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/

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?

Instabul March 09

We both look very happy.



Now, that's not how I should behave inside a palace.



Agia Sofia from the Gran Palace



By the Galatasarai bridge with Rowan


Shopping:

@ the back of the grand bazaar (got no idea if there is the front) there are a bunch of shops selling wholesale (which are happy to sell retail @ their wholesale prices!) You can still haggle of course!

How to get there?

Once you are at the bazaar ask for direstions to:
Yorgancilar cad. Mektep Sk
No.2-7 Kapalicarsi, Instabul

Don't get discouraged if some say they don't know it. Keep asking...
One of the shops there has also a website:
www.kehribarci.com

Mexico July 07

7th of June @ Bayswater


Mexico City


Catholic church


Zocalo


The pyramid of the moon (from the top of pyramid of the sun)


Hiking the pyramids makes you feel a bit high.


Puebla (Unesco is protecting the snake)


Cholula with the underground pyramid


Could soccer player be the second oldest profession?


On the way to Hierve el Agua


Hierve el Agua 1


Hierve el Agua 2


Mitla


Tule tree


playa San Agustin (close to Huatulco)


The beach culture


Cascadas


Having breakfast on the beach. A single picture cannot pay justice to the Mexican cuisine.


In the lagoon looking for the crocos. The true monsters though were the mosquitoes.


Religious (?) ritual in Mexican beach close to puerto Angel.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXJSryNOCkY


Zihuatanejo, where middle class Mexican families will go on vacations. Much nicer than the neighbor port Ixtapa, where you are more likely to come across yachts.


Acapulco! If you make it there look for "el Zoritto" restaurant.


At playa la Angosta every noon and every night there is a show. Divers jump from the cliffs while crowds gather to applaud after every attempt.



These are the heroes for tonight. The one on the top will jump last after he we'll pay a quick visit to the church at the top of the cliff. At the end all the divers will visit the crowd holding a bag each, for tips.