VIA MEDITERRA - The journey around the Med with an HP2

[kimangao]

The following day sees Oli, Jürgen and me riding along the coastline. Because it is still early in the year, there are almost no tourist around and the beach is ours.







Ok, tyres are not on all bikes ready for the sand.


Olis tyres are better, but we're too lazy to adapt the tyre pressure. Instead courage shall help.


So far with courage.





Mount Canigou, you've seen him several times before, accompanies us along the shoreline.






Returning to Prades I have a look at the local market to find something very interesting among all these products.






The special thing is this: What looks like a stone is actually a piece of olive soap. The name written on it "Alep" refers to the town of Aleppo in Syria. That's one of my destinations within the next months. At the bottom left there's another soapy cubus with "Marseille" on it. Marseilles and Aleppo are for hundreds of years the two olive soap producing places. Isn't that weired, that two towns are linked by soap?




Cheers for now

Dirk

[lefteris]

Hey Dirk!

Great photography and narration, as always!

It's been ages since we last met. Any chance you coming our way?


Lefteris

[kktos]

Originally Posted by lefteris

It's been ages since we last met. Any chance you coming our way?

Indeed !
Too long.... we should remedy to that... let's say, next year ? Hum, Herr Dirkos ?

@Dirkos: the pict of you on Forca Real: Oli.

[PorLaTierra]

Really excited about this one, ive dreamed of doing a loop around the med myself. Im thinking of ferrying from Almeria, Spain to Melilla next spring with my Yamaha SR250, just for a few weeks, so I cant wait to see your North East Morocco stuff, thats where I will hopefully be.

Keep the updates coming!

[kimangao]

Originally Posted by lefteris

Hey Dirk!

Great photography and narration, as always!

It's been ages since we last met. Any chance you coming our way?

Lefteris

Efcharisto my friend. Yes, with pleasure! I have a little something in mind ;-)

I'll let you know as soon as the plan becomes a bit more precise

Cheers
Dirk

[kimangao]

Originally Posted by kktos

Indeed !
Too long.... we should remedy to that... let's say, next year ? Hum, Herr Dirkos ?

@Dirkos: the pict of you on Forca Real: Oli.

Perche no?! Just said to Lefteris, that there's a little something ...

Merci fpr the Forca-hint

Bisous

Dirk

[kimangao]

Originally Posted by PorLaTierra

Really excited about this one, ive dreamed of doing a loop around the med myself. Im thinking of ferrying from Almeria, Spain to Melilla next spring with my Yamaha SR250, just for a few weeks, so I cant wait to see your North East Morocco stuff, thats where I will hopefully be.

Keep the updates coming!

I'll try my very best :-) Morrocco should be narrated till then.

Hasta luego

Dirk

[dukedinner]

Wow. ...Your pics are outstanding. Front page stuff..I thought I was good at photography till I saw your work!

Greatt RR!

[GSGIRL]

They really speak to me.

I can only hope to someday be as good a rider and as good a photographer as you are. You live & capture life in such an impressive way. Love it!

[kimangao]

Originally Posted by dukedinner

Wow. ...Your pics are outstanding. Front page stuff..I thought I was good at photography till I saw your work!

Greatt RR!

Thanks man. I feel very honoured by you and so many other adv's telling me this.

Cheers

Dirk

[kimangao]

Back to Olis place I have a quick look into the internet and checking about my next destinations: The German ministry of foreign affairs gives a warning to travellers in the Maghreb meaning Morocco but especially Algeria and Tunisia. On the 22nd of February several people were kidnapped in Tunisia ...




Though I'm still far away from Algeria I check which alternatives could be there. What I don't know yet is that Algeria will become a major problem on my journey. But in another sense than I imagine now.




Anyway, Oli recommended a place to visit in the nearby mountains, the abbaye ofSaint-Martin du Canigou. It's a remote place and since the ancient pilgrim paths across the Pyrenees became less and less important Saint-Martin du Canigou also lost influence.







Talking about Oli: Besides his sympathy for everything on wheels, he's the motorcycle man to me.




In the morning he rides his 950 through whatever ...




... takes his big one in the afternoon for a little cruise ...









... plays in the early evening with the WR ...






Some people are just suffering

But how can I complain?



I felt very sorry for leaving Oli, the region and finally France. But hey, this is supposed to be the circuumnavigation of the Mediterranean Sea and not pleasing myself in the comfort zone.

So see you again on the next leg of the journey. In beautiful Spain!

Cheers

Dirk

[ata]

wow



front page for sure

[kktos]

Achtung ! The 950 is not his..... but hers
Mireike said _his_ is the harley

btw, I'm very pleased to see Bilder I didn't know :)
Excellent, as always, I'm afraid

[kimangao]

Originally Posted by kktos

Achtung ! The 950 is not his..... but hers
Mireike said _his_ is the harley

btw, I'm very pleased to see Bilder I didn't know :)
Excellent, as always, I'm afraid

Well, it's registered on Miri, but ...

[kimangao]

This is the day to finally leave France. Weather reminds me that it is still spring and dark clouds over Colliure greet me a last time before I arrive at the border. Btw: on my nine months lasting journey around the Med it rained only on five days. Very close to paradise





One of the best things for travellers that came with the European Union is the absence of border controls. The former barriers are deserted and nobody bothers you while you take pictures where it has been formerly strictly forbidden.




I'm crossing the first of the expected 20 borders and - in terms of tar riding - I have the feeling that this is probably the most exiting one. Well later on I will learn, that there's another outstanding one. But have a look at the following pictures and how the road winds along the coastline.



France and Spain unfortunately do not share the same railway system. This is why all trains (except the modern high speed train to Barcelona) ended near the border and passengers had to swap trains.
Two very similar villages on both sides of the border therefor have extensive trainstations. It's Cerbère on the French side ....




... and Port Bou on the Spanish side. And ... kep an eye on the road.




Following the coast furtheron I pass by beautiful places like El Port de la Selva. No wonder that the region beginning here - the Costa Brava - is one of the most popular holiday regions.




One place not to miss is Cadaques. Salvador Dalì the expressionist painter and sculptor has had a house nearby and once you're in Cadaques you know why.




Off-season, like now, the town still spreads the romantic ambience of a fishing village.



Talking about romance: Francois and Valery whom I've met weeks before in Nice gave me this little girl friend because they expected me to be in need of some ... Anyway, today is the day my new girlfriend enjoys a sunbath on the beach of Cadaques.



This café is one of the places Dalì was supposed to hang out pretty often. Inside you'll find some memorabilia referring to him.




As the sun sets I ride to Spains northwesternmost point, the Cabo de Creus. A lighthouse above the steep cliffs is where the road ends. Ok, and where shall I sleep now?




I try the backside of the lighthouse, nicely protected from the strong winds. What I learn later, also well protected from the patrolling police cars. Two ladies in a camper van who'd parked their car nearby got fined and had to leave the spot in the night.




I've spent the night nearly undisturbed and in the morning the sound of Cadaques' trawlers heading out into the sea wake me up.




Some other early risers enjoy the Sea as well. God, I'm happy to be here.




To give you a little impression of the ride along the coastline:



Cheers

Dirk