My Trip To Europe! (heaps Of Pics)

[JEPPE]

Hey guys... I've been and come back from Europe, and thought I would share my journey!! Mods hope you don't mind me hijacking the forum for this thread... needed to vent to some peeps who would understand and thought this was this best area.

Story is: Went to the Moto GP on the 17th October at Phillip Island, had an awesome time and found an opportunity to accompany a friend to the Valencia Moto GP 3 weeks later. Didn't have enough notice or annual leave for work, but decided it was more important, and they kept me anyway!! Nice work :3

Booked the flights a week before, got my passport on the Wednesday, left on the Sunday. Flew to Singapore for a night, then over to London (even scored half an hour in business class ). Stayed in London for a night then head to Switzerland and drove down to Milan for the Moto Show. Stayed there for a few days then drove back to Zurich and flew to Barcelona, then another flight to Valencia. Had the Moto GP which was incredible! chilled out in the pits for most of the time and got to meet Nicky Hayden!!

After that we trained back to Barcelona, hired a 3 series Beamer and drove to Andorra (tax haven) for a day of shopping emptied my pockets then continued driving up to France to Clermont-Ferrand... driving 180kmph most of the way. The roads there are incredible and in such good quality! I zoomed past a cop at one point (didn't know what Police in French was, fyi it's Gendarmerie) but they didn't care. Crazy. In Spain you can't lose your license for any amount of speed... max penalty is 600 euro and 6 points but no loss of license - they have 12 like us. Hit Clermont for a look at the Michelin Museum which was pretty cool... some really interesting details on tyre specs.

After that split with my mate, stayed with a family friend in the country side and scored a horse ride through the fields which was incredible. Trained to Paris, rode a pushie around drinking and eating heaps, just adventuring. Bought HEAPS of chocolate... about 4 kg actually. Trained from Paris to London, weather had been good until this point, London was miserable!! But it was improved when I found an iphone 4 in a club and returned it to its owner who was actually from Tassie!

The whole trip was 3 weeks, max 4 days in a place. Cost approx $3000 for flights and trains and maybe $2-3000 for the rest. Everyone seems to think that Europe is expensive but I found it really cheap!!! You can get an awesome 3 course meal for 25 euro, and I bought a massive coat when I was cold one night in Paris for about 150AUD, way cheaper than Aus (also more stylish ). Also for the photographers, got a Nikon Lens, Tamron 70-300mm for 175AUD.

Of course after this I recommend anyone to go... was amazing. Am actually planning to go again April-May next year with my partner to ride motorbikes around the place for at least 3 months. For the most of this trip I didn't know where I was going.. just got a map and looked up a bar and made my way there. I preferred this as I don't like the touristy deal and found some awesome places on the way.

Here's some picsies!

Massive Domo Kun in Singapore... note the 'No Photo'

Milan Moto Show

To get an idea of how big bikes are over her... imagine the Melbourne exhibition centre, then times it by 6. And also add in a temp race course out the back along the length of the thing. Nuts!

Wuuuuked gixxy

The only cool scooter there:

Awesome fixy, massive pushie scene at these shows.

I do not know who let these in... but they are completely plastic >.<

Valencia Circuit

This dude parked too close to the BMW stand (just out of frame to the right)

The most awesome generator in the world!!

Rossi testing his new Ducati

Northern Spain on the way to Andorra:

To prove I was there:

Michelin House (awesome food btw)

The best part of London!

[Charles89]

Looks awesome! Can't wait to go around the world xD

[(OO)SKYLINE(OO)]

That's that is where you have been!

Haven't heard or seen you around SAU for a bit.

Looks like you have a great fun!

PS, did you take the Red Mercedes for a ride

[JEPPE]

haha, nah I was paranoid the owner was going to spot me a knock me out Had fun through the mountains in the BMW though!!

[(OO)SKYLINE(OO)]

You should have bought the big Domokun back to AUS with you

[NickR33]

bloody London... I was in Europe for 2 months earlier this year and it was 30+ and beautiful everywhere... except London... where it rained on me as soon as I arrived and was lugging all my shit from the tube station to a friends place... was 17º in London so I checked the weather back in Melbourne... same exact temp in Melb in the middle of July!

that bimmer is a bit nicer than our Pug 206 we hired... but the Pug did alright... 150km/h on the Autostrade in 40º heat with the aircon on full blast... gotta love rental cars

SLS is a damn cool car... better than the old SLR IMO

[R31Nismoid]

Charlie, I hate you... and the updates that have been coming over the past few weeks...

That is all I have for now

[180Roman]

sounds like an awesome trip

Europe is definitely on my to do list

[xALmoN]

always wanted to visit europe, and london especially, as that's where my parent's studied and dated and got married and that's where i was conceived..

but, i can never get past that eternity i have to spend on the plane..

[Roy]

re the Europe is expensive. Its pretty sad when you go to some of the most expensive cities in the world only to realise they are cheaper then Melb and Sydney for food, accomodation, beers and a social night out! I had a ball in Germany, Italy, Belgium and London about two months ago a the tail end of the European summer. Airfares around Europe make things cheap as well! Depressing...thats why I am trying to get back there to live-work

How crazy were the locals over Moto GP and their new World Champion?

[Gazzilla]

Nice pics, I cant wait to do the Euro adventure myself next year. Love the look of that gixxer, makes me want to sell My YZF and Get a super bike. But of course it will be an R1 if i do.

and that Genie is pure sex. bet it costs an arm and a leg. Hope Rossi does well on the Duke. But Stoner on a Honda. hmmm..

[PENGUYEN]

was that domo for sale? o_O And how much!

[WYTSKY]

+1 for where the hell have you been

looks like you had an amazing time! I have to travel Europe when i finish my degree.

Did the flying suck? I hate flying so all the changing over im guessing wouldn't be great?

hopefully see you around soon.

[JEPPE]

I tried to bring the Domo Kun back!!! But he wasn't for sale... and I would have had to buy him a seat on the plane if he was

The plane ride wasn't too bad!!! I mean... it was annoying. On the way over we stopped for a night in Singapore to break it up, but ironically enough I found the home journey which had a 2 hour transfer in Singapore easier. I think I found what worked for me as a distraction and figured out how to best make myself sleep at the right times which made a huge difference. I pretty much slept the whole 7 hours home from Sing to Melb.

Changing was a little annoying... I tend to do well with waiting though and love Minesweeper so I guess it depends on what you're like. Definitely gets easier the more you do it though.

The Moto GP crowd was epic!!! So much bigger than anything in Melb and of course they went crazy, although Pedrosa wasn't so impressive and he was expected to be. You should have seen the paparazzi hanging around Rossi on test day.

It was awesome to hang out through the barrier and feel the full force of the bikes. You literally felt your whole body vibrate!

Saw a few of these Vauxhall's about... don't no anything about them but they look heaps better than any MX-5

[vspecIInur]

Nice trip Charlie, Europe is the place I wanna go eventually and still gotta hit Japan first though. At least this gives a good indication of what you can do with a good budget rather than needing 20k lol. I'm thinking of going to Europe some time next year but I just bought a house lol.

[Dostalgia]

that picture of the gixxer is orgasmic!!!!! woohoo!!!!

[JEPPE]

I just bought a house

WHAT?!?!?! Spill!!! Where? When is the house warming?

ps, saw a Millenium Jade GTR in South Melbourne last night, thought it was you for a sec... but it wasn't. I think it was a Nur though, couldn't see for sure. Were they the only ones released in that colour?

[NickR33]

we stopped in Dubai for a few days on the way over, really breaks up the trip... I had heard London was expensive, food is average etc but I found exactly the opposite... exchange rate was kind to us and food around where we were staying was great

We found the only place a bit too expensive for our taste was Paris... amazing but sometimes I think they're just taking the piss with some of the prices!

[jfk]

hey, yea the nur is in that colour...............i saw 1 yesterday on puckle st moonee ponds he works at foxtel probably him.

btw looks like u had heaps of fun in europe..............i cant wait to go back......maybe spain....YEA!!

[KURAUN]

wow looks like you had heaps of fun

that Domo is massive.... made me want it so bad

i sent a pic to my missus and when she goes back to singapore she is going to try and buy me one

(apparently you can buy them near he parents house there) and there are even bigger ones