Motorcycling stands for freedom, for individualism. For Lucky Luke as a poor lonesome cowboy on his way to the horizon. Something like that. Right?
From that perspective, you may be surprised by the app in which, after entering your mode of transport, your desired travel time and your location, you receive compelling luggage advice regarding the number of socks and changes for the journey. And that suddenly turns out to be a completely different list than the one we have been using here for years. After all, for a week away you need two sets of socks, two underpants, two T-shirts, a sweater and your debit card. Oh yes: a toothbrush is also useful.
If you are going away for two weeks, do some laundry in the sink at your campsite or hotel at the end of week one. There are also plenty of apps to find places to stay and book them digitally. From your hotel room you can use your smartphone to check whether there is a nice restaurant nearby.
That's all useful and effective, but you deprive the journey of the opportunity to get into its own flow. And that you take advantage of the free programmability and the best route search functions of your new TomTom for that trip? That's just handy. Especially if you are a bit late looking for a place to sleep.
Fortunately, according to marketers and copywriters, the rebellious, cool element still applies to motorcyclists. In a sponsored supplement to the Federal Gazette of the Royal ANWB, the True Motorcycle Feeling is presented with the example of a 24-year-old motorcyclist who spontaneously throws off his jacket, rolls up his sleeve and shows the tattoo of his favorite motorcycle brand: “This guy is a Real !” cheers the text. We hope that the young motorcyclist remains brand loyal...
Fortunately, in the attached Bondsblad with its circulation of 4.000.000+, it is made clear in a letter that not all of the Netherlands consists of Bikkels and double-tattooed Kanjers, but that decency is still being thought about and decency is being monitored.
The letter writer Spangenburg (89) from Eemnes speaks to the ANWB about the fact that the reason given in traffic jam warnings is sometimes: “A broken truck”. And then it comes: A broken truck. That is too reminiscent of a word that we were not allowed to use in the past because it was flat and not neat: “Broken”.
Whether the ANWB would like to talk about, for example, 'An overturned truck' in the future. “Then you feel more relaxed in a traffic jam.”
Back to Motorland: You don't get stuck in traffic jams on a motorcycle, but sometimes you do find yourself in the newspaper: In the Volkskrant, a mayor and a journalist apparently also lost their way, while the editor-in-chief was not paying attention. It is about banning motorcycle clubs from wearing 'vests'. Of course you look like a joker with a fluorescent vest in the shopping center, but the rest shows that the story is actually about MCs like the Angels, Satudarah and Bandidos. And that the 'vests' mentioned in each case are the jackets with the 'Colours', the tribal marks of the MCs in question. Watch how those boys react when you address them as a good citizen with “Gosh sir, what a nice vest you are wearing”. Probably just friendly.
Let us continue to be amazed. And if you let your routes plan themselves every now and then, you don't know exactly what time and where you will arrive. But you make room for the adventure, the freedom of motorcycling. The stupid fun of an unexpected landscape, meeting people that can make it late.
The best part is when your classic car breaks down in a built-up area. Everyone is interested in what you do and it has already given us a free overnight stay plus breakfast with a friendly French family. The daughter of the house was very happy with us. Because – unlike her parents – she had learned – sort of – English. And she loved sharing her proud knowledge with us.
Papa and Maman saw that in all our brutally tough masculinity we were actually just older, friendly wimps and therefore not a threat to the honor of their daughter. “Would we like to stay another day? There was more beautiful things to see locally than just their daughter. My daughter was given permission to guide us in English all day.
Meanwhile, Ghislaine's English is perfect with a heart-winning accent. She is a mother of two children. And her husband? That's a Dutchman. That must have been because of the good impression we made. We're still in touch.
That's where unstructured travel and bad luck get you.
Today, a debit/credit card is basically enough because everything is for sale/rent 😉
Nice story again, thank you.
Gauloises and Gitanes are also missing from the table. These were the brands that were located in the front of the 2CV, and also in the back under the back seat as a slipper. The packages were beautiful to look at and the contents were delicious.
And what about the Pastis. Every table should have a bottle, carafe and glasses. That's how you make friends.
🇫🇷 Liberte, egalite et fraternite (apologies for the lack of accents) was that for us from the cold north.
Cheers!
Beautiful that “sponsored Formica table, just missing the pack of blue Gauloises to complete the picture….
I laugh at Capôte.
Yes, nice translation, but in those +10 years that you wrote something has changed, the well-known KGB
has been changed to FSB, federal security agency, this is for improvement 😉😉
But the KGB/FSB boss has remained the same. That provides additional stability
But it's quite scary
Has been noted