Europe touring:my road trip from Finland to Spain and back(sept17th 08-april 12th 09)
#1
Europe touring:my road trip from Finland to Spain and back(sept17th 08-april 12th 09)
Some pics of my road trip on the link below, I took some time off work and spent the winter in Spain(MUCH warmer than winter in Finland which is snowy and cold, both things that I realy hate...).I rode my 06 Street Glide to Spain.That meant taking a ferry from Finland to Germany, then riding 2500km (1550miles)thru Germany and France to Spain. I was on holiday so i took my time going thru Germany, spent 2 weeks on that 1550 mile trip(and 1,5weeks when I came back this april). I really like Germany so spent as much time as possible there.
I spent the winter in a part of Spain called Costa Blanca (white coast), on a coast of Mediterranean sea, had an apartment rented from a town called Torrevieja.Made some trips with my bike along the coast(even in Spain you get a cold winter and snow in the middle and northern parts of the country, but on the south coast you can ride even on winter, temps usually 50F - 75F), visited Portugal, Gibraltar and even Africa! Also visited Madrid and Barcelona by train. Really nice winter, if all goes well I will spend the next winter also in Spain...
Took many pics and there were many pics I couldnīt take, lots of places where there was no use of getting a pic because that photo wouldnīt do justice to that scenery etc. You know what I mean.By the way, didnīt even own a digital camera before, just bought one before this trip...
http://picasaweb.google.fi/jarkkot71
I spent the winter in a part of Spain called Costa Blanca (white coast), on a coast of Mediterranean sea, had an apartment rented from a town called Torrevieja.Made some trips with my bike along the coast(even in Spain you get a cold winter and snow in the middle and northern parts of the country, but on the south coast you can ride even on winter, temps usually 50F - 75F), visited Portugal, Gibraltar and even Africa! Also visited Madrid and Barcelona by train. Really nice winter, if all goes well I will spend the next winter also in Spain...
Took many pics and there were many pics I couldnīt take, lots of places where there was no use of getting a pic because that photo wouldnīt do justice to that scenery etc. You know what I mean.By the way, didnīt even own a digital camera before, just bought one before this trip...
http://picasaweb.google.fi/jarkkot71
#5
I was smart enough NOT to take the cameras owners manual with me, so not all the pics are the quality they might(and should) be...Of course itīs a cheapo Nikon, but think I should have tried it more before I left to Spain,might have learned to take better pics...But Iīm still quite happy with those.
Boxer 6: I actually had the opposite feeling...Of course I have never ridden a bike in the States, but I had some REALLY close calls in Spain. And those roundabouts are a total mess...They know how to use them(well sort of)in north, in Barcelona, but in south were I was it was a chaos...Thereīs usually two lanes in those roundabouts and when you charge in with full throttle(well you have to , otherwise they run over you..)you have to check your right, your left, whatīs in front of you and whatīs behind you. You can never tell if the guy next to you on left is going straight or if he is going to cut in just before your front forks to turn right and leave the roundabout...There is no logic whatsoever how these people drive. One finnish guy asked a local police how he should drive in those roundabouts with two lanes. Police was quiet for a while, then he said "well, drive so that you don`t have an accident..." That about sums it up...
And the speed bumps they have are a joke...Local people DONīT brake before those, they just drive thru it full speed, oil pans scraping the asphalt...
But I really had a fun trip, hope I can make it again next winter. Also told my friend that before this trip I was thinking of maybe selling my FLHX in couple of years, well not anymore...Heck, I rode that Harley to Spain for the winter,riding around the coast area, even rode her to Africa! How could I ever sell that bike after that....
Boxer 6: I actually had the opposite feeling...Of course I have never ridden a bike in the States, but I had some REALLY close calls in Spain. And those roundabouts are a total mess...They know how to use them(well sort of)in north, in Barcelona, but in south were I was it was a chaos...Thereīs usually two lanes in those roundabouts and when you charge in with full throttle(well you have to , otherwise they run over you..)you have to check your right, your left, whatīs in front of you and whatīs behind you. You can never tell if the guy next to you on left is going straight or if he is going to cut in just before your front forks to turn right and leave the roundabout...There is no logic whatsoever how these people drive. One finnish guy asked a local police how he should drive in those roundabouts with two lanes. Police was quiet for a while, then he said "well, drive so that you don`t have an accident..." That about sums it up...
And the speed bumps they have are a joke...Local people DONīT brake before those, they just drive thru it full speed, oil pans scraping the asphalt...
But I really had a fun trip, hope I can make it again next winter. Also told my friend that before this trip I was thinking of maybe selling my FLHX in couple of years, well not anymore...Heck, I rode that Harley to Spain for the winter,riding around the coast area, even rode her to Africa! How could I ever sell that bike after that....
#6
#7
Hey jstage, I am from a town called Hämeenlinna, itīs about 60 miles north from our capital, Helsinki. Pori is on west coast of Finland, about 150 miles from my hometown. Finland is a small country but we have some really nice roads here. And we have some really talented bike builders here! (check for instance these out: http://www.flyingchoppers.com/ and http://www.mrmoorecustomcraft.com/ga...s/index/bikes/ )Get your Harley here and I show you some finnish countryside, beautiful lakes and forests. Then we can go to Pori and find your old girlfriend...
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#8
Finland?
Sounds good FinnGlide!! Let me know if you every plan to come over to the states. I live in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, home to Finlandia University in Hancock, Michigan, we have a VERY large population of Finnish-Americans in my neck of the woods. In fact, it resembles Finland in many ways, I'm told. We even have a ski jump 40 miles from my home!!
jstage
jstage
#9
Sounds good jstage, would be nice to visit Michigan, who knows what happens in the future...But no ski jumping, Iīm never that crazy or drunk enough to try that! Yes I know that especially in those parts of the States there is lots of Finnish-American people. I think lots of finnish people moved to USA during 1920s and 30s, to find a job there. And that part of USA was quite popular, because like you said the nature looks a lot like in Finland...
I have been in Florida 3 times, but really would like to visit other parts of the States too.Have a friend in Chicago (greetings to Jerry!), that is also one place I want to visit.
I have been in Florida 3 times, but really would like to visit other parts of the States too.Have a friend in Chicago (greetings to Jerry!), that is also one place I want to visit.