From France to Kazakhstan
My first adventure trip… 17 days riding through 11 countries. It was a wonderful experience full of memories. I enjoyed each day, despite some rainy ones, and I fell in love with this way of traveling. I understand now these guys who travel with their bike around the world; it’s an amazing way to discover our planet and meet people from different culture. I am also very happy with the choice of the bike; this KTM 1190 Adv R is a must and I really feel safe and comfortable on it. The saddest day was the last one, despite the warm welcome from my friends, cause I didn’t wanted to stop !… I’m already impatient to go for another adventure next year !!!
Day #1 – Lake Constance
Today the dream comes true!
First stage under a nice blue sky, crossing Switzerland from West to East. Good feeling with the bike, despite the weight of the luggages who changes the gravity center. I feel like an elephant in a porcelain store when it’s needed to move on a parking. Tomorow should be more animated… with not less than 3 country borders to cross.
Day #2 – Prague
Starting early this morning for this 600km stage. We quickly enter in Austria for 25 km, then in Germany.
You know, I’m always checking on the gps screen the pictogram indicating the speed limit. It’s very useful in case you missed a sign along the road. At a moment, it was showing 110km/h when suddenly it disappear! I then realized that some parts of German highways are speed limit free. It’s a great way to make your own rhythm, without any other things to think. I didn’t take any risk but it was a real pleasure. We then enter Czech Republic, where we have to slow down for the last 170km before entering Prague. Happy to arrive and find a shower to cool down after this very warm but enjoying day.
Day #3 – Wroclaw
Today I take my time. The stage is short to Wroclaw, so we avoid highway and enjoy the Czech and Poland landscape by the back roads.
It was a real pleasure.
Can’t wait for tomorrow.
Day #4 – Warsaw
Polish stage today, to join Warsaw. I spent the afternoon in the old city, before to come back and relax at the hotel.
Day #5 – Vilnius
You can make plans and forecast everything, you can’t manage the weather. This morning, rain decided to join us for the first 350km. Fortunately weather became nicer by the end of the stage, giving me the opportunity to have a walk in this beautiful city of Vilnius.
Day #6 – Riga
Our yesterday’s friend (understand “the rain”!) want to join us also today.
It was a short stage with only 300km to reach Riga, and road was nice without huge traffic, maybe because it’s week-end.
Day #7 – Tallinn
After Lithuania and Latvia, today we enter in the third Baltic country, Estonia. No rain today, but an amazing wind. Arrived in Tallinn, the capital of the country, I took the time to visit the old city and have a walk along the Baltic sea.
Day #8 & 9 – St Petersburg
Russian Federation. We entered in the largest country in the world. It will be our playground for the coming week and 2700km. We took one day off, after one non stop travelling week, in the beautiful city of St Petersburg. Despite the capricious weather, I had a long walk, discovering an impressive architecture. It is say that this city get only 60 sunny days per year… I was lucky. I think I will have to come back there for a longer stay…
Day #10 & 11 – Moscow
At that period of the year, it’s “St Petersburg’s white nights”. Maybe because of this, I was up early this morning… road is long today, let’s take this opportunity to leave this beautiful still asleep city and avoid traffic jam.
After 8 hours ride, we arrive in the capital, Moscow, which we will take the time to visit during one new day off.
Day #12 – Nizhny Novgorod
Leaving Moscow this morning, heading east through the M7, which we will keep for the next 3 days. After 200 km, I wanted to have a coffee and decided to stop at a gas station. I was coming out from the shop with my cappuccino, when I see Alexander. He is there, with his friend Dmitri, looking at the bike from every angle. “Hello, where do you come from, where do you go, …” and that’s how you stay 20 minutes chatting with a guy who explains that he also has a bike but that time he took his car to bring his camping gear for him and his friend Dmitri, who ride cbr1000rr, because they are on the way to a motorcycle festival this weekend … Alexander offers me to join them: “it’s on your way” he said to me! I explain them that my timing is tight and that I unfortunately can not deviate. They wish me good luck and we leave after a frank hug.
I take the road with the banana smile, direction Nizhny Novgorod, we rally early in the afternoon.
Day #13 – Kazan
You wake up and the first thing you do is to look at the sky through your bedroom window: awesome, it’s sunny. You prepare yourself, you remove the tarpaulin from the bike (she also need her comfort), you take your breakfast, pack all your stuff, do your hotel check-out and when you arrive outside, you discover a hard raining !!! So there, you put your rain suit in the hall of the hotel, put on your helmet, and you go out under the deluge to load your horse and leave.
Well, it’s true that riding under the rain is not pleasant. The pity is that you see nothing except the road, when you can see it! Luckily, after 2 hours, it calms down, then it stops, and it is under the sun that we arrive in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan.
Day #14 – Ufa
I think I become obsessed by the weather, I can’t stop looking at the sky this morning, and no way of knowing if it will be good or not … then rain suit or not? … Let’s go, and try without, we’ll see. Head full East, still on the M7. It’s funny to watch your GPS showing you: “destination 527km, in 432km turn left”
Until the end I would have believed. Even stopping at the entrance of Ufa to make a quick souvenir shot I still believed. Well, he has decided otherwise, the manager of the weather all up there, and he didn’t do it light… never seen so hard rain. It’s stupid, we only had 2 km left. And there you say to yourself, if I hadn’t stopped doing this damn picture!…
Day #15 – Chelyabinsk
Today’s road was wow! It totally change from the flat roads we had since we entered in Russia. We cross the Southern Ural mountains. Fresh air, long curves, up and down sometimes at 9%. So nice but also dangerous as this road is mainly used by trucks. Then we arrived finally at Chelyabinsk where we will spend our last night in Russia.
Day #16 – Kostanay
Little bit stressed this morning… we have to pass the Russian-Kazakh border, and absolutely no idea of what could going on. Leaving Chelyabinsk by the M36, which will be our road till the end of the trip !
We arrived at the border, in the middle of the land. First we have to leave the Russian Fédération. I park the bike and enter inside the border building. Control of bike documents, passport, stamps, and voilà. Then we go to the Kazakh part, 200 meters away. I park one more time and enter the building; lot of people there! finally I receive the stamp without any issue, even for the bike. Only two hours, and we are in Kazakhstan.
We arrive then at Kostanay, last city before our next stop tomorrow, 720km further.
Day #17 – Astana
Early wake-up and leaving Kostanay still asleep, we start right away by a M36 road in poor condition, with sometimes even no road and sometimes with new parts. The good point is the very low traffic. Anyway, we must reach our goal, so we stay concentrate under a cloudy sky and fresh temperature. I decide to change the route, even for a longer one, and turn to north-east to join the A1, which was a good decision, even with 40km more. A1 is a new highway who connect Kokshetau to Astana. We saved hours by this way and arrive in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, after 750 km.
Day #18 – Astana
Today no bike. I went to Astana Expo 2017, my first time visiting an international exhibition. Very interesting.
Day #19 – Karaganda
The shortest stage of the trip today, to let me time to meet lovely friends in Temirtau, city nearby Karaganda.
Day #20 – Mynaral
Early wake-up for the last stage. I can’t believe it’s already the end of this wonderful first solo adventure trip. I’m really happy and satisfy to made it and I’m ready to do it again.
Along the road, I made a stop at Bektau-Ata, 300km south from Karaganda. This is a geological curiosity asking longer time to be discovered. I will come back there…
Then another stop at Balkhash, well known city for his copper mining industries. The last 200km I was feeling nostalgic when suddenly, 30km before the last turn, I saw my friends waiting for me at a strategic place. They came here by more than 40°C in the middle of the steppe just to welcome me back! Thank you my friends, I really enjoyed your welcome.
Last kilometers together, and it’s already time to come back to reality.
But don’t worry, the adventure will continue
In resume:
9400km (5840mi) – 20 days (17 days riding) from June 19th to July 8th 2017
