The question comes up, why we ride motorcycles. Riding a motorcycle gives you a 360-degree view of the world; the natural elements are up close and personal. Riding in a climate-controlled car is like being in a bubble. When focused on riding, all of life’s distractions are left behind. It’s just you and the road. It’s a mental state of grace… and it’s fun.
In the summer of 1998, we rode our Harley Davidson 7,000 kilometers through Europe. Starting from our hometown of Oberwürzbach, we rode along the borders of Germany and France, over the Swiss Alps, through Northern Italy and down to the Mediterranean coasts of Italy, France and Spain. Just south of Valencia we turned west and wound our way through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Guadalquivir River, stopping for a family visit in Andalucia.
It’s a different view from a motorcycle — the world is up close and personal. Below are some photos from that journey.
Our Harley in the raps fields in Germany before our trip.
Lago Maggiore in Northern Italy below.
Noli, on the Italian Riviera.
St. Tropez and the Casino at Monte Carlo.
Spain: Tosse de Mar, the Alhambra and preparing for our return from La Peubla del Rio in sourthern Spain.
As we lived only 15 kilometers from the French border (Alsace-Lorraine region), many of our shorter motorcycle trips ended up at a Bistro or Café in France. We often rode with a group of friends. The stops along the way were interesting, including old bunkers along the Maginot Line, a glider plane field in the French countryside and the old city of Sarreguemines. Below are photos from a few of those trips.
