If the starting conditions are bad, it can only get better

Everything is prepared for the three-month journey in Iran. The exception permit for entry with the BMW, which was promised and rejected several times after weeks of tough negotiations, has not yet been issued. But finally, it is almost as good as promised.

In a hurry, I book the ferry from Italy to Greece a few hours before departure. After all, I have an appointment with other BMW riders at the Iranian border. Because as individuals, I am not allowed to travel to Iran by motorcycle, especially as a woman. I will be considered part of a group and allowed to pass the border.

ENGINE ON - HERE WE GO!

But the BMW's engine sounds terrible! Why? What to do? The ferry from Ancona to Igoumenitsa is booked, and repairs can only be done in Greece. If I had known back then what this special permit was all about, I would have known that the problem with the motorcycle would not be solved by repairing the carburetors, and I would not have started this journey.

SWIMMING THROUGH AUSTRIA AND ITALY

Two days of continuous rain make the Gore-Tex membranes surrender. Household gloves are purchased at the drugstore and worn over the wet motorcycle gloves. Plastic bags are put into the boots. The flooded meadows and river banks blur behind the visor. Only upon arrival in Greece will the motorcycle gear be able to dry.