Map of World - Click a place Brad's been

June 2019 - Coming home via Montreal

Left Europe, Paris and flew to Montreal for a week to take in Quebec National Day then finish the month back in home sweet home, Calgary.

The revamped Orly in Paris, nice...

Not bad

Five days in Montreal and my first steps in Canada in a few months.  Staying with another Motorbike buddy/ traveller, JP, who I met in Buenos Aires in 2012/13.  Lots of fun, food, bikes and parties to attend on St. Jean Baptist Day weekend. Thanks JP!

Recommendations: Le Balthazar, Le Fameux, Eric Lapointe!

Favourite quote of the weekend: I said "2 beers please"  The server at the festival said "You only want two?"

Flying in to Montreal over the
St. Lawrence

Eggs Benny

Outstanding smoked meat at
Le Fameux

Every rider should have at least 2 bikes and
let his buddy ride his favourite, haha.

Check that off-road set up

Oh yeah

JP's man cave

Image the used product

Down to Old Port

Old Town

And a classic biker bar

Great spot

Big party here down at the
Parc Jean-Drapeau (where F1 happens)

No liquor limit in Quebec with these
carrying cases


Very happy music and some that I'm not usually exposed, well almost all of it.

Big Quebec acts incl.
Eric Lapointe!!!



Serge, JP and me


Dunn's for a less impressive, but
still amazing smoked meat

A more local celebration on the
heavily French populated South shore

Crowded

And then it was time to make my way to the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport, which isn't as simply as it seems.  An express bus in to town, a little walk, then an express bus to the airport (when they stop for you).  Good -bye Quebec.

The best route...?


Just missed the rain, but still humid

Crossing the brand new Champlain Bridge $4.5 billion
The all new over due Champlain Bridge.  $4.5 Billion.  Thanks Canada, I was one of the first 1000s to pass over it!

Champlain crossed.



What the F? Socialism...?



Up Up and away leaving from YUL to YYC








Tightest leg room of all 9 flights!



Hello Calgary

A few moments back in my local world...doing the things here that I missed.  I love Canadian Summer.

Late garden planting, fingers crossed

Poor Mary's lost some traction at
Rancho Anderson

Me and My boat

Saturday polish lunches with Kaz

Back to my bike

After sailing wings with Dale

June 2019 - Not so Solo in Sicily, London, Frankfurt, Malaga

After Mom's departure I was left on my own to explore more of Sicily, then a quick stop in Rome to visit a friend before heading to London to connect with new  and old friends. After that I recovered in Frankfurt at Phil's place before having a few final days in Malaga, Spain to finish my 8th visit to Europe.

Off to Trapani which turned out to be 4 hours by train and only 1.5 hours by bus.  I didn't realise the train went all the way down and around to get to the West coast, but who wouldn't want to see green and rock mountains, orchards, desert and sea.

Solo Travelling

Looks nice, I'll come back later

Crossing the country



Approaching Trapani
Three signs, I'm definitely in Trapani a West coast town, with a few good places to eat and see.  Lots of walking if you want.

Did you get the sign?

My first lemon beer
Not a bad spot for 30 euros a night, but it can get even better...

Looks like a lot of locks on the
building door, but only one worked.



Looking to centre of town from a less than sexy beach

It's not cut up fishing net?

Spear fishing off the shore
The future...Automated convenience stores.

I guess these guys run the machines?


Oh boy

Oh yeah, a 3 pack traveller of red

Delicious and healthy

Next door to my patio and lunch.  Yep dog crap everywhere.

A night out with new friends James and Maddy from the Queensland.

Huge everything at their apartment
45 euros a night

Looking good early on

Decided to jump ship and head to Marsala for 1 night finding an awesome place with a view to calm my jealousy of James and Maddy's place. Some times it's good to be hungover in a new place that's only 30 minutes down the road.

Back on the same little one car
I took to get here

Didn't find the beach in Marsala, but seems to be sailing here
Hungover, but holding
Brilliant apartment with great balcony.  Only catch, no WIFI. Hey, but that can be good too.

Huge balcony


Quick walking tour around the surprisingly charming Marsala.

San Sebastiano

Roman Ruins you don't need to pay for







Free mini-golf. Am I in Europe? Free?

Food trucks 

A little Italian "Pro" Karaoke with a delicious meal at my favourite spot, Kristal.

Good beer, amazing
pizza



Back over to the North of Sicily somewhere I could get a swim in. Trappeto seemed the fit finding a great penthouse apartment near the sea. Just what I needed.

Side Story: The train went right past Trappeto to Partinico as that is the route, "no changes", according to the conductor.  You have to wait for the exact train to come back through to stop at Trappeto.  This wouldn't have been so bad, but the Partinico station is far from anything at all.  Boo.



Sulla flowers of Sicily





Partinico, Boo.

Finally...That's me in the photo, it was a long wait at Partinico.

A sign of tourism

This looks promising

Wow!!! View from apartment balcony.


What a view...



And now for a little Trappeto beach time.

exciting



Snorkeling off the coast

That's the look I'm going for


A little beach chat in Trappeto

I love it, I really do


Back on the road, but just for a short time to get to Palermo the biggest city in Sicily, full of everything, which to be honest, if I found some of it in other places in the world I probably wouldn't have ventured to try them.

Awesome late check out, Thank you!

Last looks at Trappeto

Small town life.  No bus stop sign and a tractor fueling up.

Couple hour bus ride to Palermo

Rough Russian bus ride to get here then a quick
bus tour of Palermo due to construction.



And then an odd walk to the Airbnb

Some good deals I'm sure
Rough neighbourhood me thinks.  Although the walk through was a little nerve racking the place was just off the tourist zone.

Wrong way?


Park Villa

Cathedral di Palermo

This looks like the way



A street market, restaurant, bar area.  I'd go back.

Piazza San Domenico

How cute, beer for a baby

Busy Sant Anna area
Very good restaurant, MultiVolti, check out the way they rigged up the ceiling fans.

That will help the
hangover


Feeding street cats

Free food bar buffet.

Sant Anna much more civil in the day

Alright

Oldest tree in Sicily

Cathedral di Palermo again
Well that was nice in Sicily, but time does slip by and unfortunately I had to make my way to the UK.  But First one last dip in the sea! Isola delle Femmine, a town of a few 1000, for a night which is only a few stops from the Palermo airport.

What an apartment and the owners were worried it was too small for me. Haha, i've slept in shoe boxes a few times and this was not one of those times.

Recommend: "Pane" bakery a few blocks from the train station and "Pizzeria Zio Fe" in the town centre.

Tight sidewalk



This looks like a promising path

There it is

Yikes, there it is, "Dog Toilet"

This kid was having the time of his life.  Respect. Me too.







Walk around the coast





A filming of a TV show going on

I followed the clues



Wow



Pizzeria Zio Fe, very nice!

Goodbye Sicily




Rome, sort of.  All flights I found went through the Italian capital and since my friend Maria works at the airport (FCO) we decided I should stay a night to check out the coast. A nice and relaxing day and good plan.



Isola Sacra



Love watching all the neighbours

Great location

Catch anything?



You know what this means

Thanks Maria

London for 3 days, graciously hosted by Dan and Anna in a nice part on the East side, Leytonstone. Trains, tubes and pints and no rain, well a little.  As well, I was able to meet up with my friend Tom H and family easier done than flying to Newfoundland. 

A nice dirty welcome foot

This looks like the place

Funny that people stand in the way

My room, the penthouse

Wetherspoons, cheap and cheerful

Camden



Famous pub

Famous people.  Dan, Peter and Tom

Love these public urinals





Who's glasses are these? Ben?

King of Falafel, more like King of Crap!

Weird, parks with fake grass, why?

Tiny tubes to fit the old tunnels

Prix Brasserie in Soho

Take a good whiff

Anna, Dan,. Michelle

Then back to the middle of Europe, Frankfurt, Germany to hang with Phil and Rainer and friends.

Line it up and off to Frankfurt

Nice day

Unfortunately my ride was a little too drunk to pick me up from the airport so at 11pm I made my way to Phil's through a Crowded Train of Electronic Music Festival goers as my cold began to take over.

Give me a bed




A Rhine river boat day under the weather, but drugs and alcohol can work miracles.

Can't do em all and go to the Carnival?

German tourism.

Didn't get the sign of "Assmann", but it was just like this

Niederheimbach

I've seen better days


On top of a wall along the Rhine.





Ham and eggs, tasty.

Feeling much better





The team

Not everyone loves Rammstein

The forest carnival of Frankfurt; Waldchestag.




Phil on top of the world

Mispelchen

Don't be afraid children

Tasty german meal

The Nied Beach Club.. sort of near the river...

beach and beer kills colds



Odd

Super Mario

Or Dave Tippet

4 years since I played in BA.

Pork Knuckle!!!

2 hour walk then to the city, no nap


A night of live music in the city. Franz Fischer featuring Joe Cocker's pianist Nick Milos.

Franz and friends


And finally the last stop on the Europe June 2019 tour, Malaga!

Late arrival is not an issue in Spain

Scooters taking over the world
ZZ Pub, my late night haunt.  Some people go to McDonalds, I go here.

I should work there


Malaga apartment for the 4 days.



Tough to sleep with this outside

Casa Lola Olives!!!



Episcopal Palace

A little beach time at Malagueta.  Check out the crazy guy who washes his clothes in the ocean.






It's got it all


More ZZ Pub with Danny and Jorge



Tasty Tapas at la Tranca

Great value just beside "Be Happy"

The central market

Goodbye Malaga
June 2019 in Europe was about all the fun I can handle.  I need a vacation from my vacation!


Other Stuff

Odd toilet on the train in Sicily

Odd toilet in Sicily

This guy has balance, or maybe the dog
is driving? (Marsala)

Wow in Palermo

At this old bar in Frankfurt the owner
taking a photo with the Champ