Vienna and Olomouc

Arrival in Eastern Europe

 Day 1
Arrival in Vienna, Austria.
I arrived in Vienna from Paris via Air France only to discover that my checked bag (the one with helmet, camera, gloves, rainwear and other clothing, was still in Paris).  You can't do this tour without a helmet so I was immediately desperate.  With the help of our hotel staff, calls were made to Air France and it was agreed that the best option was to have the bag forwarded to Prague.  This meant going with out my stuff for two days.  I was lucky to find that Adriatic Tours had an extra helmet (which they normally don't bring with them) and at least I was able to start the ride.

 The ride from Vienna north to the Czech Republic was beautiful.  Except for the heat, it was a great day. The farm land and small towns are so well kept as to be totally amazing.  No brush and weeds by the road-side, freshly painted houses and litter free.  Very beautiful.


















Day 2 
Vienna to Olomouc

Today we rode north through the Austrian countryside. Beautiful! Pristine and enjoyable even in the unseasonable heat (low 90's). Our group of 10 riders and two tour guides, Niko and Luka, began the tour without problems.

Eventually we entered the Czech Republic. The first night we stayed in Olomouc. Meal time as well as the morning stops for coffee were great. The group seemed to bond well and the guides were terrific. Niko, the leader, knew just where to stop along the way and which restaurants would provide great food.

 Our group consisted of two couple from Florida, a couple from Brazil, a fellow from New Jersey, and a wonderful young couple from California.  The young couple were celebrating their honeymoon.



Adventure Beginning

bobforsee@yahoo.com


In 1968 I read a story in Cycle World magazine about a fellow that rode from the U.S to the tip of South America and I was psyched to do the same. However, over 35 years passed and I hadn't taken that journey. So after retirement, I began to consider the possibilities.

For 12 years my wife and I put over 9,000 miles on our bicycles. We greatly enjoyed our two-wheeled activity, particularly the Katy Trail which covers over 200 miles across Missouri. However when it comes to adding a motor to the two wheels, I'm all alone. Brenda doesn't feel the same comfort on a motorcycle that she feels on her bike.

Beginning with that first Honda I bought in 1966 (only 160cc) I have always enjoyed the feeling of adventure that motorcycling gives you. In the 60's I traveled a number of times by motorcycle including two trips to the Rocky Mountains, once to New Orleans and once to Los Angeles.


In early November of 2006 after spending a year of planning and trying to digest a bit of Spanish, I joined Harold Brooks and we traveled through five Latin American countries totaling 4200 miles.


In 2008 I flew to Buenos Aires where I had arranged to rent a Honda Transalp and headed north through Argentina, Chile and Peru. The ride to see Machu Picchu in the Andes totaled over 5100 miles.


In 2013 I planned a ride from Jo' Burg, South Africa to Victoria Falls. The trip through Botswana, Zimbabwe and back to South Africa was wonderful. The Falls were amazing, but seeing elephants and other big game while traveling down the highway was a treat.


I got another bug to do another ride in 2015. Not so much an adventure, but none-the-less exciting. I joined nine other riders for a tour of Eastern Europe. Adriatic Moto Tours (of Slovenia) provided guides and bikes and our group traveled for eight days from Vienna to Prague and South to Salzburg and then back to Vienna. After that, I arranged to continue on with the bike and travel on my own. I rode into Hungary to Budapest, spent an additional day there, and then South past lake Balaton and returned the bike to the tour company in Ljubljana, Slovenia. This ride provided many amazing sights with the Alps and beautiful land of Austria and the Czech Republic being among the most memorable.


In 2018, I took on what may have been my final adventure. At age 74, I rented a small Honda motor bike in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and rode North to Hanoi. The 23 days of travel was everything I expected. Wonderful people and God-awful traffic. Truly an amazing ride.


PREPARATION

In preparing for each of my trips I found a great deal of information on Horizons Unlimited web site. This amazing site has journals, health info and active bulletin boards that allow for contact with other travelers. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com




About Me

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Professional: Graphic design for Steven mfg., Art Director -MFA inc. and Missouri State Parks. Teaching: Stephens College, Columbia College, Virginia Commonwealth U. and Rolla Technical Institute.

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