Gypsy by heart

Hi, I am Julia, I’m 41 years old and I live in Germany. When my ex-boyfriend decided to leave me in 2007, I decided, that I need something to bring me on different thoughts. Something which was not connected to the 12 years before.

So, that is my Africa Twin and the rides!

In 2010 I traveled 9000 km - that should be almost 5600 miles through <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Spain</st1lace></st1:country-region>.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
May be you are interested in my story. <o></o>

So a machine has replaced your boyfriend.
Don't know how to take that myself. :huh

Great bike and I'm glad you enjoy it.

We'd love to hear it.
Sorry for the wisecrack.

To the Friends of Africa Twin Germany I’d like to apologize, ‘cause you probably have read the report twice or may be even three times.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
It was published in the German Motorbike Journal “Motorrad ABENTEUER” and I wrote a little report for the platform : www.africatwin.de<o></o>
<o></o>
So let me start at the beginning:<o></o>
<o></o>
When my friends and family were asking: “How was vacation?”, I would have liked to answer: “A little bit of everything!”<o></o>
That was true!<o></o>
<o></o>
I had rain, snow, wind, and sun. I was in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>, <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region></st1lace> on english territory, I slept in a tent, in a hotel, in a mobile home, in a Finka, invited by friends and I did wild camping.<o></o>
I spoke German, English, Spanish, Italian and French.<o></o>
<o></o>
I eat packet soup, - drank instant coffee, had tapas, three-course meals and candy without an end!<o></o>
I was alone, we were two girls, sometimes a little group.<o></o>
I have swum in the Mediterranean an in the <st1lace w:st="on">Atlantic ocean</st1lace>. I did ride straight streets, one curve after the other. I was on the “Autobahn”, on gravel roads and dirt tracks. I rote through grasslands, rivers, and rice fields. I could go on with listing things…<o></o>
This vacation was a vacation of variety and contradictions!<o></o>
<o></o>
<o></o>
<o></o>
My employer asked me to cut down on overtime.<o></o>
All right - if it has to be… ;-)<o></o>
<o></o>
I knew right away that I wanted to do a big tour with my bike. My first big tour. Since I was alone I didn’t want to travel to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Rumania</st1lace></st1:country-region> or Kasachstan. I’d love to go there and meet the people and see the landscapes, but I don’t speak there language and I didn’t want to go out in the wild to much (since I ride alone)…<o></o>
<o></o>
So my choice fall on <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> and <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region></st1lace>. May be you guys would like the autobahn, but if you are used to it every day, and if you like off-the-road tires on your bike - you do not want to rubb them off while going high speed on the autobahn.<o></o>
<o></o>
So I decided for the “Autoreisezug” - the car train.<o></o>

To the Friends of Africa Twin Germany I’d like to apologize, ‘cause you probably have read the report twice or may be even three times.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
It was published in the German Motorbike Journal “Motorrad ABENTEUER” and I wrote a little report for the platform : www.africatwin.de<o></o>
<o> </o>
So let me start at the beginning:<o></o>
<o> </o>
When my friends and family were asking: “How was vacation?”, I would have liked to answer: “A little bit of everything!”<o></o>
That was true!<o></o>
<o> </o>
I had rain, snow, wind, and sun. I was in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>, <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region></st1lace> on english territory, I slept in a tent, in a hotel, in a mobile home, in a Finka, invited by friends and I did wild camping.<o></o>
I spoke German, English, Spanish, Italian and French.<o></o>
<o> </o>
I eat packet soup, - drank instant coffee, had tapas, three-course meals and candy without an end!<o></o>
I was alone, we were two girls, sometimes a little group.<o></o>
I have swum in the Mediterranean an in the <st1lace w:st="on">Atlantic ocean</st1lace>. I did ride straight streets, one curve after the other. I was on the “Autobahn”, on gravel roads and dirt tracks. I rote through grasslands, rivers, and rice fields. I could go on with listing things…<o></o>
This vacation was a vacation of variety and contradictions!<o></o>
<o> </o>
<o> </o>
<o> </o>
My employer asked me to cut down on overtime.<o></o>
All right - if it has to be… ;-)<o></o>
<o> </o>
I knew right away that I wanted to do a big tour with my bike. My first big tour. Since I was alone I didn’t want to travel to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Rumania</st1lace></st1:country-region> or Kasachstan. I’d love to go there and meet the people and see the landscapes, but I don’t speak there language and I didn’t want to go out in the wild to much (since I ride alone)…<o></o>
<o> </o>
So my choice fall on <st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region> and <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region></st1lace>. May be you guys would like the autobahn, but if you are used to it every day, and if you like off-the-road tires on your bike - you do not want to rubb them off while going high speed on the autobahn.<o></o>
<o> </o>
So I decided for the “Autoreisezug” - the car train.<o></o>

To the Friends of Africa Twin Germany I’d like to apologize, ‘cause you probably have read the report twice or may be even three times.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
It was published in the German Motorbike Journal “Motorrad ABENTEUER” and I wrote a little report for the platform : www.africatwin.de<o></o>
<o> </o>
So let me start at the beginning:<o></o>
<o> </o>
When my friends and family were asking: “How was vacation?”, I would have liked to answer: “A little bit of everything!”<o></o>
That was true!<o></o>

I had rain, snow, wind, and sun. I was in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>, <st1lace w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Spain</st1:country-region></st1lace> on english territory, I slept in a tent, in a hotel, in a mobile home, in a Finka, invited by friends and I did wild camping.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
I spoke German, English, Spanish, Italian and French.<o></o>
<o> </o>
I eat packet soup, - drank instant coffee, had tapas, three-course meals and candy without an end!<o></o>
I was alone, we were two girls, sometimes a little group.<o></o>
I have swum in the Mediterranean an in the <st1lace w:st="on">Atlantic ocean</st1lace>. I did ride straight streets, one curve after the other. I was on the “Autobahn”, on gravel roads and dirt tracks. I rote through grasslands, rivers, and rice fields. I could go on with listing things…<o></o>
This vacation was a vacation of variety and contradictions!<o></o>
<o> </o>

Yeah, I bought my beloved KLR after a breakup.

Don't look back, hot blondes on bikes never stay alone for long

And YES we are interested in your story.

......

When my ex wife left me in 2010 I did a lot of soul searching. I decided in 2011 to get back into biking after 35 years and raising a family. A totally different direction for my life as well! I bought a BMW 1200 GS and now learning all about it. In the future I hope to take some journeys also.

I try to, but somhow I cant write new answers?!? Give me some time, I'm kind of untalented posting stuff....

Looking at your first photo it seems that some of your travels are off hiway.
Reports from Europe are always intersting. Off hiway reports from Europe are way cool.

Yes, sometimes I traveled on gravel roads - dirttracks - I like that.

Unfortunately I cant get replys to this report - have no Idea why not - I'll try tomorrow, It's kind of late over here - sorry!!

Good Luck, I hope to hear more you are quite a woman! Ride On! Phil

It took me from Düsseldorf to Narbonne in the south of France, at the Mediterranean Sea. I started at the end of April. On the train I met some guys from a town called Warstein. They had German beer and food. So I joined them ;-)<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Really nice guys and the trip to Narbonne was over in the twinkling of an eye.<o></o>
<o></o>
When I started in Narbonne, going over to Monaco to meet a friend from Britain I was all alone for the first time, my bike packed with everything I would need for the next 5 ½ weeks …. a great feeling - really cool - I enjoyed that moment so much! <o></o>

The first night I wanted to spend on a little camping place near Nizza. And since it was the first time travelling alone my first mistake was to look far too late for a place to stay for the night. The sun had already set - it was getting dark and I wasn’t very fit in building up my tent.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
That night I wrote in my little scratch book “must start earlier looking for a place to sleep!”<o></o>
<o></o>
But isn’t that what it’s all about? Finding out how to optimize things while riding along?<o></o>
<o></o>
After I met my friend and stayed for two days near a little town close to Monaco, I visited the “Canyon du Verdon” - a wonderful area to ride your bike, with great landscapes and many things to see. Even if the weather really sucked, I stayed two nights to be able to ride the canyon, once without any luggage.<o></o>

I navigated by maps since I had no navigation-system. The streets around lake St. Croix and the Canyon du Verdon were painted green in the Michelin-Maps - a signal for wonderful landscapes – and so it was! All ‘green routes’ in Michelin’s maps I rode showed the same fantastic scenery!<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

Well my machine didn't replace him in total... but...

Hi Elenore
My husband walked out on me a month ago and I am about to start travelling too. I am selling everything and plan on it being a permanent change. I already had my bike but he is definitely my replacement husband now. Haha I even made him a facebook page so I could change my status to "in an open relationship with.."
Your trip looks great. Not sure when or if I will get to that part of Europe but it does look lovely. I am starting with Australia first then will probably go to South America.
Good on you
Naz

Quite an adventure,I. Look forward to more...thanks. and ride safe........