Mike's Ramblings

July 08, 2005

Still pretty far behind...

Hi Everyone!

I'm still pretty far behind in posting my daily progress for my trip... I'm up to about June 18 right now. To view the progress, click on the category EuroTrip2005. Then you'll be able to see all the postings from the most recent to the oldest.

Posted by Michael at 04:29 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 25, 2005

Running a little behind with posting...

Hi folks... I know I'm a bit behind with my posting; I think I expected internet access to be more readily available than it has been. I've been taking down notes in a little notebook each day (and sometimes several times a day), then later typing up the notes with additional detail on my laptop, and then whenever I get access to an internet connection, I've been posting the notes I typed, along with the appropriate pictures. I hope to get caught up a bit while I am at Christoph's the next few days, so you should see a few new postings showing up.

Love to all of you!!

Posted by Michael at 05:53 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 19, 2005

Day 13: Today's Summary

June 19, 2005 10pm

Spent the day talking to my Mom. Sat outside in the sun from 9 'til noon; it was very pleasant outside today. Spent some of the time looking through an old photo album from when she was first married to Dad. It was interesting to see where they lived when I was born; outside of the first six months of my life, I have never been to Nashville. She related some of her experiences during that time and the times after that; some were good but a lot of the times were bad as well. It was difficult for me to hear about the bad times, and difficult for her to talk about it, but I was glad she could share her experiences.

Throughout the day, I was very impressed with the routine that Erika and my Mom had worked out. Since Mom is disabled to the point where she can do very little on her own, her sister does a lot for her. As part of the treatment for the kidney failure, she has to drink a great deal of fluids to help the kidneys clean out the blood and form urine. Every hour, she has to drink a glass of water and a glass of tea, and then go to the bathroom. Erika makes the tea, then fills the water and tea glasses, and comes at the top of every hour to help my Mom to the bathroom. In between, Erika fixes the breakfast, lunch, and dinners (and snacks in between), tends the garden, cleans the house, does the shopping, does bible readings for fellow Jehovah's Witnesses, and does whatever else needs to be done. She is an amazing woman, always on the go and very well organized, and always very friendly to me. We both got along very well, and even had very similar views about most things, though her views were very much filtered by Jehova's Witness literature; she did not receive any newspapers or magazines (outside of the JW magazines) and did not watch any news on TV. My Mom did watch an hour of a news show on TV, but rarely more than that.

Today, a couple of items of interest were in the news. First, they reported about a motorcycling religious service held in Hamburg (about 100 miles south of Flensburg) every year (see German web site www.mogo.de). There were approximately 30,000 motorcycles attending, with a total of about 45,000 riders. The ride starts with the religious service in Hamburg's St. Michaelis church, then there is a ride to Kaltenkirchen, about 24 miles away, for a celebration. They had to completely close a portion of the Autobahn to other traffic to handle the motorbikes; even so, the first 'bikes were already arriving at the Kaltenkirchen destination before the last 'bikes had left the church in Hamburg!

The other item was about the Kieler Sailing Week (some info (this time in English!): www.kielerwoche.de/eng/englishdefault.htm), hosted in Kiel about 60 miles south of Flensburg, where one of the largest sailing events worldwide was being held. This event started yesterday and is going to run through to the 25th of June. Along with the races, they have a bunch of tall sailing ships on display. I love the look of these old-style sailing ships.

There are several things I find I like in Germany. For instance, I like the way the meals are done here; typically lunch is a larger hot meal while dinner is typically fairly light, such as some dark bread with cheese and sausage. That way the large meal has time to digest long before bed time. Unfortunately, it's not always possible to eat this way, since work tends to get in the way of a long lunch. I also like the sound of the church bells in the small towns. The sound often travels very far, across the valleys, and can often be heard from far away; the sound is very pleasant and soothing.

Posted by Michael at 10:00 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 18, 2005

Day 12: Airplane Sightseeing Ride!!

June 18, 2005 7:30pm

Got to do the airplane ride after all!! Very cool!!

My aunt called the fellow who was going to arrange it for us; he had forgotten to check and quickly set up the flight. We headed off to the small airport and met with the pilot. My Mom had a little trouble getting into the airplane due to her disabilities, but with my aunt pulling and me pushing, we got her into the back seat. Then we were off for a ½ hour flight over Flensburg, Tarup (the area of Flensburg where my Mom lives), and the northern coast of Germany. Here are some pictures of the fun trip:

Sightseeing Airplane	My Mom and my Aunt Erika in the Back Seat	Schloss Glucksburg from the Air
The Beach we visited earlier this morning	Tarup (where my Mom's house is)	Flensburg City Center

Posted by Michael at 05:30 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 12: To the Beach

July 18, 2005 4pm

A beautiful day today. We went for a short drive to the local castle “Schloss Glücksburg”, also very picturesque, being right on the water. Then we went for a walk along the beach; very pleasant with the breeze, the sun, and the water (info on Glücksburg in German: www.gluecksburg-ostsee.de. There were quite a few sailboats out taking advantage of the perfect sailing weather. Could also see the Danish coastline across the water. Noticed that there were a lot fewer inhibitions here than in the U.S.; there were a few women sunbathing topless with no one making a big deal about it.

The castle “Schloss Glücksburg”	The beach “Glücksburg Strand”

Still haven't heard anything about the flight yet; doesn't look like it'll happen today.

The house that my Mom & Aunt live in originally belonged to their parents, my grandparents. It was built for my grandparents in 1951 as part of a tract home development project. My grandfather's profession was mason; a lot of the stone work of the house was done by him. Some of the stone work involved mixing different types of stones in a colored cement, then pouring the mixture into a form or on the floor and then polishing the surface of the concrete once it has cured. Though it is fairly difficult work (very labor intensive) it can create a very long-lasting and beautiful surfaces. Much of the house has surfaces created this way, including the kitchen floor and most of the window sills.

The Kitchen Floor,poured and polished by my grandfather		Window Sill in Bedroom, also done by my grandfather

The original house was very efficient (that is, small). Since it was built, my grandfather added quite a bit to the original floor plan; he did much of the work himself. I can really get a feel for how efficient the house was when I walk up to and down from the bedroom I'm staying in on the 2nd floor; the stairs are so narrow that I barely fit half my foot on them. It takes some getting used to, especially going down the stairs when the ball of my foot hangs out over nothingness each step. My grandfather added a nice living room area first, then later added another bedroom and a sunroom toward the back of the house.

Mom's house from driveway side.	Mom's house from other side.

Even with the additions, everything is pretty small in comparison to what we have in the U.S. There is no counter space in the kitchen, the stove is small, and the refrigerator seems downright tiny. The kitchen would be small for an apartment. But my Aunt and my Mom are quite comfortable with it and make the best use of the available space.

Posted by Michael at 04:00 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 12: Beginnings

June 18, 2005 2pm

I had a nice time with Mom last night. My aunt had fixed a very good lunch, which we had for dinner since I came so late in the day. Then I typed up a few blog entries while Mom watched a program on TV. Also called Sherri and left a message for my aunt Uta, as she and Aubrey were on their way to France to play some golf and attend a reunion.

My cousin Christoph in Sweden had mentioned a summer festival that happens when summer starts. He thought the festival was on the 25th of June, so I figured to get there in time, I would have to leave my Mom's on Wednesday, the 22nd of June. That allowed me to spend several days with my Mom.

Mom said she had tried to arrange a sightseeing ride in a small airplane through a friend today, but she was supposed to have gotten a call by now so it may not pan out. If it doesn't, we'll try for Monday instead.

I'm getting a taste of the longer days as I'm heading north. The sun goes down at about 10:30pm; there's still a “dusk” until about midnight. I know that as I head further north to my cousin's, it will be even more noticeable. Checking my PDA Pocket PC “Ephemeris 1.0” program (a freeware program from Jonathan Sachs which shows sun- and moon-rise and -set times and moon phases according to location and calendar), the sun rises at 2:26am and sets at 11:30pm in Hävsnäs, Sweden; the home town of my cousin. Here in Flensburg, it comes up at about 4:30am and sets at 10pm; still a short night but not nearly as short as it is at my cousin's location.

Posted by Michael at 02:00 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 17, 2005

Day 11: Arrived at Mom's

June 17, 2005 5:40pm Odometer: 36,893

Dang! It is so easy to get lost in the European towns!!

I got into Flensburg around 3pm, but I took the exit past the one I should have. I thought for sure that it would be no problem finding my way back to where I needed to be using surface streets, but instead I got myself totally lost in the downtown area. After seeing the same sights 3 or 4 times and getting drizzled on, I finally gave up and got back in the southbound direction of the Autobahn, took the correct exit, and then found the right way to get to my Mom's.

Said Hi to my Mom and my aunt Erika already, now I'm getting stuff unpacked from the 'bike. Both Erika and Mom were a little worried about me because I was so much later than I thought I would be. But of course they were happy that I made it. I am tuckered out from two days of driving with a night of little sleep in between.

Posted by Michael at 05:40 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 11: Fuel Stop

June 17, 2005 1:35pm Odometer: 36819

I've been trying to keep up with the Autobahn traffic, just to see what it's like. As I mentioned before, that's about 100mph average, sometimes more. It has been pretty interesting... the slower traffic really hurries to get out of my way. So unlike the traffic in the U.S., where some of the left lane drivers are totally oblivious and don't even move out of the left lane when the right one is clear. It has become second nature to pass on the right when I drive in California; it's not worth getting upset about the oblivious folks in the left lane. I thought it would be hard to get out of the habit as it's not allowed to pass on the right in most European countries, but since folks pull over as quickly as possible, it has not been a problem at all. The awareness that most drivers have does make driving a lot more pleasant over here.

What I do notice is that the high speeds really cut into my fuel mileage. I really do find it odd that so many people drive as fast as they do considering the cost of fuel here (as I mentioned, about $5.60 per gallon). Though a large portion of the vehicles run on diesel fuel, the cost of diesel fuel is not really that much of a bargain either at ~$5 per gallon. And whether diesel or gasoline, the faster the car is driven, the worse the fuel economy. So folks buy a tiny little economy diesel car, then they drive it as fast as possible... seems counter-productive!

This is the last gas station before the Danish border on this stretch of the Autobahn; I'm obviously getting pretty close to Flensburg. As I was filling up, a fellow came up and recognized that I was from the Sacramento area by seeing “Modesto” on the license plate frame; I was impressed!! He said he works for the oil industry, and so has been to California and knows the cities. He also mentioned that he has a Kawasaki 1500 cruiser he normally drives when he's not working.

I got a bratwurst and roll for lunch after I filled up; very delicious! There are a certain kind of rolls here that are unique; I have had a very hard time finding similar rolls in California. Crunchy outside, soft inside, great flavor.

I also find it interesting how much more aware the folks here seem to be, more “with it.” Driving is one example. Another is when I got my food... the lady noted I was on a 'bike, so she did not even ask if the order was “to go;” she did ask the couple ahead of me, who were in a car. Nice!

I should be able to get to my Mom's pretty soon; I'm looking forward to seeing her again.

Nice camper spotted at the gas station.

Posted by Michael at 01:35 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 11: Beginnings

June 17, 2005 11:30am Odometer: 36,760

Woke up just before 10am this morning, though I could have slept longer. The ground seemed a lot harder than the last time I camped out. Plus, my tent neighbors came home about 11pm last night and proceeded to talk loudly (too much to drink?) until about 2am. So, I didn't sleep as well as I thought I would.

The 'bike stayed standing just fine with the towel under the center-stand... I may have to patent that idea! 8^) I've got everything packed up and ready to go. The weathers really balmy; about 60º F, cloudy and very muggy.

This campground is really nice; it's fairly large, the bathrooms are big, very clean, and well lit. It's also right next to a large IKEA store, and so it's great if you are camping and want to do some furniture shopping. ;)

Another rare sight: a beautiful old VW Camper in excellent shape!	Sign pointing to the corners of the world (Including the home of the Simpsons!)

Posted by Michael at 11:30 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 16, 2005

Day 10: Stop for the Night

June 16, 2005 9:11pm Odometer: 36,760

Found the campground; very nice! Got in about 8pm, set up the tent, got a beer, and had some dinner. It would have helped to bring along a pad for the center stand; the tent spots are all on grass, and keeping the 'bike side stand or center stand from sinking into the soft ground has been a bit of a challenge. I stuck one of the shop towels I brought along under the center stand, and that seems to help a bit.

I realized that the license plate frame covers up the portion of my license that says “California” so it's tough for others to determine where I'm from. A nice old fellow at the campground thought I was from Italy (maybe because the frame says “Modesto”?). He said he normally takes his old BMW with a sidecar to go camping, though he didn't take it this time because his wife was with him. Would have been neat to see his 'bike.

I'm pretty tuckered out! The combination of the late night and long day have wiped me out. Should sleep really well tonight!

Posted by Michael at 09:11 PM | Comments (1) | EuroTrip2005

Day 10: Second Rest Stop

June 16, 2005 6:20pm Odometer: 36,696

Bio break stop south of Hamburg.

I'm noticing a lot more 'bikes now... seems like they just started showing up after I said I didn't notice many. Some of the riders wave, but many don't.

Hit a few nasty traffic jams. I went ahead and split lanes; some of the cars make room, some don't. But nobody's yelled at me yet, so I think it's OK.

I've noticed a lot of 'bikes on trailers and there are others inside vans. I met another couple at this rest stop that are also going to Sweden; they have their R1100GS packed inside their van because they can't carry all they need plus each other on the 'bike alone.

I tried a few high speed squirts on the Autobahn just to see what it's like. Couldn't get rid of the feeling that I needed to keep an eye out for the Highway Patrol! Was able to touch 130mph with all the luggage, but I felt pretty uncomfortable sustaining that speed. I'm still most comfortable around 80mph.

Allergies kicked in like crazy since I filled up; thank goodness I brought some allergy medicine with me. Wish I had brought my Claritin instead though!

Going to look for one of the campgrounds called out in my Traveler's Guide to European Camping book, which is a bit north of Hamburg

Posted by Michael at 06:20 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 10: First Fuel Stop

June 16, 2005 4:41pm Odometer: 36,609

Quick stop for fuel; 125.4c (Euro) per liter. I like the way they have rest stops and fuel stops along the Autobahn. Rather than exiting onto a rural road to get fuel and food in a small town, here they have rest stops off to the side of the Autobahn that often provide fuel and/or food as well as rest rooms, picnic tables, etc. It makes fuel stops extremely convenient. Also, the rest stops seem to be a lot more frequent than in California; it seems like there is one every 6 – 10 miles or so.

Posted by Michael at 04:41 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 10: First Rest Stop

June 16, 2005 3:20pm Odometer: 36,560

Bio break and lunch stop. Tante Uta fixed up some wonderful lunch to bring along.

Originally I was hoping to leave the house for my Mom's by 10am, but due to the late night before, I didn't even wake up until 10! By the time I got everything packed and I rolled out of the driveway, it was about 1:30pm. I'm not too worried about the delay; my Mom said to come by no earlier than 2pm on Friday. I should be able to make it most of the way today, camp out, and then arrive whenever I want tomorrow.

My aunt took a quick picture just as I was about to roll out the driveway today:

Driving the Autobahn is quite interesting. Many sections are without any speed limits, and there a driver must be extremely aware of what's going on because of the differences in speeds between the slowest and the fastest vehicles. There are roughly 3 different speed groups: The trucks and slow vehicles are doing about 60mph, a “comfortable speed” group of cars are doing about 80mph, and the high speed cars are doing about 110, 120mph or more. When there are 3 lanes in each direction, this works out fairly well. But many of the stretches are 2 lanes in each direction, so the “comfortable speed” vehicles have to be super-aware of what slow vehicles are ahead and what fast vehicles are coming from behind as they work their way through traffic. I feel most comfortable driving the mid-speed, so there is little chance to see the sights along the way since I have to stay focused on driving all the time.

There are surprisingly few motorbikes so far; I was hoping to see a few going my direction so I could see what's acceptable practice for motorcycles. For instance, when traffic gets heavy, I wanted to know if lane-splitting is allowed. Haven't seen any 'bikes the same model as mine yet.

The temperature is very mild; pleasant to ride in, though it is cloudy and humid.

Posted by Michael at 03:20 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 10: Really Late Night!!

June 16, 2005 3:50am

Dang! I can't believe I'm up this late!! I'm supposed to be heading off to my Mom's tomorrow... er, later this morning... and it's practically 4am. But it was a very fun day!!!

Saw my Omi; she seems to be full of spirit still, despite her age related ailments. I enjoyed talking to her for the short time we were there.

My Aunt & I went home after that and then I went with Barbie and the dogs “Snow White” and Joshi to feed and care for her and her Mom's horses. She has 2 normal sized horses, Max and Eva, and 2 little pony sized horses, Trapper and Leo. Barbie's friend Meike was already there to help out.

Giant Sheep Dog “Snow White”	Tiny Joshi Hunting Pine Cones	Leo Standing Up on Rear Legs for Food	Trapper and Barbie Getting Exercise

Then we went back home again to pick up Barbie's friend Ariane, and then we went to see what this Mini-push competition was all about. Both Barbie and Ariane are really into the Mini's and they were hoping that we might have a chance of winning a Mini. As it turned out, it was only for a weekend with a rented Mini. Nevertheless, we decided to give it a shot.

The challenge, which was sponsored by ASW BMW Mini, was to push a Mini 50 meters (roughly 50 yards) with 3 people pushing and one steering. Typically it was a Mini rep steering. A team from the Red Bull booth had already set a fastest time of about 12s; their team consisted of 3 strong young guys who load & unload the cases of Red Bull. Our first attempt was 17.8s; we were a little disappointed that we were that far off. We took a break, got a drink, and then tried again; we improved a little. After the 4th attempt, we improved our time to about 15 seconds, a fairly significant improvement, but still pretty far away from 12. Still, we went home happy to have improved as much as we did.

Ariane and Barbie Dreaming of Minis	“Are you still pushing?” Our Best Attempt	The Mini Team Trying to Beat Our Time	The “Mini” Girls

Gave Sherri a call to tell all about the fun we had; it was so nice to hear her voice again! I sure do look forward to getting home to see her and Sean again!

Had a late dinner, then went up to my cousin Cliffy's flat and flew around Placerville on his Microsoft Flight Simulator, loaded the Scandanavia maps on the GPS, and watched a little of Merry Christmas Mr. Bean. Now it's time for bed!!

Posted by Michael at 03:50 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 15, 2005

Day 9: More Sightseeing

June 15, 2005 12:40pm

Yesterday I napped for 3 hours; I was obviously really tired! But now I'm recharged and ready to go! I already did a little sightseeing with my aunt as a guide...

We first went to visit the castle at Braunfels (German sites: www.braunfels.de/, www.burgenwelt.de/braunfels/braunfels.htm) which has a great fairy tale castle silhouette:

“Schloss Braunfels” from Distance	Beautiful Timber, Stone, Stucco, and Shake Construction in Braunfels City	City Center in Braunfels	“Schloss Braunfels” Entrance

and then we went to Wetzlar to pick up some clothes my aunt was having altered near the cathederal where my brother was baptized and then we had lunch there.

“Das Dom” in Wetzlar	Wetzlar City Center (cobblestone streets)	Rare Citroen DC2V, aka “Duck” spotted in Wetzlar (Note tennis shoe bumpers!)

I love the combination of all the different textures found in the older houses. Many of them have the wooden beams with either stone, brick, or stucco in between the beams, and then they often have brick or stone on the lower portions and tiled roofs, offering a large variety of textures from bottom to top. It's very natural looking and very pleasing to the eye.

I also enjoy the way the cities are built around a central area, which becomes the focus of the city. Farmers bring their goods there and people come to buy what they need and to catch up with their friends and neighbors at the outdoor cafés. It seems like a very relaxed, comfortable, and friendly atmosphere.

I learned that my Mom and Uta moved to Wetzlar from Austria when my Mom was 2 ½ and my aunt was 5. My aunt has lived in this general area all her life, though she moved with her family several times.

This afternoon we're going to visit my Omi, my grandmother. Then I'm going to go with my cousin Cliffy's girlfriend Barbie to feed her horses. And later, she was talking about some kind of Mini-pushing contest... I'm not too sure what that's all about, but it sounds like fun... Should be a busy day!

Posted by Michael at 12:40 PM | Comments (2) | EuroTrip2005

June 14, 2005

Day 8: Did a Little Sightseeing

June 14, 2005 3pm Odometer: 36,464

I am sooo tired! I slept terribly last night, likely because I ate too much! I'm going to take a quick nap to get recharged a bit. First a little about what has happened so far today...

This morning, I tried to mount Aubrey's GPS on my 'bike. Aubrey recently purchased a little Medion Pocket PC PDA with integrated GPS (this one is very similar, but not exactly the same: www.pocketgpsworld.com/medion-review.php ). He was going to use it this upcoming weekend for his trip with my aunt Uta to France. Instead, he was nice enough to offer it's use to me for my trip to my Mom's in Flensburg and then on to Sweden. It has a handlebar mount for motorcycles and/or bicycles, provided the handlebar is round and the right diameter for the clamp. There is a small part of my handlebar right near the hand grips which looked like it would work; the rest of it is a bit oval or squarish shaped. In order to install the mount on this section, it looked like I would need to get the grips and the clutch lever mechanism off. As I was trying to get the hand grip off, it was being a bit stubborn and then suddenly it came off. I realized I had ripped off the wires for the heating element in the grip; that was why it seemed so hard to pull off. I decided I had done enough damage (and I definitely did not want to risk any more serious damage) so I put everything back together without getting the GPS mount on.

After giving up on that, I decided to take a quick drive into the nearby village where there are ruins of an old castle. I'd been there oftentimes when I was younger; it's a neat old place to explore. Apparently there used to be a family which built this castle and two others on neighboring hills. One was this one on Gleiberg (though in German, this site has some interesting history and information: www.burgenwelt.de/gleiberg/gleiberg.htm), another was within sight on Vetzberg (www.burgenwelt.de/vetzburg/vetzberg.htm), and the third was on Merenberg (www.burgenwelt.de/merenberg/index.htm); I'm not sure where the last one is located in relation to the first two. Another flood of memories came as I walked around and through the castle and drove through the village. Unfortunately, when I was at the top of the tower in the castle, I was overwhelmed by swarms of flying bugs and so could not stay very long to enjoy the incredible views.

Burg Gleiberg Entrance Burg Gleiberg Tower

View of my Aunt's house from Tower View of Vetzberg from Tower View of Krofdorf village from Tower

Posted by Michael at 03:00 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 8: Late Night!

June 14, 2005 12:20am Odometer: 36445

Enjoyed a wonderful dinner with the neighbors, Christa and Dieter; we just finished up a short while ago after eating a superb 5 course meal and polishing off 3 bottles of wine (including a wonderful home-made red wine from Dieter!). Dieter is an architect, and even though he designed the house they are living in over 40 years ago, it is still very modern looking. I remember coming over often as a young boy and enjoying their company and their two gigantic Great Dane dogs. Sadly their dogs are long gone, but their company is still very enjoyable.

In our discussions, it was interesting to note how Germans (and I think many Europeans) have such a different attitude about things than we do in the US. There are things like the fuel prices, which include a hefty amount of tax, which is basically an accepted cost of living. If the price of fuel came anywhere near $5 per gallon in the U.S., Americans would have an absolute fit. In Germany, they've got an incredibly complex recycling system, where practically everything is separated out and recycled; despite the complexity, the Germans are fanatical about making sure everything is put into the proper container for pickup. In my neighborhood, if it's more complex than a garbage bin and a general recycling bin, it just gets tossed. In Germany, driving is quite intense; the Germans expect you to focus 100% on driving your car. Using a cell phone while driving is forbidden. In California, drivers seem to think that control of the car while driving is a distraction; I've seen men shaving, women putting on makeup, and folks in general reading, eating, and talking on the phone as they're doing 80 mph down the freeway. And yet when it comes to smoking, Germans seem to be quite comfortable continuing to do it despite the known danges. I've seen young teenagers puffing away, a guy playing soccer lighting up during his break, bicycle riders with a cig dangling from their mouth as they ride by, and so on, and so on. In our discussions during dinner with the neighbors, they practically encouraged my aunt to smoke in the house, even though neither of them smoke. In California, such a thing would be unthinkable when visiting non-smoking neighbors. It seems quite odd to be so intense about recycling, about driving responsibly, and then to be so lax about smoking.

After so much discussion, I've started to actually think in German again. I still have trouble finding the right words to talk about more involved subjects like politics and technology (or even the weather), but for simple phrases I'm doing pretty well.

I'd better get to bed; it's getting late. The meal was great, but I've eaten way too much; I am so disgustingly full, I don't think I'm going to sleep very well. Tomorrow, I want to do a little sightseeing around Krofdorf-Gleiberg, the little village near the house, and I want to check out the old castle ruins at the top of the hill.

Interior of Christa and Dieter's Modern Home	View of Gleiberg castle ruins from Christa and Dieter's living room

Posted by Michael at 12:20 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 13, 2005

Day 7: Motorcycle Retrieved!

June 13, 2005 3:30pm Odometer: 36445

Had a lot less trouble than I thought when picking up the 'bike; thank goodness for that! The only real trouble was finding the correct building. Since Frankfurt's International airport is so large, they've got an area called “Cargo City South” (which is, as the name implies, south of the main airport) where a great deal of the cargo handling is done. It's a gated area which has about 30 or 40 warehouse (and related) buildings. I tried to find the location of the building we needed using an on-line map, but apparently it's considered to be part of the airport, so the standard mapping web sites only pointed me to the main terminal. I was finally able to find the actual Cargo City web site (www.cargocity.de) which included maps to the actual buildings, but their maps were very difficult to print out properly. I figured as long as we could make it to the area, we could easily find the building since they were each individually numbered as best as I could tell from the web site. But even so it was a bit confusing because the rather huge building we were looking for actually had 3 different building numbers on it. Once we found the correct door, however, it was just a matter of carrying the paperwork from one building to the next. Did have a bit of a scare at customs; when the official asked if I had any additional baggage packed with the 'bike and I said yes, he grimaced, indicating that wasn't good. But then he asked if there was any personal stuff with the baggage to which I said no; after a moment he waved it off, like it was too much trouble to bother. He did need to see the ownership papers, the proof of insurance, and my passport, and then he stamped the paperwork.

Brought the paperwork back to the shipping dock, and after a short while, someone came out of the warehouse to escort me to the where the 'bike was waiting for me, still strapped into the container. Had a chance to get a quick picture of it in the container before I was told that photographs are not allowed... oops! Once it was unstrapped, I rolled it out of the container and then out of the warehouse. Went through the hassle of removing the bodywork again so that I could attach the battery, and then Uta asked one of the dock workers where the nearest fuel station was; as you may recall, I had to drop off the 'bike with a nearly empty fuel tank. She found out about one that was just a few km in the opposite direction from home, so we headed that way.

What a shocker the fuel prices were!! The price was about 1.22 Euros per liter. The exchange rate is about $1.21 per €, so this is about $1.48 per liter. A gallon requires about 3.78 liters, so that makes it about $5.58 per gallon!! Yikes! I knew fuel would be expensive here, but that's incredible!!

Took it easy on the autobahn on the way home; we drove between 120 and 140 km/h, which is between about 72 and 85 mph. Saw a few other 'bikes on the way; got a wave from one or two, so apparently that's something that's done here as well (wasn't sure) but not quite as often. The only trouble I had was when I drove up the steep driveway and managed to stall the 'bike; I immediately lost my balance and dropped the 'bike. 8^( I suppose if that's the worst that will happen, then I'm OK with that.

I'm going to go lay down for a short while, then we're going to head over to the neighbors, Christa and Dieter Meinhart, for dinner. It's been a very long time since I've seen them; I'm looking forward to seeing them again.

Posted by Michael at 03:31 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 7: Beginnings

June 13, 2005 10am

Wow! Can't believe a week is gone already since I started out! And one month from now, I have to fly back! How quickly the time goes!

Took quite a while for the luggage to come out at the airport yesterday evening; the airline obviously have a first in, last out system, and since I checked my luggage so early, it came out very late. I saw my aunt Uta and Aubrey as soon as I walked out; after such a long trip, I was so relieved to see them! Great to finally meet Aubrey; I had heard so much about him from Bill and Mom. The drive to the house was along the Autobahn, and Aubrey took good advantage of the lack of speed limits. As we got closer, the memories started flooding back... there is so much the same, not only from the last time I visited (which we realized was about 16 years ago!), but even from the time when I lived here 30 plus years ago. There is still a one-lane road all the way up the hill; I recognized the tennis courts and many of the houses, just the trees have gotten bigger. Uta's house looks a little different with the addition, but many of the features are still the same. It was wonderful to see my cousin Cliffy again (he was standing on the balcony when we arrived) and though he has grown a bit, he still had his great sense of humor.

I had a look around outside and inside the house; wow, how many memories came back! I had lived downstairs in the basement for a short time, but that was one of my favorite places. Sadly, the bedroom I stayed in was converted to a bathroom. But I remember the storeroom where I would always grab a bottle of soda; the laundry room were I would take my showers; the back door to the basement where I would go in and out, and where I would catch salamanders; the dining room on the main floor, which used to always have an aquarium behind the bench and now has a terarium; the entryway which used to be so grand with a gigantic chandelier hanging down from the two-story high ceiling, which is now split into two entryways; outside, the fish pond, the pool (with the sharp rough stone edges which I often skinned my knees on), and the outdoor fireplace, all so much smaller than I remember, but much taller. I love wandering around the house and allowing the memories to come back.

Also got to meet the little dacshund Joshi, a very cute and very smart little dog. I enjoyed watching him chase his toys and then pretend to not know where they are.

Called Sherri last night once I got settled a bit; got to talk with young Sean too. Sounds like they are doing fine; they went to see the movie Madagascar and then had Chinese yesterday. I enjoyed hearing their voices again and hearing what they've been up to. Bill and Mom called later; I got to talk to them as well; they're always so much fun to talk to.

Finally went to bed about midnight Germany time last night, after a wonderfully delicious meal prepared by my aunt (which included white asparagus!); having been awake for nearly 30 hours, it felt great to get into bed. I'm hoping the late bed time will help to get in sync with the local time so that jet lag is minimized; I slept in 'til 9 this morning.

We're going to head out to pick up the 'bike now; I hope there isn't any trouble with customs or with anything else.

My Aunt's House	Joshi

Posted by Michael at 10:00 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 12, 2005

Day 6: Arrival in Frankfurt

June 12, 2005 8am -> 5pm in Germany

What a long flight! I suppose most flights across the ocean are pretty long; this one seemed longer than most, however, because I had a very tough time sleeping. I think I slept 30 minutes total. I was able to keep the seat I moved to, but not the whole row. In fact, I was quite lucky because every other seat was taken except for the one I was sitting in (which was right in the middle of the middle row) and an aisle seat next to me. Unfortunately, I ended up sitting in the aisle seat (in order to give myself and the other fellow in my row some space), so nearly each time someone went by, I got bumped. I couldn't lean the seat back all the way because it really intruded into the space of the person behind me, and the person in front of me also leaned back a bit (but not all the way, thankfully), so it was quite cramped for the whole flight.

They showed four movies: Finding Neverland, about the screenwriter who wrote the Peter Pan story, which was an excellent movie; Are We There Yet, about a guy who somehow gets stuck with his girlfriend's very bratty kids on a road trip, which was an absolutely awful movie; Racing Stripes, about a zebra that wanted to become a racing horse, which was kind of cute but a bit hokey as well; and Cellular, a thriller about a kidnapped woman who manages to dial the cell phone of a young irresponsible kid, which was OK but also a bit hokey.

I tried to sleep a bit at first (especially through the 2nd movie) but gave that up by the time the 2nd movie ended. Thought I'd get caught up with writing up my blogs so I could post them later, but that turned out to be impossible as well; there was no way I could open my laptop (even though it's a fairly small one) far enough to type and see the screen at the same time. So I watched the next 2 movies and by the time the last movie was over, we were about ready to land. Overall flight from Calgary took about 9 hours; from Vancouver it had been about 11 ½ hours.

They've opened the doors and people are starting to move out; I'll have to get my luggage off the carousel and then see if I can find my Aunt Uta. Tomorrow, we'll come back to the airport so that I can get my 'bike.

Posted by Michael at 05:00 PM | Comments (2) | EuroTrip2005

June 11, 2005

Day 5: Taking Off!!

June 11, 2005 8:40pm

We're just taking off now! We're in an Airbus A330; a very nice, fairly new, wide bodied airplane with very powerful sounding Rolls Royce engines.

I was a little concerned originally about this airline that I had never heard of, Air Transat. I knew they were a cut rate airline since the price of the flight was about 2/3 of a normal airline ticket from Vancouver to Frankfurt. I wasn't sure where they were able to save the costs, however. I was worried that they might be using 20 or 30 year old airplanes, just on the edge of breaking down. I knew they might also be cutting costs by packing in as many people as possible, or by not offering any food service, or if they did, they would charge for the meals.

As it turns out, the seats are in fact very close together so they can pack in as many people as possible. I still have to find out about the meal service. I suppose though, of all the 3 things I was worried about, I would prefer a newer, safer airplane the most. Apparently the A330's are quite good airplanes overall; one of the ladies getting on the plane said that this exact plane had run out of fuel (due to a wrong fuel pump being installed) back in 2001, and it was able to glide back to an airport and make a safe landing without anyone getting hurt. Though I don't like the part about running out of fuel, I do like that it made a safe landing without any power to the engines rather than the flight ending in catastrophe.

Here are some links to the story:
http://www.airsafe.com/events/airlines/transat.htm
http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/op-ed/ed269.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Transat_Flight_236

The food I'm not too worried about because I brought my own anyway, but the tight seats are a bit of a pain. I originally asked for a window seat, but found it to be way too cramped next to the window. It seems like the curve of the airplane body of this model is a bit tighter than on other planes I've flown; along with the tightness between my knees and the seat in front of me, I was having a tough time getting comfortable. The airplane has three sets of three seats; two sets on each side plus one set in the middle. I noticed that some of the rows are empty, so I moved to an empty center row. After I did that, I found out that we're stopping in Calgary to pick up some more passengers; hopefully I can keep this seat (and hopefully the whole row) for the rest of the trip... we'll see...

While waiting at the gate, I found a free (free is nice) wireless access point and so I was able to get e-mail done and post a few more blogs. I also wandered around a bit, and though all I could see of the airplane from the waiting area was the tip of the tail, I could see some of the containers that being loaded on it. I saw two that looked like they could hold a motorcycle; I figured one was the Gold Wing that I saw at the shipping dock and the other was mine. Unfortunately, it did not enter my mind to take a picture of the containers... 8^(

Should be landing in Frankfurt somewhere in the neighborhood of 11 hours from now...

Posted by Michael at 08:40 PM | Comments (3) | EuroTrip2005

Day 5: Waiting in Line

June 11, 2005 4pm

Grrrr! The dang Airporter bus system has lost some of my respect! They only pass by the hotel once every half hour or so, and the first 2 that came by barely even slowed down. Actually, the first one slowed down but I wasn't in the right place when the driver glanced over. The driver of the second one didn't even glance over!! Finally, after over an hour and a half of waiting, the 3rd one stopped, though since I practically jumped right in front of him, he didn't have much of a chance to ignore me. Complained a bit to the driver, but obviously there wasn't much he could (or would) do about it.

Now I'm waiting in line to check my luggage. The counters just opened up. Quite a few German folks in line. Tried to get on-line as I was waiting near the check-in counters, but the wireless connection was really flakey. Maybe there'll be a better connection near the gate.

Posted by Michael at 04:00 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 5: Beginnings

June 11, 2005 11:15am

This is the big day!!

When I was shopping for supplies for this trip, I purchased this mega-large duffel bag. At the time, I was uncertain if I chose wisely. This thing is gigantically huge! I could probably nearly fit into it myself. But what I liked about it is that it could be folded up into a fairly small package. But now, since I left the rear seat bag on the 'bike itself, I'm finding the duffel to be invaluable. The only problem with such a large bag is that I can easily become overpack it. This thing is a beast now that it's full! I suppose I can take the sleeping bag out at the airport and check it separately if necessary.

The flight isn't 'til 8 something pm, but checkout time at the hotel is 11am. So I'm heading over to the airport to see if I can't find an internet hot spot to get caught up on the blogs.

Yesterday, traffic was so bad on the way back to the hotel with the Airporter that I decided to get off early to do some exploring. Went to the Vancouver Museum of Art; unfortunately missed Rodin as his show starts June 21. Wandered shops and stores as I made my way back to the hotel. Since Maxwell pointed it out, I really noticed the high percentage of oriental pedestrians and shop owners. I enjoyed the walk; this would be a nice city to visit for an extended period of time.

Vancouver Museum of Art

Posted by Michael at 11:15 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 10, 2005

Day 4: Done with Airport

June 10, 2005 12:30p

Trekked through the airport looking for the Air Transat counter for about 45 minutes before I remembered when I was booking the flight, the travel agent had mentioned that they only fly every other day, and since I'm flying out tomorrow, I'm not going to see any counters open today! So I stopped by a United counter instead and asked about the items that Jason was concerned about. I had brand new empty spare fuel bottles, CO2 cartridges, lubricating oil, and some other chemicals (Rain-X, polish, etc). According to them, all these things should make it through no problem. I feel a lot better about packing them in my luggage now.

Also was able to make it over to the shipping dock, where my 'bike was still in the same spot I had left it yesterday. So I was able to retrieve my keys without any trouble. In a way, I was bummed; I wanted to get a picture of the 'bike all strapped into the container. Jason said they should be packing it up within the next hour or so. I decided not to wait around that long, however, so I trekked back to the Airporter bus stop at the terminal. Should be one coming by any time now.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 4: Beginnings

June 10, 2005 11am

I'm heading back to the airport on the Airporter now. Spent some of the morning getting blogs posted and pictures transferred from camera to the computer.

Some of the homes along the way to the airport are very swanky looking. For some reason, the homes look very European, not sure what it is. I think because they use cinder blocks for construction, which makes the walls very thick and so the windows are set relatively deep. Some of the hedges around the larger houses are nearly 20 feet tall, with “doorways” cut through them to get to the front door. A pretty cool look!

Maxwell, the fellow I met on the bus on the way back from the airport yesterday, had said that most of the houses with double front doors are owned by the Chinese. There are quite a few of these homes along the route! He said that when Hong Kong was going to become part of communist China again, a lot of the business folks fled to Canada, particularly to Vancouver. Now with the high population of Chinese along with other orientals, an unfortunate side effect is that there is a high incidence of gang violence.

Obviously had no trouble getting another key to the room, but still would like to get the key that I packed so they don't charge me for a new key. They still use real keys at this old hotel, rather than using the card keys most modern hotels use nowadays.

Posted by Michael at 11:00 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 09, 2005

Day 3: Packed the Keys!

June 9, 2005 6:50pm

Argh! Sometimes I am a complete idiot! I had put the keys to my hotel room into the pocket of my riding pants, and then packed the riding pants into the luggage strapped to the motorcycle. And of course, that's back at the shipping dock, while I am on my way back to the hotel on the Airporter bus! Argh!!

The Airporter bus is great, but the traffic is horrible! Had no trouble finding my way back to the airport passenger terminal from the shipping dock, and then from there finding the bus terminal. The Airporter is more expensive than a basic city bus, but cheaper than a taxi if I want to get straight to the downtown hotels (no transfers necessary). The rate is $12 CAN for a one way ride or $18 CAN for round trip. The bus has a nice luggage area which will be handy when I have to head back to the airport with my large duffel. But they have to deal with the traffic like anyone else, and so this trip back to the hotel is just taking forever with rush hour and Human Resources conference traffic.

Just a moment ago I met a real nice Canadian fellow named Maxwell, who noticed my Porsche 356 t-shirt. Turns out he knows a guy who runs a business called Targa Performance (http://www.targaperformance.com/) that does excellent restoration and engine work on the old 356 and 911 Porsches; apparently the guy has been involved with Porsche work for over 33 years! Maxwell has been taking his Porsches there (he said he as owned 4 different ones) the entire time he's had them (about 30 years). I think I'll visit the place when I come back from Europe and pick up my 'bike; maybe this is the right place to bring my ailing old 356.

Before I get to that though, I'm going to have to figure out what I'm going to do about that hotel key I packed up with my 'bike. I was planning to go to the airport tomorrow anyway to make sure I can pack those things that Jason was concerned about into my duffel bag; I would hate bring all that stuff to the airport only to have it thrown away when I check the duffel. I'd rather find some way to store it in Vancouver so I can take it home with me on the way back! Maybe I can stop by the shipping dock and get the key then.

Posted by Michael at 06:50 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 3: Bike Prep Finished

June 9, 2005 4:15pm

Finally done! What a chore!

Packed everything in, including my helmet and riding pants. Decided to carry the riding jacket with me on the airplane since it wouldn't fit into any of the lockable luggage. Once I had it all packed, I went through everything with Jason. There were a few things that he recommended I not pack in, including lubricating oil, polish, CO2 cartridges for the tire repair kit, and the empty fuel containers. In fact, he said that he had heard of a time when someone tried to bring in brand new, empty fuel containers and they were held in customs for 2 months.

Once I was done with that, I had to get the battery disconnected. I had forgotten that in order to access the battery, I have to completely remove one side of the bodywork, something like 16 screws' worth of work! It took me nearly 45 minutes just to get that done!

Jason said they'll be loading the 'bike into the container tomorrow. Now that I've officially "dropped off the 'bike," I need to get back to the hotel. Looks like it's about a 5 to 10 minute walk to the airport terminal; from there I can take the Airporter bus back to the hotel.

Posted by Michael at 04:15 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 3: Shipping Dock Found

June 9, 2005 2:30pm Odometer: 36,389

Boy, I thought for sure that I'd run out of fuel before I found the shipping dock! I took several wrong turns; the first as soon as I left John Valk BMW, then again about halfway to the airport, and then once again while at the airport! I would blame the instructions which I got from Google, but it was really my ability to read them on the PDA through the map pocket of the tank bag while driving the city streets. Finally I found the place without going dry, however. Gonna have to find a gas station really soon once I get the 'bike in Germany.

It's a little tough getting used to the metric-based speed limits too. The limits seem a lot lower here; for example, the freeway speeds are 100km/h, but that's only 60mph. Fortunately, the 'bike shows both mph and km/h, so the actual conversion isn't difficult; I think it's the more conservative maximums that I'm having the most trouble with.

Jason, the shipping manager, is helping me out with the paperwork and with my questions. He's really friendly toward me, but seems to be a bit stressed. Apparently there are a couple of folks that didn't show up for work today, and today's a particularly busy day. I'll try to stay as much out of the way as possible.

I've gotten some of the paperwork completed and brought the 'bike in to get it weighed. 310kg, nearly 680lbs!! That's with only a portion of the complete load on it; I still have about 20kg (about 44lbs) back at the hotel. Given that the 'bike only weighs 270kg with full tank (and I don't have a full tank), I realize I'm carrying over 60kg (132lbs) of "stuff" with me on this trip... Yikes!

Now I need to wait until they've completed the rest of the paperwork, then I have to go through the contents of the stuff I want to pack with the 'bike with Jason just to make sure I don't pack anything that will cause problems for the airline or the customs on the other end. I figure Jason should know what's safe and what's not. And after that, I have to disconnect the battery; that'll be the final step for preparing the 'bike for shipment.

Shipping Dock Vancouver Airport

Posted by Michael at 02:30 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 3: Service Complete

June 9, 2005 11:00am Odometer: 36376

Wow! Oil change was just completed!! Rusty & crew are great! Now waiting for the 'bike to get washed.

Had breakfast at that cafe; very good! Met Julia, the manager of the Flying Swan Coffeehouse (http://www.flyingswancoffeehouse.com/) and the president of a local motorcycle club, VROMBC (Vancouver Riders of Motorcycles, British Columbia), and DJ, one of the contributing members of the club. Julia was great; clearly very much into motorcycling, owning one or more 'bikes herself. I also enjoyed talking with DJ very much while Julia was busy serving customers. Julia related to me her experience when she traveled down to Laguna Seca, near Monterey, California, for one of the motorcycle Grand Prix races being held there. She noted that unlike the Vancouver area, there were very few women riders in California; most of the women seemed content being passengers. I was happy to tell her that Sherri, my wife, has her own 'bike which she prefers to ride rather than be a passenger on mine.

Better check & see if the 'bike is done. I had to take all the luggage off for the oil change service, so I'll have to get all back on again before I go.

Getting Serviced		The Flying Swan Coffeehouse

Posted by Michael at 11:00 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 3: Service for the Bike

June 9, 2005 10am Odometer: 36,376

With instructions readily available, I thought finding the John Valk BMW (http://www.johnvalkbmw.ca/) place would be easy. But I got lost as soon as I left the hotel and then again near the dealership. Fortunately, the city streets are laid out like a grid and so it's fairly easy to get back on track.

Looks like the service manager, Rusty, will be able to get the 'bike in for the oil change and the wash. The folks there have been extremely nice. Apparently they help coordinate the shipping of 'bikes for a 'bike touring company, so they are familiar with the prep work that is necessary for shipping them. They ship using ocean liners rather than airplanes however.

I'm going to go find a place to grab something to eat while I wait for them to finish; I saw a “motorcycle friendly cafe” near the dealership, which Rusty also recommended, so I'll try that out.

Posted by Michael at 10:00 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 3: Beginnings

June 9, 2005 9:30am Odometer: 36,373

It's going to be a busy day today. I have to get the 'bike to the BMW dealership for an oil change and a good wash, then drop it off at the shipping dock and see what can be packed with the 'bike and what can't, as well as get the battery disconnected. Then I've got to find my way back to the hotel again.

I've already repacked the 'bike this morning, putting as much as I can into the hard luggage and into the rear seat bag so I don't have to bring it as checked luggage. Basically as much of the camping stuff as possible is getting packed with the 'bike, and the rest I'll have to pack into the duffel. The only camping stuff I can't fit into the rear seat bag is the sleeping bag and the camp stool. If I can't leave the rest of the stuff on the 'bike, I'll be bummed. It'll mean schlepping two monster bags to the airport, which I'm definitely not looking forward to.

I pulled the instructions to get to John Valk BMW off the Internet and transferred them to my PDA so I could stick it in my tank bag and try to follow them. The Barclay doesn't actually have internet access, but my room is close enough to the hotel next door which does have it so I can tap into their signal. It still costs, but it's very nice to have.

I tried to set up a service appointment at John Valk last week, but left for my trip to Georgia before the service manager could call me back. I hope that they'll be able to fit me in today; if they can't, I'll have to find a self service wash place to clean the 'bike up according to the shipping rules. No bug guts may be left on the 'bike when it is shipped. So I'm going to get going so that I can give them as much time as possible.

Posted by Michael at 08:30 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

June 08, 2005

Day 2: Arrive at the Hotel

June 8, 2005 9:45pm Odometer: 36,373

I've made it!! And I'm thrilled because I haven't lost anything off the 'bike yet, nor has anything broken (on me or on the 'bike). My goodness, what a long trip so far!

My destination was the Barclay Hotel in downtown Vancouver (http://www.barclayhotel.com/). I did not realize how "downtown" the hotel would be! It's a good thing they had a canopy out, because the part of the hotel that fronted the street was barely wider than the door itself. The manager was nice enough to allow me to park in the courtyard of the hotel which seemed very secure; nevertheless, I unloaded all of the soft luggage anyway. I knew I had brought a lot of, umm, stuff, but it really hit home when I had to carry the luggage into the hotel. I had brought an empty duffel specifically to help carry the loose stuff, and schlepping both the rear seat bag and the stuffed duffel into the narrow corridors of the hotel was quite a challenge!

The narrow corridors where an unfortunate predictor of the room as well. I thought when I first entered the room that I had mistakenly entered a walk-in closet. After double-checking the room number on the door, I realized that the closet was, in fact, the room. I think the room was not much bigger than 9' x 9', and the arrangement of the furniture made it seem even smaller. For instance, the armoir which held the (14"?) TV was angled diagonally in the corner of the room, taking up about a third more space than it needed to. It was also a very "frayed" looking room, with a stained carpet, dirty window, and totally disgusting antique window A/C. I decided I could deal with it for the next few days; the price was very reasonable.

A few weeks ago, I had tried to find other hotels on-line which were closer to the airport, but each time I settled on one, it was snatched away. Turns out there was a large conference going on at the Vancouver Convention Center for B.C. Human Resources Management... I had no idea that Human Resources Management could attract such a crowd! That's why I got stuck with the Barclay Hotel.

I've gotten settled in (which was a bit of a challenge... every time I moved, I had to move something out of the way), I gave Sherri a call (it was great to hear her voice, but I was too tired to talk very much), and now I'm heading for bed. I think I'm going to sleep really well tonight!

Posted by Michael at 09:47 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 2: Leaving the United States

June 8, 2005 8:15pm Odometer: 36,340

I've just crossed the border into Canada. I have to go through immigration. I don't recall having to do that in the past. I have to explain the complicated scenario of me having to drive up here to fly the 'bike to Germany, and then flying it back and driving it back out of Canada. However, the Immigration official is very understanding and very friendly. He sees all the different stamps in my passport (Japan, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, New Zealand) and wonders if I've taken my 'bike to all these places. If I hadn't been so tired, I might have entertained him a bit...

Posted by Michael at 08:15 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 2: Second Fuel Stop

June 8, 2005 6:30pm Odometer: 36,245

I'm at the last fuel stop before I get to Vancouver, in Everett, Washington! I have to calculate how much fuel to put in because I need to have less than a gallon in the tank when I drop off the 'bike at the shipping dock. I need enough to get me to the hotel tonight and then to the shipping dock tomorrow... and not much more. I make my best guess and hope I don't get lost in the city of Vancouver.

I am exhausted again... all the same sore spots as before, but it seems worse. I hope it's still because of yesterday's bag issues, rather than an indication of what it will be like at the end of each day for the next month. On the other hand, I'm excited to be so close... that keeps me going despite the aches and pains.

Both the weather and the traffic has turned nasty again. I hit Tacoma and Seattle right in the middle of rush hour traffic. What a mess! I took the best advantage I could of riding a motorcycle, but even using the carpool lane didn't help as it was backed up nearly as often as the regular lanes.

I was surpised to see that there were nearly as many motorcycles out riding in the rainy weather in this area as there are in the Sacramento area on a sunny day. The attitudes of the riders here were clearly more geared toward serious riding than the riders in the Sacramento area however. Rather than the typical “Harley” rider I see most often (wearing a T-shirt and leather vest along with jeans or shorts and a half helmet), the riders up here most often have a quality riding jacket and riding pants along with a full face helmet. It's actually nice to see that the riders up here are as serious as they are.

I've only got 120 miles to go!!

Posted by Michael at 06:30 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 2: First Fuel Stop

June 8, 2005 3:00pm Odometer: 36,057

Stopped in Vancouver, Washington to fill up. Wish it was Vancouver, B.C. Just crossed over the Washington border about 5 miles ago. I suddenly realized that traffic has been pretty good in my direction, especially when I saw a nearly 4 mile stand still of traffic in the south bound lanes caused by a tractor/trailer rig which lost it's load of rolled sheet steel when the trailer collapsed. The weather's getting gray again; I hope my luck holds out with the good traffic.

Only 300 miles left to go!!

Posted by Michael at 03:02 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 2: Lunch Stop

June 8, 2005 1:30pm Odometer: 36,006

Stopped for lunch at a Taco Bell in a truck stop, a few miles north of Salem, Oregon. I've had a craving something spicey, and three Grande Tacos fit the bill perfectly. This is the first paid meal I've had the whole trip; I bought a mega-box of granola bars and Cliff bars at Costco before I left and stashed most of them in my luggage, and I've been living off them since I left. The “fast foodness” of the tacos tastes great.

I crossed over the 45th parallel about 5 miles back; halfway between the equator and the North Pole.

The re-packed bag is wonderful. I can still feel the soreness from yesterday though. So I know today's still going to be a long day, but at least I won't be making the soreness worse.

The scenery along I-5 since the Myrtle Creek campground has been gorgeous. It's very much like the scenery of the foothills of the Sierra-Nevada Mountains, but much greener. There are some patches of white flowers clustered so close to each other that they look like snow drifts in the green meadows. With the clear skies and cool temperatures, it makes for a wonderful ride!

Posted by Michael at 01:30 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 2: Leaving Campground

June 8, 2005 10:55am Odometer: 35,844

I've finally gotten everything packed up and I'm ready to go. It took a bit longer than I thought it would, mainly because I spent quite a bit of time fiddling with a little battery operated mixer which I was trying to use to mix up my protein powder breakfast drink. The mixer absolutely refused to work, and the mixture is way too chunky to drink when mixed by hand. Bleah! I finally gave up and had some dry granola bars instead.

I've completely re-packed the rear seat bag so that I have enough room in my seat. I hope it'll help make today's trip easier than yesterday's.

The weather started out very cool and gray this morning; about 58 degrees. But the skies are starting to clear up, and it looks like it's going to be a beautiful day for riding. I'm going to stash the rain gear and enjoy the weather.

Posted by Michael at 10:55 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 2: Beginnings

June 8, 2005 8:00am Odometer: 35,844

I discovered, rather abruptly in the middle of the night, that the railroad tracks I saw running along the campground last night are in fact NOT out of service as I originally thought. I am so used to seeing tracks that are no longer used where I live that I didn't even give it a second thought. But when I felt the rumble and heard the clickety-clack first at about 1am and then again at 3am, I realized I was quite mistaken. When you click on the picture below, the larger image that opens shows how close the tracks are. When I was able to sleep though, it was a deep sleep. I was awakened a few moments ago by what sounded like wild turkeys gobbling at each other; that's a sound I know very well because there are quite a few wild turkeys around my home. However, it turned out to be a woman in the campground laughing at something a man was telling her... Wow! She emits a surprisingly annoying cackle when she laughs!

Looks like the 'bike stayed upright overnight; no problem with the kickstand sinking into the dirt. I've definitely got to do something about the rear seat bag before I take off, so it doesn't intrude into my sitting space all day again today. I'd like to get out of here by 9:30, 10 at the latest. I'm still hoping I can arrive in Vancouver fairly early in the afternoon today.

Posted by Michael at 08:02 AM | Comments (2) | EuroTrip2005

June 07, 2005

Day 1: Stop for the day

June 7, 2005 9:45pm Odometer: 35,844

Found what seems like a cute little campground in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, about 190 miles south of Portland. It's a pretty tiny little campground, with spots for 6 or 7 RVs and a little smooth area for tents. State run, it's a self service type of campground; stick the money in an envelope and then into the box. It was just what I was looking for. The rain had stopped and I had just enough light to set up the tent and get my stuff inside, then I did the basic hygiene stuff and now I'm getting ready for bed. I am a little concerned about the 'bike since I parked in a dirt lot; with all the rain, I'm worried that the kickstand will sink into the dirt causing her to tip over some time in the middle of the night. But I checked before I came into the tent and it looks like she's holding up just fine.

I would have liked to have gotten further today, but I'm OK with the ~450 miles I covered considering the weather and my state of exhaustion. I think I'll sleep really well tonight.

I really miss sweet Sherri and young Sean. I hope they are doing OK. They're probably wondering how I'm doing too. I have no way to contact them directly, but I send them my thoughts of love.

Posted by Michael at 09:45 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 1: Second Fuel Stop

June 7, 2005 8:10pm Odometer: 35,838

Stopped to fill up in Riddle, Oregon. I'm exhausted. There's no way I'm going to make it 600 miles today. I'm sore all over. Sore butt, sore lower back, sore shoulders, sore hands. That little bit that the bag is pushing against my back rest has really taken its toll. The balls of my hands are sore from trying to stretch my arms; when I try to straighten out my arms, the bag and back rest push back, and put pressure against the balls of my hands on the handle bars. I know I'll have to completely re-pack the bag so I have enough space in my seat, but that'll have to wait until morning.

Along with the ride wearing me out, I'm still a little tired out from the trip I took to Georgia last weekend. I keep catching myself drifting off as I'm riding... it's bad enough doing that while driving a car, but doing it while riding a 'bike is particularly frightening. Whenever I start hearing music without a source, I know I'm in trouble. Talking to myself, cursing, singing help keep me going 'til the next place I could stop.

Once I'm done filling the tank, I'll be looking for a place to camp for the night. Camping spots seem to be plentiful up here, though the majority near the freeway are geared toward RV campers rather than tent campers. I'm hoping to find a quiet little spot, not too far from the freeway but far enough that I'm not bothered by the noise of traffic.

I ran into the rain I expected a few hours ago. The temperature also had dropped quite a bit. I stopped at a rest stop to put on my rain gear. In order to be as flexible as possible and carry as little as possible, the gear I brought is a compromise between cold and warm weather. So the gear isn't cool enough in hot weather, and it's not warm enough in cold weather. I started to feel the effects of the latter when it kept getting colder and continued to sprinkle on and off. I crossed the Oregon border at about 6:30pm and it soon started to pour pretty heavily. It may even have hailed a bit; I'm not sure but it definitely was cold enough for it. I thought for sure it would begin to snow! Thankfully it did not, but I was chilled to the bone by the time I made this fuel stop.

Checking my mileage, it looks like I'm getting about 43 mpg.

Posted by Michael at 08:10 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Day 1: First Fuel Stop

June 7, 2005 3:50pm Odometer: 35,612

My first fillup is just past Shasta. It has already been a very long ride. Part of the problem is that I've packed the bag behind my seat so that it pushes against my backrest, limiting the space I have to move around. Not only that, I can't stretch my arms without pushing up against the backrest and the bag, so I'm exerting more pressure on my arms than I'm used to.

The weather was perfect when I left home; cool, sunny, with a few puffy clouds. As I'm heading north, it's getting grayer and cooler. Looks like a possibility of rain coming up.

Posted by Michael at 03:50 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005

Goodbye Sweet Home

June 7, 2005 11:35am Odometer: 35,394

I've finally got everything packed and strapped on the 'bike. I'm leaving about 2 hours later than I wanted to. I need to go about 950 miles to get to my destination of Vancouver, B.C., and I wanted to do about 600 today, which would get me to the vicinity of Portland, OR. Then I could get into Vancouver relatively early tomorrow and find the BMW dealership and maybe even get the 'bike cleaned and serviced in preparation for the flight.

I am terrified of all the things that could go wrong on this trip. Just the nearly 1000 miles to Vancouver are further than I've ever gone on a motorcycle in my life. Then there's the flight to Germany, and all the driving there; I would expect another 3000 miles in less than a month. Then the flight back, and then the drive back home. I often think I am insane doing such a trip alone, with no previous long distance touring at all. So many questions... have I packed too much, or not enough? What do I do if something happens to the 'bike. Will it get shipped over OK? Will it go through customs OK, on both sides? Am I crazy for trying to do this??

Before I even get started at all, I have a problem. Packed to the gills, the 'bike is heavy, and I can't get it off the center stand, the slight incline of my driveway not helping at all. I struggle and curse and sweat to no avail. Finally, I realize I can rotate the 'bike while on the center stand, so I carefully turn it around to point downhill. As I'm doing that, I visualize the 'bike popping off the center stand and traveling down the driveway and smashing into one of my other vehicles parked there, abruptly ending my journey. Fortunately, I was able to reposition the 'bike without incident, and now with the nose pointing downward, I was able to easily get off the centerstand.

I am on my way; my journey has begun!!

Posted by Michael at 11:45 AM | Comments (1) | EuroTrip2005

February 12, 2005

Getting there and back

Checking into the pricing of getting me and my 'bike to Europe and back. Interesting dynamics with the pricing. Flying out of San Francisco, it will cost about $4000 round trip for the 'bike, while it will cost about $1100 for me. But if I decided to fly from Vancouver, British Columbia, I can save $1000 on the round trip costs for the 'bike, while it costs an additional $300 for me. I haven't decided yet if the $700 in savings is worth it to take a 2 day drive up the continent... I'll have to think about it some more, and do a little more research...

Posted by Michael at 11:10 PM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005 | Motorcycles

January 24, 2005

New category for my Europe Trip 2005

Well, I admit that no plans are firm yet. This year is the year; that is my hope. I was due for my 8 week sabbatical last year. I have until the end of next year (2006) to take it. And I am hoping it will be this year.

It has been a dream of mine, for some time now, to travel to Europe with my motorcycle in order to visit family and tour the countryside. While there, I would share experiences and pictures via this blog, provided that works out. In order to keep track of the planning prior to, and the experience during, I've created a new category on my blog called EuroTrip2005. If things work out, it'll have a lot of entries; if they don't, well... I don't want to go there yet...

Posted by Michael at 12:07 AM | Comments (0) | EuroTrip2005 | Motorcycles | Travel