Plannin' a trip to the Baltic States in 2006

[STEViE]

I know I've posted this on BW but I thought there may be some folks here who may be interested as well ....


My trip to Portugal this year has had to be postponed as I now need to be in Germany for a club party and then Holland the next weekend. So this year I'm gonna have a few days down in the Black Forest.

However, next year I've decided that I want to head East. I've been thru a whole lot of Germany (some by bike) and some of Poland (touring with a band) but I fancy going there this time by bike and heading further East into Lithuania, Latvia then onto Tallinn in Estonia before returning home via the Kaliningrad Region - a small part of Russia tucked in between Lithuania an' Poland.

Whilst startin' a little research I found a couple of websites that I thought may be of interest to any of you plannin' to do a journey or just for the pleasure of readin' someone elses journal.

http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com/ (http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com/)

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi (http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi)

Also whilst doing some research I found this an' thought if ever there was a reason to go to Lithuania then this has to be it. Got to go an' get a photo standin' next to this 'cos it's the only one in the whole world

http://www.balticsworldwide.com/news/features/zappa.htm (http://www.balticsworldwide.com/news/features/zappa.htm)

So this is my project now for 2006. It's a way off I know but far better to let Brenda know about it now then she can get used to the idea.

Also thought it wise to let her know as I want to use her GS650 Suzuki for the journey.

[STEViE]

Tallinn - final destination

[GarrysPhrogg]

WoW STEViE
That looks like one fantastic trip, I would love to do that especially Lithuania as that is where my Grandparents are from, so I apparently have cousins and stuff there, anyway time is something I don't have much of at the moment but think I will start planing a trip like that for next year.

[STEViE]

Yeah, I kno that time thing.

Our German club party is the 1st w/e of July, my gig in Holland the next w/e an' Faro the w/e after. A couple of my mates in Holland said they'll ride down to Faro with me from there. I don't know how much time they think I can have away from my business. It may only be pet sittin' an' dog walkin' but I can't take weeks an' weeks - wish I could, but it's not possible. Even the Baltics trip is gonna have to be tailored to two an' a bit weeks.

Mind you, when I get to Tallinn, there's a ferry to Helsinki that I could get on an a lot more Baltic coast after that. Or there's always Russia .....



..... It's bloody temptin' y'know :D

[BlackPig]

Mind you, when I get to Tallinn, there's a ferry to Helsinki that I could get on an a lot more Baltic coast after that. Or there's always Russia .....



..... It's bloody temptin' y'know :D


Tell me about it !!

I have this recurring vision of vodka and Vladivostock !! :confused:

[STEViE]

Poland first stop after Germany an' there's sh!tloads of vodka there. I know 'cos I didn't even dent the supplies last time out there an' I was really tryin' :D

[saxman]

went to poland a few years back, i think my liver has just about recovered.

[GarrysPhrogg]

So we can dream for a while :cool:

[STEViE]

So we can dream for a while :cool:
Not really. I'm into the plannin' stage already. The route is roughly sorted an' I only found out last nite that Lithuania, Latvia an' Estonia all have their own languages. So that's three, plus Russian. I speak some Dutch an' German an' what little Polish I knew is gonna have to be brushed up some. I only need to learn enuf to just get by but that's a few languages to say the least.

I mean, I still struggle with me English sometimes .....







.... Oh, right, it's the alcohol that's the problem. Well that's sorted that then ...




.... lots of alcohol in each country :D

[STEViE]

Finally found the time to get back to sortin' my trip out for next year. I've spent around 8 hours on the pooter today whilst the rest of the family went to the Blue Peter Prom at the Albert Hall. Found some suitable campsites in Poland an' Lithuania, emailed a club in Latvia who are keen to meet up an' may even have found a venue or two to play in along the way.


Thought it was about time I got back to this but I didn't want to think about it whilst I was rebuildin' the Bonnie engine so it got put on the back burner. Loads of gigs still to go this summer so I should have ferries booked and all the dosh by Christmas (as long as the bloody engine don't go again) tho there's a fair bit to do on the Suzuki 650 I'm takin' for the journey too.

It's a long way off from next year but it's somethin' to keep thinkin' about :D

[UKRobKLR650]

If i get meself an Africa twin sorted want some company? :D The KLR would do it but not at any great speed (sits at about 75 all day kinda thing). I seriously need to do summat like this.

[Trumpykeks]

Q: Why did the Polak cross the road?
A: He couldn't get his dick out of the chicken.




p

[STEViE]

If i get meself an Africa twin sorted want some company? :D The KLR would do it but not at any great speed (sits at about 75 all day kinda thing). I seriously need to do summat like this.
Plannin' to do this on my own Rob, but only 'cos I don't want to do the holiday by commitee thing that seems to happen when I've gone away with folks in the past. In fact this year's planned trip to Faro (altho this an' German trip were scotched in the end due to the engine needin' rebuildin' on the Bonnie) ended up gettin' hijacked by friends in Holland who then pulled out. The holiday was switched to Germany an' the same thing happened again so I felt the easiest way was to go it alone - no feckin' arguments then. But I do get a little schizo every now an' then (no I don't, YES I do) so maybe that's not such a good idea :D

[UKRobKLR650]

Plannin' to do this on my own Rob, but only 'cos I don't want to do the holiday by commitee thing that seems to happen when I've gone away with folks in the past. In fact this year's planned trip to Faro (altho this an' German trip were scotched in the end due to the engine needin' rebuildin' on the Bonnie) ended up gettin' hijacked by friends in Holland who then pulled out. The holiday was switched to Germany an' the same thing happened again so I felt the easiest way was to go it alone - no feckin' arguments then. But I do get a little schizo every now an' then (no I don't, YES I do) so maybe that's not such a good idea :D
I understand totally mate, thats why i head off into the hills on me own. Can do everything at your own pace, no organising or owt, bloody wonderful. You have a goodun

[STEViE]

I understand totally mate, thats why i head off into the hills on me own. Can do everything at your own pace, no organising or owt, bloody wonderful. You have a goodun
You got it bang on Rob, thanx for that. If I do decide to change routes or anything like it, there's no debate. Likewise if the campsite I'm stoppin' at one nite ain't anywhere near great but I'm happy enuf to put up with it, I don't have to listen to someone else tellin' me what a sh!te time they're havin'. Selfish of me I understand but I can't count the number of times - on my fingers an' toes - that this has happened either with venue/gig or hotel whilst I've been on tour with bands an' I really don't need it. It'll be what it'll be - 'cos that's what adventures are about :D

[Dexxie]

Tallin in Estonia was the place of the last race of Joey Dunlop - he was quite the hero there - so if they got along with his accent and version of English - you shouldn't do too badly!!!! :D