Love is like an elephant

They once brought an elephant in font of 3 blind women and told them: that's love :) The 1st one started walking towards the animal until she bumped into his leg. She tried to hug it but realised it's too big so she concluded: "Love is a tree"! When the 2nd one took a step forward, she felt his trunk tickling her neck. When she felt it moving down her arm she yelled: "Love is a snake"! Finally the 3rd one after wandering for a bit got hold of his ears. She felt them fluffing and said: "Love is a bird"!

IAC 2010 London to SW France (Aug 2010)

Trip Report

Name: Anastasis Tzanis
Year of birth: 1979
Previous Bike Travels: F, I, B, NL

This trip: London to St Eulalie en Born du Lac for the 3rd International Acrobatics Convention (70 km south-west of Bordeaux). With a detour to Andora and then down to Santander for the boat to Portsmouth.
Trip Duration: 18 days (only 7 riding)
Departure Date: 6th Aug 10
Number in Group: 1
Distance Covered: 1879 miles

Best Day: The ride from Cap Ferret to Ax-Les-Thermes
Best hour: Practicing standing on hands in the lake without spotting!
Worst Day: none really. Maybe the one I got caught in the rain a few kilometers outside Paris.
Favorite Place: the atlantic coast, riding-wise the Spanish country roads
Biggest Headache: the replacement of the battery
Biggest Mistake: I cannot tell
Pleasant Surprise: the friendly riders in the Pyrenees, the genuine community of acrobats
Any Illness: None
Cost of Trip: aprox aprox 1,200 EUR
Others Trips Planned: Italy, Morocco

Bike Model: Yamaha Fazer 600
Age, Mileage: 5 years, 28,000 miles
Modifications: None
Wish you'd done: None
Tyres used: black
Punctures: None
Type of Baggage: A box at the back (wish I had a pair of paniers)
Bike's Weak Points: none
Strong Points: we know each other
Bike Problems: A dead battery in Paris which took 4 days to replace
Accidents: None, thank god.
Same Bike again: Why not?
Any Advice: have the bike serviced before you leave, for once A n a s t a s i s!

Dutch Acro Festival part II

It's London Bridge. It's 19th of May 2010 and the last thing we do is take a picture from London.

That's 1:30 mins later in Folkstone and it's time for some water and a bit of stretching. By the way: If handstands is not your thing stop reading now. That was a motorbike trip as much as a handstands exhibition.

At a park in the southern suberbs of Lille. We also tried to fly some locals who did surprisingly well given how much stoned they were.

Ladies and gentlemen a round of applause for Jesse; who attempts a handstand in zipped, one size smaller leathers! Just for the record the horse standing behind prefered to move on.

2nd day. Time for the first break, coffee and a shot of cherry liquor. The breakfast of the champions.

And that's what happens to those that chat up acrobats. Even though we were warned by some locals that she is married, she didn't want to come down! Girl behaaaaave. Jesse! how's your back mate, alright?

Another post will follow with more pictures of me watering. Jesse, in case you haven't figured it out already: I want to keep stops for refueling and pissing separate.

Now this picture could be the cover of either an acrobatics' magazine or a biker's, correct?

No, we didn't agree on everything.

And one picture with the girls.


Cubic houses in Rotterdam.
http://www.essential-architecture.com/MISC/MISC_50.htm
We ticked one of the 50. We are not gonna stop now.

We are now on the 3rd day.

Goodbye Rotterdam. Heading for Amsterdam which is only an hour away.

@ Zandvoort beach

If you make it there try the fried fish. That applies for vegans as well.

That's at the Acro Dutch Festival, with Erica who will join us on the way back.

Erica's getting ready.

with Marieke

@ Rembrandt Square

@ eurotunnel

and again

The End. At Moorgate with John (a great yogi, acrobat and the owner of the CB1000R)


Links:
Acro-yoga London
http://jessesaunders.net/

Dutch Acro Festival part I

Trip Report

Name: Jesse Saunders / Anastasis Tzanis
Year of birth: 1979 / 1979
Occupation: Yoga instructor / Banker
Nationality: British / Greek
Previous Bike Travels: Thailand, New Zealand / France, Italy

This trip: London to the dutch acro festival in Haarlem NL and back
Trip Duration: 7 days
Departure Date: 19th May 10
Number in Group: 2 (2 bikes)
Distance Covered: 996 miles

Best Day:
J: From a biking perspective, travelling Lille to Rotterdam. We had started to connect + learn each others styles. The roads were good, the weather perfect and it took us through some nice smaller villages. Acro perspective, it is all a blur of wonderful things, beautiful people, growing connections. I cannot believe that it is only really 2.5 days!
A: the 2nd one. Countryside twisty roads, long chats over french coffee and cherry liquire shots.
Worst Day:
J: No bad days on the trip, so I guess that it ended!
A: One before the last. Lots of wasted time.
Favorite Place:
J: Apart from the obvious Haarlem, for its hundreds of happy acrobats; I really liked Lille, partly cus we found a park and played in it and also for the expansive openness of the centre. Amsterdam also has a nice feel to it.
A: Riding wise from Haarlem to Zandvoort Beach
Biggest Headache:
J: Have I got enough petrol!
A: Did Jesse read my finger signals right? + Has he got enough petrol?
Biggest Mistake:
J: I think it was difficult meeting Elte, because it left you in an uncomfortable space, not knowing how long etc. Think that would be better with more communication. OK for us to do different things on the bike trip!
A: None
Pleasant Surprise:
J: Your open nature. The way you ask anyone anything, with a warmth that suggests you've known them for a long time :)
A: Jesse
Any Illness: None
Cost of Trip: aprox 450 EUR
Others Trips Planned: Souther France with another biker joining us

Bike Model: Honda CB1000R / Yamaha Fazer 600
Age, Mileage: 1 year, 4,000 miles / 5 years, 24,000 miles
Modifications: G+G exhaust (gives slightly more torque allegedly but mostly just sounds and looks better) / None
Wish you'd done: None
Tyres used: bridgestone battleaxe 160's / round black
Punctures: None
Type of Baggage: backpack - net / A box at the back
Bike's Weak Points:
J: UK's speed limits!
Ability to carry any luggage.
Ability to carry enough fuel.
Wrist heavy when in town with a pillion.
A: none
Strong Points:
J: Fun, playful + lively ride. Handles well, and more power than I could use.
A: light, flexible, sexy
Bike Problems: None.
Accidents: None, thank god.
Same Bike again:
J: For weekend type trip I'd say yes. If its longer than that, I think I'd want some pannierage.
A: Oooh yea!
Any Advice:
J: Obviously, what's in front is the most important thing, but its good to stay aware of what's going on behind you too!
A: Always keep a good collection of songs in your ipod.

Joshua Tree National Park June 06

the lobby


flowery cactus


Joshua Tree


commercial?


Can you spot the rabbit?


Speed limit 55 mph Yeaaah right

Madrid - Berlin Nov-Dec 09

Plaza in the center of Madrid




Don't you want to pass underneath 100 times?




So inviting...




Such colors...




Hanging gardens









M-adrid from M-etropolis

















Berlin rivers




THE gate




The parliament








In memory of the Jewish...




THE wall




So clear, east is so close to the west









Modern Modern




Ugly, no?

Morocco Feb 10

Welcome


to


Marrakech


Is the motorbike his? Or he is on duty? Or undercover?


Guys it's easy... The trick is not to show fear!


But seriously now, Who's braver than me?


Mountain formations on the way to the Atlas.


The sweater is for camouflage.


Kasbah Ait Benhaddou


At night, 1 mile outside Zagora. Sahara here we come!


Someone is enjoying the attention!


Ssssh, cannot you see we are having a conversation here?


1 thing in common: We all have the same height


Feels so close when you are out there.


Who needs sat navs when he has lovely maps like this?


Crossing Atlas Mountain on the way back with Lily, Julia & Liron


Patrolling the donkeys and cars with 1 cylinder engines. Attitude similar of course with LAPD.


Beautiful duck (Ourika valley)


No hands


On the way to the falls


Ourika falls (45 khm from Marrakech)


Do NOT


With Lily, Terisa and Simon @ Earth Cafe
No2 Derb Zouak
Riad Zitoun El Kdim - Medina
www.earthcafemarrakech.com
Hippie restaurant for veggie, tasty food


Goodbye



Shopping:
Twizra
361 Bab Agnaou
Medina 40000
tel: 00212(0) 44376565
twizra@hotmail.com