Manky Monkey Motors

Not quite what you may think actually. No, next year I'm off to visit Tallinn in Estonia with a mate from Scotland. Gonna take Brenda's Suzi GS 650 GT shafty whilst my mate Peter will prolly be on his 'busa (reckon he's gonna do half the journey the first day, turn around an' catch back up with me along the way   :D).

We were originally goin' out from Harwich to Cuxhaven in Germany, crossin' Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia an' on to Tallinn in Estonia where we should have picked up a ferry to take us back to Rostock in Germany an' a five hour ride to the MC Rottum clubhouse in Lingen. The ferry to Cuxhaven with a reclinin' seat rather than a cabin was to have costed £33 rider an' bike. The ferry isn't runnin' now so they changed our bookin' to go to Esbjerg in Denmark an' as they're inconvieniencin' us some they've given us a two berth cabin an' £14 each. So effectivly were goin' to Denmark with a cabin for £19 each - RESULT !

This has made me think about our route again as the Tallinn - Rostock ferry has also been cancelled for next year. So now were headin' from Esbjerg to Copenhagen an' takin' the toll bridge over to Malmo in Sweeden
(http://www.touringcars.fi/uploadkuvat/Oresund-1.jpg)
It's huge an' should be a fantastic sight to see for real. From Malmo we head up to Jonkoping an' then onto Stockholm where we catch a ferry to Tallinn in Estonia. Lookin' to go to Lake Peipsi where time has stood still fairly much so for the last 50 - 70 years
 (http://web-static.vm.ee/static/failid/155/vanausuliste_kyla.JPG)
(Russia is over the other side of the lake. Hopin' to hook up with a bike club in Latvia, then onto Lithuania to spend a day or so around Trakai an' Vilnius where the only statue in the world dedicated to Frank Zappa is.
 (http://www.mariesworldtour.com/entries/06_June/lithuania/zappastatue.jpg)
From Vilnius we'll go into Poland heading into the Mazurian lake district. It really can be  beautiful, I can testify to that as I played out at Mragowo back in '97.
(http://www.junior.blogtrotter.com/p/mazury/tnIMG_1206.JPG)
Then to the area around Gdansk an' Gdynia. There's a resort on a peninsula there called Hel so that's gotta be worth a trip.
(http://www.eurosion.org/shoreline/37hel-peninsula.jpg)
From there it's gonna be a blat accross Germany with possibly one overnite stop if we need to before arrivin' at the clubhouse for the MC Rottum (Lingen/Emsland) Summer party an' a weekend of very solid partyin' before returnin' to these shores.
I'll be takin' a mando with me too so no doubt there'll be some playin' along the way too an' hopfully a couple of songs will come out of this.

Andy has been on at me to write somethin' on here about travels for a while so I thought that now there's somethin' definate for next year an' tickets are booked this was the right time. I know this piece is long but so's the journey   :) 

Sounds amazing, take a camera and get lots of phots cos you will want to remember a trip like that for ever!

It's alright for some, i can't even leave the country :(

Camera an' spare memory card Bobbi. This has been in my head for nearly a year now so it's good that it's finally startin' to come together   :)

Yodie's been pretty busy with a million other projects lately so doesn't get to call by quite so often but his omnipresence is still there.
Mr Stevie, take a very large notebook with you, (& lots of MMMotors T shirts to barter with the locals with), cos I expect a full diary of the trip when you get back. I haven't been out of the country for 15 years -unless Scotland counts, so the rest of us day-dreamers wanna come along for the ride too. :D

No probs diaryin' it for on here, always try to keep a diary when I've been on tour with bands. It ain't gonna be quite The Long Way Round but I reckon 'To Hel An' Back' ain't a bad title   :)

heh heh! Looking forward to reading that!
Message from Reg the 'leccy bloke for you Stevie.
Negative earth Zener diodes, www.holden.co.uk 22 quid + VAT.

Changed the pic that was HUGE so it looks a bit better on here. Sent text to Reg as I've ordered one from the bloke I had the address for originally. I've just got to be patient an' wait now.
Just thought that folks would like to know about this...  especially as I've now got my ticket so it's gonna happen whatever bike I end up usin' for the trip, tho I still reckon the Suzi is the one for the job as it's seen a good few thou on it on trips to an' around northern Germany. Loads of stuff to do an' organise still but the good news is that it ain't costin' too much for the ferries. Stockholm to Tallinn we can do for around 80 euros each with a two berth cabin, the Harwich to Esbjerg is £19 (that was rather a good bit of luck), the bridge is around £13 toll an' the ferry from Hoek van Holland to Harwich comin' home is around £45. Apart from that there's a lot of petrol that's for sure an' some official documents that need payin' for. Jabs are a good idea I'm told an' because of the time of year we are goin' an' the fact that Estonia, Poland, Lithuania an' especially Latvia have a big problem with ticks that it would be a good idea to get jabbed up for Encephalitis too (that costs). But things are movin' forward an' that's a goood thing   :)

Personally speaking, it's not just the entertainment value of reading an account of a trip like that, it's the inspiration it gives. I might dream of travelling the World on 2 or 3 wheels, but would be overwhelmed by the scale of the task & would think it's totally beyond me to organise. Seeing you actually get out there & do it, following you step by step, would give me the push I'd need to try it for myself. Go for it mate. Then come back & tell us what you found out there.  ;D

Will post stuff as we organise things beforehand 'cos it may help me remember stuff that still needs to be done as we go along. Memory like a sieve, brain like cotton wool full of snot at present  :)

How do I post my own photo's on here ?

Do I need them on anutha site an' then link thru the image button ? or can I just upload them ? 'cos I can't see how that's done.

Being remarkably stoopid I've got no idea how the techy bits work, but I just reduce my photos to 400 x 400 in Photoshop then click on "Additional Options" when you're posting. A "Browse" window will open up. Attach & post. Idiot proof -must be cos I can do it! ;D 

I was half planning - well, more like had a bit of an idea - to go to Sweden via Denmark and that fabulous bridge, cos I had a nephew living in Sweden.  Then I broke me leg and all sorts, and a couple of years went by, and now the silly b has decided to retire to his house on the island of Alderney - not quite the same kind of trip!

I seem to remember his advice about riding in Denmark and Sweden was that it's quite boring cos there's a blanket 50mph speed limit, and you have to watch out for the bears and the moose.  Something like that, anyway.

Not sure I'd describe rounding a bend to find a bear or a moose in the middle of the road boring! Alderney's still nice Bobbi. Would make a great road trip.

Nono of my current vehicles walk on water tho....

Ferries go the channel islands from Portbail in Normandie - allegedly!  Seen the ferry terminal lots of times but it's never been open!  But Portbail is only a hop and a skip from Cherbourg - worth a visit tho for the Moules Frite and the local brandy from the bar near the bridge!

I really should take up drinking shouldn't I! I miss out on so much as a tee-totaller!

ooops sorry Stev!e didn't meran to hijack your thread!    ;)

No probs Bobbi. I'll post stuff here when I have any more to add about the trip.

Here's a couple more photos from previous trips to Poland tho. It's probably the best country I've been to so far. Only downside are the roads which can be really awful.

Just been lookin' at a few more photos of Lake Peipsi on the web an' found this.

Is it Yoda's new trike ?   ???

(http://annika.galerii.ee/images_t/area_of_peipsi_lake/t2_peipsiveer6.jpg)

 :D ;D :D

Actually, closer to the truth than you might think!
Top photo looks like it should have Julie Andrews galloping across that hillside.What's the other one of? Mist over a lake? Get that up in the Highlands a lot. Can be really spooky sometimes.

Yeah, you're right about the lake shot. That was taken around 5am in the morning, layin' down in the grass beside the lake. In the far distance is a power station or refinery of sorts, it all shows up a lot better in a higher res picture.

The preceedin' day we had headlined at the 1st Polish Country Music Awards late afternoon an' then gone back to where we were stayin' at a hotel/chalet complex by the lake in the picture. Here's a couple of excerpts from my tour diary that cover the two days we had in Dabrowa Gornicza for the awards ....


Friday - Day 4    On The Move. Hi Ho, Hi Ho, etc...

Today we leave Gliwice to go to Dabrowa Gornicza for the 1st Polish CMA awards show that is being held tomorrow, but first we have an interview on a local radio station where the interviewer pops the question  “Country Music, England. Why ?”. Good question.  On being asked what we listen to while travelling,  Andy explains that we each have a variety of tapes with us, and we are all trying to get our tapes on the machine during the journey. “What wouldn’t be good for driving to ?”  “Motorhead” I answer.... you bang your head enough already as you travel the motorway in Poland. We say thanks and bye to the DJ’s who we last met at Mragowo two years ago, grab a photo opportunity outside the station, then get on our way to our next stop, which is to be at the TV station TVP in Katowice. The show we are appearing on seems to be a 6pm equivalent of Richard and Judy. We’re miming to backing tracks of Misery and  Sweet To The Bitter End. It goes out live so when we’ve finished we creep out of the studio and I silently pray that no one kicks Mikes cymbal case over. After we load the van, we get on our way again to Dabrowa Gornicza to see the venue for tomorrow’s gig. The cultural palace is wonderful, even if it has been allowed over the years to lose some of it’s looks. The stage is being set, and all looks  good for the awards show. We are staying on the shores of  a lake just out side of town in a Swedish style chalet. The bars open, we’re told they do food, so we grab a beer (David prefers a cherry flavoured vodka and I have to agree it’s very more-ish), grab some eats, then return to our chalet for a run through of our surprise for the crowd tomorrow. It’s a Polish song called  Sto-Lat which translates into 100 Years. After a few run-throughs we finish up and get ourselves off to bed. It’s been another long day.

Saturday - Day 5         No, I haven't been fighting. The Elephant Man, am I related ?  Ha Ha Ha...... thud.

Up early and breakfast is fun with David, Andy, and Clive ordering an omelette. Choosing from the menu they guess at the filling. When it arrives it looks fantastic but omelette with fruit and smothered in cream is not for me first thing of a morning. My eye is rather sore and on returning to the chalet I check in the mirror.
Oh no! What is that ?   I have a massive swelling on my forehead that is rapidly closing my eye. The bugs bite big around here. When we arrive at the stage area it is swamped with people so no sound check just yet then. It’s just as well really as we have a bit if a problem with the van. The rear doors appear to be locked and the key does not want to work. We struggle with the doors and time moves on. Kris is with us, he’s appearing on the show today, it will be his first time in front of an audience as a solo performer, but right now he’s most keen to get us on stage to sound check. Sorry Kris, bit of a problem here, yes I understand that we need to hurry but it’s a bit difficult what with the doors to the van being jammed and all our equipment being inside. We end up with the stage engineer and his mate taking the doors off the van. Yes, it is a bit drastic, but needs must....
Sound check over, we lunch and chat with Tomasz Szwed, Poland’s top country artist. His English is great but then he did spend some time here a few years ago. David goes off to be interviewed by TVP who are covering the event while the rest of us wander around checking out the various stands. It’s during this that I am collared by the radiant Patricia who interviewed David earlier, she’d like me to give a big “YEEHAW” to camera for the TV show. It’ll probably end up on the Polish version of Beadles About.
Later in the day David and Mike are in the audience. They are presenting two awards, one of which is going to a band we know called PARTY TOUR. They have recorded the cover version of the year - Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama - so we won’t be doing that in our set tonight. Clive, Andy, and myself are backstage, running through some numbers. This is only Clive’s third gig with us and that is including the impromptu one the other night for the students. Soon the dressing room is a mass of bodies all trying to change at once. David puts on his new spangly shirt, whoa !!, very Las Vegas.  Me, I put on some sunglasses, rather to hide the swelling around my eye than to avoid being blinded by David’s shirt. While in make-up I receive some odd looks, I explain as best I can that I haven’t been fighting while Mike makes buzzing noises to show that it was a mozzie. Make-up woman is not sure. Once on  stage the intro to Wings plays and we stand ready for the lights to go up. The audience are clapping along already, and we know it’s going to be a good one. David and myself have been learning some Polish and he gets his chance to use it during the set. It goes down well, as does Cowboys and Cowgirls, Sweet To The Bitter End, and just about anything else the audience can join in on. All too soon we’re playing Suspicious Minds and our set is almost over. They want more, and the palace erupts as we give them our surprise  Sto-Lat. We milk it, and they love it. We finish off with Goodbye Adios Amigos, sign autographs and pack up quickly so as to get to the after show party being held where we are staying. It turns out that we spread our drinking and chatting over some hours and we leave the bar as it is getting light. Returning to the chalet I pick up my camera. There’s a mist over the lake and with the power station in the distance it looks fantastic. After a couple of hours watching the mist gradually lift and getting what I hope to be good photo’s, I return to the chalet and to my bed which has been calling for some time, but ignored due to the beauty of the sunrise.

Cracking stuff Stevie. More of the same please.
At last, another contributor!  ;D
I'll have a word with The Yodley One & see if we can transfer your diaries into a page of your own to free up room in the forum. Maybe create a new "Road Trips" section. Keep posting here for now though. You write well mate.

An email comment from my brother Steve. Hope he won't mind me reproducing it here:
"Love STEViE'S shot across the lake, really ethereal. The Temarere has to be just out of shot. Brilliant".

Thank your brother for his comment on the photo, it's one of my favorites that I've taken.

Here's anutha place we're plannin' on stayin' at once we get to Poland
(http://www.polandtour.pl/img/fotos/n/gh_002.jpg)

The Hel Peninsular

Worked out the ridin' time now an' a conservative figure is around 50 hours all told. Found a rather interestin' place to visitwhen we first get to Poland from Lithuania - Hitler's headquarters at Gierloz known as the Wolf's Lair is one of the most sinister places in the region, but it attracts many tourists because of its legendary climate.

The fortress is composed of 80 buildings, 50 of them are bunkers. The headquarters had its own electric power generator, railway station and an air-strip. Quarters of the top Nazi officials as well as casino and cinema were located in the central part of the compound. The whole area was camouflaged, protected by wire entanglements and mine fields.

Retreating in 1945, the Germans dynamited the fortress. Its ruins are available for visitors.

Wolf‘s Lair, Gierloz, tel./fax +(48-89) 752 44 29 www.wolfsschanze.home.pl unfortunatly the site's in Polish. This is the place where the unsuccessful attempt was made on Hitlers life by his own Generals.

It is actualy possible to stay in the old officers mess that has now been converted to a hotel. So that's the plan.

Sounds impressive Stevie! Looking forward to reading this epic adventure of yours!