2026 - June - Motocamp

Good morning from Motocamp Bulgaria,

The ride over from Sibiu was long and hot : 36°.  We finally arrived at the Bridge at Ruse to cross into Bulgaria, then sat in the heat for 30 mins as the bridge was under repair!!  The no passport control!   

Finally through the traffic, and a 2 hour ride to Motocamp.  AND ALL STOP .   Tent pitched, cold shower, more cold drinks and chat with a group of  German and French riders, Gareth and Mark until supper.   Polly asked if we would like a cooked supper - excellent.  So a couple of beers later - and so to bed.  

It’s now 8am and another warm shower and then a tea and Jaffa cakes for breakfast.

https://maps.findmespot.com/s/LLYC/8C

http://www.nigel-grace.blogspot.co.uk/

2026 - June - Motocamp Sibiu

 

Yet another long and hot day but we made it to Motocamp Romania (Sibiu).

Now rested and ready for a walk into the village to find some cooked food.

Tomorrow we head for Motocamp Bulgaria and hope to arrive about mid afternoon.

2026 -June - Debrecen Hungary

We set off early this morning at 7am to try and miss the worse of the heat.  It was only 20°.

The roads were generally much better as we headed to Hungary.  There was a whole 20 kms or so with no traffic and looked like a new road : excellent.

Me and Gertie Garmin f***ed up again and got the right name of the Apartment but in the wrong city…. After a puzzling conversation with the owner we hit the road again : just 60 kms away.   Finally arrived and with the assistance of a passer by I found the apartment. There then followed a strange telephone conversation about how to unlock a box, to get the keys, to open three doors and enter!!!

Once inside… well seeing is believing - I think this type of decor usually gets hired by the hour!!! If you know what I meant. Had to pay extra to get the a/c turned on….

We walked down the road to get my 1st McDonalds of the trip !   Now just two more long days to go : tomorrow we ride into Romania and stay at Motocamp Sibiu and then onto Motocamp Bulgaria by Sunday evening.

Enough is enough - good night

Leopard slipper

2026 - June - Trencin

 

Slept like a log at the Triocamp Prague and then left just after 8:30… I found a better route out of the City rather than riding through the centre…

I have never seen so many trucks stuck on the hard shoulder - literally thousands of them !!!!   

It was a long ride today and so very hot again, it was 36° at the last petrol stop!!! Some of the roads were just so clogged up with traffic - even on the normal roads we ended up stuck behind a slow truck or a tractor hauling hay…

We finally got to Trencin and I put in the wrong location - so we had to retrace our route a little - I wasn’t far off !!! Typical Nigel v Garmin.

Now located in a sort of hotel within a gym complex !!!  With a/c and a proper bed - well two beds pushed together sort off - Mark has insisted on sleeping on the sofa !!!!   Tomorrow is going to be another long ride…. But I have booked us into a Motel near Debrecen - the cost which was cheaper than our last campsite…,  after riding for 6 hours just the thought of putting up a tent - aarrgghhh.

It’s now nearly 8pm and sleep is calling - totally knackered.

2026 - June - Prague

 Good evening from Prague, it’s still hot !!

What a long day: Mark came over to the hotel and we set off at about 8am.   The only way to make the destination in good time was to hit the Motorway just like every truck in Europe !  Line upon line of trucks - I have seen so many.   

We stopped for food and fuel a couple of times, but with the heat (up to 34° at noon) and the motorway it was boring.   Until we reached the outskirts of Prague and the Gertie Garmin threw a hissy fit and took us almost through the centre of the city. Lots of roadworks and lots of traffic as by now it was nearly going home time !!!!   But we made it, very hot, very sweaty and very tired.  We arrived at 4:30pm… what a long day.

Found the campsite and parked up and went for a cold drink before putting up the tents.  I also needed to fix Marks Garmin mount which I managed to break this morning ! Whoops..

Tents up and now it’s time for a beer and supper…. Then a cool shower and an early night.   Mozzy free I hope.   

Mark looking a little tired !!!

Now fixing his electrics. !!

2026 - June - Heidelberg

 After yesterday’s hot ride over to Heidelberg, today is a non-riding day.   I had a great meal and a very nice cold beer in the restaurant.   I was still a bit too hot to get a good nights sleep.

Today started with a very nice breakfast and a longish walk before the temperature got too high.   Then it was a case of sitting in the shade reading a book.

Mark will be joining me here for a meal this evening and we need to chat about the next 5 days riding.   Tomorrow we have a 6 hour ride to a campsite north of Prague.   It’s going to be a hot day that’s for sure.

2026 - June - Heidelberg

 

Good afternoon,

Following a quiet night, I tried to delay my departure but only lasted until 8am.   I had a brilliant ride down from the campsite in Luxembourg, swapping over into Germany.  Lovely quiet roads, quaint villages and lots of campsites.   I stayed on the back roads for over two hours, then jumped on the motorway as the temperature climbed to 33°C

Stopped for fuel and breakfast as the traffic got busier as I approached the outskirts of Mannheim.  Gerty Garmin managed to take me right into the centre of Heidelberg !!!   I had to stop and reset it … Just 18kms adrift.   Back through the town and out to the east of the city…  the hotel is in a peaceful bit of countryside.

Booked in (temp is now 35°)… straight into a cold shower…. Bliss.  Now having to watch as a helicopter has been following the train that Andy Burnham is on…  now filming him in traffic to Westminster - he is not royalty !!!!

2026 - June - Luxembourg

 

Good evening,

Well so far so good.   I manage to get a cooked meal at the Calais camp site although I had not booked well in advance !!!   Managed to get a very cool beer too - now that was good.   Loads of van people with dogs!!   

Actually had a British biker pull into the pitch next to mine - he spoke not a word - but we did manage a nod as he left this morning - well you know what they say about BMW GS riders. !!!

Had a good nights sleep and started packing up at 6am, so I was on the road by 7:15.  Had a quiet ride through the north of France into Belgium and then joined a highway at Lille.  That bit was a bit boring through Belgium but things got better as I approached the Ardennes and Luxembourg.   There were queues at the Luxembourg petrol stations as cars from Belgium come in with Gerry cans for fuel as the cost is cheaper..

Had to make a large detour as the final road to this campsite was closed but I arrived in good time although very hot.   All clothes now lying out in the sun to dry.  One advantage to riding on a Sunday in Europe is that the trucks don’t run.  But the disadvantage is that the campsite restaurants are closed.   Good job I found a Burger King in Bastogne !!!

Tomorrow is a ride into Heidelberg and a couple of nights in a motel before meeting up with Mark who has flown in from the USA to collect a bike and we ride east to Prague.

The river in the photo above is the actual border with Germany !!!  I will keep an eye out for illegals crossing over !!!!

Having said that when lo and behold a bearded gentleman with a clipboard has just appeared….

2026 - June - France

 

Good evening dear reader,

Had a quiet ride to Folkestone and thought I would arrive early so that I could navigate the new “procedure” at passport control!!!  But it’s not working yet at the Tunnel!!!  On top of arriving early there was a 2hours delay…. So instead of leaving at 2:45 we actually left at 4:45pm.   

Finally got to the first camp site at 6pm (French time).

The tent is pitched and now I am awaiting my allocated meal slot!   In the meantime I can attest to the beers being chilled….

Tomorrow is a ride to Luxembourg .   It’s going to be a hot one….

2026 - June - Off to Europe

 Tomorrow I set off to Folkestone to catch the Chunnel to France.  I will overnight in France, then head to Luxembourg on Sunday before meeting up with Mark Bray in Heidelberg Germany before heading further East.  Prague, Hungary, Romania and then Motocamp Bulgaria ( it’s such a cool place).

The route for the return trip is yet to be decided.   I have to be back in the UK by mid July so that I can attend the Armchair Adventure Festival in Plymouth.

Now which boots to wear !?!?!   ATGATT !

2026 - May - Africa Twin back home

Happy days - expensive but happy. I picked up the Africa Twin from the Honda workshop - all sorted with a working alternator. 

 Whilst it was in the workshop, I received management approval to replace the Yamaha Tenere 700 WR …. (which I do regret selling). Without hesitation I popped down to Honda to order a Transalp XL750A in Black. It is now sitting in the garage with the XRV. I have spent today fitting a Garmin Mount and Tracker. 

 I will leave the pannier rack etc for when David visits next week. All this in preparation for my trip to Motocamp Bulgaria in late June. Just got to put the first 600 miles ready for it first service.

2026 - May - XRV750

Whoops -  it’s all gone wrong - the plan was to visit the WW1 sites in Verdun France for a few days.  Riding back from visiting David in Chichester the alternator started to pack up.   Ordered a new alternator and delivered it to Honda Bournemouth…. Alas it turned out to be the wrong one!!!!   I ordered another one with the correct part number and delivered in to Honda this morning!!!  Fingers crossed.   

The plan is to ride to Motocamp Bulgaria at the end June which is about a 4,000 mile round trip - mmmm maybe it’s about time to replace the Yamaha T700 that I sold in order to finance this years travelling - I wish I hadn’t sold it now !!?!

2026 - Apr 4th

 Farewell New Zealand and thank you.

2026 - Tue 31st - ENDEX

Good evening dear reader,

Well here I’m back at the start AirBnB - where did that 11 days go !

Now sitting thinking about the trip and having a quiet cup of tea - all the washing done and outside drying - all the motorcycle gear packed in the bag - just gave the bike a quick hand wash (no hose/water tap to be found).

I forgot to switch on my SPOT tracker for the first leg from Christchurch to Hanmer Springs - hence the gap.

The last ride down from Lake Tekapo was wonder and I took the scenic route from Fairlie to Geraldine - it’s started off in wonderful early morning sunshine then clouded over for the rest of the day.  The roads were very quiet with lots of twists and turns and even a mile stretch off road works with large gravel …. Bugger.

After a cup of tea and a pie at Geraldine I dropped down to the State Highway 1 for the final dash.  Quite a boring road but there you go - the picturesque roads had to end a some point.  The Satnav was a bit crazy as I approached Christchurch and started to send me all over the place.  I certainly won’t be investing in a Garmin XT2.

This is the last picture I took this morning whilst sitting up in bed having an early morning tea.   I suppose this is what I’m meant by a ‘picture window’.

So there you have it - all done ENDEX

If you fancy doing a trip like this contact 

Mike@paradisemotircycletours.co.nz

2026 - Mon 30th

All packed and ready to go this morning and left about 9am to get fuel and it was raining again.

An easy 4.5 hour ride today - the first 2.5 hours of rain didn’t help.  I stopped for breakfast in Palmerston, passing the beaches at Shag Point, then on up the coast - not a lot to see in the grey overcast vista.

Turned off Highway 1 and headed towards Lake Tekapo on Highway 8.  The rain eased as I approached Fairlie and by the time I reached Burkes Pass the sky was blue with perfect white clouds and snow capped mountains in the distance.

After a much needed S,S & S I ventured out to take a few photo while the sun was still shining.   Then back to the “Studio” apartment for a cup of tea and a blog.

I always thought that the last overnight stop would be crap…. But I was so wrong, this place is wonderful.  It’s now 4pm and nearly time to hunt down some food and maybe a beer.   Tomorrow is my last riding day - back to our Air BnB near Christchurch and hand back the bike.  I will try to calculate the mileage when I stop.

The view from my window