Out and About Again

Two Continents in Less than Two Weeks

The sun struggled to make its presence known through the watery sky. The olive trees, palm trees, and cactus belied the chill in the air and the damp, clammy feel clinging to the town, which seemed to take its flavor from Greece.

Even in the wintertime, Tunis still reeked of history. It wasn’t just the narrow streets and the low, dirty white buildings with blue doors. From the Romans to the Carthaginians to World War Two, the past is everywhere.

But oddly, what brought me here was only recent history, my writing and friends made along the way. This was a side trip after the Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy. Our host and friend Johannes, also known as Jojo, whom I had ridden with in Germany and the Netherlands last August, suggested that since we were in the neighborhood, we should stop by. So here we were.

After the marathon trip from Arizona, it was just a short hour and fifteen-minute flight from Milan.

Although not my first time on this continent, it was my first time in North Africa, as exotic a land as I have ever been. The Roman and Carthaginian ruins seemed to be everywhere. With strong local Arabic influence, it is also a former French colony, so French appears to be the most prominent language, although English is still fairly common. Fortunately, our host spoke both, along with German and Mandarin.

Cafes and restaurants range from hole-in-the-wall to amazing. The French influence is easily seen, and the rich local coffee is excellent, which seems to be the standard in that part of the world.

Driving in this city takes a certain devil-may-care élan, although being a pedestrian may require more of a death wish. Stop signs are simply a suggestion, while red lights carry a little more weight. Using turn signals is a sign of weakness. Right of way belongs to those who don’t look at you. If they don’t see you, you don’t exist.

Fortunately, with the small European cars and the narrow streets, speeds are not that high, and accidents are not that severe. Helmetless riders on motorbikes and scooters are everywhere, and I get the impression that laws don’t apply to them at all.

*The ruins of Rome and Carthage are amazing, and not commercial tourist traps like some locations. Knowing the history before you go is a huge plus.*

But let’s get back to the reason for the trip, the Motor Bike Expo in Verona. Meeting my friends Johannes and Carsten, it was their idea to stay at a B&B in the city center, which worked perfectly since there were always ristorantes and osterias (cafes) within a short walk down the narrow cobblestone streets, frequently in the rain, which only added to the atmosphere.

The expo was huge, with thousands of motorcycles of all kinds. I have to admit I was mostly interested in the custom choppers, of which there were many.

*The winner of the chopper entries, built by a young lady.*

I also ran into my friend Beer of Chop, Ride and Party fame. He was there selling his books, and we got together for dinner a couple of nights, along with other chopper fans.

I was scheduled to appear onstage to promote my books. After watching a kerfuffle in rapid-fire Italian, I showed up at the appointed time, but there seemed to be a scheduling conflict. They said they would try to work me in later, but instead I accepted an invitation to the big 40th annual Biker Fest in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy. At this point, I don’t think I will make it due to prior engagements. In the meantime, it was fun to meet up with readers and friends.

Verona is a beautiful old city. It even has its own version of the Colosseum, as in Rome. Being preoccupied with the Expo, we didn’t get to tour the city as much as we would have liked. A good reason to go back.

*Verona is a beautiful city, calling me to come back and spend more time*

There is so much more to tell on this sixteen-day journey, but rather than turn this into my next book, I will cut it short for now.

After a total of seven different airports, the trip home from Tunis was a marathon of three days, four flights, and two hotel rooms. It was good to get back, relax, and resume writing my next book.

Two Continents in Less than Two Weeks

The sun struggled to make its presence known through the watery sky. The olive trees, palm trees, and cactus belied the chill in the air and the damp, clammy feel clinging to the town, which seemed to take its flavor from Greece.

Believing in Yourself