Post by stevie on Jun 14, 2017 11:34:41 GMT
euro lambretta rally adria
day 1
we left aberdeen scotland at 8 am heading for newcastle and the ferry which would take us to holland , we were not long into the journey just outside dundee when kenny had a rear wheel puncture that fixed we
made our way down the east coast over the forth road bridge to edinburgh towards dalkieth and the scottish borders as we approached jedburgh we met a few scooterists in the petrol station who asked us if we were on our way to kelso far from it was our reply we are off to the euro lambretta rally in adria italy the look on their face said it all for me as we headed in opposite directions .
over the border into england just
outside ponteland , newcastle jamie said he was struggling to breath and see out his new arai helmet we had a look at it he had forgot to remove the screen protector this was the first of many laughs were to have on the way ,
we reached newcastle and the ferry port with a couple of hours to spare once on board we met a few more scottish scooterists and as usual had a few beers then a shot on the roulette wheel where we walked away having won 40 euros all in all a good night was had by us all even the stag and hen partys heading to amsterdam were having a good time also .
as we reached our cabins we said our goodnights looking forward to our adventure in the morning.
day 2
we docked in holland , up showered breakfast had before the germans got in -result .
once we got off the ferry we decided to use the motorway out of ijmuden to make up some time as we ate up the miles through holland and belgium into luxembourg and our first night camping at one of the best campsites ive ever stayed at the facilities were second to none .
we had some dinner at the campsite cafe and a few beers and a chat before hitting the sack for the night , we didnt get to see much of holland , belgium due to using the motorways but from now on we would be using B roads only this i was looking forward to very much .
day 3
we were wakened by the sound of the birds chirping in the treetops above us it was another glorious day as we packed away our tents and got ready for the road ahead we would be going through france today heading for colmar and then into switzerland as we were raching colmar we came accross a stranded couple with a knackered top end on there servetta , as we had the van as back up we stopped and picked them up they were heading in a different direction from us but agreed to travel with us to frieberg as we had a brand new bgm 225 kit in the van with us this would do them nicely as they were using the same set up only theres was knackered now as the ring peg had went and totaled the top end .
as we reached frieberg we removed there scooter from the back of our van it waas only then that we exchanged names the 2 young kids were lydia and jordan (of young gun fame )
once we had our tents up we fixed my scooter as the clutch plates had went then young jordan replaced the kit on his and thanked big tom for giving him it with the intent of replacing it when we got to the rally , it was getting dark now so we had some rolls with meat and cheese washed down with a few beers before retiring for the night .
day 4
we awoke and had a walk round the area which was part of a huge damm it was very impresive indeed ,then in the distance we could see our challenge ahead THE ALPS even at this distance they were an impressive sight indeed .
once we were all ready the youngsters agreed to follow us all the way to the rally so now we had 2 lodgers to look after also , so we headed off on fantastic roads towards the mountain area when suddenly the road ahead ended and a small tolbooth stood in its place we were amazed to find we had to board a small train which would take us in a tunnel through the mountain to the other side we payed our toll and boarded the train at kanderstag having tied the scooters down we were on board for about 10 minutes when we reached our destination and goppenstien from here we were about to tackle the alps and the SIMPLON PASS which just seemed to rise vertically, as we looked up at the task ahead we could see heavy snow covering our route we geared up and went for it onwards and upwards as we went through the gears rising and rising we could feel the temperature falling remarkably even the scooters were struggling with the altitude and were starting to bog down as the air got thinner and thinner .
the alps had a majestic feel to them with the snow melting and running into the ice green crystal clear river which cascaded down the mountain but the security netting placed all over the mountain side made sure you were aware just how dangerous an area you were in with constant rock falls and landslides evident in places as you passed them, once we reached the top it was here you got to see the beautiful houses we had passed along the way dotted along the hillsides on the swiss side that now looked like small ants in the distance , we headed downhill now towards the italian border which featured a small little village with neglected and abandoned houses lining the way at the border we were met by a large italian guard who ushered us through quickly towards our next stop for fuel at varzo where the local attendant was so impressed we had ridden our scooters all the way from scotland he gave us a few bottles of wine for the journey ahead .
we passed lake maggiore which was a truly remarkable site indeed with people making full use of the sunny weather as the sailed , swam and jet skied in the beautiful crystal clear waters how jealous we were as we passed them heading for milan and our campsite for the night .
once we reached milan we found a campsite that had chalets so we opted for them rather than pitch a tent again once showered we headed through the campsite where we met a group of chinese people traveling all over europe from china in 160 days what an adventure they had ahead of them we wished them well as we went for some food and a few beers before going to bed .
day 5
today we were heading for brecia then onto verona as we headed out the campsite the owners little jack russell who 10 minutes earlier had enjoyed my breakfast more than me had the cheek to try and bite my tyres as i drove to the reception area to check out much to the amusement of my group .
we headed off our first stop casa lambretta but as we headed through milan centre i couldnt help notice how dirty the place was and littered with graffiti so much so it resembled the american bronx dont get me wrong there were some beautiful sights mainly the women who would be more at home on the catwalk .
it took us over an hour to navigate through the chaotic city traffic where one lunatic driver got my rath as he undertook us at speed narrowly missing us i caught up with him at traffic lights and in my best pidgeon italian i uttered the words fa fanculo which he understood these words later in my journey didnt go down well more on that to come later , we arrived at casa lambretta the first sight you get is an old TV lying under a tree just outside the building far past restoring for any would be enthusiast .
i couldnt wait to go inside suddenly i was like a kid in a sweety shop as i grinned from ear to ear at the sight inside of concourse scooters by the hundreds some rarer than hens teeth ,if you are a true scooterist make this a must visit on your bucket list .
we left heading for brecia once again B roads were our aim , having done the euro to avignon i couldnt help notice the resemblance here also as ladys of the night touted for buisness at the side of the road under the protection of a sun brolly not far from local fruit sellers , one young african lady took it upon herself to show us what was on offer as she parted her legs " to say it was like a donkey yawning was an understatement "
with that vision still in my head we carried on to brecia where we fuelled up and had a bite to eat passing through some lovely little villages and towns on the way as well as lago di garda a beautiful big lake full of sunworshippers lining its edges , it was not long before we arrived in verona and the castle campsite whch stood proudly at the top of a hill overlooking verona city , from the campsite terrace area we had the most dramatic view of the city you could ask for verona beconed us down to sample its delights so once we got settled and ready and made use of the free wi fi to catch up with social media and loved ones back home.
we left the campsite and made our way round the old ramparts of the castle to the many stairs that led down to the beautiful city below and the bridge over the river that would take us into the city centre once inside we opted for some local cuisine which was one of the best meals ive had in a long while .
after dinner we headed to see the sights one being the massive coloseum which stands proud and majestically in the town centre the other highlight for any romantic was teh statue of juliet of romeo and juliet fame its customary to rub her right breast which is said to bring you love .. just as well the doors were shut so we couldnt get near to rub her breast as it might have sent us over the edge after being away from our partners for so long now .
after a few beers and a pisstake with a big ginger swede who thought he could take the piss out of me he left with his tail between his legs as his group were in stitches laughing at me leaving him like a scorned schoolboy, my next piss take was to foto bomb 2 old ladys who had no idea what i had done but our group gave it away with their laudable laughter .
we drank up and headed over the bridge to the stairway to heaven taht would lead us to our campsite ,once at the top we all needed oxygen before bedding down for the night .
day 6 thursday
my turn to drive the van today only 100 miles to cover , we left verona having vowed to return one day with my other half as it was a very romantic city indeed and i needed to sample more of its delights .
we made our way out the city towards adria after a few fuel stops and a bite to eat we eventually arrived at the rally site which was still being used for cart racing and bike racing after registering and getting our goodie bags we made our way inside to find a site to set up our tents and gazeebo due to the seering sun and risisng temperatures we sought what shade we could get and chilled with a few beers as we watched a constant flow of scooters arriving steadily , to be honest i hated seeing scooters being pulled out the back of vans and trailers then to be rode round the campsite at any godforsaken hour by the happy owners who had no idea we had just ridden over 1500 miles to get there ON our scooters .
after a few beers and some dinner we were treated to one the most spectacular lightening shows put on by mother nature as the lightening lit up the sky like bon fire night we tucked in for the night.
day 7
today we seen the campsites filling up nicely as people/scooterists arrived from all over the world some rode here some came by car / van /camper or even flew ,inside the main hall traders dealers and back street wheelers were open for buisness even the second hand spares were busy with those looking for that bargain or that last piece of the jigsaw puzzle or even the ultimate rare item needed to finish their project back home .
traders stalls were catching everyones eyes with their dealer specials rimini lambrettas gp caught mine with its black base with copper and gold leaf paintwork theme as well as a prototype engine the price £20,000 way out my budget but i will stick it on my santa wish list .
by now it was time for the rideout with scooters reaching 3 figures taking part it was an awesome sight another awesome sight was the 3 scantally clad ladies from a major bike cleaning product company called ma fra who were happily posing on punters scooters for that bit of bragging rights down the pub at a later date .
as it was afternoon we headed into the town of adria which was about a mile away for something to eat we passed loads of scooters on the way still heading to the campsite which by now had seen temperatures reach 40 degrees on our return it was very evident as people were lying around sleeping while others were sweating profusley trying to find any shade they could .
it was dinner time now but as the queue was the length of a football pitch we decided to wait around and have a few more beers before heading back into the hall for some local food once fed we watched the band on stage called new colours who were quite good and had the dancefloor busy enough for such a hot night most people chose to sit outside at the bars in the arena we ourselves decided to call it a night as we had had a few too many .
day 8
woke up with a bit of a hangover so headed over for a shower and some breakfast it seemed i was not the only one as the place was full of like minded people ,
the rideout took place at 10am with even more riders taking part while others stayed or took part in a spot of cart racing which is not for the faint hearted can i say
time for a spot of lunch before the custom show and the release of the new lambretta which had a mixed response around the campsite but before that the rideout arrived back having claimed a couple of casualties 2 off who were scottish mark and hazel mark sustained an elbow fracture and hazel ankle damage .
by now people were gathering outside the main hall for the official veiling of the new lambretta with hordes of excited onlookers with cameras and videos at the ready there were 2 lambrettas in glass cages with covers over them and in time would be unveiled by the scantily clad lovelies to cheers and some jeers from a few in the crowd they might not be to everyones taste but going head to head with scomadi will either make it or break it !!
by now it was time for the gala dinner and as usual we the scots would all don our kilts as part of our national dress it always proved a winner with the ladies but not with our soft southern cousins , as we entered the hall which by now had everyone else seated we were greeted with the usual round of applause by many also the customary showing of my bare arse for a lot of the camera happy people inside the hall , the night went very quickly but just got better and better as we the lambretta club of scotland won furthest travelled club with craig ballantyne winning it overall and luke salvin winning furthest travelled young person all in all it was a good night for the scots as we partied on into the small hours before going to bed .
day 9
the day had come when we said goodbye to adria before we left we said our goodbyes to young jordan and lydia whom we had taken on as adopted scots lydia had a wee tear in her eye as we said goodbye im sure shes learned a lot from our time together so has justin hes learned never to try and out drink a scotsman and with a wee cuddle they were on their way home however we picked up another lodger in the form of mark who came off his scooter in the rideout we put his scooter in the van possibly for one day till he coul;d pull in his clutch as he thought .
we headed off north towards trento then onto bolzano / bozen the roads from here were awesome with vineyards either side of the road and cascading down from the hills above like waterfalls to the valley below which had a surprise around every bend the next one being a beautiful big lake with kids diving off old piers into the water to cool down as the adults watched from the safety of the waters edge .
we cracked onto laives and the steiner campsite which would be our dwelling place for the night we hired 2 chalets then had an awesome meal and a surprise visit from luke and steven salvin who were in a hotel nearbye we shared a beer and a chat of where we were heading next all to soon it was getting late so we made our way to our bed dreaming of what wonderful sights we would be met with tomorrow .
day 10
we left laives and fueled up at bolzano bozen where the local constabulary pulled in and asked to see our documents once satisfied they posed for the usual customary picture with us before seeing us on our way .
we headed for the brenner pass seeing some amazing scenery on the way from mountain rivers to castles precuriously perched on top of craggy outcrops of rocks where only a mountain goat would be at home this had to be one of the best roads we rode on from trento to the brenner pass .
at the austrian border we were held up by 6 boys taking on the brenner pass on old mobylette mopeds they were either mad or it was for charity, the brenner pass was not as challenging or as scenic as the simplon pass in switzerland but well worth a visit if your ever over this way .
we entered austria and the town of insbruck famous for its ski slopes and televised games the climb from insbruck to leithen was seriously steep which was a bit of a challenge but more so due to cars slowing right down to take photos made us drop down to first gear .
we headed to augsburg in germany home of the gs and messerschmitt scooters we booked into a hotel as it was pissing it down and a good choice it was too we then had some food and the usual few beers before bed
day 11
we left augsburg heading for mainz mark was still with us but today he was going to give it a go and see how his arm was as he was meeting the rest of his group in wurzburg which was on our route we fuelled up at the next station where we met 2 english couples who had their lambrettas in the van and on the back of a trailer they had seen us at the rally and couldnt believe we were riding all the way there and back .
we encountered a few heavy showers on the way as well as road closures when we came to tauber bischofsheim we said goodbye to mark as we made our way to darmstadt then mainz as we went over hills and through forrests the roads became more slippier craig was first to lose control at a bend when he couldnt keep his scooter on our side of the road and crossed over onto the oncoming lane where a car took evasive action to miss him ,we made it into darmstadt in rush hour for fuel where we even had time to fix a local ladys wing mirror which was hanging off so we taped it up for her and she was on her way again .
by now we were caught up in some serious weather with very strong winds which were doing some serious damage to trees with branches lying all over the road we made our way to mainz albeit carefully we eventually found our hotel in the town centre later taht evening craig had arranged to meet 2 old friends for a beer and some food .
once we were showered we went downstairs for a few beers when we heard a scooter it was herr general on his old gt we were introuced to him by craig his english was perfect he even spoke with a cockney accent which was very funny for a german the next to arrive was jens ha-ker whom again his english was perfect also as we made our way to a local pub / restaurant for some food and more beer then it was off to a local irish bar for a bit of gaelic craick by now we were a bit tipsy as we made our way through the streets of mainz jens pointed out that the street signs were in either blue or red red heads towards the river rhine and blue signs run parallel with the rhine only locals know this so we said our goodbyes and headed to the hotel for the night .
day 12
today we would be heading for weisbaden , koblenz ,bonn and into cologne
we set off glad the weather had changedfor the better as we made our way through small villages with pristine houses and streets so clean it would put our country to shame ,
we rode through large forrest areas with thickly dense woodland on either side of the road with signs warning us of deer for the next 10 kilometres when all of a sudden a small roe deer appeared at the side of the road ready to cross in front of us but thankfully decided against it as it dissapeared into the woods .
we were about 20 miles from cologne when we were taking a bend when big tom livingstone lost control of his pristine SX200 in front off me as he came off it he rolled a few times on the tarmac before coming to a stop the scooter slid along the road suffering legshield damage and rear runner board damage also and a snapped brake lever , with only his pride hurt and a black and blue foot he was soon up and on his way again .
soon we arrived at scooter centre cologne where we purchased a few spares tom fixed his lever and craig purchased a new tyre and fixed that outside the shop soon we were on our way again towards a hotel on the outskirts of cologne that mark whom we had in our van previous had booked up as we arrived first we got a first hand view of the hotel which was in a right shady area of town with a lot of foreigners including us hanging about and with no secure parking we had made our minds up we were not going to stay here as we were getting ready to leave mark and the boys turned up and agreed to join us in going to the ibis hotel in cologne centre which turned out to be much better .
showered and ready we hit the bar then went out on the town for something to eat we opted for chinese and found a little place just off the main road it was empty which is not always a good sign but as the 9 of us were starving and it was 9.45 pm we went in and ended up having one of the best chinese meals we have ever had as well as many beers to wash it down also before heading back to the hotel passed the many homeless people sleeping rough in shop doorways .
day 13
we all agreed to book into another ibis hotel in zandamm holland for tonight as it was our plan to leave cologne for zandamm near amsterdam where we had 2 days to play with as our ferry was not to the saturday mark and the other lads were booked on the friday sailing so would only be with us for one day , on our journey we passed by small canals with stunning houses whose backdoor garden went right down to the canal where there little boats were moored up ready to take them on a lesuirly cruise along the canal .
not long over the border into holland jamies scooter started to play up with fuel issues so we put it in the van and took kennys out as they swapped over once again we were on our way into zandamm and our ibis hotel for the next 2 nights the only thing was this hotel was an ibis budget so they didnt have a bar so we agreed to get a taxi into town and ate at the argentinian steakhouse where we once again met mark and the lads steaks and beer we got a taxi back to the hotel for a well earned rest .
day 14
we were wakened by thunder and lightening as the heavens opened this was the case until midday when we carried out essential repairs on our scooters under the pop up gazeebo we purchased for the journey ,scooters fixed we made our way into amsterdam for the day on the bus as we were hungry we opted for a little restaurant down one of the streets whose head chef was from scotland fife to be exact small world indeed .
time for the usual trip around the red light district having a good laugh at some of the sights in the windows," fat chicks to old grannys you name it it was all on offer "
we walked past one window where an asian girl took a likeing to wee jamie as she beconed him in to her abode however jamie was having none of it but she was very persistant as she came right out into the street to chase him down the road she must have liked his 5-6 height or his 16 stone physic or maybe it was his ginger hair and beard that rocked her boat but no matter she never caught him as jamie made a hastie retreat into the crowds .
after a few beers by the canal area we caught the bus home to the hotel for some much needed shut eye .
day 15
our last day on european soil as we headed to the port to catch our 5pm sailing for newcastle we stopped on the way for a bite to eat before boarding and heading straight to the skybar for a few beers and to keep an eye on the phone for the football result against the auld enemy england were 1-0 up so we left it till near the end before checking again it was now 2-1 to scotland the aberdeen lads were celebrating as i said dont celebrate till the final whistle no sooner were the words out my mouth when england equalised to put a bit of a dampner on our premature celebrations .
i noticed a passenger trying to swat a wasp away from him when i told him it was on his shoulder you should have seen him gyrating and almost breakdancing in a fit that had most of the skybar passengers in hysterics , "well if looks could kill ".
after dinner we purchased the 10 euro card which gave us access to wi fi on the observation deck where we could catch up with loved ones eager for our return home tomorrow by now it was time for bed .
day 16
after docking and clearing customs we made our way out to the forecourt area and got ready for the journey ahead when i noticed this german biker girl smiling away at me it was the same one smiling at me in the depths of the boat awaiting exit , they followed us north for a while then when we approached the roundabout to head north or south they opted for the south option as we pulled up to the lights she raised her visor and winked at me ha ha 52 fat bald she just made my day .
we fueled up at ponteland and headed up through the keilder forrest this was where jamies scooter started playing up again so we put it inthe van and headed for the border and the obligatory photo shoot at the border stone before the bus load of tourists arrived .
we stopped at jedburgh for a bite to eat before carrying on we were making great time as we crossed the forth road bridge into the kingdom of fife as we entered fruechie just before the fuel station at the junction i noticed a car edging out and sure enough he pulled out right in front of us casing me and craig to brake and swerve but craig being closer to him he ended up swerving sideways a bit which actually worked in his favour as he missed the rear of the car by millimetres i chased after the car and made it stop as i opened the door of the car ready to confront him it was an old guy about 90 he didnt even see us!!
craig was rather shaken so we stopped for a coffee before heading for the last bit of our journey as we arrived in aberdeen our epic journey had came to an end .
we had made a lot of friends along the way and seen sights that no one ever willbut a special thanks goes to craig ballantyne for navigating us all over europe passing through 10 countries on our way well done THE GENERAL , to jamie ,tom and kenny thanks for the laughs and the great company along the way and to mark last but not least to jordan and wee lydia keep smiling laughing and loving .
words and pictures
stevie adair ( animals fae naboombu sc )
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day 1
we left aberdeen scotland at 8 am heading for newcastle and the ferry which would take us to holland , we were not long into the journey just outside dundee when kenny had a rear wheel puncture that fixed we
made our way down the east coast over the forth road bridge to edinburgh towards dalkieth and the scottish borders as we approached jedburgh we met a few scooterists in the petrol station who asked us if we were on our way to kelso far from it was our reply we are off to the euro lambretta rally in adria italy the look on their face said it all for me as we headed in opposite directions .
over the border into england just
outside ponteland , newcastle jamie said he was struggling to breath and see out his new arai helmet we had a look at it he had forgot to remove the screen protector this was the first of many laughs were to have on the way ,
we reached newcastle and the ferry port with a couple of hours to spare once on board we met a few more scottish scooterists and as usual had a few beers then a shot on the roulette wheel where we walked away having won 40 euros all in all a good night was had by us all even the stag and hen partys heading to amsterdam were having a good time also .
as we reached our cabins we said our goodnights looking forward to our adventure in the morning.
day 2
we docked in holland , up showered breakfast had before the germans got in -result .
once we got off the ferry we decided to use the motorway out of ijmuden to make up some time as we ate up the miles through holland and belgium into luxembourg and our first night camping at one of the best campsites ive ever stayed at the facilities were second to none .
we had some dinner at the campsite cafe and a few beers and a chat before hitting the sack for the night , we didnt get to see much of holland , belgium due to using the motorways but from now on we would be using B roads only this i was looking forward to very much .
day 3
we were wakened by the sound of the birds chirping in the treetops above us it was another glorious day as we packed away our tents and got ready for the road ahead we would be going through france today heading for colmar and then into switzerland as we were raching colmar we came accross a stranded couple with a knackered top end on there servetta , as we had the van as back up we stopped and picked them up they were heading in a different direction from us but agreed to travel with us to frieberg as we had a brand new bgm 225 kit in the van with us this would do them nicely as they were using the same set up only theres was knackered now as the ring peg had went and totaled the top end .
as we reached frieberg we removed there scooter from the back of our van it waas only then that we exchanged names the 2 young kids were lydia and jordan (of young gun fame )
once we had our tents up we fixed my scooter as the clutch plates had went then young jordan replaced the kit on his and thanked big tom for giving him it with the intent of replacing it when we got to the rally , it was getting dark now so we had some rolls with meat and cheese washed down with a few beers before retiring for the night .
day 4
we awoke and had a walk round the area which was part of a huge damm it was very impresive indeed ,then in the distance we could see our challenge ahead THE ALPS even at this distance they were an impressive sight indeed .
once we were all ready the youngsters agreed to follow us all the way to the rally so now we had 2 lodgers to look after also , so we headed off on fantastic roads towards the mountain area when suddenly the road ahead ended and a small tolbooth stood in its place we were amazed to find we had to board a small train which would take us in a tunnel through the mountain to the other side we payed our toll and boarded the train at kanderstag having tied the scooters down we were on board for about 10 minutes when we reached our destination and goppenstien from here we were about to tackle the alps and the SIMPLON PASS which just seemed to rise vertically, as we looked up at the task ahead we could see heavy snow covering our route we geared up and went for it onwards and upwards as we went through the gears rising and rising we could feel the temperature falling remarkably even the scooters were struggling with the altitude and were starting to bog down as the air got thinner and thinner .
the alps had a majestic feel to them with the snow melting and running into the ice green crystal clear river which cascaded down the mountain but the security netting placed all over the mountain side made sure you were aware just how dangerous an area you were in with constant rock falls and landslides evident in places as you passed them, once we reached the top it was here you got to see the beautiful houses we had passed along the way dotted along the hillsides on the swiss side that now looked like small ants in the distance , we headed downhill now towards the italian border which featured a small little village with neglected and abandoned houses lining the way at the border we were met by a large italian guard who ushered us through quickly towards our next stop for fuel at varzo where the local attendant was so impressed we had ridden our scooters all the way from scotland he gave us a few bottles of wine for the journey ahead .
we passed lake maggiore which was a truly remarkable site indeed with people making full use of the sunny weather as the sailed , swam and jet skied in the beautiful crystal clear waters how jealous we were as we passed them heading for milan and our campsite for the night .
once we reached milan we found a campsite that had chalets so we opted for them rather than pitch a tent again once showered we headed through the campsite where we met a group of chinese people traveling all over europe from china in 160 days what an adventure they had ahead of them we wished them well as we went for some food and a few beers before going to bed .
day 5
today we were heading for brecia then onto verona as we headed out the campsite the owners little jack russell who 10 minutes earlier had enjoyed my breakfast more than me had the cheek to try and bite my tyres as i drove to the reception area to check out much to the amusement of my group .
we headed off our first stop casa lambretta but as we headed through milan centre i couldnt help notice how dirty the place was and littered with graffiti so much so it resembled the american bronx dont get me wrong there were some beautiful sights mainly the women who would be more at home on the catwalk .
it took us over an hour to navigate through the chaotic city traffic where one lunatic driver got my rath as he undertook us at speed narrowly missing us i caught up with him at traffic lights and in my best pidgeon italian i uttered the words fa fanculo which he understood these words later in my journey didnt go down well more on that to come later , we arrived at casa lambretta the first sight you get is an old TV lying under a tree just outside the building far past restoring for any would be enthusiast .
i couldnt wait to go inside suddenly i was like a kid in a sweety shop as i grinned from ear to ear at the sight inside of concourse scooters by the hundreds some rarer than hens teeth ,if you are a true scooterist make this a must visit on your bucket list .
we left heading for brecia once again B roads were our aim , having done the euro to avignon i couldnt help notice the resemblance here also as ladys of the night touted for buisness at the side of the road under the protection of a sun brolly not far from local fruit sellers , one young african lady took it upon herself to show us what was on offer as she parted her legs " to say it was like a donkey yawning was an understatement "
with that vision still in my head we carried on to brecia where we fuelled up and had a bite to eat passing through some lovely little villages and towns on the way as well as lago di garda a beautiful big lake full of sunworshippers lining its edges , it was not long before we arrived in verona and the castle campsite whch stood proudly at the top of a hill overlooking verona city , from the campsite terrace area we had the most dramatic view of the city you could ask for verona beconed us down to sample its delights so once we got settled and ready and made use of the free wi fi to catch up with social media and loved ones back home.
we left the campsite and made our way round the old ramparts of the castle to the many stairs that led down to the beautiful city below and the bridge over the river that would take us into the city centre once inside we opted for some local cuisine which was one of the best meals ive had in a long while .
after dinner we headed to see the sights one being the massive coloseum which stands proud and majestically in the town centre the other highlight for any romantic was teh statue of juliet of romeo and juliet fame its customary to rub her right breast which is said to bring you love .. just as well the doors were shut so we couldnt get near to rub her breast as it might have sent us over the edge after being away from our partners for so long now .
after a few beers and a pisstake with a big ginger swede who thought he could take the piss out of me he left with his tail between his legs as his group were in stitches laughing at me leaving him like a scorned schoolboy, my next piss take was to foto bomb 2 old ladys who had no idea what i had done but our group gave it away with their laudable laughter .
we drank up and headed over the bridge to the stairway to heaven taht would lead us to our campsite ,once at the top we all needed oxygen before bedding down for the night .
day 6 thursday
my turn to drive the van today only 100 miles to cover , we left verona having vowed to return one day with my other half as it was a very romantic city indeed and i needed to sample more of its delights .
we made our way out the city towards adria after a few fuel stops and a bite to eat we eventually arrived at the rally site which was still being used for cart racing and bike racing after registering and getting our goodie bags we made our way inside to find a site to set up our tents and gazeebo due to the seering sun and risisng temperatures we sought what shade we could get and chilled with a few beers as we watched a constant flow of scooters arriving steadily , to be honest i hated seeing scooters being pulled out the back of vans and trailers then to be rode round the campsite at any godforsaken hour by the happy owners who had no idea we had just ridden over 1500 miles to get there ON our scooters .
after a few beers and some dinner we were treated to one the most spectacular lightening shows put on by mother nature as the lightening lit up the sky like bon fire night we tucked in for the night.
day 7
today we seen the campsites filling up nicely as people/scooterists arrived from all over the world some rode here some came by car / van /camper or even flew ,inside the main hall traders dealers and back street wheelers were open for buisness even the second hand spares were busy with those looking for that bargain or that last piece of the jigsaw puzzle or even the ultimate rare item needed to finish their project back home .
traders stalls were catching everyones eyes with their dealer specials rimini lambrettas gp caught mine with its black base with copper and gold leaf paintwork theme as well as a prototype engine the price £20,000 way out my budget but i will stick it on my santa wish list .
by now it was time for the rideout with scooters reaching 3 figures taking part it was an awesome sight another awesome sight was the 3 scantally clad ladies from a major bike cleaning product company called ma fra who were happily posing on punters scooters for that bit of bragging rights down the pub at a later date .
as it was afternoon we headed into the town of adria which was about a mile away for something to eat we passed loads of scooters on the way still heading to the campsite which by now had seen temperatures reach 40 degrees on our return it was very evident as people were lying around sleeping while others were sweating profusley trying to find any shade they could .
it was dinner time now but as the queue was the length of a football pitch we decided to wait around and have a few more beers before heading back into the hall for some local food once fed we watched the band on stage called new colours who were quite good and had the dancefloor busy enough for such a hot night most people chose to sit outside at the bars in the arena we ourselves decided to call it a night as we had had a few too many .
day 8
woke up with a bit of a hangover so headed over for a shower and some breakfast it seemed i was not the only one as the place was full of like minded people ,
the rideout took place at 10am with even more riders taking part while others stayed or took part in a spot of cart racing which is not for the faint hearted can i say
time for a spot of lunch before the custom show and the release of the new lambretta which had a mixed response around the campsite but before that the rideout arrived back having claimed a couple of casualties 2 off who were scottish mark and hazel mark sustained an elbow fracture and hazel ankle damage .
by now people were gathering outside the main hall for the official veiling of the new lambretta with hordes of excited onlookers with cameras and videos at the ready there were 2 lambrettas in glass cages with covers over them and in time would be unveiled by the scantily clad lovelies to cheers and some jeers from a few in the crowd they might not be to everyones taste but going head to head with scomadi will either make it or break it !!
by now it was time for the gala dinner and as usual we the scots would all don our kilts as part of our national dress it always proved a winner with the ladies but not with our soft southern cousins , as we entered the hall which by now had everyone else seated we were greeted with the usual round of applause by many also the customary showing of my bare arse for a lot of the camera happy people inside the hall , the night went very quickly but just got better and better as we the lambretta club of scotland won furthest travelled club with craig ballantyne winning it overall and luke salvin winning furthest travelled young person all in all it was a good night for the scots as we partied on into the small hours before going to bed .
day 9
the day had come when we said goodbye to adria before we left we said our goodbyes to young jordan and lydia whom we had taken on as adopted scots lydia had a wee tear in her eye as we said goodbye im sure shes learned a lot from our time together so has justin hes learned never to try and out drink a scotsman and with a wee cuddle they were on their way home however we picked up another lodger in the form of mark who came off his scooter in the rideout we put his scooter in the van possibly for one day till he coul;d pull in his clutch as he thought .
we headed off north towards trento then onto bolzano / bozen the roads from here were awesome with vineyards either side of the road and cascading down from the hills above like waterfalls to the valley below which had a surprise around every bend the next one being a beautiful big lake with kids diving off old piers into the water to cool down as the adults watched from the safety of the waters edge .
we cracked onto laives and the steiner campsite which would be our dwelling place for the night we hired 2 chalets then had an awesome meal and a surprise visit from luke and steven salvin who were in a hotel nearbye we shared a beer and a chat of where we were heading next all to soon it was getting late so we made our way to our bed dreaming of what wonderful sights we would be met with tomorrow .
day 10
we left laives and fueled up at bolzano bozen where the local constabulary pulled in and asked to see our documents once satisfied they posed for the usual customary picture with us before seeing us on our way .
we headed for the brenner pass seeing some amazing scenery on the way from mountain rivers to castles precuriously perched on top of craggy outcrops of rocks where only a mountain goat would be at home this had to be one of the best roads we rode on from trento to the brenner pass .
at the austrian border we were held up by 6 boys taking on the brenner pass on old mobylette mopeds they were either mad or it was for charity, the brenner pass was not as challenging or as scenic as the simplon pass in switzerland but well worth a visit if your ever over this way .
we entered austria and the town of insbruck famous for its ski slopes and televised games the climb from insbruck to leithen was seriously steep which was a bit of a challenge but more so due to cars slowing right down to take photos made us drop down to first gear .
we headed to augsburg in germany home of the gs and messerschmitt scooters we booked into a hotel as it was pissing it down and a good choice it was too we then had some food and the usual few beers before bed
day 11
we left augsburg heading for mainz mark was still with us but today he was going to give it a go and see how his arm was as he was meeting the rest of his group in wurzburg which was on our route we fuelled up at the next station where we met 2 english couples who had their lambrettas in the van and on the back of a trailer they had seen us at the rally and couldnt believe we were riding all the way there and back .
we encountered a few heavy showers on the way as well as road closures when we came to tauber bischofsheim we said goodbye to mark as we made our way to darmstadt then mainz as we went over hills and through forrests the roads became more slippier craig was first to lose control at a bend when he couldnt keep his scooter on our side of the road and crossed over onto the oncoming lane where a car took evasive action to miss him ,we made it into darmstadt in rush hour for fuel where we even had time to fix a local ladys wing mirror which was hanging off so we taped it up for her and she was on her way again .
by now we were caught up in some serious weather with very strong winds which were doing some serious damage to trees with branches lying all over the road we made our way to mainz albeit carefully we eventually found our hotel in the town centre later taht evening craig had arranged to meet 2 old friends for a beer and some food .
once we were showered we went downstairs for a few beers when we heard a scooter it was herr general on his old gt we were introuced to him by craig his english was perfect he even spoke with a cockney accent which was very funny for a german the next to arrive was jens ha-ker whom again his english was perfect also as we made our way to a local pub / restaurant for some food and more beer then it was off to a local irish bar for a bit of gaelic craick by now we were a bit tipsy as we made our way through the streets of mainz jens pointed out that the street signs were in either blue or red red heads towards the river rhine and blue signs run parallel with the rhine only locals know this so we said our goodbyes and headed to the hotel for the night .
day 12
today we would be heading for weisbaden , koblenz ,bonn and into cologne
we set off glad the weather had changedfor the better as we made our way through small villages with pristine houses and streets so clean it would put our country to shame ,
we rode through large forrest areas with thickly dense woodland on either side of the road with signs warning us of deer for the next 10 kilometres when all of a sudden a small roe deer appeared at the side of the road ready to cross in front of us but thankfully decided against it as it dissapeared into the woods .
we were about 20 miles from cologne when we were taking a bend when big tom livingstone lost control of his pristine SX200 in front off me as he came off it he rolled a few times on the tarmac before coming to a stop the scooter slid along the road suffering legshield damage and rear runner board damage also and a snapped brake lever , with only his pride hurt and a black and blue foot he was soon up and on his way again .
soon we arrived at scooter centre cologne where we purchased a few spares tom fixed his lever and craig purchased a new tyre and fixed that outside the shop soon we were on our way again towards a hotel on the outskirts of cologne that mark whom we had in our van previous had booked up as we arrived first we got a first hand view of the hotel which was in a right shady area of town with a lot of foreigners including us hanging about and with no secure parking we had made our minds up we were not going to stay here as we were getting ready to leave mark and the boys turned up and agreed to join us in going to the ibis hotel in cologne centre which turned out to be much better .
showered and ready we hit the bar then went out on the town for something to eat we opted for chinese and found a little place just off the main road it was empty which is not always a good sign but as the 9 of us were starving and it was 9.45 pm we went in and ended up having one of the best chinese meals we have ever had as well as many beers to wash it down also before heading back to the hotel passed the many homeless people sleeping rough in shop doorways .
day 13
we all agreed to book into another ibis hotel in zandamm holland for tonight as it was our plan to leave cologne for zandamm near amsterdam where we had 2 days to play with as our ferry was not to the saturday mark and the other lads were booked on the friday sailing so would only be with us for one day , on our journey we passed by small canals with stunning houses whose backdoor garden went right down to the canal where there little boats were moored up ready to take them on a lesuirly cruise along the canal .
not long over the border into holland jamies scooter started to play up with fuel issues so we put it in the van and took kennys out as they swapped over once again we were on our way into zandamm and our ibis hotel for the next 2 nights the only thing was this hotel was an ibis budget so they didnt have a bar so we agreed to get a taxi into town and ate at the argentinian steakhouse where we once again met mark and the lads steaks and beer we got a taxi back to the hotel for a well earned rest .
day 14
we were wakened by thunder and lightening as the heavens opened this was the case until midday when we carried out essential repairs on our scooters under the pop up gazeebo we purchased for the journey ,scooters fixed we made our way into amsterdam for the day on the bus as we were hungry we opted for a little restaurant down one of the streets whose head chef was from scotland fife to be exact small world indeed .
time for the usual trip around the red light district having a good laugh at some of the sights in the windows," fat chicks to old grannys you name it it was all on offer "
we walked past one window where an asian girl took a likeing to wee jamie as she beconed him in to her abode however jamie was having none of it but she was very persistant as she came right out into the street to chase him down the road she must have liked his 5-6 height or his 16 stone physic or maybe it was his ginger hair and beard that rocked her boat but no matter she never caught him as jamie made a hastie retreat into the crowds .
after a few beers by the canal area we caught the bus home to the hotel for some much needed shut eye .
day 15
our last day on european soil as we headed to the port to catch our 5pm sailing for newcastle we stopped on the way for a bite to eat before boarding and heading straight to the skybar for a few beers and to keep an eye on the phone for the football result against the auld enemy england were 1-0 up so we left it till near the end before checking again it was now 2-1 to scotland the aberdeen lads were celebrating as i said dont celebrate till the final whistle no sooner were the words out my mouth when england equalised to put a bit of a dampner on our premature celebrations .
i noticed a passenger trying to swat a wasp away from him when i told him it was on his shoulder you should have seen him gyrating and almost breakdancing in a fit that had most of the skybar passengers in hysterics , "well if looks could kill ".
after dinner we purchased the 10 euro card which gave us access to wi fi on the observation deck where we could catch up with loved ones eager for our return home tomorrow by now it was time for bed .
day 16
after docking and clearing customs we made our way out to the forecourt area and got ready for the journey ahead when i noticed this german biker girl smiling away at me it was the same one smiling at me in the depths of the boat awaiting exit , they followed us north for a while then when we approached the roundabout to head north or south they opted for the south option as we pulled up to the lights she raised her visor and winked at me ha ha 52 fat bald she just made my day .
we fueled up at ponteland and headed up through the keilder forrest this was where jamies scooter started playing up again so we put it inthe van and headed for the border and the obligatory photo shoot at the border stone before the bus load of tourists arrived .
we stopped at jedburgh for a bite to eat before carrying on we were making great time as we crossed the forth road bridge into the kingdom of fife as we entered fruechie just before the fuel station at the junction i noticed a car edging out and sure enough he pulled out right in front of us casing me and craig to brake and swerve but craig being closer to him he ended up swerving sideways a bit which actually worked in his favour as he missed the rear of the car by millimetres i chased after the car and made it stop as i opened the door of the car ready to confront him it was an old guy about 90 he didnt even see us!!
craig was rather shaken so we stopped for a coffee before heading for the last bit of our journey as we arrived in aberdeen our epic journey had came to an end .
we had made a lot of friends along the way and seen sights that no one ever willbut a special thanks goes to craig ballantyne for navigating us all over europe passing through 10 countries on our way well done THE GENERAL , to jamie ,tom and kenny thanks for the laughs and the great company along the way and to mark last but not least to jordan and wee lydia keep smiling laughing and loving .
words and pictures
stevie adair ( animals fae naboombu sc )
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