Featured Remembered Rides

Discussion in 'Rideouts, Trackdays, Touring & Spotted' started by Beerman, Nov 3, 2020.

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  1. Beerman

    Beerman Guest

    Now heading for lockdown again, I am having to rerun great trips again in my head to stay sane.

    I have posted elsewhere about a magnificent ride from Santa Cruz, through Yosemite, down through Death Valley, and across Arizona to Grand Canyon.

    A different one came to mind when I heard the news about the earthquake in the Mediterranean last week.

    My journey took me from Orlando, across Florida, through Tampa and across Tampa Bay to Clearwater, where I stayed overnight. This was an unremarkable trip - lots of flat land and malls. Things looked up at Clearwater, with the magnificent white beach stretching away for miles in all directions.

    Fortified by a humungous Crabby Bills breakfast, off I went up the Gulf Coast. Through Dunedin - as an Edinburgh native, I liked that - Palm Harbour, and on to Tarpon Springs.

    Tarpon Springs. Why all the Greek Flags, and Tavernas? Was I lost?

    I entered a Taverna, and stared at the maps and old black and white photographs on the wall. Kalymnos, Leros - I know these places, they are part of a small group of Islands called the Dodecanese. They are tiny: Leros has 8,000 inhabitants, Kalymnos 15,000. Even today, you can still only arrive by boat from Athens and Kos (I have done both, and recommend either).

    The owner saw me looking, and I said I had visited these places , that I had walked that harbour wall at Pothia (Kalymnos). He had never had anyone walk in before and know anything about them, so I was well received.

    It turns out that in the late 1800s, Tarpon Springs became known for it's sponges. The Dodecanese Islands, far away in the Mediterranean, were known for their sponge divers - people who dived deep, without oxygen, to pick sponges off the sea floor. When the local sponges were afflicted by disease in the early 1900s, many emigrated to become sponge divers in the Gulf of Mexico. All this time later, it still looks Greek - there is an Orthodox Church, Dodecanese Avenue, and established relationships with the Dodecanese Islands.

    I have found i learn most from getting out and about, talking to people, and just wandering. Tarpon Springs was memorable.

    Beerman
     
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  2. Winglad

    Winglad Crème de la Crème

    Dec 21, 2016
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    Yes, I agree. That‘s what traveling is all about. It humbles us in a very special way in showing us how unimportant we really are, but still meet likeminded folks and empathy all over the globe.

    The situation now - and you are not the only one at the brink of sanity - lets us experience exactly the opposite: singularity, monotony, egomania.

    I was a traveling man most of my life. But have been grounded in 2014. Long before this damned virus.
    What I suffer most, is being trapped.

    Thanks for sharing your experience!

    Cheers.
     
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  3. Ducatitotriumph

    Ducatitotriumph Crème de la Crème

    Apr 25, 2019
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    #3 Ducatitotriumph, Nov 3, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 3, 2020
    B500 (black forest). Stayed in freiburg and enjoyed every ride. Simply wonderful. Close second were all of the popular "pass" roads overseas. Third, NC500 (except getting there. 1650 miles fri,sat and sun. Bit of monday too as too knackered)
    Great memories.
     
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  4. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
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    North West England
    Really enjoyed your post. There is nothing better than getting away to different places and experiencing their local customs and life.....
     
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  5. Beerman

    Beerman Guest

    I can recommend Wolverhampton, too...

    Beerman
     
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  6. Wessa

    Wessa Cruising

    Apr 27, 2016
    11,318
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    Been there a few times, mostly for football away games
     
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  7. Flashp

    Flashp Noble Member

    Dec 6, 2017
    595
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    Hants
    Just got from the last hoorah and noticed the Rozzers out in force.
     
  8. learningtofly

    learningtofly He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy!
    Subscriber

    Sep 25, 2018
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    Does Super Sausage count? :D

    (Nice post, @Beerman)
     
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  9. Tallpaul

    Tallpaul Noble Member

    Apr 7, 2019
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    Kidderminster
    Morocco 2017. We had been married for 40 years and wanted to celebrate on our own, in addition to an amazing party with family and friends. We went in September, riding through the mother of rain storms to Portsmouth for the 2 night crossing to Bilbao. We made the journey down to Algeciras part of the holiday, staying in interesting places overnight. We met our guide and his wife the first time on the night before we crossed to Tangier Med, we got on instantly, great couple with proper northern sense of humour. 2 weeks of touring around North Africa, seeing, smelling, eating everything on offer. The Blue City, Chefchouan, Taroudant, Essouaria, Marrakech. Great views, amazing food, bad shits...................We did it all. Spent another week riding up through Spain to ferry home. Best thing we ever did outside the bedroom.
     
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