring!!
September 23, 2024 Lienz to Bolzano, Italy
At the beginning of each day the tour guides post a visual “map” outlining the ride. It’s great to know ahead of time where we will go and the highlights.
We are at the point where there are no adequate words to describe the beauty of the Alps and spectacular country side….Amazing, beautiful, stunning, etc, etc all don’t describe the beauty of nature that we saw today. Hopefully the pictures will give you some idea!
Some roads going through town got very narrow! We aren’t sure how trucks make deliveries through here!
When we set out this morning, the sun was shining and it was a comfortable 11° and rose to around 15° later in the day.
We rode on the Pusteral Panoramic Road. The sweeping turns were great fun!
We passed into Italy, which has the incredible Dolomite Mountain range.
It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2009.
We rode up the Folzarego Pass, hopped in a cable car to enjoy a delicious lunch and amazing panoramic views.
The number of hairpin turns is astounding and you do see many high performance cars and some brave motor home and bus drivers.
As we continued to our hotel, Bemelmans Post, in Klobenstein it began to rain.
Some of the remote homes we saw in the mountains had us wondering…how do they get there?
Fortunately, we only had about two hours of light rain. We arrived at the hotel, quite exhausted but filled with gratitude for a wonderful day spent with friends!
Tomorrow is a “rest” day, which means a short ride but we stay at the same hotel. It is always a pleasure to stay two nights in a row, at the same place, when you are travelling- whether by motorcycle, car, snowmobile or …..
We will continue the Blog on Wednesday!
September 22, 2024 to Lienz, Austria
Wow, another spectacular day! Sunny all day with a high of around 21°
The group left Erding at around 9:15 a.m. We all gathered with our bikes in the hotel parking lot and the first group headed out, followed by our group (now referred to as “The Canadians”).
The first fifty kilometres was gentle winding roads through farm lands. It was a great way to start the tour and give those renting bikes, a chance to get used to their new ride!
There was evidence of the heavy rains they had last week in the low lying fields.
We had a lovely coffee stop at Lake Chiemsee. On on island there, King Ludwig had one of his famous castles built. It cost 16 million “Goldmarks”. He only spent nine days in the palace……he was taken into custody and declared “mad” shortly after.
We headed to the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. There were lots of curves and switchbacks to make for a very fun ride.
One of the many highlights was to take a narrow cobblestone road up to the top, the “Edelweiss Spitze”!
The snow from last week was still visible throughout the mountains.
The temperature dropped to approximately 7° at the top.
Descending the mountain was equally fun. There are many styles of drivers-some are in a big hurry but most are quite cautious.
When we went into one of the tunnels, there was a lot of ice build up so it required conservative riding! In some areas the snow drifts were still melting back from when they blocked the lanes!
As we descended into the green valley the curves continued.
We arrived at the town of Lienz, located on the southern slopes of the Central Alps, at close to 6 p.m. We were assigned a beautiful room, overlooking the mountains, with our luggage already in the room from the van/ chase vehicle.
The group walked to dinner which was great! We aren’t sure if the walk will help us maintain our weight with all the food we are consuming! Actually, we know darn well that it will take a lot more than one walk! Breakfast starts at 7 a m. tomorrow 😑. We are certain to eat a light meal (not really)!
September 21, 2024 Erding
It was a fabulous, sunny day again with the temperature being in the mid twenties. It was our first full day in Erding and the group had the wonderful idea of hopping on the S-bahn (train) and taking the 50 minute ride to Oktoberfest’s opening day in Munich!
We weren’t sure what to expect but we were completely shocked at the swarms of visitors.
Masses of people crossed the bridge to the entrance and passed through minor security checks.
They were just looking to make sure you weren’t bringing your own beer.
The halls were packed! Last year, over 7 million litres of beer were poured at Oktoberfest! The “Oktoberfest beer” is exclusively brewed by six renowned breweries: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau, Lowenbrau, Paulaner and Spaten. Although wooden kegs and modern steel barrels are used for smaller scale transportation and on-site storage, tanker trucks transport large quantities of beer to the festival grounds. However, that is not enough – there are underground beer pipelines that transport beer directly from the breweries to the festival tents. Each beer tent is fitted with three 28,000-litre tanks connected by a 260-metre pipeline system to ensure the beer remains fresh and cold!
After we realized it would be impossible to get a seat inside one of the beer pavilions, we were lucky to get a table at the Spaten venue’s outside seating. Basically when one group left the table, we pounced on it!
The servers were incredibly strong. Each large beer (it wasn’t possible to buy a small size) probably weighed 2 kilograms. They would carry up to 12 beers at a time.
Additionally, they would bring food out on a huge wooden serving tray.
It was so fun to experience Oktoberfest, the crowds were huge and great to see the generations still continuing the tradition of “Lederhosen” (leather pants) and “dirndl dresses” .
After a quick visit at Oktoberfest, we then had to get back in time for the Edelweiss Group Tour briefing at 5:00 p.m. – we made it with a luxurious 15 minutes to spare. They had a bike out front of the hotel, fully wrapped with logos and a flag!
It is a large group of riders -25 in total but some are riding two up and they will split the group into two. Edelweiss reviewed their “rules” and explained what a typical day’s schedule looks like. Breakfast at 7:30, morning briefing and leg over at 9:00 a.m. 🤔
We better get to sleep! 😴
September 20, 2024 Heidelberg to Erding, Germany
What a spectacular day! Again, we were expecting cooler weather, but we enjoyed sunshine the entire day and the temperature rose to 24°.
At Knopf Tours they have a Gingko Biloba tree which is over 20 years old! This tree species is the oldest on record, it dates back to the time of the dinosaurs (60 MILLION years ago) and is used today for many medicinal purposes.
We started out (at 10:20 am)
on a route that is referred to as Castle Road (Route 37)- “Burgenstrasse” because it has over 60 castles from Mannnheim to Bayreuth, some dating back to the 1200s……..we should mention that we didn’t stop at any castle! BUT we did take pictures of them!
Note how on the last castle below…the road goes into a tunnel underneath it!
There was also an amazing motorcycle museum…. oh wait, we didn’t stop at that either!🤣 We did however enjoy many curvy roads,
some wonderful food enroute and the absolute highlight of the day was when we met up with our friends Liz, Harald, Suzanne and Henry in Erding!
Our “little” 4-5 hour journey of approximately 400 kilometres took over 8 hours! Do NOT calculate travel times in Europe, as you would in Canada or the U.S.A.! You travel through so many quaint and lovely small towns (unless you are on the Autobahn- we think today’s fastest driver was probably topped out over 200 km/ hour!)
We had a great dinner at a wonderful restaurant, with our fabulous friends and we are calling it a night.
One of the difficult things is to adjust to the time change as well as the lack of sleep on our flight! We are sure we will be bright eyed tomorrow morning!! Breakfast sometime around 9 a.m. 🤣 We are staying at the Hotel Henry and tomorrow we have a briefing with Edelweiss Tours at 3 p.m. before we head out on the High Alpine Tour Sunday morning.
September 19, 2024 Toronto to Heidelberg, Germany
We had a good flight and landed relatively close to the scheduled time.
Chris from Knopf Tours picked us up and brought us to their facility. It is a beautiful day here in Heidelberg: +17° and sunny! We are settling in today and will head toward Erding tomorrow morning! Bikes are all checked over, clean and ready. Had a nice German dinner down the road and calling it a night early as we are running on 3 hours sleep from last night’s flight.
As usual, we had the opportunity to chat with other people from around the world! We met a couple from Ireland, a gentleman from Seattle, who has stored his bike here for 10 years and a fellow Canadian from B.C.
Heading to Germany……………again! September 18 – October 2, 2024
We are very excited that we our heading to Germany on an Edelweiss Guided Motorcycle Tour through the Alps with our friends Liz, Harald, Laureen, Sean, Cheryl, Doug, Suzanne and Henry. Hope you can follow along as there are sure to be some great pictures!!!
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Day 11 Heitersheim to Heidelberg, Germany
This was our last day of riding bikes this trip! We headed out after a great breakfast with Onkle Heinz and Tante Jutta. We travelled through some beautiful small towns and MORE twisty roads.
On our route we came across an amazing, abandoned medieval castle, The Hochburg. It was built in sections, with the first being in the 1100’s!!
In 1415 the castle became the property ot the margraves of Baden.
In the 16th and 17th centuries the castle was enlarged several times and converted into a fortress. The alterations of the fortress were carried out each time in accordance with the latest developments in fortress construction techniques, therefore still clearly discernable today.
During the 30 Years War the Hochburg was conquered after a two year siege in 1636 and was finally destroyed. Its reconstruction began in 1660.
In 1688 the fortress had to be surrendered to French troops, who blew it up a year later. It is in serious disrepair and although a group of enthusiasts wants to restore it, we are guessing it would take decades and a whole lot of money. There is no roof on the castle anymore and when someone was asked, “Why don’t you build it back to the original height?”, the answer was, “We don’t know the original height!”
We had to park down below and walk the last 500m to the top of the hill (Worked off breakfast!)
In the picture below you can see the French Alps which we tackled on one of our first days of this trip (240 degrees) from where the ruins stand.
We went to a grocery store and did some shopping for our return trip. We are hoping not to have to bring toiletries, etc. back with us since we can leave everything in our bikes.
In order to make up a bit of time, we went on the Autobahn. On this highway when the circles have the diagonal lines… there is no limit! I timed someone passing by at over 200 kmh! (Upon proofreading this, I have to correct the reference to “someone” – it was Claus who was going 200 kmh!) Things get serious fast when there is 100kmh difference from one lane to the next!
My Spyder did a respectable 140-in the middle lane.
We were flying along until we saw this sign!
STAU, basically means there is a traffic jam ahead.
They sure weren’t kidding, traffic was crawling for 10 kilometres. We saw a new thing-2 trucks were directing all the transport trucks to the right 2 lanes. This allowed all the automobiles to go at a faster crawl in the left lane. It was quite incredible to see the massive stream of transport trucks! After about 3 kilometres we were able to get off the Autobahn and take small roads. Claus was tracking things on Waze, so he knew we were able to get back on the Autobahn, past where the accident had occurred.
We made it back to Heidelberg in good time.
When we got back to Knopf Tours, it was great to get back to the “sanctuary”! We got our bikes into the “yard”, the gate locked and all safe.
Everyone here are like-minded bikers, heading out or coming back from their adventures! Lots of stories! We met one fellow from New York that just came back from a 3 week trip by himself to Norway!
They did our laundry, which we needed to hang out to dry since they don’t have a clothes dryer. This was a great plan, except we think he forgot about our laundry and he closed up the house. Time for us to get organized for the morning! Yeah, he came at 9:30 with our laundry, which we hung on the collapsible clothesline (in the dark).
Many thanks for following our adventures and we hope you’ll join us in a few weeks when we head out on The Edelweiss Tour through the Alps!!
Day 10 Schwenningen to Heitersheim, Germany
The luck continued- it rained in the night but what was supposed to be a rainy day was a mix of sun and clouds . It reached the low 20s, which was very refreshing. We had more fun on all of the twisty roads.
The GPS again led us down some pretty small roads (trails)!
We stopped for a break and a coffee right on the curve in the road…there was lots of motorcycle traffic to entertain us!
It’s so funny to see cows right beside the road with just a thin electric fence to keep them away from the cars.
Perhaps this sign keeps them safe!
We decided not to go to the thermal pools as it was overcast and cool and the parking lot was packed.
We passed more signs warning motorcycles of the dangers of going too fast. This one means, “Stimulus with risk, sometimes luck and talent are not enough.”
An even, more to the point sign, “Death lurks here.”
Tanta Jutta and Onkel Heinz were kind enough to invite us back. We had a lovely evening with them and their daughter Anja and her partner Sven.
We can’t believe tomorrow is our last day to ride. We will head back to Heidelberg tomorrow and get organized to leave our motorcycles there and fly home!
Day 9 Feldkirch to Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany
Another hot, sunny day. The temperature was already 28C when we left at 10:50 a.m. and reached 32C by noon. -We know what you’re thinking 1. Why are they complaining about that gorgeous weather? and 2. They seem to be leaving later and later during this holiday!! Both accurate thoughts.😁
We do want to mention that 98% of motorcycle riders are wearing full safety gear. Mind you, that’s a great thing with the speed some of them go!
Europe seems to be more environmentally friendly than North America. One of the things they ask you to do is shut your engine off when you are at a red light. The light goes from red to orange and then green, so you have time to start your engine again. We were warned not to start our engine in any parking lot before we’re ready to drive out or people will come over and give us trouble. If you are not in your vehicle, they will shut if off and some people have been known to then throw your keys in the bush!! Additionally, most of the hotels do not have air conditioning. They suggest you open the window!
Our total ride today was approximately 190 kilometres (somewhat shorter than yesterday’s marathon of 212 km! The bike computer showed our average speed over the last 4 days to be 44 km/h!). We drove along Lake Bodensee (known as Lake Constance outside of Germany) most of the day. Being a Saturday, it was very busy! It is a 63 kilometre lake that borders Germany, Austria and Switzerland and is fed by the Rhine River. It is a summer destination for sailing, windsurfing and swimming. You can also cross by ferry from one country to the next.
We ate lunch at a little restaurant called the “Haifelee”, which translates to be a little harbour, on the edge of Lake Bodensee. (Note the 3 boats that fit in the Harbour!)
We saw a Zeppelin flying over us;
Then had to drive the wrong way down a one way street to arrive safely before 4 p.m. at our Hotel. (Bicycle race in town meant the circle-round was closed so there was no other way to get into the hotel parking).
We went to dinner at an Irish pub and we’re served by a Scottish waiter.
I had the farmers cheese burger with fried egg!
The place was packed by the time we left!
The food was excellent and our Scottish waiter recommended where we should visit when we head to Scotland. We attempted to walk off the calories we consumed but it just wasn’t possible.
Word of caution; when you drive into a town, the town sign is the reduction to 50kmh. The sign declaring it is the end of town is the start of the 100kmh zone. If you are too late slowing down or too soon speeding up you may see one of these posts flash at you! Called a “blitz”; speed camera, a ticket will be mailed to you! Nancy and I have each been blitzed once (different towns), not sure if they will bother trying to track down our Ontario license plates! (hope not)
Tomorrow we are going to try to make it to a hot spring spa, to recuperate from all the marathon days/miles!
If you think fuel is expensive in Ontario; check out the prices in Germany! Add 50% to the numbers you see in Euros to convert to Canadian $. That being said they do have more choices; 92, 95 and even 100 octane!
Day 8 Ulrichen Switzerland to Feldkirch, Austria
We really need to stop believing the weather report. Today was supposed to be a high of 21C and it reached a sweltering 32C!! The fall gear that we packed meant we were rather warm!!! Pouring water down your front really helps but then you have less water to drink. Nevertheless, it was another spectacular day. When we left Ulrichen, we headed for the Furka Pass.
If you watched the James Bond movie, “Goldfinger” you may remember this pass was featured in the movie. There is even a viewing spot, with a picture of James Bond.
The guardrails, or lack of them, does play with your mind! One really needs to concentrate on looking where you want to go, not what happens if you turn wide!
We rarely hit the 80 kmh speed limit!
Even more amazing was the Klausen Pass, which has an incredible number of hair pin turns! At the summit there is a tiny little church.
When we were inside the church we made a donation and lit a candle in memory of all our “guardian angels” watching over us!
Even though we know some German, ordering food does sometimes give a surprise! Nancy ordered bread with vegetables and cheese and this is what showed up!
We need to study some of the signs they have here in Europe!
This one means…. Dangerous stretch ahead!
The cows here have adapted to the steep hills! They are fit!
We had “sort of” discussed that Austria would be a great destination but honestly, with 32C sun beating down on us, we weren’t sure we would make it. After a brief stop in the shade, we headed through the country of Liechtenstein- are you familiar with it???? It boasts an impressive 25 km length and population of approximately 40,000!
As soon as we crossed into Austria, we started looking for a Gasthof- we found the next best thing – a Best Western Hotel! Who knew? AND it has air conditioning!
Tomorrow we plan to head back into southwestern Germany!
Day 7 Ulrichen to Matterhorn and back to Ulrichen
We are counting our blessings, with yet another spectacular day.
We enjoyed breakfast and couldn’t help noticing that the guys on the German ski team were wearing the traditional socks and sandals! I thought that it was only the older generation, who set that fashion, but not so.
We headed out at 9:40 a.m. on our way to the famous Matterhorn mountain in Zermatt, Switzerland. It is said that The Matterhorn is the most-photographed mountain in the world!! The summit is 4,478 metres (14,692 ft) above sea level making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe.
It took us about two hours to get to Zermatt (town at base of the mountain) but when we arrived in the town of Zermatt, people started waving their fingers at us, as if we were doing something wrong. A gentleman kindly informed us that we were not allowed up there unless we were a taxi or had a special permit from the police. Further to that, he said the fine is $1000 francs (approximately $1500) for each vehicle. If you don’t pay on the spot, they keep your vehicle. We immediately retreated (passing a parked police car on the way down to the town). We are hoping not to have a ticket mailed to us, as apparently there are cameras there. They used to allow tourists to drive to Zermatt but it became so popular that no one could find a parking space and the traffic would just be at a standstill. How were we to know, when they only had a tiny sign on the way up with poor wording!!
We then paid to park in the town of Tasch and got in a taxi van which took us to Zermatt. You walk through the highly commercialized shops to make your way to a spectacular ride up the Gondola.
You must transfer to another Gondola part way up. The first gondola makes a few stops and you can get out and walk around.
We were fortunate to have such a clear day, as we were able to see the summit of the mountain.
The temperature difference from the base of the mountain to the summit made it a little chilly in our t-shirts!! The knowledgeable tourists had coats, ski pants, hats and scarves! We could have gone skiing up there but we figured we’d be a little cold!
Although it was 29C in Zermatt, it was only 2C up at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise!
Once up there we moved quickly, took a few pics of the snow and glaciers and got back on the gondola! The snow and mountains on the right side of Nancy are in Italy!
Unfortunately a cloud sat between us and the Matterhorn, so one couldn’t see the peak from this location.
On our way down we could hear jets, and a formation of 6 fighter jets flew over and turned back!
We had a leisurely drive back to our hotel. It’s always a pleasure to stay somewhere two nights in a row when you are on a motorcycle!
Day 6 August 21, 2024 Beckenried to Ulrichen, Switzerland
Another fabulous weather day. They said it would be “off and on” rain all day with a high of 17. It turned out to be 25C with glorious sun. The temperature did drop to 14 up in the Novena Pass.
We had a bit of a restless night in that little hotel room-the local church bells rang every 1/2 hour throughout the night! Our hotel has the yellow umbrellas by the water, see the size and proximity of the church (a little to the left)!
In the morning when we looked at a route, “we” (Claus) discovered that there was a ferry that would cut an hour off our ride. What holiday is complete without a ferry ride!!
More fantastic roads today, many which went right through mountain tunnels. (Note the cow laying on top of the tunnel!)
There were a lot of tourists (including us) in the Andermatt area.
We had lunch overlooking the town!
This is a fabulous region, right in the middle of the Alps. For centuries, Andermatt was the crossroads of the Alps (Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria to the east.) Now most traffic goes through one of the longest highway tunnels in the world -this leaves the Andermatt region for motorcyclists and Alpinists. The number of bicyclists working their way up and down the mountain passes made us feel guilty about all that dessert we ate (not really)!
The main road through Andermatt was repaved in cobblestones with smooth granite slabs for motorcycles.
It was a challenge to find a hotel, with so many tourists but we managed to find a great little spot-WITH A SHOWER RIGHT IN THE ROOM! 🤣
It turns out that our hotel is the host to the German ski team! (we didn’t see them at the dessert table!)
We did go for a walk after dessert and found a house in the way of the sidewalk!
Tomorrow we will go searching for more passes!
Day 5 August 20, 2024 Thun, Switzerland to Beckenried, Switzerland
WOW!! We have totally figured out this vacation thing. Check-out time for the hotel was 11:00 a.m. and we had to ask if it was okay if we were a little late leaving!!
It was a definite treat to stay at the, Schuetzen Hotel. The breakfast buffet (which we got to 10 minutes before it closed) had a wonderful selection of fruits, breads, cheeses and this nifty egg cooker. We hadn’t seen one before in all our travels. You put the egg in a holder and set it in the pre-heated water for a period of time, to have a soft or hardboiled egg.
They had an autonomous mower trimming the grass while we were eating. It was super quiet! (Notice we are the last ones at breakfast!)
We both say that it’s impossible to describe in words, or even with pictures, the beauty of a place, but Switzerland is breathtaking and so clean! Riding through some of these mountain roads is like a fairy tale! You do not see garbage anywhere and most homes have beautifully maintained flower gardens or planters.
Some of today’s roads were so narrow, they seemed like driveways! Passing other vehicles was…..tight!
Another example of their 80kmh zone:
When we went to Portugal in April, our tour guide stated that North Americans don’t really know what it’s like to ride motorcycles in Europe. After a few days here, we know what he means! The towns are so close to each other, the roads are so curvy and, as mentioned yesterday, some residents are definitely in a hurry. It’s almost comical when you leave a town and go back to a “no speed limit” area, you may get 500 metres and you are entering a new town! Within each town, you may go 40 kilometres per hour, then 60 kilometres, then 50 kilometres then back to 60 all within a 1 kilometre range. There are bicycle lanes in most towns and a huge number of pedestrian crosswalks.
We covered another impressive amount of kilometres today-128!!! Curves take longer to ride!
How many people can say they have been to a cows’ symphony? High up in the Swiss Alps, the cows were all wearing cow bells and as they moved while eating the grass, they created a song!!
When we arrived in town at the end of the day, we couldn’t believe our luck! We found a quaint hotel right on the edge of Lake Lucerne. We then found out we had to park about three blocks away, the room had no air conditioning and you had to go down the hall to get to a shower! At least they managed to squeeze 2 single beds into the 9×9 room! 😁
Tomorrow, we have to check out by 10 a.m. -we’re not sure we can accomplish that, given our current holiday mode! It may be difficult to move after consuming our desserts!!
Day 4 August 19, 2024 Thann, France to Thun, Switzerland
We headed out bright and early- not really – we left the hotel around 10 a.m. but we made a visit to that beautiful church first. We wanted to see the inside, as we had read the stained glass windows are 15 meters high and refurbished! It was so beautiful and peaceful inside and incredible to know that it took over 2 centuries to build!
Today’s weather was amazing- starting at 13°C and reaching the high 20s. We wanted to avoid the Autobahn and so found a route that took us from France to Switzerland through gorgeous mountain passes. Unfortunately we discovered what rush hour in a city was like!! The drivers are experts at using the multitude of traffic circles and some of them seem to think they are on the Autobahn!!
Claus found the perfect road through the mountains. Basically it was one lane (for two lanes of traffic) with built in passing spots. Fortunately, it wasn’t super crowded, as it involved cars having to back up if they weren’t paying close attention to what was coming their way.
The old France/Switzerland border station still has a car but pretty much boarded up and no one asking questions!
Drivers are not texting and distracted! Here you must be aware at all times; this is the end of the 50 zone and start of the 80 zone! Hang on!
We cut our ride short (after doing an impressive 196 kilometres).🤣 We found a wonderful hotel, Schuetzen, that had excellent food and a great view from our balcony.
Day 2 and 3 August17/18, 2024) Heidelberg, Germany to Heitersheim AND Heitersheim to Thann, France
We had a beautiful ride from Heidelberg to visit our Aunt and Uncle in Heitersheim, Germany. We only did about 10 kilometres on the Autobahn (enough to be reminded that the left lane is only for passing and then you better get over unless you are doing 200 kilometres an hour). Even in the “slow” outside lane you should drive about 130 kilometres an hour!!
if you see the sign below, it means there is no posted speed limit. Translation = Autobahn no speed limit and everywhere else (out of town) in Germany 100 km/hour.
Anytime a town’s name sign is posted, (coming into town) you are expected to go 50 km/hour unless otherwise posted.
The beautiful back roads had lots of twists and turns and we had the pleasure of riding through farm land (lots of corn) and small villages.
We drove through the famous Black Forest (Schwarzwald).
As is often the case in Europe, we saw many cobblestone roads.
We stopped for lunch and had Pfifferlinge (a type of mushroom that is very popular in Germany, known as Chanterelles in Canada).
We arrived at our relatives in the early evening and went for a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant-ha ha!
This will shock all of you , but we didn’t head out today until close to noon!!! AND by the time we arrived at our destination of Thann we had done a total of 110 kilometres.
We drove a lot of twisty, turny mountain roads with spectacular views. We also lucked out with the weather! It had called for rain all day, when in fact we only had about an hour of light drizzle. Strange as this seems, to everyone who knows that we plan things down to the last detail, we didn’t actually have a destination at all, we just drove beautiful roads and ended up here. Sturzgefahr means “increased incidence of falls and reduced mobility”; these signs are posted everywhere on the twisty roads.
A reminder to anyone who will be traveling to Europe, it is NOT like North America. Because it is Sunday, the first 2 hotels we tried to go to, were “closed” – the door to the lobby was locked or the keys for rooms for people who had made reservations were on the counter with their room number and name. We finally found a hotel that was open. When we checked into our room, we were told there was only one restaurant in the entire town that was open because it is Sunday. Our plan of staying in France and having a beautiful fine, dining experience, had to be a bit flexible.
Thann’s most well-known structure is a beautiful church that displays incredibly detailed Gothic art. Construction on the church, St. Thiebaut Collegiate Church, began in 1332 and finished in 1516. The spire is 76 meters high!
Tomorrow we will leave France and head south to the Swiss Alps! Thanks for following.
Claus & Nancy
A reminder that we post our Blogs in order of day, so you will need to scroll down to see the start of the trip and our first video with Claus looking at the map!
Day 1 (August 16) Canada to Heidelberg
What a gorgeous first day. We had a very smooth, on-time flight from Toronto to Frankfurt via Condor airlines.
Chris from Knopf Tours met us at the airport and brought us to their facility, which is currently storing over 500 motorcycles from around the world!!
It’s a perfect way to start the trip because they have a bed and breakfast with private bathrooms!!! Hooray.
Stefan (the owner) also took the time to explain some unusual German traffic signs and rules. “Recht hat vor fahrt” – meaning the right street coming into traffic, has the right of way!! That being said, if you see the following signs, these are exceptions!
Additionally, he warned us that Switzerland has ZERO tolerance for speeding (not that we ever would) and it is better to go 5 kilometres under the speed limit. He has known of riders who were stopped and given tickets of 2000 Euros because they didn’t stop at a pedestrian crosswalk, when the person hadn’t started to cross the road. Also, it is very important to have an International Driver’s License and a CDN foreign vehicle sticker (on a Canadian bike) , as the police will ticket you, if you don’t.
Heidelberg is best known as a University town and 1 out of every 4 residents is a student! It has the oldest university in Germany. The University of Heidelberg was founded in 1386 and also ranks among the oldest in Europe. Fifty six Nobel Laureates share a connection with Heidelberg University!!
Knopf had our bikes unloaded from the shipping container and uncrated. Claus hooked up the batteries and we are ready to go tomorrow morning (he says 7:00 a.m., I say 9:00 a.m. – so probably a compromise somewhere around 8:55 a.m. 🙂 They have parking spots for your bike right in front of your room (each room is named after motorcycle brands; BMW, Harley D, Indian…)
We are so used to restaurants being open in the evening but three of the restaurants we went to for dinner were “closed for holidays” and at 5:50 p.m. another restaurant told us we were too late to get dinner as they would be closing in 10 minutes. With the help of a very kind pub server, we were directed to a pizza place, where we enjoyed a nice dinner after what seemed like a very, long day!
Cheers!
Tomorrow we head south to the Black Forest! Nancy & Claus
Here we go again! Germany by Motorcycle! August 15-27, 2024
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A New Adventure!! Portugal Tour by Motorcycle!! April 12th – April 25th
Day 13 (Wed. Apr. 24) Porto
At 8 a.m. the bikes started getting loaded in the van…they fit 4 inside.
Then the Spyder was the first to get loaded on the trailer. After all the bikes were on, most of an hour was spent securing them.
Then the news came that Thibauld’s flight was cancelled. A strike at the Paris airport was looming. He wondered about just sitting on his bike for the trip back to France!
Luckily there was a centre seat in the front of the van and off they went to return to France.
An easy start at 10:30 a.m. on the walking tour of Porto. First stop was the train station, “Sao Bento”. It is an excellent example of the tile work you see throughout all of Portugal. The tiles are called Azulejos. This art form of tile-making started in the country during the 13th century! Their use increased during the 15th century being featured in religious buildings. After that, they became popular for their decorative element inside and outside buildings.
In 1755 there was an earthquake which had a profound effect on Lisbon, and the capital city had to be reconstructed. Tile once again became the solution for an urgent rebuild.
The “Metro” system in Portugal is very impressive but make sure you have a local available to explain the routes, as there are multiple levels going in different directions.
We headed to lunch in an outdoor cafe, where they sold sample glasses of Port. There were five samples varying from sweet to strong. We felt, as good tourists, that we should try them all!
Along our walk we went on the bridge over the river Douro that seperate Porto from the old industrial shipping area.
We had a fun, closing dinner with the remaining tour group and bid farewell to everyone. As Laurent had said in his brochure, we were with friends we didn’t know we had.
Later that night, our leader got word that his flight had also been cancelled. He tried all options to get back to France and ended up, riding two-up on Isabelle’s bike. He borrowed a jacket and helmet from a much larger individual.
The next leg of our journey is to fly home! Thanks for joining us!
Day 12 (Tue. Apr. 23) Viseu to Porto
Wow, our last day of biking! We started out and had to wind our way through traffic to get out of town.
In no time we were going up a mountain pass to a beautiful vista at Serra do Montemuro
From there we went all the way down to the Douro River at Oliveira do Douro. Many kayakers and river cruise boats travel the route up the river all the way to Spain!
For lunch we rode into Lamego and found a spot to park all the bikes (often a challenge).
A five minute ride up the hill and we visited “Santuario de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios”. A beautiful historic chapel from the 18th century, overlooking the town.
We then headed down the Douro region/valley towards Porto. The scenery was stunning, vineyards along the road and river on the steepest slopes.
We stopped for one last break in “Entre-Os-Rios-Eja” for coffee/juice and rest, enjoying the time by the water, at the marina. The tables and couches were all raised on pallets.
Then we were on the last leg or our motorcycle trip! A truly spectacular adventure which we were blessed to share with our friends Laureen and Sean!
The road signs leave it to the driver to exercise discretion! Speed limits increase to 70kmh going into corners, passing zones starting in corners….
As we arrived back into the city of Porto we were reminded of the traffic and congestion.
We all got back into the underground hotel parking lot safely and went out for a wonderful dinner at a steakhouse (Cumplice), that was a brisk 20 min walk. It felt great to have a bit of exercise before dinner….and desert!
In for the night!
Day 11 (Mon. Apr. 22) Castelo Branco to Viseu
It was chilly when we left this morning at 8:50 a.m. (for our 9:00 a.m. departure)! However, the sun was shining and we had layers on, so the 10 C temperature didn’t bother us.
The drivers in Portugal don’t necessarily adhere to the suggestions for where the lane is, so when you are approaching a bend in the road they have painted a large arrow as a further hint that it might be a good idea to stay in the designated lane.
In the morning, we visited a beautiful village called Monsanto where the homes are built right against huge boulders.
The typical cobblestone roads are very narrow and make deliveries a bit of a challenge. The truck below was backing his way up the road, inch by inch!
We stopped for lunch at 1600m, in a small town just before the summit of the tallest mountain in Portugal – 2004 metres above sea level. Trying to find a way to park the bikes on the steep grade without falling over was a challenge!
After lunch we continued on the climb and stopped at a lookout point!
The “boys” stopped to play in the snow, before we reached the summit.
Once we got to the summit, the 360 degree view was spectacular.
It was another fabulous day with tons of twisty roads and hairpin turns.
A very strange phenomenon has occurred – our clothes seem to be getting a little tighter. We don’t think it has anything to do with the huge meals, dessert with every dinner (and usually lunch and breakfast) or the wine and Sangria. We aren’t sure what’s going on.
We are in for the night – heading to Sangria-or, we mean, dinner! Then back to our hotel “Palacio dos Melos” , a beautiful four star hotel in the beautiful village of Viseu.
Day 10 (Sun. Apr. 21) Evora to Castelo Branco
We are excellent students, so we were on the bike BEFORE the stated time to leave the hotel. We headed to the Evoramonte Tower. This tower (which has been restored) was built beginning in 1531! The design, with cylindrical turrets, is very unique. Additionally, the knots are thought to “bind” the tower.
As we left the castle we drove thru its surrounding wall
Many of the homes in Portugal do not have clothes dryers, so it is very common to see laundry hanging to dry!
We went for lunch in the restaurant, Casa do Povo, in Marvao Village.
The view from the window was spectacular.
We left here and headed to Hotel Vitoria Stone in Castelo Branco.
We have to say Laurent has done a great job on the agenda of this tour! Each day has some easier sweeping curves and some tight twisty sections with the odd hairpin! The breaks are well spaced, the lunch restaurant is expecting us and dinner reservations are all made in advance so the staff are aware we are coming and the tables are set. With 12 motorcycles and 14 riders it seems like we invade but we are always served in good time! We are trying to figure out when we can do another tour with “Ride in Tours”! http://www.ride-in-tours.com
In for the night!
Day 9 (Sat. Apr. 20) Algarve to Evora
Yesterday we learned a lesson about our fellow travellers. We always thought that we are type A but discovered that the “European” type A is more extreme. We were told to be ready for a 9:00 a.m. departure and at 8:45 a.m. we heard people starting their bikes. Today was an 8:30 a.m. leaving time but you can see, we were already rolling before then!
It was a high kilometre day – 260 km!! We know what you Canadians are thinking since we often do between 500 – 700 km per day but trust us – riding in Portugal is different!
The drivers here are highly aware of motorcycles and most are extremely considerate. As an example, these three drivers moved off the road to let us all go by.
We still find it amazing to drive along and see castles in the distance.
The saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words” applies here – locals watching the traffic go by, homes, narrow cobblestone roads, cars parked making the road even more narrow……..
It is so impressive that a small country like Portugal, produces so much wine. Each of the five mainland regions specializes in a particular kind of wine and they grow more grape varieties than Spain. When we asked the owner of a restaurant in Porto, if we could get a particular wine in Canada. He said, enthusiastically, “NO, we can’t export it – we need to have it all to drink!”
On route we stopped for lunch in Moura and visited a castle.
Fifteen minutes prior to arriving at the Vale D’el Rei Hotel, the skies opened up and it began to pour.
We all got our rain gear on, waited for the rain to subside a bit and headed on our way.
Done for the day!
Day 8 (Fri. Apr.19) Villa Nova de Milfontes to the Algarve
It was a cloudy morning and we started on our way at 9 a.m.. First stop was in the historic town of Odeceixe. After a short break and coffee/juice we walked the back roads and came across these metal sculptures.
We then rode the mountains heading south towards the Algarve. A bit of drizzle started, then heavy fog, wind and cool as we arrived at Miradouro da Foia, 902 m elevation. Apparently one can see the ocean and surrounding mountains on a clear day! We could barely see from one motorcycle to the next!
Fortunately, as we came down the mountain, the fog cleared and we were able to see the white storks nesting in trees and the tops of hydro poles everywhere. They are a huge bird (125 cm tall with a wind span of 215 cm). Their numbers have increased dramatically since being protected in the 80’s.
Just a few kms prior to arriving at the hotel for the night we rode past an orange grove! It is very common to see orange trees, lemon trees and some lime trees in people’s yards.
Once we unloaded the bikes and freshened up we went to a couple of the local beaches. The beaches are most often found between rocky cliffs. They are spectacular!!
Done for the day!
Day 7 (Thur. Apr. 18) Lisbon to Villa Nova de Milfontes
We started our day with a quick trip of the Portugal version of the Golden Gate bridge and up to the “Santuario de Cristo Rei”!
This saying was engraved into the base of another statue and Claus thought it would be appropriate for Nancy !
We then rode down the coast with our next stop at the lighthouse at Cabo Espichel. Standing along the coast are our friends Sean and Laureen.
Next we stopped at Setubal Bay for lunch; as we sat in the restaurant the local police stopped by to ticket all 12 of the group’s bikes for parking violation!
Just down the road we loaded onto a ferry to take us across Setubal Bay
An hour down the road we arrived at our destination “Hotel HS Milfontes Beach”, were we walked the beach before dinner!
Done for the day!
Day 6 (Wed. Apr. 17) Lisbon, Portugal (Lisboa) – Hotel 3K Madrid
Today was another amazing day! The sun was shining all day long and it reached 27C. The group headed to Berem (which is about 15 minutes by motorcycle from our hotel). We parked the bikes and wandered down by the water. The place was so full of tourists that it is hard to imagine what it is like during the “height” of the season!
We walked by the Belem Tower, which is a 16th-century fortification that served as a point of embarkation and disembarkation for Portuguese explorers and as a ceremonial gateway to Lisbon. The structure was built from lioz limestone and after 5 years of construction, was completed in 1519. It is situated on the bank of the Tagus River.
Further down the beautifully maintained cobblestone walkway (made from stone extracted in central Portugal), we viewed the Monument of the Discoveries (Portuguese: Padrao dos Descobrimentos). This is a magnificent structure that celebrates the Portuguese Age of Discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries. It opened in 1958. It is constructed of cement and rose-tinted stone. The statues you see are sculpted from limestone which was excavated from the region of Sintra.
We spent a few hours there and then headed back into “downtown” Lisbon. Visiting the “Avenida da Liberdade” (Lisbon’s most luxurious shopping street) It gave us the opportunity to reflect on the fact that there are still many opportunities to buy luxury brands – however we opted to indulge in gelado (Portuguese ice cream) instead!
The alternative …if we did not want a gelado and instead wanted McDonalds, we could have gone here. Notice it is not the standard building or golden arches!
As an educator, Nancy loved the way the schools keep track of the children during an excursion into the busy cities – all the students wear the same colour of hat and the teachers wear reflective vests so they can be spotted quickly. Holding hands also seemed to be a requirement! These children would NOT be lost!
Done for the day!
Day 5 (Tue. Apr. 16) Nazare to Lisbon, Portugal (Lisboa)
Our first stop was only 10 min from the hotel, we went to the area which is known for the biggest waves in the world (great for surfing)!
The view from this point was awesome! Our hotel we stayed in is on the horizon above the beach.
From here we headed south down the coast and we stopped for lunch at a small restaurant right on the beach.
Afterwards we continued south and stopped at a monument which is the furthest west point of continental Europe;
All was going well on the way to our last stop when one corner person was missing; we went straight when we all should have gone right! A couple texts and a call and we were sorted out, luckily only 1 km apart!
Then we rushed to the bus stop to get to the Sintra Castle for our allotted 5pm tour, with 3 minutes to spare!
Wow, what an exhausting day! When we saw that the route was only 207 km, we wondered what we would do for the rest of the day, when we arrived. What we did, was have dinner (at 8:00 p.m.) and then crawl, exhausted into bed by 11:00 p.m.
We’ve told you about the narrow roads, beautiful small villages, incredible vistas and amazing welcoming people, but it is so hard to describe the history that is a part of this breath-taking country!
Day 4 (Mon. Apr. 15) Aveiro to Nazare
Our first stop was thru a tight road in the woods to “Bussaco Castle”
This historic building has now been converted into a beautiful hotel! It is surrounded by a forest which is renowned by arborists worldwide for its incredible array of exotic trees and species of rare flora collected all over the world by Portuguese Navigators.
From here we headed thru some narrow streets in small towns
and up to the “Moinhos de Gavinhos” statue and old wind mills. In the distance one can see the new windmills on the next mountain tops!
Once we left there we headed down some mountain roads to the small village of “Lousa”, built into the side of the mountain.
We had a delicious lunch here and then rode to our hotel on the Atlantic coast.
The roads in this area were extremely tricky and off camber.
Unfortunately leaving here Nancy lost her balance on a slow start on a steep hill with sand on the road. The bike landed on its side; luckily Nancy only got a small cut and bruise on her left leg. At this point Nancy decided the 750GS was too tall and heavy, after this being the third time she dropped it (more than she has dropped a bike in 15 years of riding!!!) . She felt that this would be a very expensive trip if she kept up that pattern. Nancy did have some souvenirs though! (Here are the parts that broke off- clutch lever, brake lever and panier bag mount)
Nancy and I decided to take a short cut on straighter roads and after 2 hours, arrived at the hotel. Once the rest of the gang arrived we enjoyed a wonderful dinner overlooking the ocean.
A nice way to end the day!
Day 3 (Apr.14) Porto to Aveiro
We started our tour punctually leaving the hotel at 9am from downtown Porto!
We were treated to historic structures and twisty roads!
In the afternoon we went over a wooden bridge and stopped by a popular waterfront area with Gelado and shops.
Once we were parked for the night we walked a few blocks to a Venetian boat area, bridge and local specialty egg (and sugar) dessert.
We learned that here in Portugal, they put bread, cheeses and meats on the table when you sit…but if you eat any, every person is charged a few euros! We chose to simply split the total among the group to keep things simple.
Done for the day!
Day 2 (Sat Apr.12) Meeting in Porto of tour participants
Claus, Sean Laureen and I happened to be standing in the lobby of the hotel when a gentleman approached us and asked if we were there for the motorcycle tour. He introduced himself (Laurent Dozias) as the founder of Ride in Tours https://www.ride-in-tours.com/ . He took us down to check out the bikes we had rented and gave us the keys. Nancy was a little worried because her bike was a lowered 750 BMW, not the lowered 700 BMW she was expecting (and has at home). The bike is a little taller, heavier and additionally the gas tank sits higher up on this version. It was great to get the keys so we could load up the bikes at our leisure. Laurent told us where we would be having the group briefing and welcome dinner.
We then headed back to the market “Mercado do Bolhao” because we wanted Sean and Laureen to experience the fun. Here Laureen is doing the coffee bean sniff test! (you squeeze the ball which blows air into the beans and the aroma is blown out the funnel!)
Down the aisle they were making pasta lunches in blocks of cheese!
Again wine, cocktails and sangria were purchased for browsing the market!
It was great to meet everyone at the briefing. It turns out that all the rest of the riders are from France. Luckily Sean speaks French and Laurent speaks English!!
That evening at the group dinner it was explained that to keep the group moving and not getting lost, everyone follows the leader (Laurent) and Rodolphe (part of tour operator) is always the sweep at the back of the pack. At every turn Laurent will point and the next rider stops on that corner, up against the curb, with the bike pointing in the direction the group is going. This is called “corner person”. That person then joins back in the group in front of Rodolphe. The system works like clockwork! Here is an example, when we all needed to turn right:
A glass of cheer and rest up for the start of our adventure in the am!
Day 1 Portugal – Arrival day (Apr.12) Hotel Oca Oriental Porto
Arriving in Portugal at our hotel at 9am the next morning (and only getting 3 hrs sleep on the flight), it was too early to check in but they did store our baggage and we had time to go and wander the streets of Porto. We found our way to “Rua Santa Catarina”, a street designated to pedestrians only.
We are amazed by the history, architecture, cobblestone streets and sidewalks. We turned into an entrance and found ourselves in the Mercado do Bolhao.
As you can see this indoor market has bars that encourage you to have a glass of wine while you wander throughout (just return the glasses!).
Everything from seafood to meats to flowers to lunch!
A great start to our vacation!
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PHASE 3 CALGARY TO HOME
Day 5; Thessalon to Muskoka
Another beautiful, sunny, warm day. We had a great ride across to Sudbury, south to 141 and across to Bracebridge
We made it back in good time, another day no rain; a record that will be hard to beat; Alaska to Muskoka without rain!
In for the night!
Thank you for following along! We loved all the comments we received and hope you follow us on our next adventure to ?????
Day 4; Thunder Bay to Thessalon
A cool and overcast start to the day but the sun did come out and temperatures rose to a comfortable 24C. We still have not had a drop of rain (although we did see wet roads at one point today). The new bridge at Nipigon (where highway 11 comes down from Cochrane/Hearst and meets 17), looked stunning.
As we came around the east side of Lake Superior, we noticed how the fall colours are starting to really show.
We could definitely notice that there was a lot less tourist traffic now; far less campers and RV’s, compared to June on our way north. The stunning views southbound on 17 at Montreal River are worth the drive whenever you can spare the time!
While the cornering is effortless on a motorcycle, one gets much more of a workout on a Spyder!
After 781 kms, we were beat! Fortunately we did make it to the hotel before sunset!
A fabulous way to end another spectacular day! Cheers!
Day 3 Richer, Manitoba to Thunder Bay, Ontario
This morning we started at 16C and headed east towards Ontario;
We had another beautiful day! (no rain since Alaska!) High of 28C today.
We crossed the Atlantic/Arctic watershed line this afternoon…. the dividing line of where the water runs north to the Artic Ocean or south to the Atlantic.
About that time, we entered back into the Eastern Time Zone. Our next stop was Kakabeka Falls, the second highest waterfall in Ontario.
We arrived in Thunder Bay just before 7 only to find out there was a “no vacancy” sign…. but luckily someone cancelled only moments before we arrived and we got the last room.
We enjoyed eating at the only dinner restaurant we know in Thunder Bay….
Day 2 Moose Jaw, SK to Richer, MB
Today we stayed on TransCanada Highway 1 and just kept heading East!
Kidding aside, just 29km west of Winnipeg (at Tache) we came across a sign stating that this point is the “Centre of Canada”!
Tomorrow we cross one last time zone and provincial border…. back into Ontario!
Day 1 Calgary to Moose Jaw
In all our travels we have had great luck storing our bikes in a unit….But always a good relief when we return, open the door…. and the bikes are there!
We were on the road by 9:15; a bit cloudy for the first few hours and 18c but sunny and 34 c in the afternoon! (Which really is unbelievable for mid-September in Alberta!)
As we drove thru Medicine Hat, we saw the Worlds Tallest Tepee! (215′)
A few moments later we crossed the border into Saskatchewan;
Perhaps home to one of the most unique weather vanes!
As we were roasting we came across a field of snow! or at least that’s how it appeared!
After some research, we learned it was natural salt! The nearby Chaplin Lake is saturated with it! Strangely an area where thousands of birds migrate!
All our lives we have heard how flat Saskatchewan is …. but actually it has a lot of rolling hills.
We made it into Moose Jaw around 5 pm, which is known for its underground tunnels during prohibition!
Home of Mac the Moose! He held the title of Worlds Largest Moose for 31 years; then in 2015 he was surpassed by another moose in Norway, who was 12″ taller. In October 2019, Mac reclaimed the title when a new set of antlers were installed bringing him to 34′!
Impressive size!
In for the night, resting to prepare for ride to Manitoba tommorrow!
Day 9 August 28; Revelstoke to Calgary
Tip of the day; Before you call it a night, don’t say, “Wow, we have an easy day tomorrow!” because you may wake up to find a surprise! Claus’s bike would not start! Turned out the battery in the key fob was dead! Luckily Claus was able to use the Spyder to go to the next gas station and get the required battery.
So we had a late start but got all our gear loaded up on the luggage cart. We thought we were getting better at packing light but….
Once we were east of Revelstoke, Highway 1 had several tunnels to protect the road and vehicles from winter avalanches (and mud/rock slides).
We crossed the infamous “Rogers Pass”, there is still a glacier at the top.
Amazing to see the engineering on these mountain roads.
We made it into Alberta, home of the wildlife bridges!
They are even building more to provide a safe migration corridor for the animals from one forest to get across to the next. Countless animals have been saved from vehicle collisions.
We only saw one snowcapped mountain today in Alberta!
The only wildlife we saw today was in downtown Calgary!
This little cutie will be watching over our rental unit, while we are back at work! He thought if he would just sit really still we would not see him!
Here is a picture of our route across Canada!
Day 8 August 27; Whistler to Revelstoke
Today we rode eastward, back inland from Whistler. Another perfect, sunny (and hot) day! When we see the sign for danger of falling rocks, one thinks the rocks to be the size of baseballs or soccer balls:
But in some areas the rocks are significant!
We wondered who set the speed limits on this road, was it a Luge competitor or a “Super G” Olympic skiier? This is in the 80km/h zone:
And this is an example of the 100km/h zone:
We did pass thru some smoke filled skies today, near Lillooet;
We did also ride a few hairpin turns, that can be tricky if you are on the inside lane!
We continued south and then east on Hwy 1, towards Kamloops, then we detoured south to avoid the area that was closed yesterday and open with warnings of delays today. The forest fires are very close to the highway once you get east of Shuswap. We drove down past Falkland which proudly had a Canadian flag on the hill above town.
We then turned off on Salmon River Road, which was a beautiful, paved, twisty road that was very quiet. We connected on Hwy 1 near Salmon Arm and shortly there after arrived at the beautiful “Three Valley Lake Chateau”, nestled in between the mountains, by the lake.
From our room we were looking out at the rock cliff and were amazed to see how the trees have been able to grow out of a cliff face with little to no topsoil!
Cheers! One last posting tomorrow!
Day 7 August 26; Prince George to Whistler
Today started cool again, single digits but then it just kept getting warmer. Every time we stopped we peeled off another layer. By mid afternoon we hit 34C!
We were headed south on Hwy 97, Cariboo highway, and passed 150 Mile House where the wildfires had the road closed in 2017.
There was more evidence of the 2017 wildfires down by 100 Mile House.
We then turned west on Hwy 99 (Sky Highway) between the mountains towards Whistler. The wildfire smoke was heavy at times and this was the most twisty road we have ridden this year!
We did see helicopters running water buckets to the fires again. Amazing that those buckets hold anywhere from 273 litres to 9,842 litres of water!
In this area the Grizzly bears are protected.
After a gruelling 9.5 hours, covering over 640km…. we did make it to Whistler! Home of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Day 6 August 25; New Hazelton to Prince George
We started our day with a quick detour towards Old Hazelton, drove over and then walked onto the Hagwilget Canyon suspension bridge. They used expanded metal for the decking, which plays tricks on your mind when you are 262′ above the Buckley River, looking down! It is one of the largest suspension bridges in North America.
The history of the bridge spans over 150 years and was first constructed in 1856 by the Indigenous people using only knives and axes!
The current bridge is the 4th, it was erected in 1932 and in 1990 was refurbished to increase the bridges capacity!
Today we rode into the smoke of the BC forest fires, so we couldn’t take good scenery pics!
We have been enjoying learning a bit more about the history of the places we visit. We drove through Fort Fraser today and discovered that this was the town where they placed the last spike of the Grand Trunk Railway (currently the Canadian Pacific Railway) in 1914. Coincidentally, while they were celebrating this major accomplishment, some citizens in Hazelton (300 kilometres away and where we stayed last night), were busy shooting several bank robbers and lining up their bodies on the board walk! We bet the bank was never robbed again.
Thereafter we passed this huge worker trailer camp for the current pipeline construction.
Before parking for the night, we felt we HAD to wash our bikes, we have never seen so many bug guts on our windshields!
See you tomorrow!
Day 5 August 24; Dease Lake to New Hazelton
We left Dease Lake (1 gas station, 0 restaurants, no cell service….. a remote town) and headed south down highway 37. The first stop after 200km was Bell 2 Lodge, a beautiful European style lodge in “the middle of nowhere”! ( 500km from Watson Lake (first cell service to the north) and 300 km from New Hazelton (cell service to the south). But it has hourly helicopter supply runs to the nearby gold mine.
We fuelled up and had a quick lunch and learned they are busier in the winter! For only $10,000 for 4 days of heli-skiing, you get free meals and lodging!
As we continued south, we made a 23km detour to the Glacier on the way to Stewart. What a sight to see!
It has receded significantly since our visit in 2017. I got a few pics from the drone:
Looking from the top down towards our bikes… on the road in the distance;
Today we saw our first bear this week, a small black bear. Seems to be an active area for them. He was hiding in the bushes and ran away from the road as we approached, unfortunately we were not able to get his pic!
We arrived in the tiny town of New Hazelton (602 people), just after 6 pm, amazing for it to be the home of an Olympian!
There are 3 Chinese food restaurants in town (all relatives) and 1 Subway( they were sold out of our 2 first dinner picks)! After dinner we noticed the town has outdoor exercise equipment in the park!
In spite of yesterday’s advice to exercise, we just walked by them! It was too late in the day!
Day 4 August 23; Teslin, Yukon to Dease Lake, B.C.
We got an early start again today………well, riding at 11:00 a.m.!
We headed south on the Alaska highway, for the last time on this trip. The history of the road being built in 1 year, is amazing! Definitely worth reading about and we have attached a little “snippet” to peak your interest.
If you do travel to the far north (and we hope you do), it would be wise to carry extra fuel with you. Today we had planned to get gas at the corner where we turn south on Hwy37 to Dease Lake. We passed the gas station at the continental divide only to find out the card reader didn’t work at the corner station. We had to drive an extra 20 km out of our way to Watson Lake, home of the sign post forest! (you may recall we posted a sign on our way north in June!)
After filling up and having a quick bite, we stopped by the liquor store for some supplies….. I have never seen a gov’t license office inside a gov’t liquor store! Two desks and a plexi glass partition…
Back to the corner and a few kms down the road, we entered British Columbia!
A few kms down the road we could see that this area had been victim to a forest fire a few years ago.
Luckily, it appears they were able to contain the fire to a certain area, as soon the trees were green again.
About half way down we came into Jade City, the base for the reality series, “Jade Fever”
The lead actor, Claudia, had served us breakfast on our last visit. (2017;At that time we had not heard of the show).
We want to remind everyone that it is important to keep up your stretches and exercise program on a daily basis! One of our favourite exercises is arm curls!
It’s me kyle! Love you see you soon.🤩
It’s me KYLE! Love you see you tomorrow 🤩
Sorry for the late reply about our helicopter ride. Just working on our Blog site now. We had a great…
Love you grams and opa hugs and kisses from Kyle and Lizzy love you guys hope to see you soon
Love you grams and opa hugs and kisses from Kyle and Lizzy
Day 3 August 22; Destruction Bay to Teslin
Another beautiful day; clear skies, sunshine and warm !
We headed south towards Whitehorse, Capital of the Yukon. We are not tired of seeing the lakes, snow capped mountains and glaciers; so majestic.
The frost heaves in the road are getting less frequent. Hard to capture on a pic but here is an example, a huge dip at bottom of hill, not too difficult for motorcycles but would be challenging for trucks, RV’s and coaches!
When we arrived in Whitehorse we had lunch and a little walk in the downtown, where we saw this plaque of Jack London, author of “Call of the Wild”. His time spent (when he was 21 years old) in Whitehorse, Dawson City and Stewart Island informed his writing of the book, as well as the writing of “White Fang”.
We continued south, past “Jakes Corner” ,”Johnsons Crossing” and made it to Teslin! A new bridge being built (thank goodness, as the old bridge with its 7 spans has metal grate as a surface, tough to ride )!
Day 2 August 21; Glennallen to Destruction Bay
As we left Glennallen and Mt. Drum, we headed northeast thru more beautiful countryside
We stopped in at “Fast Eddy’s” for a quick lunch in TOK. (we had rented a cabin there on our way north to Fairbanks in June). We then headed southward towards Destruction Bay.
A fun fact as we approached the boarder….. we passed the US Border Customs building for the northbound traffic and on the southbound lanes was a sign for Yukon and no Canadian Border Customs !
Then came a sign that Canada Customs was 27 Kms further down the road! (We learned that due to the permafrost in the area, that was the first place they could erect a building!). Once past that point we entered Beaver Creek, the most westerly community in Canada! (We have also been to the most northerly community accessible by road (Tuktoyaktuk), the most easterly (Cape Spear Lighthouse, Newfoundland) and the most southerly (Point Pelee, Ontario)).
We continued to follow the east side of the coastal mountains to Destruction Bay. This town was originally built as a construction camp for the Alaska Highway. In the 1940’s a severe windstorm destroyed the buildings…thereafter it was referred to as “Destruction Bay”!
This map shows our location!
If you are creating a “bucket list” we highly recommend travel thru the Yukon (in summer), with its breath taking scenery! Whatever transportation mode you choose (we have seen bicycles, campers, motorcycles, RV’s, Motorcoaches , Extreme SUV’s…).
As the saying goes, “Never judge a book by its cover”, the gas station/motel/restaurant surpassed our expectations! It was clean, the food was good and fast and it was well setup.
Day 1 August 20; Anchorage to Glennallen
We caught an Uber to the Storage unit facility
Then had to figure out how to load all our cruise ship baggage onto the bikes!
(In addition to the full duffle bag we had left behind with all our gear)
Some creative packing using our “roc” straps and fortunately we lucked out again with beautiful weather (some baggage was not waterproof!). Then off we went to the twisty Hwy 1 with beautiful mountains on our right.
We ended up riding the other side of the glaciers we saw from the cruise ship!
As you approach Glennallen you are staring at Mt.Drum for the last 10 miles! It is 2045m and dominates the skyline!
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Phase 2 – Returning to the Bikes in Alaska!
With our bikes being stored in Anchorage, we had to figure out how to get back to them! After flying into Vancouver we rented some bicycles. Since it took us 1.5 hours just to ride around Stanley Park, we concluded that was not an option for us!
Perhaps there is an easier way!
Or
Some of these dogs have run the 1,000 mile Iditarod dog sled race! We almost took this pup (“Pitka”) with us! Sooo cute!
These dogs LOVE to pull!
While we were docked in Skagway we caught a ride to Haines and found one other mode of transport option :
We floated down the Haines Eagle Preserve and saw many bald eagles!
We learned that the juveniles do not get adult colouring until 4-5 years of age!
We decided that floating down the river was fun… but paddling up the ocean to Anchorage would be too much work!
We proceeded on the cruise ship and stopped by Glacier Bay and College Fjord before getting to Whittier, Alaska.
We arrived in Whittier, Alaska at 1 AM, fortunately they let us stay overnight and eat one last breakfast before disembarking!
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PHASE 1 OF TRIP:
Day 19, June 25; to Anchorage, Alaska
We left Healy this morning after a quick repair on the Spyder; the latch broke off of the side case, which had all of Nancy’s warm weather gear…including heated vest! I tried to pry the broken latch but Nancy “Googled” the issue and found a solution…reach up in under and between and release the cable for latch! We moved the spare gas can and bed rolls which we didn’t need to broken side and started on our way. Wind gusts up to 65 mph in forecast and crossing the bridge between two mountains, felt even worse than that! The broken case flew open while crossing the bridge and the gas can and bedroll flew out! We stopped to retrieve; not for the value of goods lost but to avoid another motorist having to swerve to miss it!
Notice the sign we read afterwards…no pedestrians! Nancy walking clinging to guard rail over valley and river!
Retrieved safely, I dropped my bike trying to do slow turn around in rest area, off camber and wind gust pushed bike over! Good thing for side cases and crash bars, no damage….just a heavy lift to get off the mirror and back on 2 wheels! Shortly after we went thru Denali. Had a granola bar and continued south towards Anchorage. Another day of great scenery! Many tour busses on this route, most from Princess Cruise lines.
It seemed we would not miss the rain today, we were headed to a wall of rain! Stopped at rest stop and got the rain suits on….
Got lucky, as we got closer the rain clouds split north and south and we did not have more than a few minutes of downpour!
Made it safely to Anchorage and into hotel!
We want to thank everyone who has followed and posted comments! We really enjoyed reading them and it spurred us on!
We will now get our bikes cleaned, into storage with most of our gear. Will catch a flight home and rejoin our bikes in August! We will send an email notification when we start again and hope that you will follow the next phase of our adventure!
Day 18 June 24; to Healy, Alaska
We headed out around 10:30 a.m. after a quick breakfast at Fast Eddy’s – quick but huge! Nice to be on the Alaskan (Alcan) Highway, where the potholes, dips and gravel sections are very reduced compared to the “Top of the World” highway.
Enjoyed our morning cruising along the highway and made a lunch stop at “The Drive-In” – a crazy busy spot because it is across the street from the last mile marker for the Alaskan Highway, at Delta Junction.
Amazing history on how quickly the highway was built!
We continued north past the Eielson Air Force Base and could see that they had 18 fighter jets standing by!
Went on and made a stop at the BMW dealer(Trails End) in Fairbanks, got a new helmet as my visor broke off an hour earlier!
We were extremely lucky today again with the weather, called for cool and rainy and we managed to avoid the rain (was behind us and off to the left and right!). It was reported that shortly after we left Delta Junction that they got hit with heavy rain and hail! Again we had temperatures unexpectedly hit 27c!
We have made it safely to Healy and are in for the night!
Saw this sign during the day and thought it was a good message !
Day 17 June 23; to Tok,Alaska
The day started with a call to a tire shop in Dawson. They could fit us in the schedule, to put the new tires on the front of the Spyder if we could make it there in 20 minutes; ” up and at em”! After carrying them on the bike all the way and back, on the Dempster, “just in case”, it was time to have them installed and lighten the load of what we are carrying.
We did a quick walk around town and got in line for the ferry across the Yukon river (runs 24 hrs/day!). We noticed the bike in front of us had Mexican plates with “wild hawks” decal… asked if he had been up the Dempster recently (recall their stainless steel sign on Yukon sign?)…yes, he was part of the group that rode up from Mexico!
As “small” vehicles we were lucky to get on second ferry trip as they can squeeze bikes into the small spaces . Some of the RVs may have had to wait hours!
Once we were on the “Top of the World” highway, we came across several snow drifts still on the side of the road.
After about 100 km, we came to the furthest north Canada/USA border checkpoint, a few buildings nestled in between the mountains;
The border patrol agents at the US border were very short with words, didn’t ask a single question! They have nice little log cabins to live in, on site, (min. 60 miles to nearest town).
Stunning scenery along this route!
A few miles down the road we were at a fast flowing river and stopped to pan for some gold!
We didn’t find much but what we did find, we put in a small vial and labelled “Alaska”! If you believe this we have a “land claim” to sell you in Alaska, LOL
We were delighted that when we started back down the road a huge caribou ran out of the bush, in front of us, for a visit!
What an awesome sight, so lucky to have seen it! As we continued West the road climbed back up to high elevations; what was surprising was the lack of guard rails! If you slip off the side…no second chance!
We passed some cruiser bikes that were challenged by the gravel sections of the road, including this one from Saskatchewan, pulling a trailer.
We worked our way to Chicken, Alaska; where we had a quick bite to eat
Our final destination was only another hour down the rough road…we have a nice little cabin booked.
We went into “Fast Eddy’s” for a light dinner and after eating a third of our Mushroom caps, dinner arrived….we had forgotten about US meal portions!
Tomorrow we head back north to North Pole and Fairbanks!
Day 16 June 22; Back to Dawson
The forecast was drizzle off and on all day, high of 18. Was mostly sunny high of 21! We had a good nights sleep and were on our way at 10:30
Another day of fantastic scenery1
We passed by an area that was consumed by forest fire in 2017, nice to see the regrowth well underway.
Once we were 100 km south of Eagle Plains, we reached the Ogilviy mountain rest stop.
Nancy had enough and gave me a push! Luckily I got my footing back!
Another example of why the Dempster has such a reputation as a tough highway! In Ontario gravel roads use 3/4″ and less stones, in Yukon it appears to be 18″ and less!
Occasionally we would see Moose tracks on the soft shoulders of the road;
As we descended into the foothills of the mountains one could really see the rock outcroppings and glacial formations.
We arrived safely back at the start of the Dempster. Mission accomplished!
We made it back to Dawson City, fuelled up and checked back into the Eldorado Hotel. Started peeling off the protective tape from the Spyder.
The Spyder performed very well! Better than we hoped for!
Helpful tip for travellers; get a power adaptor to keep with the power cords for cell phones, helmet communicators, camera battery…. many hotel rooms only have one or two receptacles for guests
OHH, and a follow up to Nancy’s video prior to the start of our trip;
It is now after 11 pm and we will get a good nights rest and head off to the “Top of the World” highway tomorrow! The furthest north Canada / US border! Then to Chicken, Alaska for lunch and down to Tok for dinner.
Day 15 – Wednesday June 21 – Summer Solstice
We (Claus) washed the bikes in the morning, before the second round of Dempster Highway dust!
It seems it is almost impossible to rely on the weather forecast. It said, no rain and a high of 17 later in the day. One of the local residents stated, as we stood in the rain, “Welcome to Inuvik weather” :). The rain, was actually welcomed, as it held down some of the Dempster dust! During the day, the temperature rose to the mid 20s with glorious sunshine!
It is very fun (other than the deep mud ruts getting on) to cross the Mackenzie River on the ferry and the Peel River on the cable ferry.
We missed the first ferry by just a minute but luckily it was back quickly.
On the ferry the cliff swallows enjoyed living on a “house boat”, lots of mosquitos to hunt at each landing point!
Beautiful flowers on the side of the road
Overall, it was another magnificent weather day for us to appreciate the amazing Yukon scenery!
We didn’t see a lot of wildlife but there is a herd of caribou that are often seen along the Dempster Highway. One of the government workers shared a photo he took in the morning. The herd is reported to have an estimated 197,000 animals, however they are heavily hunted.
Today, being summer solstice you can view the “sunset” at the Arctic Circle – it actually doesn’t go down but rather goes across the horizon. The June solstice is the only day of the year when all locations inside the Arctic Circle experience a continuous period of daylight for 24 hours. The Earth is actually farthest from the sun during this time of year! This picture was taken last night, in Inuvik, at 12:30 a.m.
The sun was going from West to North!
We travelled back into Yukon this afternoon and noticed a group of motorcyclists from Mexico had done the trip to Tuk this month as well. Looks like a brutal schedule; over 17,000 km in 24 days!
Was less than an hour and we were back at the Arctic Circle, beautiful clear weather for great view;
We are extremely happy to be staying in a room tonight at Eagle Plains, rather than camping at their lovely gravel campsite where the mosquitoes have no mercy on out-of-towners!!
Eagle Plains is 370 km from Inuvik and Dawson , truly in the “middle” of nowhere!
The dust had its toll on us and our boots!
Tomorrow morning we head back to pavement at Dawson City – 409 kilometres south of Eagle Plains.
Day 14 – Tuesday June 20
Today started off cool and damp … and we got a late start! Had a good nights sleep (despite daylight all night!). We shuffled our things since we only needed supplies for the day.
You can see the dust off the Dempster highway gets into everything (even in a sealed side case)!
We started north on the final section of the Dempster Highway by 10 am
The 148 km does not sound like much, but road conditions varied greatly on the way up; there were soft areas with ruts,
and areas with lots of loose stone, large and small (very unstable for motorcycles).
Sometimes you could ride towards the side of the road to avoid deep stones but beware….
About 75 km north of Inuvik was the “tree line”…this was the last tree, none to be found at Tuktoyaktuk
WE MADE IT!
We headed up to the very north end of the Trans Canada highway!
I had taken my bathing suit and we both took our water shoes…but after riding for 3 hours in strong winds at +6c , swimming was out of the question! Of course, we did dip our toes in the Arctic Ocean, surprisingly the water was not as cold as the air!
We learned that the meaning of Tuktoyaktuk is “resembling a caribou”.
In town there was this old schooner on display. It is “Our Lady of Lourdes”, in the old days it was the only link to the rest of the world for this community. It was a supply ship for the Catholic missionaries and used to ferry Catholic school children to schools.
The community is located on a long peninsula into the Arctic ocean
The Northwest Territories is known for its Pingos! The Tuk peninsula has the greatest concentration of pingos in the world! (total of 1,350!)
A pingo is formed by pressurized water pushing up on the permafrost. Here is what it looks like from the top!
In several of the bays along the ocean the shoreline was filled with driftwood! Odd when the entire area is above the treeline!
Here is a very unusual example of permafrost, right along side the road
We had a safe journey back to Inuvik, time to have a quick meal, update blog and be ready for the journey back to Eagle Plains tomorrow! (where we will NOT be camping!)
Day 13 – Monday June 19
What a night, what a day! After “sleeping” in a tent, raining during the night, mosquitos hovering outside the door, we left Eagle Plains after a quick breakfast and headed north!
First stop was only 40 km up the road….The Arctic Circle! Now with 24 hour daylight!
Several emergency airstrips right on the roadway…just in case/ be aware!
Scenery was breath taking!
Pictures barely do it justice…but you get the idea! Surprised at how many solo and couples we have seen heading up the Dempster on bicycles!
Being this far north….still snow on the sides of the roads!
Only a few more kilometres and we arrived at North West Territories border. A windy spot crossing over the crest of the mountains between 2 peaks!
The NWT are using a different road aggregate, more finer stone but sometimes 3-4″ clear stone…which is like riding on dry sand!
We crossed the Peel and Mackenzie rivers on ferry and made it to Inuvik!
Next step is final destination….Tuk ; the Arctic Ocean!
Day 12 – June 18
Sorry for the delay, no wifi or desk available !
We left Dawson City at 8:45 loaded up and on route to the infamous “Dempster Highway”! There is a gas station at the very base, so we topped up as we would probably need the spare fuel we are carrying to make the 371 km to Eagle Plains.
Just after this pic two bikes pulled in, just coming down from Tuk! We were thankful that they stopped by to chat and let us know the conditions we would be facing.
The scenery was unbelievable! We just didn’t expect mountains in the Arctic!
We have also seen a lot of tourists from Europe. They come with massive, custom SUVs and often tour for months at a time.
At times we were riding thru heavy rain, which made the road less dusty but more muddy!
While at a rest stop this bike came in with sidecar…with dog…with goggles!
We arrived at Eagles Plains, fuelled up and went to reception praying they would have a room for us (called for several days and got no answer)….
Lol, so we could not get a room and the mosquitos were thicker than we have ever seen! It was hard to get them to pose….but here is a sample if standing still for 3 seconds:
Hope to get a restful nights sleep to be ready to continue north in the morning!
Day 11 – June 17..
Today we had more beautiful weather! We rode from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Yukon has such spectacular scenery- mountains, forests, lakes and rivers.
Coming into Cormack’s we had a fox dash in front of the bikes…with his mouth full! A successful hunter!
The roadside was in full bloom with Fireweed, Yukon’s flower emblem:
Unfortunately many of the roads are filled with extremely deep potholes and long stretches of gravel roads. But it really is worth the drive! There are a lot of crews out working but it is early in the season for them so there is a lot to be done.
One site had a long wait and then pilot vehicle escort…luckily motorcycles are to be first following! So we got to go to front of the line!
We arrived safely to Dawson just after 6 pm
We went to the “Downtown” hotel for dinner, where you can purchase a famous “Sourtoe Cocktail” (it is a shot of whiskey with an unusual accompaniment: a mummified human toe!) See the toe on the plate!
Then it is dropped with tongs (to be sanitary) into the cocktail
There is just one rule; You can drink if fast; You can drink it slow; But your lips must touch that gnarly toe!
To our surprise Clinton Smout and the Dual sport tour gang are here from Ontario as well! We have covered the spyder paint job with 3M stone guard and when that ran out…painters tape!
Tomorrow we tackle the almighty Dempster highway!
Day 10 – June 16
We got an early start, riding by 8 am, drove by the sign post forest on our way out of town.
Another beautiful day! So lucky that as we got to the scenic mountains we had clear air, no smoke!
We wanted to get to Whitehorse early as we had a new set of tires for the GS motorcycle waiting at Yukon Yamaha, with an appointment for install and quick oil change.
We stopped at the “Continental Divide” restaurant / gas bar for quick fuel up and brunch. Met more motorcycles heading north and south.
Doesn’t look like much but gas when you need it and warm, home cooked food!
We then continued on for a couple hours, stopped at rest stop… to our surprise, 100 miles south of Whitehorse and line up for the outhouse!
Then off to the last big city we will see in Canada!
Got the bike in on time and replaced the tires with the helpful staff at Yukon Yamaha!
While waiting for the service we went for a quick tour of the area. Miles Canyon just a few kms away, cable suspension bridge over the Yukon river that used to be used by hundreds of sternwheelers to move people and product the 500 miles to Dawson City.
Thanks to Danny for the use of his Mavic 3 drone!
End of another great day of riding! Tomorrow we are off to the goldrush community of Dawson City! A ton of history there!
Day 9 – June 15, 2023
Today couldn’t have been better. We left around 9:15 a.m. and it was sunny with clear skies. The temperature was around 15 C and rose to around 23 C. later in the day.
The stretch of highway from Fort Nelson to Watson Lake has many signs warning of wildlife and the bison and bears didn’t disappoint!! Within the first 5 miles from starting, we saw our first little black bear!
Several more throughout the day;
Manchu Lake is a spectacular turquoise blue.
Continuing north we had a Bighorn sheep road block;
Then came the Bison! Never saw as many. Noticed one leader had a collar;
They stopped traffic whenever they decided!
Lots of baby’s in the herd!
We have been seeing some of the same motorcycle groups as people are heading for Alaska or Tuktayuktuk.
We crossed in and out of the Yukon and British Columbia today as the highway zigs and zags between the territory and the province.
We made it safely to Watson Lake, got checked in and went over to the famous “sign post forest”!
Day 8 – June 14, 2023
It was not raining when we left Peace River but was still quite smoky.
As we rode past the farms, many old buildings standing; if only they could talk!
“Do you remember the winter of 19xx? The wind storm of xxxx?” ….Old but still standing!
We had heard of the heavy rains in BC; Here was one of the mudslides we saw:
We saw two bears today; this guy was “camera shy”
There was also a little black bear grazing 40′ from the road but couldn’t get to my camera quick enough.
Seeing more and more motorcycles today, including this guy from Germany with sidecar!
As we rode, we had some beautiful warm weather and then those drastic temperature changes and lots of rain (on and off throughout the day). Currently in Fort Nelson, British Columbia it is a gorgeous 15 C with sun shining!
We have now done approximately 4600 km of the 6600 km trip to Tuk. Our route is highlighted below:
Medical kit review:
Day 7 – June 13, 2023
Left Vermilion, Alberta at 9:15 a.m. (Claus refused to get up earlier 🙂 LOL and it was already 20 C. We have so many people ask where we are heading we put a note on the back of the bike!
Fantastic sunny day until it wasn’t! We had periods of heavy downpours but we were glad because we were hoping it would help dampen the wildfires.
Driving thru one of the small towns we saw a Timmy’s….with what appears to be a new logo??
The area around Slave Lake was extremely smoky. We saw a helicopter with a water bucket heading to the fire.
It is normally a beautiful view as you come down the hill into Peace River
but the smoke was so thick, you couldn’t see anything!
We have made it in safely for the night! Today we accomplished another 658km, a running total of 4016km!
We are having technical issues trying to upload our videos but will keep investigating and let you know when we have been able to post them!
Day 6 – June 12, 2023
Another fabulous day, but wow was it hot!! The day started at around 18C and got all the way up to 34C and hotter at times!! We left Yorkton, Saskatchewan at 8:30 a.m.
We stopped in at a brand new BRP spyder dealer in Saskatoon to get a spare pair of front tires for Nancy’s machine…..then where to tie them on!
We fuelled up at a gas station in Foam Lake, yes winters are brutal there, -40 and with wind chills -50! A small town with optimism! “The best place in the world to live”!
As we got closer to Alberta the air quality steadily decreased. We stopped to put our N95 masks on when visibility decreased (and the smell of smoke increased).
Saw a couple of large potash operations.
We crossed into Alberta at around 5:30 p.m.
We thought we were getting better at packing light??
Day 5 – June 11, 2023
Thanks for everyone’s comments and encouragement!
Today we rode all the way thru Manitoba and made it to Yorkton, Saskatchewan, our biggest day at 745km! We departed at 8:30 this morning and arrived at 4:30; sounds like an easy day but we crossed another time zone coming into Saskatchewan! (We crossed the first time zone between Thunder Bay and Sioux Narrows, yesterday).
Started cool as we left Sioux Narrows it was sunny and 14C but quickly rose to over 20C by 10am, as we crossed into Manitoba.
With the warmer temperatures, also came BUGS!
Although Manitoba and Saskatchewan are known to be flat, there are some rolling hills and valleys!
Late afternoon we crossed into Saskatchewan. It is known as “Land of the living skies” not only for the views of the Northern Lights in the nights but also for the cloud formations brought about by the jet-stream. Another day of clear, smokeless sunshine, while the much needed rains started in Southern Ontario.
Lots of rail cars for Potash Corp!
In preparation for this trip, we purchased stainless steel screens to protect the air dams on front of the Spyder. They proved useful today !
Another great day came to a close but after a nice dinner …. we fell asleep prior to posting! Tomorrow, off to Alberta!
Day 4 – June 10, 2023
Today we rode from Thunder Bay to Souix Narrows, via Rainy River!
Great day today, started cool but warmed up into the 20’s and CLEAR air, no smoke!
Stopped for fuel just prior to lunch and came across more wildlife!
We have been reading the sign on Hwy 11, just north of the 400/11 split for years and thought we should visit Rainy River!
Here is where Hwy 11 ends… at the US border!
The end of the road!
As we turned around to head to our destination, we noticed the sign that it was the beginning of the “Heart of Canada Touring Route”!
We made it to our destination!
Day 3 – June 9, 2023
We had another great day! Travelling from Harmony Beach to Thunder Bay! Wild temperature swings, like we have never felt before. One minute it was 12 C and the next it was 26 C and then back down and back up for several hours!!
We stopped in Wawa for breakfast. We always try and eat healthy when we are on the road. See the picture below!
Tim Horton’s has taken their highest calorie donut (French Crueller) and added a chocolate dip! Yummm!
We then headed to the downtown General Store and were amazed by the wildlife… had our first encounter with a moose !
After our wildlife scare we continued north and came into White River, home of “Winnie the Poo”!
We then continued heading north towards Thunder Bay and stopped in at the Terry Fox monument, overlooking Lake Superior. It is well worth the visit, just a few kilometres west of where Terry Fox had to stop his Marathon of Hope.
Tips of the day:
Tips of the day!
Day 2 June 8, 2023- From Walkers Point to Harmony Beach (north of Sault Ste. Marie).
We had a great day….smoke from the wild fires most of the way but we were wearing N95 masks. We travelled approximately 570 kilometres. No rain and would have been sunny without the smoke.
Great wildlife bridge near Sudbury
Traffic was no issue other than lane closures because a tractor trailer had an oopsy with a load of drywall.
What a fabulous start to our adventure! When we drove by our son and daughter-in-law’s house they were out front with our grandson waving to us!
Claus has a drone, which is fantastic for viewing for miles!
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