Getting around
This is more a travelling and planing blog so if you are looking for my daily life, you’ll have to look somewhere else :)Ipad
I just tested an Ipad for the first time… and I want one. A kind Russian guy let me have a go on it. Just imagine all students in school having one and all literature was digitalised. No more “I forgot my book”. That is a future I like!
Just passed Sollenkroka heading for Kanan. I’m not used not being the captain travelling this waters. But what an evening this is, I just see the view to remember all the time. Nice to know that I’ll be back. Sorry – still no camera, I’m not allowed down to car deck.
I probably won’t be able to connect to the web until tomorrow in Vilnius. Towards evening that will be.
On the ferry but still at shore
Just checked in and got mu cabin. As I’m travelling alone I enjoy meeting people. So i booked a mens cabin for four people. I know it’s gambling but so far it turned out quite nice. One Portuguese, one Israeli, one Lithuania and one Swedish – me! No one knows each other – that fine with me, makes me fell a bit more secure.
Right now I’m on the upper deck enjoying the sun but not the view, frihamnen is not a pretty sight. Unfortunately, I left my camera on the bike so I will use a public one to illustrate this article.
My plans for tomorrow are to get out of Riga as fast as possible. Kim and I stayed here last year so Riga is not important for me this time. It’ s not far to Vilnius so I plan to spend the afternoon there. The road between Riga and Vilnius is quite dull, pawed highway. Perhaps I try to find a d-tour with some gravel. All that I will find out tomorrow as the day goes along. That’s one very nice thing by travelling alone, you don’t have to plan everything in detail.
Packing the bike went very well, I filled the right and left panniers to 70 percent leaving enough space for souvenirs. The top box is empty so that I can leave my helmet and other stuff secure with the bike. In the tank bag (?) I have unimportant stuff. I managed to mount a tube, originally built for tractors, on the bike as well. Perfect for extra tools and a flat tire repair kit.
Hmm, I just realized the ship left shore, I’m on my way over the Baltic See, or at least Lilla Värtan 😉
I’ll be back soon…
Visa
I just got my visa for Belarus, a strange feeling. It can’t be many more countries in Europe (if any?) that still requires visa for Swedish citizens. Right now, my bike is in the shop for 20 000 km service, I’ll pick it up tonight and get all my stuff on it
Anyway, I’m off tomorrow, ferry leaves in the afternoon. On Wednesday I’ll be in Vilnius. (Hans-Peter – I’ll think of you as I visit the KGB-museum) 🙂
Planning…
This summer I will try to see more of eastern Europe. In short I’m planning this trip:
I will start by visiting; Riga (Latvia) then going on to Vilnius (Lithuania) – Minsk (Belarus) – Kiev (Ukraine) – Odessa (Ukraine). Down in the Black Sea area I haven’t really decided what to do yet. The Carpathian mountains and parts of Moldavia are very interesting and are reachable.
When I turn my bike back I can choose between an eastern route through Lviv in the Ukraine or a western route going through Hungary and Slovakia. Either way will end up in Auschwitz i Poland, one of the places I want to visit.
The other places I will see are Chernobyl and Zmiyivka or Gamlesvenskby. Chernobyl does not need any further presentation but Gamlesvenskby is probably not known by so many people. It’s a small cottage where relatives to former swedish families lives. Originally they lived on Dagö, a former Swedish island outside Estonia. Some people still speaks swedish, or at least an old version of it.
Round trip to Bahamas in 30 hours
So I’m back again in Ft Lauderdale spending my last evening in US for this time. One of the warmest nights so far, they are talking about record-breaking temperatures for the moment. Well I’ve been to the Island Grand Bahama. It was the beach part of my trip this time. And it was nice. I had to leave at 4 pm to get to the ship, but I got to see a wonderful sun rise.
I also got to see the cruise ship Ocean of the Seas, remarkable big.
I arrived in Freeport in Grand Bahamas, a rather ugly port only with industrial buildings. A taxi took me to the nearest town and my hotel.
My Hotel was also a Marina and my room had a view over the boats.
Then I went to the beach with a book and a smile on my face!
I actually didn’t do that much more. Well I went to the town in the evening but it was so touristic that I left really fast again. All this was yesterday, today I left the island at 3 am and had a rather dull trip back to Ft Lauderdale. The sun set was nice though.
This could be the last words from this trip. I’m not sure if I will have time to go online tomorrow.
A lazy day
Im back in Miami area and used the day for som shopping as I went down the east coast. Right now I’m in a small Motel in Ft Lauderdale. The weather is perfect, about 28 degrees and below 18 in the night. I dont need to use the AC in the room and that’s makes it easier to sleep well.
This was the first day that I haven’t used my camera so I will show you some old pictures together with some thoughts.
In USA, as you can see, SAAB is no longer a part of GM.
So far I have seen more Volvos than Saabs here. No french cars at all though – very strange. In the Norwegian pavilion at Epcot I found a SAS sign.
That’s all for now, I’ll make an early night. I’m going to Bahamas tomorrow and the Cruise ship check in is at 5 pm. I will stay one night in Freeport and just lay on the beach, actually for the first time on this trip. I don’t know if I will be able to go online.
Kennedy Space Center
For half the money compared to Epcot I had a very much more pleasant day at Kennedy Space Center today. A lot to see and some amazing attractions. It is not that much to say about it, I’ll let the pictures speak for them self.
The “car” that moves the rocket to the launch pod.
The Saturn engine – still the most powerful engine ever built.
I strokes me that I now have to go to Russia to see their launch site to complete the total history of rocket science. As perhaps you know I visited Peenemünde this summer and thats the place where it all begun.
A bit of nightlife
Yesterday I went to see Darryl sing and play at the Orlando night club Blue Martini. It was very nice, ad I enjoyed it being out among friends. As you can see we had a great time.
You will find a clip of Darryl performing on Youtube.
Launch of Atlantis
Today I made an old dream come true, I witnessed the launch of a manned spacecraft.
The launch was very successful and it was really awesome seeing it take of. It was also very impressing as the sound reached me, some 30 seconds after take off.
unfortunately, the wireless Internet at my hotel is too slow. i will therefore end this update now.
Epcot
Today I spent a lot of time and money at one of Disney’s theme parks Epcot. I must say, I’m a bit disappointed. The park was ok, but i had expected more for $100.
The Spher is actually quite interesting. It’s called a geodesic sphere and is made out of triangles. It’s originally “invented” for buildings by Fuller. You probably seen some at radar stations or so. The reason why this interests me is that this building inspired to a Nobel prize in chemistry. Carbon-60 is a spherical molecule built pn the same principle. Me being a former chemists, this interests me!
Anyway, Epcot is divided into two parts, one more scientific, the other about some different countries all over the world. I started off at the science part. The best ones where Mission: SPACE and “Honey, I Shrunk The Audience” Mission Space is a matter of fact a centrifuge and even got slightly motion sick.
The pic above is from one of the countries represented in the park. I will let you guess what country for now. The answer you will find at the bottom.
I juts had to visit the German Oktober fest. It was strange, b ut there actually was a German music group playing traditional instruments, like the alp horn…
All the time there was synchronized music playing, Christmas Music like White Christmas, Jingle Bells etc. It felt very strange in the Orlando heat and sun. The I ran into the first Swedish thing
It made out a small piece of a huge Disney Christmas Tree.
Tomorrow I’m off for the east coast to watch the launch af Atlantis. Unfortunately my hotel made a mistake with my tickets so I can’t get in to Kennedy Space Center. I will have to watch the launch from the outside. But it’s ok, a bit cheaper. On Tuesday I will se all of the center instead.
Oh yes, the answer, it’s Norway. Easy to see on the blond girl!? Below is a pic showing Norway and China.
Getting around 
