Day Thirteen and last....

Dear Readers

As usual we made an early start... the riding to start was very difficult as the visibility was down to about 25 meters in places due to the fog and mist.   We rode from Ault to Boulogne on the coast road and then on the smaller country roads to Calais.   Having travelled through 12 or so border crossings in the last two weeks - if was so noticeable that the only Guards we saw were at the Calais Port when travelling into the UK!!! 

We stopped for a coffee at the Port only to find out that we only 10 minutes before they called us forward to load !! So a quick dash to get my Mem Sahib some perfume and back on the bikes.....

Now back in the UK - remembering that we now need to ride on the left and treat all vehicles with suspicion - none of this polite invitations to pass - and that getting in the way is the norm on the M25 !!   Oh God give everyone patience but I want mine NOW...............

Arrive at Loomies at 1215 for a bacon butty and a coffee.... all done and dusted...  Had a photo and we both departed for home.  Thanks again to Steve for his brilliant company - it was strange not to have you in my rear view mirror for the first time in 13 days...  A gentle spin along the 272 and the A31 and arrived home at about 2.30pm... 


Days Total:  241
Trip Total:  3531

Nite Nite until the next one.....

Day Twelve

Good evening

A cold night at Soissons France but the showers were good. Steve had problems again starting but we had bought a set a jump leads in Luxemburg and were able to get an English chap on the camp to assist with the jump start.

Left about 8am and took the gentle non-motorway route through the lanes and farm lands of Picardy… Stopped for lunch in little town of Conty – sunny and warm for a change.

Continued west to the coast at Ault and decided to do B&B for the last night. Found a simple place just South of Ault and will be having a celebratory meal this evening before heading for the Chunnel in the morning. It is now sunny and 5pm and we have had a couple of beers and Steve in sat outside in the sunshine reading his book. I will be finishing off the Blog and moving the photos about ready for up loading to Photo Bucket etc.

All in all a good trip – Steve was brilliant company and has performed wonders “in the kitchen”… and has put up with the dis-agreements that I have had with Gertie Garmin !! I am sure Brian would have enjoyed the rest of the trip once he had got used to the wet and the cold!! And of course David Charlton would have loved the trip too.. note to self – no exercise in the snow !!

The Kit:
Best bit of kit must be the Garmin SatNav and the Petrol Stove. Problem kit was Steve’s bike’s battery and my heated grips that failed when most need !! Item to add to the list for the next trip was Tracksuit to sleep in. Although the Reef Shoes were very good – they have started to fall apart – so some thought into non-riding footwear.

The Route.
Over the route was good – although I must get away from Motorways more and doing “too many miles” in the day and Chill more…. But in my defence the days that we did most miles were the days that it just did not stop raining and to sit for longer in a wet tent was a poor choice... 

The Bikes

Apart from the starting problems of Steve's Tiger both bike performed brilliantly - even my 12 year old Africa Twin did not skip a beat... although the sheepskin did get soaked !!

Nite Nite to those that have been following the trip until the next one – although I will write the last entry we I get home tomorrow!

Although I have the HU Event at Ripley to come… I will have to think about next year!!! Somewhere warm and dry I think!!! SOUTH….

Days total: 135

Trip Total: 3290

Day Eleven

Good Evening

Despite some early sunshine this morning in Vianden Luxemburg, by the time we were ready to roll at 8am it had started to rain yet again. And then Steve’s bike would not start.. so the owner of the site turned out with his sit-on lawnmower and some jump leads and got it started. Yet another cold ride until about noon then the sun came out.

I gentle 145 miles today from Vianden to Soissons via Boillion and Sedan – but managed to convince Gertie Garmin to only use the country lanes. The photos is of Nigel having a meaningful discussion with Girtie Garmin - on the lines of "Where the F*** are you taking me " !!!

A pleasant ride over and arrived at the Municipal Campsite in Soissons at 5pm... Tomorrow we are planning to ride west to the coast and then camp with stiking distance of the Channel Tunnel and arrive in the UK on Thursday – ride over to Loomies and have a well deserved Coffee.

Trip Total now 3155…. And the bikes looking forward to a good clean

Day Ten

Good evening – not such an early start today – we are well ahead of schedule and so got up late – dried the clothes in the sun shine – honest real sun shine!! By the time we had breakfast it was 11am and away to Luxemburg. We tried to travel on minor roads today but Gertie was a bit upset by this!! But we still managed to do a lot of smaller roads.

Arrive at 6pm in the rain – again… so wet we had to cook in the tent… Tasted good nevertheless… although I did manage to knock over chilli con carne but scooped it up – delicious.

Met up with two Goldwing riders who were on their way home – some 3 weeks early!! and the weather had been so crap in Europe. Ah well --- We are now sat in the Café Du Pont in Vianden Luxembourg using their Wi-Fi and planning the route for tomorrow – As we a few days in hand we are going to Bouillion and Sedan and then turn to Reims and overnight there. Then on Wednesday well will head for Rouen and Dieppe for another night and then head for Calais on Thursday. We will therefore catch the Chunnel on Thursday and be home in the afternoon after a final coffee Loomies – as that was where we started from…. Aaaahhhhhhh wait a minute -  another large beer has arrived…. Got to go

Nite Nite

PS only 242 miles today and we will pass the 3,000 miles tomorrow before breakfast!!!

Day Nine

It was a good evening – we met up with an English couple – Richard and Nikki and had a few beers – and then steered a wobbly course for the Chicken Shack… very warm and cosy. We both woke each other up with the snoring and got up early, packed the bikes and were out of the camp 6am and rode into Prague for a look around and find a hot coffee and a bite to eat. It was needed as the ride to follow was very very cold and damp.

We then motored off towards Dresden and Leipzig to visit the Colditz Castle – Gertie did her usually thing and showed us some very interesting villages en route !!! The are so many major roads works over in this part of the world !!

Arrived Colditz and had a long walk around and visited the Castle Museum. Back on the road we then road towards Leipzig then turning south towards Muchen… We arrived at the Junction of the A4 and A7 and met with a 20 miles slow moving traffic jam – we filtered for about 15 miles until it just go too narrow. Engines were getting hot so we pulled off the road and asked Gertie to find us a campsite (thank God I had loaded version 2010).. Site located within 5km.. Loverly site with great showers/washing machine and TUMBLE DRYER Yippee….

Off to the showers…. Nite Nite

PS we did 345 miles today and the trip total is now 2730 !!!! short riding day tomorrow.

Day Eight

Good Evening

We left the camp site at Nysa very early - even the reception was not open so we did a runner !!

Within an hour we were crossing into the Czech Republic - if fact we did it twice - as we had passed
through the border and forgot to change money from Polish Zloty - so we rode back into Poland - change our money and then rode into the Czech Republic again...

Then I entered the next destination into Gertie and off we went - hoping to visit the Church of Bones at Hutna Gora - but Gertie locked onto Kutna Hora 50 miles outside Prague !!! so we did not get to visit there either !!

Arrived in Prague in good time and found the camp site at the top of the hill - very pleasant - it worked

worked out that it was cheaper to stay in a "wooden tent" or what looks like a chicken shed than to pitch two small tents.. and they have heating and lights !!!

Showers were very good and hot.

Met an english couple as we arrived and also a Dutch couple who were good enough to make up a coffee and we sat in their warm caravan to drink it... They are travelling Europe for 7 weeks...

All sorted and the washing on the line trying to dry out from yesterdays drenching.. we are now sat in the
bar at 5.30pm and deciding where to go tomorrow - we are close the Dresden so will take a run up to see Colditz if we can.  Then swing down to Bitburg and on the Luxemberg etc...

We have now done 2335 miles and getting used to the riding... some of the roads are boring but there you go..  if you need to do the places - you have to do the miles... surprisingly I have not used to music very much -   just chillin' in the saddle.... the main problems have been the rain and the cold.... and the poor quality of some of the roads..., the big trucks have put big ruts in the road and it tends to take to front wheel... in some places the ruts of over  6 inch deep... they main solution is the skim the ridges to level the road - this is also a problem for the bike !!! an interesting ride !!!

Must go now - second beer on the way !!!

Nite Nite

Day Seven

Left Warsaw at sparrows fart this morning - made very good time. But once the fog had lifted it started to rain and it just got harder and harder..  Arrived at Auchwitz II and toured the main camp in the rain - so very depressing.. but a trip that I had to make - having spent 2 years in Poland but was unable to get to visit - I was determined that one day I would.    

And still it rained and rained just adding to the sheer sadness that is in everything there....

Took a ride over to Aushwitz I - and found hundreds and hundreds of coach parties - a commercial shambles - was not prepared to queue up to join a tour nor wait until 3pm to go in on ones own.

Rode off to the camp site 30km before the Czech Border - still pouring with rain and so very cold - temperature down to about 7c.   Arrived at a camp site at about 6pm in the pouring rain. Site still closed for the winter - rode to another and no staff ! - so we rode in and pitched camp next to the shower block.

We cooked Chicken "Coq-o-van" and the rain has just started again.

Lots of wet clothing with no chance to drying them. I wonder what the Czech for Tumble dryer is !!!Tomorrow is a shortish ride to Prague via the Church of Bones at Hutna Gora.

Total miles today was 271 - total for the trip is 2219 !!!!

Nite Nite

Day Six

Early start - had time to pack the bikes before breakfast... hit the road at 7.30am which is actually 7.30 Polish time so by the time we got the the border it was still on 8am

The border was again completely deserted - and the only soul around was the guy in the Exchange Kiosk.. So different from the border crossings I remember in 1979 !!

We had planned to stop over about 50 miles south of Augustow but we had made such good time that we pressed on to Treblinka.

I had also visited this Extermination Camp in 1979 - the feeling was still the same - disbelief that any man could be so inhuman to another man Very moving place... Google it and read for youself

They have made some great improvements to the site and I would recommend a visit if you are passing this way.

Left there and headed for Warsaw - and arrived at Camping 123 site at 5.30pm. Cooked a wonderful meal and got some beers from the local tennis club !!

Site is of poor quality and very expensive (being over twice as much as we paid on Leba - but that's Cities for you)
Lots of mosquitos to keep us busy - I am trying to type this with gloves on...

Now to enjoy a glass / Mug of Zywiec beer....

Day Five

Good evening


It is 5.30pm and we are in Vilnius, Lithuania.... as far East as we are going...

We left Augustow at 8am and had a very pleasant ride through some beautiful, rolling countryside. and forests.

Lots to see and even a few Kodak stops on the way. Arrived in Vilnius at about 1.30pm (it was 23c here) we eventually found the B & B - with a very charming owner. Had a very welcome shower - and I decided that asI had reach my goal of getting here - I would shaved off the beard..

We went for a stroll around the Old Town and had a very pleasant lunch and watched Vilnius promanarding..

Now we are about to meet up with Milda a work colleage of mine from the UK who lives and works here -

she is part of the Universal Telephone / 5G group. I have been working with her for 5 years over the telephone and now I get to meet her and her boyfriend. What a great day..

Now back at the room - had a great evening being shown around Vilnius by Milda and Martin -had a meal and a few beers.

Made in back to the room by 10pm and fell straight to sleep but woke at 5am.  Then tomorrow we are riding  back to Poland and then heading for Warsaw.

Nite Nite..

Day Four

Good Morning

The morning broke and we were up and away from Stallag 41 - had a good breakfast (note Compo Omellete now off the list !!) decamped and on the road for 8am..  Took a trip to find the beach.....

After a couple on attempts we rolled up on to a perfect spot... Kodak moment over and off to Sopot and Gdansk...   after a tour of the towns and a visit to the Grand Hotel that I had stayed at in 1979 !!! Now an extemely posh hotel... loads of money per night !! we just stopped for a leg break and viewed some to the local views (ask Steve - he will explain that - just say roller blades !!)

Rode out of Gdansk onto some very long roads and lots of lorry traffic which stayed with us all the way to Elk,  Then the traffic lighten up but we experienced some very major road building....   after some 200km we broke free and headed to Augustow...   arriving at about 6pm and unable to locate a camp site - we booked into a B & B / Motel...  We had an evening meal with out having to cook - which was good.  Steve managed to ring home while I sipped a cool beer and caught up on the blog....   Watched Star Wars in Polish and turned in for the night....   A long days ride today because of the roads ... started at 8am and stopped at 6pm - a total of 9 hours in the saddle....  !!!

Tomorrow's destination is Vilnius the captial of Lithuania....    Nite Nite....

Day Three

Good Evening ....

It is now the end of Day 3... Woke up this morning after quite a good nights sleep..  Brian, however, did not sleep well and has decided to return home under his own steam... a combination of our snoring, lack of sleep and  "boring roads" ah well there ya go... God speed Brain - ride carefully..

We are now two.. a valient attempt to get the laundry dry succeeded it getting it half dry before the meter ran out.. We all ate a good "compo" breakfast and then Steveand I hit the road at 9am...

The weather was grey but bright - later it was to get very grey and very wet.... After just a short hours ride we were at the Polish border - and just sailed through - then stopped for a drink in Poland. A couple of fuel stops later we cruised into a very rain soaked Leba seaside resort - but alas it is Monday and they have all gone home or are hiding.   You don't see bikers like this over here - especially without proper footwear - and neither are wearing gloves  !!!

A great hot shower and a wander around we are now preparing the evening meal - with a bottle of rad and white --- then hit the sack....  Tomorrow we ride to Gdansk / Sopot and then South and East to Augustow.... Weather tomorrow unknown.        Nite Nite...

Day Two

After not such a good nights sleep - cold and snoring !! We packed up and nearly started off...


Steve could not get get his bike started and we had to seek help from the camp owner..
Jump leads procured and away we nearly went...

I did managed to ride 300 yards on the wrong side of the road much to the horror of
an oncoming German!! The weather was over cast and light sunshine all day..

365 miles covered today - arrive at the site next to a lake at about 6.33pm....

Wondeful site.. but could not get onto the Wi-Fi... no password and the camp staff gone home !

During the ride Brian too managed a frantic ride on the wrong side of a junction but recovered well !!

The sun is just going down over the site and the mosquitoes are start to look for their lunch..Steve and Brian are starting to look at preparing another meal... Tomorrow it up and break for the border an into Poland then alond the coast to Slupsk..  NiteNite

Day One

An early start and yet another full english breakfast and we were off to the chunnel... Departure time 8.20 and away we went.    35 minutes later we arrived in France and so did the rain... On the road to Antwerpen and two fuel stops to ensure that we have a break.

Other than Nigel having a slight disagreement the Gertie Garmin, which resulted in a brief diversion through Eidehoven, all went to plan and we arrived at the camp site at about 4.30pm. So following a brisk walk to the local Lidl shop - what happened next was amazing... Steve bought fresh vegtables, meat and prepared Beef caserole with carrots and suet dumplings and mash potatoes !!! and a glass or two or Cabernet Sauvignon to wash it down with - So much better that Nigel's promised Army Compo rations (boil in a bag!!!) Well done Steve and Brian

The site a wonderful showers and now we are sitting around a box of biscuits and hot coffee before turning in for the night... whilst Steve and Brian discuss the menu for tomorrow night - it's like travelling with Floyd and Jamie Oliver

It is now 9.30pm    Nite Nite

Day Zero ........

All well - All went well for the first leg - M25 surprisingly clear - arrived at B&B at 6pm - visited downtown Folkstone for fish and chips. Ended up chatting to a Polish Waitress - good chance to refresh speaking minimum Polish !!!! It's 30 years since I was there - more than rusty .....

In bed by 9.15! Breakfast at 7am...... Last of the soft bedding !!!!!! Nite nite

... and we are nearly off...

Tomorrow is the big day - off to Folkestone and then Poland & Beyond...

Will pack the bike tonight and then worry all day about have I got this or that...the route... the weather... the bike... etc etc.    But we will settle down into the pace of it... quick dash across the Netherlands and Germany and then ease up a little but try to keep on a schedule - we have a day or so in hand  - just in case...  It must be so much easier without an end date... just free to travel at your own pace without the worry of having to return by a particular date..... ah well one day..

Sorted out the new tyres - amazing how much tread there is on a new set !!! or how much wasn't there on the old set !!

Much to the disgust of the family the beard is coming along a treat !!

Next blog should be from somewhere "over there"....