In my last post, I had described how miraculously I got the bike in Spain and thanks to the motorcycle dealer who helped me and I got the insurance also.
I started from Madrid at 3 p.m. I was driving like a free bird and wanted to get out of Spain asap because I waited for 15 days for this.
But driving was so difficult on this highway traffic, moving at 120 km per hour and I could only get up to 100 kilometer per hour with my small motor-bike. So changing lanes and avoiding the diversions was very difficult but somehow I managed and straight away drove for two hours. At my bike100 kmph speed, small wind or passing cars, specially trucks, gave me a gust of disbalance. Still I kept driving because I wanted to at least out get of Spain that day since so many days had already passed. It was very risky, the risks i usually don't take.
At the Spain border, I was stopped by the police and the police person had some wireless something. They wanted to inquire about my bike. I show them the insurance and I thought this is all they are looking for "the insurance". Then they let me go, I was thinking the Insurance companies are also another biggest scam in the world like the visas, the banking system and all. Why not the government insurance are included in the visa fees.
Anyway, I stayed in a hotel on the highway with good wine in the France and the next day I drove again through the Nice and stayed in an outhouse of homestay. Nice couple with 2 children, homemade wine. It was like a cottage on the countryside and I enjoyed it.
Below are few snaps on the road side.
I started next morning. I stopped at the petrol pump when I entered Italy (No borders, I only guessed with Bike kilometers). I changed my bike-oil because it had run thousand kilometers and to my surprise I had to fill my petrol myself (First time) and change oil myself too.
When I was eating, I saw two police persons inspecting my bike and looking around for the owner. I understood very clearly because when I was ramping up to the highway this morning. I saw a signboard which, as I understand, said "No bike of less than 250 cc allowed on the highway". Mine was just 150cc. So I knew what they wanted. They were good enough and didn't put any fine or anything like that. They politely escorted me to the next exit of the highway (I didn't want to leave the highway because it was the fastest way to get out of Europe for which I only had 7 days of visa left but when I was looking in the back mirror, the police car didn't leave me till I took the exit from the highway (ha ha ha, chaalu police).
Another issue was that I was left in Italy without any highway driving and since I had lost my mobile, I didn't know the directions to Slovenia through country side roads (Beautiful country side, just like movies). I got help from a local Village person when I stopped in a village and was looking for the direction on my useless tab (Whose GPS took 5 minutes to update location on that map and one has to wait for that and its was not sure that GPS is updated or not). So I was struggling with my tab and one person approached me. He was, you know, very interested in seeing people driving motorcycle (maybe he was a biker himself). He didn't invite me at his home. Europe people. I told him that I want to go to Slovenia. He gave me the hand directions and then he also told me to buy a vijeta. It is a like tax for the bike and you put the sticker on your motorcycle and you are free to go and no need to go into the toll plaza lines. I followed him and bought the vijeta at the next petrol pump. But then it started raining. Due to night and bad road (road works were going on) and I was tired too, I was almost sleepy but I reached the capital and found good English and free wi-fi in the city. I booked a hostel and good night. Long tiresome day.
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