Getting up close and personal in Ukraine

I’m so happy that I get to travel with Volodymyr (Vova), Thonny and Steen on the Ukraine and Moldova trip next June. Outside motorcycles, we share the same passion for great company, a cold beer after a nice ride, and of course good food. It’s time to introduce the 4 amigos.

I’m going to start on chronological order. I first met Vova on the trip back in 2012 where we met at the border between Poland and Ukraine, where he waited on the Ukrainian side. I think I made a “below par” first impression as I didn’t realize that the time zone change when crossing the border. So when we agreed to meet at 10, he had been waiting for an hour already. An being a little late through the border, he ended up waiting 1½ hour.

But patience is a virtue that Vova posses, and we ended up having a couple of days riding together, inlcuding in 2013. In 2016 we met in L’viv for a beer.

Vova on his dirtbike

Vova at the Ukrainian Carpathians

I was supposed to ride with Steen on the 2015 ride to Albania. But fate wanted it diffeently, as he ended up breaking his leg preventing forcing him to stay at home. We ended up going in slight different directions in life, but are now reconnecting for the Ukraine and Moldova trip. So I don’t have any pictures I can show you. But I am looking much forward to reconnect.

Both on the 2017 ride, and on the 2018 ride, I had the honor to ride with Thonny. We have had a lot of great experiences over the last couple of years. We rode the first time on the 2017 ride, where my mother was on my pillion seat, and I remember how impressed I was with Thonny’s easy going and aligning mindset. Riding two-up is different from riding solo.

Thonny in the rain in the mountains of Croatia

Thonny posing with his bike in Durmitor, Montenegro