It's a Wrap!

This is it. The last ride of the year. Spoiled by the mild temperatures on the Dutch coast we had hoped for equally warm weather back in the Black Forest. Well, view had been obstructed by icy fog all morning, but when the sun finally showed around noon, we gave it a try. It had around 3C (37F), so it wasn't that cold.

Although the sunlight had chased away most of the hoar frost, icy patches were still prevalent in the shadows. The grip of the tires was ok but it felt quite slippery when we put the boots on the ground.

Traffic was almost non existent, however the few cagers around managed to be completely oblivious to us two-wheeled motorists. There was tailgating, dangerous overtaking and failure to yield, and we tried to stay out of their way as much as possible by riding small country roads.

Below a typical example of a Black Forest farmhouse. As this area is of Catholic faith, one might often find a field cross made of wood or stone. These crosses were put up by the people as sign of faith, thanks, penance, in memory of a loved one and/or for protection. It may also serve as marker for hikers or pilgrims. Sometimes an inscription would explain why this particular cross was erected and by whom, and it often depicts Christ or Virgin Mary.

We stayed in the valley mostly, because we thought it would be safer and the sun would manage to keep us somewhat warm.

These crops were still standing. We were not sure why though, because everything else around had been harvested a long time ago.

We felt warm and cosy in our Michelin outfit of three layers from underwear to outerwear, and our new skiing socks (Falke SK2) did the trick of keeping our feet toasty as well.

That's it. Thank you 2013. It was a grand year with lots of exciting things happening. We moved from British Columbia, and the beautiful Pacific West Coast to the lovely Black Forest in Germany, and successfully managed all bureaucratic hurdles including the approvals of our Canadian bikes (Bella, Roland's Vespa scooter and Rover, my Harley Davidson Sportster). We got to meet with fellow bloggers such as Bob, Biki, Dom, Jon, Nick and Gary, and although not visually documented, we also met with the Californians Guido&Andrea and globetrotters Kati&Jens. We visited twelve different countries, sometimes three in a row. We were reunited with our families and reconnected with German friends. With Alonzo, my Vespa GTS300 Supersport my husband provided me a worthy successor for Paolo, the Vespa GT200, I had left in good hands in Canada. Life has been good to us. Here's to 2014! We wish y'all a happy and healthy New Year.

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Das war's!

Der letzte Ausritt für dieses Jahr. Verwöhnt durch die milden Temperaturen an der holländischen Küste hatten wir gehofft, im Schwarzwald ebensolches Wetter vorzufinden. Aber der Morgen grüßte uns mit Eisnebel. Gegen Mittag kam dann doch die Sonne heraus und wir wagten das Experiment bei etwa drei Grad Celsius. Der meiste Bodenfrost war bereits durch die Sonnenstrahlen verjagt worden, aber im Schatten lauerten immer noch Frost und vereiste Stellen, welches wir weniger am fehlenden Grip der Reifen, als an den Sohlen unserer Stiefel fest stellten. Wir rutschten nämlich dauernd aus… 

Man merkt, dass keine Saison für Zweiräder herrschte. Die Autofahrer taten, als wenn es uns gar nicht gab. Also sahen wir zu, dass wir nur auf kleinsten Nebenstraßen unterwegs waren.

An einem typischen Schwarzwald Bauernhaus entdeckten wir ein Wegkreuz. In dieser so erzkatholischen Gegend ist dies so normal wie… Parkgebühren in der Innenstadt. Was auch immer der Hintergrund war, dieses Zeichen religiöser Orientierung auf zu stellen, pittoresk sieht es jedenfalls aus.

Wir kurvten durch das Kinzigtal, weil wir dort davon ausgehen konnten, dass das Glatteis inzwischen weg geschmolzen war. Außerdem suggerierten uns die Sonnenstrahlen Wärme! In unseren drei Kleidungsschichten kamen wir uns zwar vor die Michelin-Männchen, aber wenigstens sind wir so warm geblieben.

Das war's also. Danke 2013! Es war ein tolles Jahr mit vielen aufregenden Ereignissen. Wir zogen mal eben von Kanada's Westküste in den deutschen Schwarzwald und schafften letztendlich alle bürokratischen Hürden inclusive der Zulassung unserer kanadischen Zweiräder (Roland's rote Vespa und meine Sportster). Wir haben uns mit anderen Bloggern aus aller Welt getroffen, Familie und Freunde besucht, bereits zwölf europäische Länder bereist und ich habe einen neuen Vespa Roller, Alonzo, im Austausch für Paolo, den ich in Kanada lassen musste. Mal sehen, was 2014 bringt! Wir wünschen allen ein frohes und gesundes Neues Jahr!