May 26 2021 -Southern Hemisphere Luna Eclipse – the start of a new adventure.

The total eclipse is the big daddy of Luna shows

The stadium superconcert

All the wow factor

At Cape Byron, the Eastern most point of Australia

Sunset played the support act

Warming up the crowd

Luna finally emerged staying a little coy

Using the Cape Byron Lighthouse to tease the audience

Peaking cheekily around the stone edifice

Soon, though, the show warmed up Luna out on full show casting beams of gold and silver across the sea.

Dancing with her band the clouds

Then in the second set the magic started

The amazing disappearing act

The giant white orb shrinking away to a tiny orange sliver

To the eye no bigger than a star

Only to re emerge in a new red costume

With an edge of silver bling

What a show

The wind was cold on the Cape so I missed the final act of return to silver.

I sailed the coasts before the days of GPS

The light of the moon and the coded flashes of lighthouse welcome companions

Like a brother and sister guiding the night sailor.

But now I’m not on a yacht but on the Steinbock again, my BMW adventure bike

I’m on the Eastern most point of Australia, heading north then West and later this year will be at the continents Western Point

Traversing the Savannah Way right across topical Australia

Thanks Luna for your blessings and for a great show to start the new adventure.

Romania two further places of natural beauty

New companions on the Transalpina

For the touring motor enthusiasts the Transalpina rates highly

Its a long pass that’s what makes it so special.

148km of curves over the Carpathian Mountains

With beautiful lakes

The top of the road is more like a long ridge across the top of the Carpathian Mountains than a pass

From the southern end of the Transalpina it’s not too far to the Danube and the Bulgarian border

And encounters with well pravelled riders

Follow the river west and there is a gem

The Iron Gates of the Danube road which is cut into the cliffs along the Danube

The start of the Iron Gates are marked by this ancient Statue

The road then runs for about 100km mostly cliff face with some beaches

Until the you reach the point where the strict girdle of the mounts stop and the mighty river opens out again.

Two very special rides!

The Danube three impressions

Hot Jazz on the banks of the Danube in Budapest

The Danube is one of the halmarks of this beautiful city.

This is the urban Danube winding through many of Europe’s great cities.

A working river transporting people and good across the continent.

The Iron Gates of the Danube forms the border between Romania and Bulgaria

A gorge around 100km long with small villages dotted along the way.

And finally the Delta

The great Danube starts in nature in Germany’s black forest and is a protected nature park when it reaches the Black Sea.

Im so glad the nature aspects still remain.

Those are the places that really fill me with awe

Maybe because it complements the wild flow of riding a motorbike.

Transylvania, legends, royalty and that Irish connection.

Bran Castle

Battling the crowds on the narrow road to Bran

Past Dracula signs

One thinks how did Irishman Bram Stoker imagine this place and create the legend Dracula

The narrow roads are thick with tourists inspired by the legend

The citadel at Sighisoara also claiming it’s part of the legend

Any where that Vlad the Impaler, (who Dracula is based on) stayed dines out on the legend

But the legend disguises the the true beauty of Transylvania

View from Bran Castle

The amazing country side of open pasture

And the old forests around Brasov

And some wonderful biking roads

And memorials that tell the tale of the fight for Romanian independendance. Achieved in 1918

Though the Habsburg empire still had influence in Romania till the Soviets exiled the remaining Duke in 1947.

Romania is a beautiful and varied country and I’ve still a week here

The Danube Delta, Romania

It was a long haul across Europe.Many mountain passes and next to no motorways.Crossing borders and venturing into Eastern Europe for the first time.

The sun rise over the Danube Delta made it all worth while.

A small boat tour of the Delta just breathtaking

Moving across the lakes and through the chanels. Wild life abound

And in the morning sun water lillies emerge

Small traditional fish traps reflecting a sustainable approach to fishing.

On the ferry crossing the Danube to its Delta