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The site of Sylvia Stuurman is about motorcycles, traveling and birds. Here, you find links to the individual pages.
Er is een
nl Nederlandse versie 
van deze pagina.
Here, you find an overview of my travel stories.
Most of them are illustrated with photographs, and most of them are motorcycle travel stories.
To Travelogues...
Being a European, entering the USA for the first time is a strange sensation:
everything is different, and at the same time, caused by
movies, books and tv, it feels like you have known it all your life.
It's an ideal country for travelers: it's very easy to get involved in
a conversation (not only because of the language), and
there are enormous supermarkets everywhere, with everything you can imagine, and very diverse.
To USA...
In july 2000, Ernst, Wouter, Karin, Pieter and me stayed one week in Manhattan.
Ernst got ill, but all the same, we have been to
the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, Central Park and Coney Island,
and have roamed through Manhattan.
On this page, you find some of the highlights.
To New York...
On this page, you find information about travel guides about New York.
I took three guides with me, the Lonely Planet, the Moon Guide and the Rough Guide.
To New York Books...
In july and august 2000, Wouter, Karin, Pieter, Ernst and me went to the US.
After a first week in New York, we flew to Las Vegas,
and drove to Zion.
We camped at the rim of the Grand Canyon, and finally got into Bryce Canyon.
To Utah...
Leaving Bryce, we reached the Valley of the Gods, the starting point for the Four Corners Area.
Like I had expected, it was hard to really get a feeling for how life is, here, but it proved to be harder and
more complicated than I thought. In fact, you enter a third world country; the sour history of this place
comes to the surface, and is more complicated than I had learned in history books.
We needed to read more about this area, and come back later.
To Four Corners...
From the Four Corners area, we drove to Santa Fe (and visited the Bradbury Science Museum), were we spent a few days in the beautiful La Fonda hotel.
After that, we drove to Albuquerque, Cloudcroft and Columbus, and admired the landscape and the ghosttowns that we drove through. On this page, you will find the highlights of this trip.
To New Mexico...
From Columbus, New Mexico, we drove into the southern eastern part of Arizona, where we enjoyed the valleys, the desert, and Tucson.
Arizona is a very diverse state, and it is my personal favourite one.
To Arizona...
In February 1999, I was asked to attend a conference in San Antonio, Texas. I am very grateful to the program committee that
they chose San Antonio, because, as you will see, I fell in love with Texas.
We drove through Hill Country, and enjoyed the Big Bend area.
To Texas...
In November 1998, I was asked to attend a conference in Orlando, Florida. We discovered Florida on
a rented Harley Davidson.
Florida proved to be a great bird country.
To Florida...
Spain is a very diverse and big country. There are landsapes that you don't associate with Europe: deserts, canyons.
When you keep away from the coast, it's empty, and you often will have the road for you alone. That road gets you
often through the many mountains of Spain, or over the dry meseta, from where you will descend unexpected into a canyon.
The cities of Spain show souvenirs of history, in the form of castles, Moorish buildings, or churches and cathedrals.
The people of Spain are as diverse as the landscape, but wherever you are, you will be welcomed when you try to speak
some Spanish, and you will eat and drink deliciously.
In short, Spain is a country that never fails to impress.
To Spain...
The three of us traveled to Gorlitz, a hamlet near the Atlantic Ocean, in Biskaia, Spain, on tow motorcycles. There was a heat wave, so the beach and the sea were temptatious, but we also visited the Castle of Butron, and Gasteiz, where we bumped into a feast.
To Biskaia...
We rode south in may 2002. I wanted to see the Cabo de Gata,
the easternmost point of Andalucia. A barren region,
with a beautiful rocky coast without high buildings.
For the rest, we would just see: roam about through Andalucia.
So we rode through the eastern part of the Alpujarras, through the Sierra Nevada,
arrived in Guadix, where we slept in a cave, discovered Alhama de Granada,
admired the renaissance buildings of Ubeda, and had a view at the marvelous castle
of Velez Blanco.
May is the perfect traveling-month for Spain, and the eastern part of
Andalucia proved to be the perfect environment for two motorcyclists who like
curves, unpaved paths, and Andalucian villages, towns and bars...
On this page, you find a summary of the trip. The trip is described from
day to day in Dutch, with lots of photographs. The Dutch description starts
in
day 1.
To Andalucia...
Ernst and me decided to experience new years eve of 2001 in Ronda.
We rode together on one motorcycle, so we sat close and warm, during the cold trip.
Ronda is a beautiful small town, and the surroundings are made for motorcyclists. But after we enjoyed that, the
new year started in a dramatical way...
To Ronda...
A motorcycle trip to Bilbao, during winter. The Pyrenees covered with snow, new year's Eve in Bilbao, the Art of the Motorcycle exhibit in the Guggenheim. On the way home, we rode alongside the Gulf of Biskaia, and stuck on several closed passes in the Pyrenees and the French Cantal.
To Bilbao...
During may 2000, Ernst and me made a trip to Spain, of three weeks.
We got stuck in the mud near El Burgo
de Osma, stayed in Trujillo and had a look in Montfrague, were surprised with a Feria in Cordoba, saw the
bird world of the Cota Donana and El Rocio, traveled through the landscape arpund Ronda towards
Antequera, rode through the Alpujarras, over the Sierra Nevada, and then to the north, seeing Guadix,
Cuenca and Cardona.
To SW Spain...
During our various travels in Spain, we encountered several special places.
In the first place, when in Spain and you want to treat yourself on something very special,
try one of the paradores 
.
Choose one in an old building: there are castles, monasteries, palaces and so on to choose from.
You must earn a lot to spend every night in one of the paradores, but that would only be boring.
On this page, I mention some of the small hostals that were special, either by the surroundings or by the place itself.
I didn't include the places that you will find in every guidebook.
To Special Hotels...
During our various travels in Spain, we encountered several great stretches of roads. Here, you find them.
It was sometimes difficult to make a choice: Spain has so many great roads.
The roads you find here are outstanding because of their quality for motorcycle riding, or for the quality of the landscape,
and most of the time for both.
To Great Roads...
Everything is different, at the other side of the North Sea. That excentric habit of riding at the wrong side of the road, to
queue without pushing people aside, to celebrate everything old...
The nicest aspect is that it makes a great motorcycle country: narrow roads everywhere, many hills and mountains, and people who not
only love motorcycles and cars, but also are very good drivers. Of course, the English way: always a gentleman...
To United Kingdom...
In September 2001, Ernst and me took some days off, on to England. Our plan was to reach Exmoor, and we succeeded, but it was a ridiculously
long ride in a couple of days.
The UK is fantastic: it's simply is the most beautiful motorcycle country in the world, because of the roads, the corners, the small-scale
landscape, and especially because the traffic, where going fast is appreciated (and because the English, as everyone knows, just are crazy).
To Exmoor...
In August, 1997, I went along, on a BMW R1100GS, on a greenlaning trip with British XT500 enthousiasts.
It was a mighty experience, both to discover the greenlaning tradition, and to do that on my big, heavy BMW.
To Greenlaning...
I've always had a hate-love affair with Italy: the food is delicious, the people are great to watch (a very important aspect), there is plenty idyllic mountaineous landscape, there isn't another site on earth where you can finc as many historical buildings together as in Italy, but on the other hand, it's crowded in many places, it's a rather expensive country, and, when you are blonde, Italians can become intrusive in a very unpleasant way. However, all in all, it's a great motorcycle country, if possible on an Italian bike, of course.
To Italy...
In the end of may, beginning of june 2001, Ernst and me rode from the Ardeche,
through the French Alps, to Tuscany, where I had to
attend a working group meeting for my work, in San Miniato.
The Alps are fantastic during that time of the year (just open
or still closed, with plenty of snow), the Appennines are
a real motorcyclists area, and Tuscany has, I must say, very much that is very beautiful.
To Tuscany...
In may, 2000, we rode up and down towards Rimini, Italy, in order to have Bimota check the Mantra. The Mantra showed severe jittering when braking.
Ernst didn't take many photographs during the trip itself, so I did put photographs of the Bimota factory throuhgout the page.
A beautiful, small factory: I was very sorry when I heard that it would be closed. Fortunately, at the end, a buyer has been found, so the factory is
functioning again. Anyway, we were very lucky to have been there, that's for sure.
To Bimota...
In France, there are still many people who love driving, and besides, it's just a
beautiful country. Maybe the French Alps
are the most beautiful part of the Alps, and France has many regions that are worth
a vacation.
The only thing is that it's such a big country when you are traveling to Spain...
To France...
In may 2001, we spent a few days in the Ardeche, camping in the gardens of a friend, with some fellow motorcycle riders. The Ardeche offers many great road for motorcycling.
To Ardeche...
In July 1999, we spent a few days in the French Alsace: the Vosges, after a short trip to Germany (Trier). Cosy hotels, very good food, and above all: a great variety of roads, with the Route des Cretes as the road of all roads.
To Alsace...
Scandinavia is vast of course, and we only saw small peices of it.
Here you find a view on how pleasant Sweden is for motorcyclists, and how Denmark was for us.
To Scandinavia...
At the end of March '98, Ernst and me decided to have a holiday, on the PP. We had only 5 days.
Legoland in Denmark seemed a nice goal (maybe we could see the new robot-Lego).
To Denmark...
This was my very first motorcycle trip. I went on my own, on my (brand new) Suzuki VX800. Sweden is a wonderfull country: it was a very good choice.
To Sweden...
The eastern part of Europe is part of the EU, nowadays. I can't imagine a better place
to see that Europe stands for variety
.
Slovakia has a bustling energy: everywhere, you see houses made into shops and restaurants. And it has
a beautiful nature. Hungary is champion in delicious food and wine; the country is
flat for the most
part, but as a compensation, birds like it a lot.
Romania is a country with which we fell in love, and I think every motorcycle rider will feel the
same, once having ridden there. It is incredibly beautiful, with completely preserved Middle-age towns,
many beautiful mountaineous regions, and a landscape, formed by farmers, on a small s
cale, that has
a loveliness that you won't find anywhere else.
To Eastern Europe...
In august 2006, we rode through Romania on a Yamaha Tricker and a BMW R1100GS.
Romania is a country with which we fell in love, and I think every motorcycle rider will feel the same,
once having ridden there.
It is incredibly beautiful, with completely preserved Middle-age towns,
many beautiful mountaineous regions, and a landscape, formed by farmers, on a small scale, that has a
loveliness that you won't find anywhere else.
To Romania...
In the beginning of September, 1997, I had to be in Berlin anyway, so Ernst and me decided to go together, on my good old loyal Bumble Bee. This plan didn't succeed entirely, because Ernst's PC caused problems (as his PC always does), and he had to finish a booklet for his Baggerraggerrij (as he always has), so I left by plane to Berlin, and Ernst would follow the next day.
After a while, he did appear, and together we rode through Poland and Slovakia.
To Poland...
Germany, like France, is not only a lovely country to ride (and not only on the
Autobahn!), when you're on your way to for instance
Italy, but it's also, like France, a great goal for a journy on itself.
The roads are very good, there are many hilly or mountainous regions, there are many places that are not crowded at all,
you can eat and drink deliciously, and the Germans are much nicer than the (Dutch) prejudices say.
Austria and Switzerland don't need an introduction, with their Alps!
To Middle Europe...
In august 2006, we left home to ride to Romania. Ernst on his BMWR1100GS, and I on the Yamaha Tricker. Here the summary of the first stretch, through Germany and Austria.
To Germany and Austria...
In september 2004, we decided to visit the Intermot in München, Germany.
And when you're nearby, you might just as well ride on to the Alps.
Our friend Pim happens to live in Switserland, and we never visited him over there,
so it was clear that those Alps would be the Swiss Alps.
To Intermot and Alps...
In 1996, I visited Mecklenburg Vorpommern, looking for White-tailed Eagles. We still did encounter many remnants of the communistic period.
To Mecklenburg...
For motorcycle riders, the Alps are probably the most beautiful mountain range to be found in this world, and from where
we live, they're just around the corner!
On these pages, you find some stories that are situated in the Alps, a page on books covering the Alps, and
a description of the passes where we made photographs.
To the Alps...
On this page, I will describe the Alp passes that we rode by bike, of which we have photographs, and which are outstanding, either by the scenery or from the rider's point of view.
To Passes...
My first motorcycle trip with a lot of hairpins took place in April 1996,
in the French Vosges and the Swiss Jura (the Alps were still covered with
snow). I was on my BMW R1100GS.
The second one was in August 1996, right after I
lost my keys, when I rode some real Alpine passes:
the Furka, the Nufenen, the old Gotthard, the Susten, and some smaller ones.
Because these were my first hairpin-experiences, I learned a lot!
To Hairpins...
In November 1994, one of my brothers moved to Basel in Switzerland, and this event was a nice excuse
to plan a motorcycle trip (with free bed and breakfast in Basel). My motorcycle was a Suzuki VX800.
I searched for some green crinkly roads on the map, to make this a real motorcycle trip instead of spending
hours on the Autobahn. There were some stretches of Dutch highway and Autobahn in between.
To Switzerland...
What happens when you loose your only set of motorcycle keys in Switzerland?
To Keys...
A hiking trip near the Matterhorn
To Matterhorn...
Here, you find an overview of the motorcycle and riding pages.
There are tips for motorcycle riders, there is information about the (BMW) GS and other motorcycles, there
are adventure stories, and there are links to interesting sites.
To Motorcycle pages...
When riding motorcycle, things don't always turn out the way you expect: adventures belong to motorcycle riding.
Unfortunately, going down from time to time also seems to belong. Here you find my adventures.
To Adventures...
In juli 2005, an oncoming car decided to steer to the left, at the moment that my front wheel was next to his car. I'd never thought something like that would ever happen to me, but it did: I was hit, and thought I would die. That didn't happen, and I recovered reasonably well, but is was and will always be a far-reaching event.
To Collision...
I experienced some strange crashes, none of them serious.
Here, you can read about a BMW R1100GS climbing a wall, an XT500 shaking its head, and the R1100GS sliding the road.
To Accidents...
On November 21, 1997, at 1 in the morning, I crashed my beloved BMW R1100GS. Here a report and an analysis.
To Crash...
In November 1997, I visited the BMW enduro-course in Hechlingen, Germany, together with Roland, Pim, and Ernst.
The course is organised by Richard Schalber. We hired BMW R11GSses at the site (as you will see below, this is
recommended because of several reasons).
Our instructors were Gregor (for the advanced enduro riders: Ernst) and Winfried (for the beginners: Roland, Pim and me).
Most fellow-riders rode on BMW R11GSses; a few had hired an F650, and several advanced riders did it on XR's (if I remember correctly).
At the end of the course, I was riding the BMW R80 Basic which you see here.
Below, I will summarize what we learned, and I will explain the modifications on the Beemers. (Oh, and the pictures you see are from Pim).
To Hechlingen...
I did own (and still own two) several BMW Gsses. It's simply the best allround motorcycle you can find.
Here are portraits of the GSses, and experiences with tires.
To BMW R1100GS...
Because the Roadrunner was getting old (300.000 km on the clocks), and especially because I thought the R1200 would be perfect, I decided to buy a BMW R1200GS. On paper, it seemd the ideal bike. Here my review.
To the BMW R1200GS...
The roadrunner is my third R1100GS, and I still own and ride it.
It has almost 300.000 kilometers under its wheels, and it's still alive and kicking.
The roadrunner proves that the R1100GS is just the best
motorcycle overall imaginable.
To the Roadrunner...
The R3B is the first R1100GS that I owned. It is not original at all: I once crashed it, it was declared total-loss, and it
got a new life under the hands of Ernst.
It has become a very special BMW R1100GS.
To the R3B...
The Pink Panther is my second R1100GS, an anniversary model.
We didn't relate: it was much slower than my first, and the gearbox kept giving false neutrals.
I traded it in (for a Bimota Mantra) after half a year.
To the Pink Panther...
I did not use every tire which is available for the R1100GS, but have experience with some of them. Here is a review of the tires I used.
To R1100GS tires...
I bought the Yamaha Tricker when I tried to get back in the saddle again after my
severe motorcycle
accident. The Tricker is light, and very easy to ride.
I have got so far that I have bought a
Derbi Mulhacen,
but I decided that the Tricker will not be a temporary motorcycle: I will keep him. It is much fun to ride him on
small roads, and it is very easy to ride beside the road as well.
To Yamaha Tricker...
After my
accident, I had to find a way to get used to the traffic again, as soon as possible. The Yamaha Tricker is a very light, low
250cc motorcycle, and is very much fun to ride as well.
To Yamaha Tricker...
After my
severe motorcycle
accident, riding my BMW R1100GS appeared to have become too difficult. It's too heavy and high for my now stiff joints.
I saw the Derbi Mulhacen for the first time as a prototype, and was very pleased to see him almost unchanged in production. I bought one as a replacement for the BMW.
Here are pages with information and experiences.
To Derbi Mulhacen...
I saw the Derbi Mulhacen for the first time as a prototype on the
Intermot. I was smitten.
The prototype has come into production, and has stayed almost as beautiful as the prototype. I have made a test ride,
and it rides superbly. I did buy one in spring, 2007.
To Getting acquainted: Derbi Mulhacen...
In march 2007, I bought the Derbi Mulhacen, a modern Scrambler. At this moment, the Derbi Mulhacen is still rarely seen on the street.
It is a motorcycle which is manufactured with high quality components, and with a very lively engine (the same angine as is used in the Yamaha XT660).
Here are my impressions during the first and subsequent rides: a rider report.
To Ride report: Derbi Mulhacen...
After my first motorcycle, the R1100GS has always been my "main motorcycle" .
Here are portraits of other motorcycles that I own or did own.
To Other Motorcycles...
The Bimota Mantra is a very special motorcycle. I even did use mine one year (including winter) to ride to work and home again. Here some photographs and some words about mine.
To Bimota Mantra...
The Yamaha XT 500 is an icon. And a very enjoyable bike to ride (well, if you have time to do the maintenance, that is...)
To the XT500...
I started riding a motorcycle in March 1994, on a red Suzuki VX800. You can read how it
feels to go to Sweden, alone, on a motorcycle which you
have owned for a month or two, in my
Sweden story ;-)
In Sweden. I discovered gravel roads, and found out how much fun it is to ride on not-very-well-paved roads. I started dreaming about riding off-road, and because I like to travel a lot too, my ultimate dream-bike was the BMW R1100GS.
So the next motorcycle in my motorcycle history was the
Bumble Bee.
To the VX800...
Bird watching, traveling and riding a motorcycle is easy to combine. Here, you find the pages about birds.
To Birds...
Ernst is always trying to photograph birds that we see while traveling. Of course, it's often very hard to get a good picture, but sometimes, he catches some. Seeing birds that belong to a certain landscape adds to your experience of the landscape. Clicking on the link next to a picture will take you to the page (a travel story or part of a travel story) where you can see the photograph in context. Enjoy!
To Bird photographs...
Of course, I like all birds, but some somehow stand out. It's very hard to explain why I like birds. Here, I try to explain something about my love for these creatures.
To Favourite birds...
Some background information: Who am I and who is Ernst? Why do I love traveling and motorcycle riding? And why do I use Google adsense on the site?
Contact: email: sylviastuurman@gmail.com.
To About the site...
How does http://www.sylviastuurman.eu work? What's the structure of the site, how do the links work, an how do you reach one place from another?.
To Navgation...
Information about the use of and the copyright of the photographs on http://www.sylviastuurman.nl and about the copyright on the text..
To Copyright...
Here you find links to travel related sites: general travel sites, travel stories that I like, travel organisations, and camping or hotels that specialise in motorcycle riders.
To Travel Links...
Here, you find motorcycle riding links: great roads, riding techniques, and riding courses.
To Riding Links...
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