Long Way Round Europe 2010: Κυνηγώντας όνειρα σε 13 χώρες...

[DoctorAbo]

Νίκο μεγάλε μου ένα έχω να σε πω .... νάσαι καλά και να κάνεις πολλάααα τέτοια ταξίδια με όποια μηχανή (και συνοδηγό) ονειρεύεσαι !!!!!!!

[Ταξιδευτης]

Θα μου επιτρεψετε στο σημειο αυτο, αφου ευχαριστησω τους παντες για τα καλα σας λογια (αν και δεν πιστευω οτι τα αξιζω ιδιαιτερα!), να σας παρουσιασω το ταξιδιωτικο αυτο ιδωμενο απο την αλλη πλευρα: αυτη του συνεπιβατη.

Η καλη και γενναια μου συνοδοιπορος Alicja συγκεντρωσε τις σκεψεις και φωτογραφιες της σε ενα θεμα που σας παρουσιαζω παρακατω!


You know already this trip in details...
but I wanted to add some passenger’s thoughts and photos...

I hope you don’t mind

[Ταξιδευτης]

That was my first "real", long travel on a bike. First time in my life I sat on a bike 2 years earlier! I didn't know what to expect and I was a little bit worried in what condition I will finish it.
My friends were in shock after hearing the idea ("How many countries??" "In only 10 days??" "On a bike??????")

But it wasn't so bad!
However I discovered muscles in "sitting parts" of legs..

I had one critical situation on a way, when I thought that if we don't stop to stretch legs I will start screaming or jump down. And then I saw a sign "Our destination - 100 km"... !
I endured.

I wasn't afraid of riding. With my Superbiker I felt on a bike safe like on a couch in front of TV with some Discovery channel!
( for Taxideutis!)

I haven’t been before in Baltic countries nor Scandinavia. About Sweden and Denmark everybody knows something, but Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are more mysterious.
But it is still my part of Europe!

Landscapes, climate, architecture in Baltic countries are similar to Polish. I could know also about their history as it was more or less similar in all countries in eastern Europe.

I guess for Nikos it was all so exotic! (like for me your ancient ruins!) He was excited with brick buildings, medieval castles and green forests. And you didn’t understand that I would like to see Acropolis?
But it doesn’t mean that for me it wasn’t interesting. On the contrary. I discovered a lot of interesting things about which I had no idea...

Ok, so...

3...


2...


1...


START!

[Ταξιδευτης]

Keyword of the trip was “rain”.

Therefore first city on our way – Kraków – we were watching from under the umbrella:



(actually next morning was the warmest in the whole journey)

[Ταξιδευτης]

Shortcut to Kraków:

Wawel Castle is big


Sightseeing from hackney:

- St. Mary’s Basilica


- market square


Souvenirs from Kraków:

- Polish amber


- pretzels


- and of course dragons!

[Ταξιδευτης]

Road from Kraków to Mazury was the longest and the most difficult. Clouds were chasing us since the beginning



and then was only worse..
Wind, rain, storm, darkness... – good that it wasn’t me who was holding handle bars
We reached Mazury at deep night. Small roads, forests...
This is what Nikos could see:



And this is what I could see!



(nice views, heh? )

[Ταξιδευτης]

We arrived to our guesthouse with relief “Finally!”. But.. nobody was waiting for us! Silence and no lights. It changed when Nikos “announced” our coming...
I called earlier this day the owner of the place, to warn that we will be late. It turned out later that there are two co-owners. The one I called went to sleep not informing the one living in this house... And what was the name of the lazy guy? – Grek (Greek)

[Ταξιδευτης]

Polish Passenger of Greek Traveller

When we were still in Poland, I had advantage of knowing the language. Although nobody could know this when I was hiding under Greek license plate..
Coming back to Poland, in a queue to a ferry, we met Polish couple on a bike. They stopped behind us and I heard the woman telling her husband: “Talk to these Greeks!”
In Poland I was saying to people who were starting complicated answering in English “ok, you can speak Polish”. Uff
But why men were then still talking to Nikos?
He was bravely pretending that he understands

[Ταξιδευτης]

Ełk

City in the middle of lakes area.

[Ταξιδευτης]

Road

Riding on long distance as passenger I was looking for any variety in the view.

Clouds





Vehicles



Animals


(Lithuania)


(Sweden)


(Sweden)


(Sweden)



(Denmark)

[my cattle&horses research ]

And signs


(how many kilometres still?)