BERLIN, August 2. /TASS/. Philippe Verger, a traveler from the French city of Tours, is on his way to Moscow on a Russian-made Ural motorcycle, continuing his journey Friday morning departing from Berlin, he told TASS.
During his voyage, Verger and his 14-year-old son will go to Poland’s Poznan and Warsaw, Lithuania’s Kaunas and Velikiye Luki (Russia’s Pskov region).
Philippe says his tour is linked with the history of World War II. "It is important to keep the memory of the nations’ fight against Nazism and pass it over to next generations," he noted. "Russia made a decisive contribution to the defeat of Nazism and France pays tribute to its outstanding role in the common struggle."
The traveler, who bought his motorcycle last year for 16,000 euros, said the vehicle is in fine condition. He carries just three bags and a rain shelter.
He expects to arrive in Moscow on August 9 and wants to meet with his friends from the motorcycle club, noting that he is bringing French wine as a present. He plans to spend three days in the Russian capital and then he will return on a different route – Warsaw, Prague, Nurnberg and Strasbourg.
The Frenchman said he has never been to Russia but dreamt about the voyage. Speaking about the purpose of his trip, he said: “Russia is a big country, but there is not so much information about it in France.” The traveler said he wanted to see Russia “with his own eyes.” “Now the trip is going smoothly and no hurdles have occurred,” he said.
Verger’s trip was funded by a number of French sponsors, and a film will be made about the trip. According to the traveler, he plans to transfer the sponsors’ funds to the French association Magie a l'hopital, which provides assistance to gravely ill children.