Alive and well and back on earth

[Ned]

Well after 3 months of hard out back pack travelling in Europe, me and Mrs Ned are home safely in NZ for a while. Got to ride an almost new 1800 Goldwing in The north of Pomgolia for a day - heavy as hell until it gets rolling then it's not unlike the FJ, open th ethrottle at any revs and whoooosh. Missed the Ducati factory due to my own incompetence - didn't book far enough in advance  so spent 4 hours sitting on Bologna railway station with Mrs Ned telling me I should have booked in advance- like I needed that when I was fighting back the tears!!! Got to Sammy Millers Motorcycle Museum in the UK. Well worth a visit if you're a classic nut and in Pomgolia.
The bung leg never let me down even after climbing numerous paths to enlightenment around Greece and Italy (if there's a hil you have top climb it to see what's on the opther side) I would never choose to drive in Italy again - the locals are raving mad e.g. I pulled out in our little rental car on the A3 Autostrada at over 160kph to pass a truck and within seconds I had a tail of cars flashing lights at me to get out of the way, following a Carabinieri car with lights flashing. When it pulled back in they all passed it! It's amazing how fast an Italian can make a Fiat Ducato van go!!!
Only spotted 3 FJs in 3 months, a beautiful black beast in Singapore on the way home, one sliver and white 90ish in Southern Greece, (one of the few non-adventure bikes I saw there as the roads are as rough as hell) and a red and white 85ish in Pomgolia in the wilds of Northumberland passing everything in sight at warp speed.
Haven't logged into the forum since I left and I see there's lots to catch up on - have I misse any good dust-ups or oil threads?

Have to get gainfully employed to put some razoos back in the family coffers

Ned

[racerman_27410]

Welcome home Ned,

glad you had a fine time....


Kookaloo!

[gearheadstu]

I would never choose to drive in Italy again - the locals are raving mad

Driving in/around Bologna was one of the parts I most enjoyed about my (all-too-short) time there. Guess I must be a looner too!

Glad you had fun!

[Ned]

I was referring more to driving around the Amalfi coast from Salerno to Sorrento. Nuts is the only word I can think of to describe it  . White knuckle stuff - not for fear of going over the cliffs , although apparently that does happen, but more for the fear of getting side swiped by a tourist bus or swarm of scooteristi and losing my 1000euro excess! They pass on blind hairpin bends when you slow down to let a bus come the other way as there's no room for two vehicles. The attrition rate for scooter riders must be pretty high and I did see a l lot of young people on crutches and I'll bet it wasn't all from falling out of trees.

Got to give it to the poms, definitely a more law abiding and courteous bunch of drivers in every respect. 

Ned

[FJ Flyer]

Glad you and your wife survived, Ned.

When we were in Rome, it was life-threatening to just cross the street, in a crosswalk, with the light.  Insane!  No wonder every five minutes you could hear an ambulance siren.

And the scooters and bikes would all ride up to the front of traffic at a light.  It was like a Grand Prix start with all the 2-stroke smoke and ding ding dings.

[Ned]

You got it Chris
A pedstrian crossing/crosswalk is just a suggestion that someone crossed the road there once and lived. They are usually completely obscured by parked cars. One step into the road and the scooters cut behind you and buses and taxis in front. We were told the only safe way to cross was to wait for a priest , then everything stops! Loved the grandprix scooter race starts - the looks on the faces as they take sideways glances at the opposition - priceless! How they survive is a mystery with all the cobblestones, potholes, missing manhole covers and buses.

Ned

[Andrea70]

unfortunately there is not an icon to show how I feel bad reading the adventures of Ned and his wife about their holidays in Italy.
I've to say I'm luck to live in north of Italy, and here it's not a race of scooters and bikes waiting the green light on the crosses.
But I have to admit italians are simply crazy about traffic jam. Many people are died under cars of young drunk-drogged drivers. And that is totally bad. It's very hard for government to try to adjust this insane way to consider the road as a raceplace.
Ned is gone in one of the worst places, Sorrento and around, and he could see how the daily life is lived by the natives. Fortunately he didn't went more southern, in Palermo or some calabrian cities. There doesn't exist a road code. Everyone drives as in his mood. Totally incredible!
About our highways, the big problem are trucks. Too many each kilometer. For only 2 lanes of direction. Only around big cities there are 3 or (rare!!) 4 lanes, anyway the traffic is exaggerated. I've to say also that police has "tied hands", more than speed ticket they can't do.
Rome, Milan, Naples, all the southern cities are a grand prix race places, pedestrians have hard life over there. I do not envy them.
Glad you are still alive, Ned.
Next time, call me before go to Ducati factory. I will take you there like a Cicerone 

[Arnie]

Andrea,

You gotta realize that Ned's a bit of a sook.  Also not very good with dynamic reality.  I mean, he fell off of an unmoving tree!  Probably just a bit gunshy now :-)

Arnie

[Ned]

Hi Andrea

We did drive from Bari around the Calabrian coast all the way up to Rome. We met the two most helpful gentlemen in our whole trip in St Andrea. Apart from organising accommodation for us late at night in a very nice B&B they gave us a new persepctive on life, something along the lines of - "We Calabrians are like the Mexicans of Italy. We live in the south where it's always warm and sunny. We like to work in the food and beverage industry because then you can eat and drink all you want and then you are happy, no worries. And we don't like to work too hard because you can always do that tomorrow" What a brilliant way of life!

Is there a speed limit of the Autostrada, when  you are doing 160kph and a carabinieri car goes past with lights flashing and it pulls over to let other cars and Fiat Ducato vans go past I have to say I was somewhat taken aback.

I'd love to take up the offer of the Ducati factory but it may be a long time before I can get back to Italy. All in all a great experience

And Arnie - I ain't no sook when it comes to driving, I just couldn't afford the 1000 euro excess for any damage to the rental car - a Lancia Musa, which surprised me with it's performance for such a teeny weeny diesel car. 

Ned