Julia on a bike

I had spoken to Jorg several days before my arrival. In addition to the usual contact, it was a question of informing him of the technical problems Larry’s KTM 790 was experiencing, and thus anticipating a potential delay. With an hour to spare, that hour’s time difference that hadn’t been taken into account, we were right on schedule! Darn. Another rookie mistake, but this time shared with my traveling companion. After crossing from Saskatchewan to Manitoba, where fields quickly gave way to rolling hills, we landed at the home of a German-Canadian couple. What a joy to find a fellow European. Jorg is German, originally from the Hamburg region, while Jodi was born in Ontario. Both have been living in Manitoba for a number of years, and like to leave the province several times a year.

Indeed, Jorg and Jodi are both passionate about motorcycling and travel. You don’t have to go home to find out. Outside, facing the driveway, there’s a post on which a number of signs refer to different cities around the world. These are the cities that have marked the couple and those they still wish to visit. Once inside, the decor also takes you around the world. Frames filled with photos of their past expeditions cover the walls, and in their bedroom, a world map faces their bed. Each black pin corresponds to a past trip, when the white ones match journeys to come. “I like to contemplate the map every morning with my coffee, smiles Jorg. It’s like daydreaming, and I know we’ll be going to all these places. » I’ve invited the couple to discover Normandy very soon, and it seems to me that a new pin was added after I left.

Jorg and Jodi are the first Moto Guzzi owners I’ve met. They have a Moto Guzzi California, a perfect bike for taking to the open roads of North America. The Italian brand, part of the Piaggio Group, still has little presence in Canada, and the touring segment is mainly led by Harley Davidson. Both are keen enthusiasts, however, and for my part, I’m thinking back to that Moto Guzzi V7 test ride, whose a-coups and lack of flexibility had put me off the idea of buying.

For their travels in Europe, there was no question of changing, and so, true to the brand, the couple set off to discover Central and Western Europe last year. Their top destination? The Alps, of course. Enough to flatter my latent chauvinism. But between the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, it seems that the choice is difficult to make. A tie, then, for these three countries. Jorg and Jodi have traveled many roads abroad, but they haven’t forgotten Canada and the USA, their close neighbors. Like many motorcyclists, the idea of crossing Canada and doing the big loop, via the Californian coast and then along the eastern states and provinces, is slowly making its way into their plans for the next trip.

But before such a trip, it seems that Larry has succeeded in his mission: to convince them to visit Nova Scotia and the Atlantic provinces. You may come across them, Jorg on the handlebars, Jodi as a passenger, the duo’s official photographer and the only person authorized to put in their place some less-than-attentive motorists.