4-Xtremes – Part 11: Andrea and Mike are on the road again

In April 2019 we met a team of RoadStars journalists on the island of Krk to produce a video recapping our first “4-Xtremes” tour, which was just about to come to an end. Now, just over a year and a half later, we're back on the Croatian island. We’ve pitched camp at a place we know from last time. It’s pleasant being here on the mild Adriatic coast, even though it’s pouring with rain. But this detour wasn’t at all what we'd originally planned.

But here’s the story as it unfolded! When we sent our last report, we were just about to put our Axor through its test with the Swiss traffic authorities. That can be told in a few words: the test went smoothly. Half an hour later our expedition model was officially fit for the road again. The next test is due in two years.

Surprise visit for an important birthday.

You might find it annoying having to interrupt a world trip for a half-hour official inspection. But we didn’t! After all, that brief visit to Switzerland gave us the chance of paying Mike’s mother a surprise visit for her 60th birthday. And of course there were lots of other meetings with friends and family. But hugs were out – the keyword was social distancing. Still, we were able to enjoy the time with our loved ones.

Also, Mike had planned to convert the water filter system for the caravan body. We’d studied the subject thoroughly and we’d chosen a five-stage filter system. When we leave Europe, we almost always take water from rivers or lakes, and we never know if it’s safe to use. The equipment can filter out pesticides, hormones and oil, so it’s a good investment.

But fitting it took longer than we’d expected. Instead of the ten days we’d planned, we stayed in Switzerland for just under two weeks. But work like that is best done where you can borrow machinery from friends and you know where to buy the components. In short: it’s a “home advantage”. The main thing is that everything works before the departure!

Planning only as far as Turkey.

We set off on a Friday: off for part two of our “World Tour”! It should take us – roughly – via Turkey, Iran and the Arabian Peninsula to East Africa. From there we intend to carry on south, right to the Cape of Good Hope. We say “intend” deliberately. In times like these, no one can guarantee us that it will work out like that. That’s why our plan only goes as far as Turkey. 

Our first stop was Venice. A city where in a normal year you can’t get away from all the visitors from all over the world. But 2020 isn’t a normal year. So we were able to park our Axor right in the centre on a mobile home park and explore the city.

Balkans instead of Greece.

So we decided to travel via the Balkans. Because we would have to leave the European Union at times, we might have encountered problems on re-entering the EU. But at that point the decisive factor was that Slovenia, Italy’s neighbour, allowed a transit of up to twelve hours. Plus: if the immigration restrictions in the EU country of Greece should continue for longer, we could also get to Turkey via Serbia and Bulgaria.

Regarding the journey: the drive here to the Croatian island of Krk felt strange. We were almost alone on a tourist route which is normally full. Who knows: maybe we’ll experience that again on our journey. We’ll keep you posted!

Photos: 4-Xtremes, Alexander Tempel
Video: Alexander Tempel