a bit of a different way to spend a weekend. Poor old Euromat had to have 45hrs off, however his, and everyone else’s trucks had to get from Riga, Latvia to Berlin by Sunday morning. So here’s my trip in pics, while poor Mat enjoyed a ‘well deserved rest’!!! Hope you enjoy, theres only so much you can do with pics through a windscreen!
Friday flew to Riga via Stockholm, first time in Sweden, even though i didn’t leave the airport I’m claiming I have been there! Spectacular views flying out, guess who’s camera was in his bag in the back of the plane!!
Fri pm/Sat am leave Riga, get a little lost getting out of city, but not too bad, 3 of us running together, 2 with CB the other had to rely on text for chats (only joking officer, not while driving)!! Lost half hour I suppose but still ok for time, amazingly it started getting light about 1am, by 2am it was like it is at 4-5 here in summer (remember summer, used to have them when i was a kid!). Latvian roads were good, and no traffic. Got tax at Lithuanian border, then press on, again suprised by good standard of (very straight) roads, a dream to drive on. By around 8-9am they had started waking up and appearing on the roads, but not busy. At the Polish border stopped again to get tax. First time in all 3 of these countries, and I was pleasantly suprised, lovely scenery, good roads, a nice drive. Stopped for 9hrs at service station, parked well out of way of other trucks as we were sleeping in daytime, only to be accosted by some peasant mumbling at me in Polish. No idea what he was saying, so he started undoing my fuel cap and pointing to himself, yep he wanted a ‘gift’. Sent him on his way, then shortly after a car cruised around and took particular interest in us, then drove off. ‘That’s it, I’m moving!’ So we went over to where the other trucks were, and suffered the noise of the road, was ok though. Sun pm start about 10pm, roads reasonably empty, lots of little towns and villages to go through, lots of nice young ladies out enjoying the clubs, waving to us! Then we hit our first bit of bad road, about 20km badly rutted and potholed, but that was it all trip, a huge improvement has gone on with resurfacing. Just before German border stopped for diesel, tax for one truck as the electronic box had packed up, and grab a sandwich.Into Germany and all truck traffic disappeared as obviously they have a ban in force. The ringroad was deserted at Berlin, found the venue no problem with the aid of sat-nav, unloaded then parked the truck up ready for him to collect when he’s had enough lying around! A very enjoyable trip with good company, we had a good laugh, learn’t a bit about 3 countries I have never been in before, a lovely experience.
For those into that kind of thing, route was: Riga, Panevezys, Kaunas, Marijampole, Lozma, Ciechanow, Plock, Kunto, then motorway (at last!) through to Berlin, save another section of national road for about 30mins just before the D/PL border. First day was 708km, second 587km.
about 3am!
sun up about 7ish
our chariots, well 2 of them
Alan (digit) & Carl (cockney Brummie) my running mates
yours truly and Digit
alot of transporter traffic in the East now factories have relocated
Russian Iveco on Lithuanian/Polish border
Nope, not Watford Gap!Poles on border, Dutch firm Polish reg, Scania is Russian
speed limits to ignore!
how to overtake in Poland
these two are in sequence and…
no these two aren’t parked on hard shoulder, they have moved over to let car & bike through!
some lovely views in Poland, obscured by limited visibility of Daf due to side window pillar, kerb mirror and fish eye lense, my only critisism of truck at all
local transport 1
local transport 2
stork nest, cow in front is tethered by side of road, bit offputting until you realise they are ■■■■■■■!
roadworks, funny no miles of coned off road, or HIPPO’s in sight!
a big property had loads of these statues bordering it
local transport 3
long way from home with a skelly
Lithuanian haulier
local tipper
pulling in for 9hr rest, saw this day cab Yank, possibly Frieghtliner, Sterling or Navistar,unfortunately he drove off as I walked up to photograph it.
Polish and Lithuanian vignette
Russians dont bother taking livery off second hand trucks, still bears French name
and here
ex Swdish truck, now Romanian
My God! He’s got lost on his delivery!! saw a few of these
little shops and stalls lining the road before the Polish/German border, get your cow and sheep hides here, or a garden gnome!
caught 2 ‘Borats’ up before border
storks perched on top of pylons
into Germany, over the Oder
Maut sign
not long now, shame…
deserted ring road around Berlin
off ringroad heading in towards city, could be a French boulevard
final destination, about to go under stadium to drive into it to tip
from my hotel saw this German Land Rover, reminicent of the old Mini’s
opposite hotel was Friedrichshain Volkspark, and this delighful fountain. Italian style, lots of history, locals were using it to cool off on the searing heat.
