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BALTIC TOUR - 2016

This year journey is dedicated to discovering western Baltic Sea, whose history arouse our motorcycle company interest. In fact the Baltic Sea is: the area from which Goths and Vikings extended their influence in whole Europe; the area of  confrontation between the Swedish Kingdom and the Russian Empire; the place of the recent contraposition  between the West and the Soviets. Wandering on roads around this sea, we could touch some whiteness of its past. Our motorcycle fleet is formed by the famous twin sister of Giorgio and mine and a Transalp, the Alfredo last new entry. In few words: two Moto Guzzi Eagles and one Honda half wing. In the following sentences a concise description of our trip, in order to give information to those motorcyclists who intend to ride the same journey. Journey, that came out to be very interesting; mostly for the beautiful visited towns and for the fact we rode, for the first time, in Russia.

After a long and  anonymous ride through the flat lands of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, we reach the first stop: Cracow. The capital of the former Kingdom of Poland does need any presentations, but only to be visited and enjoyed. The close by camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau must be sadly mentioned, because only the from alive it is possible to witness what human delirium is capable to do. Following day, eventually, we reach the Baltic Sea in Gdansk; a town, before evaluated of poor interest, but after our visit it come out to be very charming and architecturally delicious. Not too far away from this Hanseatic harbor, we reach the border with the Kaliningrad enclave. After overtaking the lengthy border procedures, we feel to have entered a different world. From a touristic point of view, transit and visit to Kaliningrad  are not exciting, but extremely interesting  from historic and social perspectives, where the Soviet witnesses can be  easily perceived. After the ride of the Curonian peninsula, we leave the Russian enclave and we enter the first Baltic State: Lithuania. Our journey goes on northward and Latvia and Estonia  give us the historic witnesses, the  architectonic harmony and the elegance of their respective capitals: Riga and Tallinn; capitals that get to be counted in the European best. Confident of our previous border experience, we finally enter  into the real Russia and its former capital St Petersburg welcomes us showing all its glamour, imperial majesty and history. This capital, born from the enlightened vision of  Zar Peter the Great and realized with the prominent contribution of Italians Architects, does not need any presentation; prove is the the presence of thousands of worldwide tourists. Leaving Russia and getting into Finland you may have the feeling to be back home. Long westbound ride with the stop in Helsinki; new town, without exciting works of  art, but friendly, pleasant and well organized and kept. In Turku we sail with a ferry with destination Stockholm.  Daily navigation to Sweden comes out to be one of the journey highlight; ferry first sails through the wide Finnish Aland Islands archipelago, formed by over 6500 islands, then, after few hours of open sea, it enters the Stockholm archipelago, formed by 25000 islands and eventually arrives to destination. Stockholm proves to be one of the best European capitals: charming, graceful, exclusive and rich of many picturesque views. Left Stockholm back of our shoulders, the journey goes toward its end. We have in front hundreds of miles riding flat freeways with only two interesting passages: Baltic bridge and Alps crossing.

In conclusion, this trip, although not too exciting from a motorcycle point of view, since most of the roads take place on flat lands, revealed to be very interesting for the beauty of the visited towns and for perceived historic witnesses. Riding in Russia is not a problem, but the visit and the border procedures must be planned ahead of time. Generally speaking, road conditions and hotel availability were satisfactory. Our spaghetti cooking capability was more than very useful.

SOME THOUGHTS

EUROPEAN FEELING

When you cross the border between Poland and Kaliningrad you feel to leave your home and to enter a different one;  when you cross back the border toward Lithuania you feel to come back to your home. Instead, when you cross the border between Estonia and Russia you feel to leave your home and to enter a different one;  when you cross back the border toward Finland you feel to come back to your home.

BORDERS

Some state borders are only represented on maps, some others are in reality.

BALTIC GIRLS

Tall, slim, clear eyes, essentials, well behaving, prosperous, well combed and elegant, but sad because not heavy tattooed, not pirsinged, no Rasta hair, not ethnic dressed and without flipflop slippers.

INTERNATIONAL TOURISM

In the baltic countries, many European and American tourists, in Russia no American but many Chineses. Overall only 2 Moto Guzzi V7 Special.

ITALIN HOMESICKNESS

During the whole trip, Italian homesickness due to lack of: graffitis, everywhere weed, roads without human witnesses,  tattooed and pirsinged intellectuals and low worn trousers with evident underpants; but we solved the problem of  pasta lack.

BALTIC SEAS

East Baltic Sea is far away from roads, sandy, poorly lived in, no sea side resorts and poor of pleasure boats; in Finland and mostly in Sweden reach of pleasant archipelagos, much lived in and with many sea side resorts.

FISHES

Baltic Sea gives you delicious  marinated herrings, but also carps and smelly smoked fresh water fishes, all of them brownish

i miei viaggi
my trips