Introduction
What I did in my summer Holidays, by Andy Pugh, age 32 and a half.
It all started back last year, when members of the Ixion
mailing list first became aware that an Eclipse was due to happen.
Plans were hatched to visit Cornwall and France, and then somebody noticed
that the greatest length of totality was due to happen in Romania around
the town of Rimnicu Valucia. Marvin was that person and thence formed a
plan to trek out there to enjoy the spectacle. I professed mild interest,
and from that point on I was going to Romania. It was for me quite an undertaking,
never having ridden a bike abroad before, and never actually having done
any motorcycle touring. I had no way of knowing if I would be able to face
riding for day after day. The bike was a slight worry too; Was a 15 year
old bike with nearly 80,000+ miles on the clock really a good choice? Especially
considering the trip was a year away, by which time the mileage would be
over 90,000. Then there were concerns about how much it would cost, but
with plenty of time to save up I decided that it was an opportunity too
good to miss and committed myself to going. It seemed that no sooner had
I done so than Marvin was asking for ferry money. It really did look like
it was going to happen.
We started planning by email cc list, eventually this became burdensome
and a onelist was set up. A plan formed:
-
Ferry to Bilbao Through the Pyrenees, Spain to France
-
Through the Alps, France to Italy to Switzerland to Italy.
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Through the Dolomites, Italy to Slovenia.
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Across Eastern Europe to the Carpathians, Croatia, Hungary, Romania.
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Eclipse.
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Back through Hungary, Austria, Germany to the Nurburgring Home via Holland
to Hull.
Jim contacted FEMA and got put in touch with Sergio, a Romanian
who was organising an international enduro rally by the name of EnduRoMania
coincident with the eclipse (like an off-road version of the National rally).
He invited us to join them at their base camp for the eclipse, and agreed
to book us in at a hostel near the site.
Inexorably the day approached. After a flurry of last minute expenses
(tyres, new chain, spare bearings...) I packed my stuff. I was a little
surprised to find that all the camping stuff fitted in one pannier, leaving
a whole other one for clothes. Luxury!
Day 0.
From home to Portsmouth
Day 1.
On the ferry
Day 2.
Spain and the Pyrenees
Day 3.
Into France
Day 4.
France
Day 5.
Into the Alps
Day 6.
France, Switzerland, Italy through the Alps
Day 7.
Italy, The Dolomites
Day 8.
Italy, Slovenia, Croatia
Day 9.
Croatia, Hungary
Day
10. Hungary, Romania
Day
11. The Eclipse
Day
12. To the Romanian Border
Day
13. Into Hungary
Day
14. Budapest to Vienna
Day
15. Vienna to Kalwang
Day
16. Kalwang and environs
Day
17. Kalwang to Titisee
Day
18. To the Nurburgring
Day
19. Round and round and round
Day
20. And it bit more round and round
Day
21. Nurburgring to Rotterdam
Day
22. Back home
Other Accounts of the Trip
I am not the only one to have committed my log to the web. Here are some
other pages describing the same trip from a different perspective or three.
Marvin's report. Shorter
than mine and funnier, a bit like Marvin really
Jeremy's
Report. Better pictures, and better layout too.
Mike's Report
Really well presented, and written at the time rather then afterward.