Off again...

Hi Blog.....        Away from next Friady at the Adventure Film Festival in Appledore near Bideford.... see link over on the right... leave Friday morning and back on Sunday - it's going to be great.....  later...

Then in June it's the HU event at Ripley - also see over to the right.... 4 days --- yippee....  oh how work gets in the way....   I need a job doing this sort of thing all the time..... or travelling....  Nite Nite

...... And there's more and the end

.... Dear readers: For the benefit of new readers and anyone that stumbles across this Blog - This blog was actually created for me....  but if you feel the need to read it please do - you may even become a follower - fill your boots as they say,,,,,   I normally never go back and edit my blogs - on the understanding that it was what thought or felt on the day !!!! Due to the problems with internet connectivity on the last trip, and problems with the spell checker (yes I have already had complaints! - tarts) - I will, over the next week or so be reviewing the blogs and adding the essential photographs ...... And possibly a link to all the photographs from this mini trip .......

Nigel

I am in the tunnel under the English Channel ..........

PS for a better view of the Photographs in this blog - just double click them for the Hi Res version....

Nigel and the Max Reisch's 1933 bike that he (Max not me) rode to India in 1933
Many thanks to Peter Reisch for the visit and your hospitality

19th May on my way home....

Woke at 7am and the weather was dull and overcast.... so decided to pack up the toys and take a slowish ride to the Chunnel.... Hit a small patch of rain in the Somme (the Men of Mud would have approved).

Found a McDonalds for lunch and a final go at getting the Wifi on the Blackberry to work..... One Big Mac and a coffee and lots of "try this" and "try that" and it worked... so off went the back log of Blogs and in poured to many many Emails that I have been pleased not to receive....

Pleased as punch that they had gone it was back on the bike and away... the weather still over cast but getting brighter as I got nearer the coast...

.. and now I am here at the Chunnel having got the Chanel 5 perfune for my wife for putting up with me and... another coffee to keep me going - I deliberately picked a later train so that I could have a break they must have heard me as they cancelled it and there will be a 1 hour delay.....

The sun is warm and we are now set fair for the final leg.... except for the Stelvio Pass I had achieved all that I wanted to do... if I had known I was going to make such good time of the second half I could have ventured further into Croatia but not a problem... I am happy with the trip... and the new bile ran well - it would have been good to do it on Mugabe ... I am sure it would have done the job...  Still not convinced that the BMW R1200GS is the bike for me.....
The thing about sitting for hours on a bike is that you get a lot of time to think... and I have.... some questions that are always on the table are:

• Is it better to travel solo or as two bikes, three or four.....?     AV voting would go Two, Three, Four and One
• The problem is that time is always a factor; stopping and visiting towns and stuff, would be good but that all takes time.
• I did take more photos this time...   and they can be all be found at
•  http://nigel-grace1.magix.net/album under My Albums - 2011 Slovenia...
  another question is about the kit:   was the tent right or too big....   probable too big !!
• what stuff did I take that I didn't use...  half my clothes....
• what didn't I take that I should have....  a working laptop !!!
• did it all work - the laptop Wifi for example...

All of these questions will have to be answered after a long hot soak a bath and a bit of a ponder........

As for the riding- well, other than too long in the seat... it was good... and I suppose that the IAM Training has a lot to do with it... The French and Italians are looney drivers but they all drive like that and after a while they are predictable..... and allowances can be made - more to follow got to catch a train......... and there are three drunk Brits by the bike...........................  Welcome back Nigel...

The ride from Folkestone to home was horrid - the British roads are so full - too fast - and the car drivers, well frankly they are aweful...  two weeks away from this lots has been a blessing....
 

Days total was 345 and the fial trip total was 3326...

Wednesday 18th May

Had a sensible start at 9am this morning and the weather was sunny and dry.... made my was through the miles and miles of vineyards in this region. And over yet more hills the last I believe...Had a pleasant ride through the small villages and on to St Die and also managed to circumnavigate Nancy - not an easy job (bit of an office joke there)...

After having lunch at a road side picnic area it was onwards to Verdun the problem was that no matter what I did Gertie would navigate into Reims.... and bugger me we ended up going through the middle of the City at 4.30pm...... Last time I was there I was trying to get a puncture repaired some 6 years ago...

I finally got to visit the French Memorial at Verdun and it's very big - it commemorate some 15,000 French troops lost to the battles of 1914-18....

Left Verdun and then an motored into Reims (bugger)  after that the roads were so clear and empty I just rode on and on and on...... Thought I would try for Soissons but the miles were clicking up and my arse was now in such pain..... Time to stop I think although I had promised myself a stop at a camp site near Verdun....

I did stop at a McDonalds in Verdun and trying to connect to their free Wifi with the Blackberry but alas the same thing  finds the network says it's connected but nothing..... nice burger though...

Rode on until Laon and the Municiple Camp Site - they are uch good value...

I am now going to cook something and have a coffee then.... Shit Shower and Shave ready for bed....

Miles today a shameful 302 and the total is now 2891...

I will now have a look at the map whilst cooking and see if I can make the chunnel tomorrow I could do with a soft bed....... !!!!!!

17th May In the Alsace....

Will have to type fast as I have fading light and battery. What bloody long day and it's all my own fault... In future I will have to stop riding solo as I never listen to the good advice I can give and I always ride on instead on stopping... and today was no exception.... I left the site at 9am over three steep passes in order to get to the long on the Stelvio.... and bugger it was closed what a sod...

What to do will ride over a few more even more difficult.... most of the little3 passes are more difficult because they are steeper and twistier... The Stelvio is just more open and picturesque.... Then I found myself crossing into Switzerland and, by way of a Welcome they asked for 12 euro to go through the first tunnel - as if you had a choice............. up and up and colder and colder and it started to rain very cold rain... stopped to put on thermals and a fleece to ride over the top on Mount Toblorone.... Then stopped for lunch of pizza and coffee..... Swiss style...

Then back over the mountains for more twisties... and shit this one was a bugger... very tight turns and very steep..... I was still cold so I hoped onto the Motorway to avoid Zurich and Basal ( and for Chris in the office I saw Federa coming out of a mucky book-shop at a motorway service area)

Having decided not to listen to my advice and slow down and stop I continued on through the home-time traffic and finally gave up at 7am near Colmar in France.... Tried to find the local Municipal Campsite bugger all so I gave up and called in at a B&B Motel with free WiFi... got to the front of the queue and S*** all full up....  probably the Dutch again..

Back on the bike and asked Gertie to another campsite and she found this one in Kayselsberg very nice a quiet and yes you guest it full of the Dutch I can't help but wonder who is looking after the Netherlands at this time.............     Well it's nearly 9pm and the light is fading fast time to hit the sack.... can't even be bothered to cook tonight......

I am only a few miles short of what was to be the stop at St Die so I am two days ahead of myself....
Miles today 293 Total trip 2679...... nite nite

Note the socket and cable inside the top-box from the socket on the bike -   used to charge up the laptop etc works a treat so will run it again tomorrow....

15th May Trento Italy

Hi each.... I was awoken at 6am this morning with the sound on rain against the tent and an it was Hissing it down... quick dash for the early morning ablutions and back into the sleeping bag... by 8pm it was obvious that this rain was set for the day.... pack up as much as I could from inside the tent and donned the riding gear and the wet weather gear... packed up a soaking wet tent and muddy by the end..... and hit the road at 9.30 note: a brilliant camp site and the facilities were top grade......

Rode for about 2 hours and it was still raining very hard... had to stop and don the heated waistcoat as the temperature was getting low.... the waterproof gloves arn't and my hands were wet and cold... decided that as the rain was so hard and the visibility so low that it was a waste of time going the planned route over the passes... so hit the motorway and froze my tits off from Udine to Venezia and Padova and came off at Vicenza and headed up the A31...... At the end of the A31 then we had fun.... I put the Autostrada ticket in the machine and nothing... the lady in the control room kept shouting instructions in italian and still nothing..... soon a dipstick arrived to explain that I need to put the ticket in the machine...

I tried to explain that I had..... he opened the machine and said I had not.... and started to rant and rave a little... then off he went... came back and asked where did I join the Autostrada... and so I told him and he asked again where was the ticket... in the f***ing machine was the polite english reply.... He open the machine again.... nothing... I was now asked to park up and pay over 56 euros. Bollox to that said I.... So I dismounted and returned to the pay booth..... Then as luck would have it a very attractive young mum arrived with kids and she spoke a little english... and she then translated for me....

We all returned to the scene of the crime and opened the machine yet again... nothing he said..... wait said I... just like Nigel with one of his photocopiers at work... the ticket is in here somewhere.... ----  I and stuck my head into the back of the machine and Hey Presto (that sort of Itelian) there was the bloody ticket; a little wet and crumpled in the in-feed of the machine.... arrrrrrhhh they all said... and after much back slapping and thanks-you's to the young lady - I was invited to I pay my 10 euros and I was on my way.... (20 mins wasted with Mr and Mrs Jobs-worth) the weather had brightened up a little so up and over the mountain pass it was... and then ended up in Trento and not the planned site.....

On the way I had promised myself an overnight stop in a Motel and a soft bed and hot bath and big meal..... I arrived in Trento and thought better of it what a whimp I thought; one night of rain and all things change..... no you don't.... I asked Gertie to find a campsite for the night and ended up at the Camp de Lido with a fabulous view over a lake and the mountains in the background .....  excellent choice..

Tent now up and drying all the kit out and drying and a wonderful hot shower.... and now sitting in the bar writing this blog entry with the assistance of a 2nd beer..... and the view is excellent mountains all around and the sun going down over then..... and a large bird of prey circling over head. Going to pop across the road for a pizza now..... Tomorrow is the visit the th Max Reich motorcycle ... in Belzano...  then on to the last camp site in Italy... then the Stelvio Pass and Switzerland..... possible......

Today's mileage was about 270 and the total is about 2300...... but now heading home... Well west anyhow

16th May the Tyrol Mountains....

Follow an excellent beer and a big pizza I slept right through until 8am - mind you I had to get up in the night and don more clothes get cold up in these mountains... I hit the road towards Bolzano to meet up with Peter the son of Max Reisch... most will not have heard of him but I suppose he is the father of Motorcycle Adventurers having ridden across the Sahara in 1932 and from Austria to India in 1933 (with a pillion) on a 250cc Puch (pictures to follow)... and many other exploits on motorcycles and cars...


I meet Peter at this private museum a 1pm and was shown around the motorcycles and other vehicles.... and the highlight was that I was allowed to sit on the actual bike that Max used to ride to India: (the Book is one of the other ones translated into English - India The Shimmering Dream ) and it is available from Amazon... I was allows to take photos and Peter took some of me on the bike... We sat and chatted about his father and his Grandfather too he was great biker too..

Peter now has his very Vineyard and a fabulous view from his house over the mountains and the town of Bolzano. I said my thank you's and hit the road again for the second set of twisty passes that went on and on for hours.... imagine zig-zag hill in Dorset but over and over again for about 3 hours and you will be getting close. I managed to stop of few times and get photos.



I arrived that this site at about 4.30pm and whilst it is very pretty it does have a raging torrent running through it... I can hardly hear my self think here it will be a beer and earplugs tonight.

Tomorrow we (bike and I) head for the Stelvio Pass and then Chur which is apparently pronounced Kwa.... The blackberry is still able to pick up WiFi from across the river at reception so I should be able to update soon....  turned out that the Camp WiFi system was not working well but would be fixed by 10am tonorrow..



Todays total is a time consuming 109 and the Trip total is 2382

Day ?? What ever.... watch says Friday 13th

Had a good nights kip and started early leaving Venice at about 7.30.... and made good progress towards Trieste on the small roads... Gertie had a touch of heat stroke near Trieste and put us back on the road to Udine (auto route at that)... bugger... got th next junction and came off and confused all the staff at the toll booth because we got into the wrong lane !!! I think she said she would open the barrier and I was to come to the cash desk.... off like a rabbit we were....


 Got within 10 miles of the next camp site and it was still only 11am... so an executive decision was made to ride to the next site in Croatia. We crossed into Slovenia and just transited through into Croatia - instant change of scenery from the drab Southern Italian landscape to the very green and extremely scenic Slovenia and Croatia.... by the way the Croatian border police/customs hardly looked up from his playboy magazine to wave me through.....

Then after climbing the hills we could see the coast line absolutely fantastic and we continued to ride down the coastline.... had a water break at Crikvenica by the boats and was welcomed by a Brit and silly shorts and pressed shirt leaning on his Jaguar XK convertible.... and after the normal good afternoon how are you etc.. he proceeded to tell me about how many houses he has in Croatia and various other places...blah blah.....what an arse.... so we moved swiftly on to Senj heading left into the hills again and up and up and up.... twisty roads here have the sign Serpentine..... well "no shit Sherlock" comes to mind and we finally arrive at 5pm at Camp Slapic just north of Generalski Stol......(bugger that's 9 hours riding again this has to stop). and guess what; the site is full of Dutch again... better dressed but there are hundreds of them.... all in big trailer vans and caravans with Statalite Dishes and all..... nothing like getting away from it.....

Now that I am again a day ahead we will have to decide how to use that I think I will wait and see what Bled is like first....

Note to self -when you hide the money (Croatian thingie and Swiss whatevers) try to remember where it was you hide them .. still can't find it.... now off to cook something... maybe


Miles today was 295 and the total is 1863 miles.....
PS found the money next day....

14th May Sunday I think..

Another early start and on the road by 7.30 and straight away into the hills.... bend after bend after bend.... dropped down into a the town of Somewhereski.... and low and behold a Lidl store.... lunch was now sorted... Yoghurt and fruit...

More very pleasant roads and more hills up and down.... not too much traffic either. Very few places to stop and take photos shame.....


Arrived at Bled at about 1pm (yes short day).... found the site and before I had unpacked a British couple had offered me a beer excellent..... yes you guessed it; the place is full of Dutch and Germans.....

I still can't get this machine to connect to the internet... even though there is Wifi So I might have to change it up and transfer the blogs to the Blackberry which is connecting... I have reloaded the Realtek Wireless adapter but it still will not run I am sure Richard in the office could fix it with minutes but....

I am now off to take photos of the lake..... chat later.....

Now sitting by the lake typing this.. try to get them over to the Blackberry to send...

Supper tonight will be Pasta, Mushroom sauce and two bottles of Bacardi Breezer.....

Nite Nite

...Somewhere just South of Venice..

Managed to get a early 8.30 start today once I had found the lost bike keys.... I try to wear them around my neck but can't remember to... Made good time on this leg as it was meant to be a long ride.... so I took 10 euros worth of Auto Strada to get my well away from Milan and the morning traffic. Then took a route south to Alessandria, then left to Piacenza, Cremona and Mantova, and then onto the smaller roads. The scenery in this part of Italy is just not as good at that in France (sorry Italians but someone had to tell you).. and there driving is crap too. I am not sure that they understand that mirrors are for seeing behind you and not showing you how cool you look whilst driving...

I meet a Swiss couple at the last camp site and they were pedal cycling from Switzerland to Rome and off-roading to boot... bugger that they hope to get there for June !! Hand a nice beer at the reception and watched the sun go down as I hopped onto their Internet connection the wireless on this net book has gone so I will need to re-instal the driver or recover the system from the last restore point. Will need to have a mains connection for that....

Back to today ride started off slightly overcast (had some rain over night) but the further I got east the hotter it got... The camel-back ran out and I was gasping for a drink saved by a Lidl store with a very nice English speaking assistant.... drank 1 litre and filled up the camel-back.... off again the roads here are either featureless or they look like you driving through an industrial estate... on and on..... arrived at the campsite just south of Venice.... you can actually see the new Venice Barrier being built in the distance.. My pitch is right next to the gate to the beach... alas a little way from the WC's so a quick morning dash will be required..... (I know too much information).. They have some extremely posh Toilets and Showers here it's even got a large flower bed in the middle...


The site well if you ever wondered where all the old Dutch and Germans go to get very brown and wrinkly well it here.... the place if full on them or wandering around in ill fitting kit or very small budgie smugglers (speedos)...... some even peddling around on upright bikes at low low speeds.... have not see and children here yet... maybe they are banned !!!!

I will have to wait for the sun to go down a bit before cooking some pasta.... and turning in for the night just thinking of the joys of packing it all back onto the bike again in the morning and riding to the next site near Triste....

Nite nite

Wednesday 11th May.... Somewhere in Italy

Good morning – had a good start from Roybon this morning – it has it's own fuel stop and shop – so all fuelled up and a picnic purchased; it was off...

The weather was good and all was well until Grenoble – I missed the ring road and battled through the middle of town... Once away from centre of town the views were great and the mountains got higher.. and up and up we climbed... will above the snow line... and up and up again.... all the way the Briancon – then left towards Torino – well into it actually – we missed the exit again and nearly went into Torino – Gertie was looking for a roundabout but they have changed them into slip roads – bugger.. got to sharpen up on that...  good job I don't have to rely on a paper map... !!!!

Lots of small roads and small villages ( all look like Mafia places to me) and found the site at 4.15... that was 240 miles and that's enough in this heat.. Bloody hot again today – except in the tunnels which were bloody freezing inside... I am not complaining believe me....

Just had a walk by the lake and the obligatory Ice Cream – now I am trying to decide what to cook for supper …..  but still too hot..... May just go for a beer and think about it.... and see if they have Wi-Fi... now one speaks English so this should be fun...

Looking at the route for tomorrow and it's going to be a tough one.... may have to jump on a motorway and make up some time..... Next stop is Chioggia just south of Venezia (Venice)

Today run was 240 miles and the Trip total is 1301....

..What a long day ...Tuesday Southern France

I had the tent and bile all packed by 7.30 – just had to wait for Reception to open at 9 to pay the bill.. Rode out on some fabulous road – lots great scenery and flowing bends.. then some very small roads over the very big hills – I thing we got to just over 1200m. Te weather was excellent and hot but it did get a bit chilly on top of the hills..

Did a lot of traversing over the hills on narrow roads and through forests... when I finally got back down and checked the map I could see that it was 4pm and the estimate for arrival was now 7.30pm...... bugger I thought – so punch the destination into Gertie and that changed it to 6.50pm So off we when – unfortunately as Gerties had chosen the major routes and it was late afternoon; we his loads of home going traffic and road works in town... one set of road works was not even signposted and me and 15 other cars were trying to do U-turn in a narrow street – the man in the JCB digging up the middle of the road was non-plus about the whole thing....

Having collected my ham roll and drink from a shop I then found a very good spot to sit and chill for 20 mins.... I had a couple of moments today when I nearly dropped the bike either doing U-turns (I blame Gertie) or trying to put the bike on the stand...oh god is it heavy..... once it starts to go there not much to stop it.... full concentration in future I think.

This Campsite at Roybon is very very quiet, Tent now up, supper cooked (well a tin of Big Soup that my mum gave me...just the job. All washed and showered and it's now 9.15 and time for bed.

Tomorrow is only 217 miles but looks like another 8 hour day --- next stop Italy... North of Torino

Today's Total was 352 miles (Should and been 279) and the trip total is 1061...

Day 4 (I think)....

Monday .. Lost track of the days now... Set off at 9am and god was it hot all the way.... just roasting... Now major problems with Gertie just the occasional misunderstanding...

Stopped off to get supplies and then had a very pleasant lunch in the middle of Champagne country..
Rode through some brilliant roads and gorges - even tried the Helmet cam.. will have to see how that come out later....

  

Excellent facilities and showers here and I am the only guest today.... I have the whole place to myself..

Am now sat in the bar at the Moto Camping in the Dordogne.. had a couple of lagers and a cooked meal (so cheap).... BUT can't get connected to the Wi-fi here - bugger again. I have managed to send a couple of Blogs via the Blackberry (it can connect but I can't get the Net book to connect even though it has an excellent signal !!!

I have a long ride tomorrow to near Grenoble.... so will try for an early night again... I have remembered to stop and take pictures where I can.. and managed to keep the speed down today...

I will have to add the photos to the Blog later sorry....

Now 8.45 pm and it's time for a small beer.....

Miles today was 231 and the trip total is 709..

Day 3

Rain Rain and lots of sunshine.


It is now 8pm on Sunday (Day 3).I left Dave and Trish's place in the poring rain and it just got worse as the morning progressed.....lots of very pretty villages and miles and miles of almost empty roads...filled up with fuel a couple of times and thankfully the new Eurocard was working OK. Rode over a fabulous bridge at St Nazaire I stopped to take a picture on the hard-shoulder so it will be interesting to see is that came out OK. A sore arse meant it was time for a stop for a pee and I found a charming little village at Pays la Achard with a little square a big church and a war memorial.

I arrived at a camp site just outside La Rochelle... hardly anyone here but the sun was out and was too hot really so I set up, made coffee and read a chapter or two.... I had to put socks back on to stop my feet being sun burnt and to keep the evening mosquitoes away. The kids were in the pool but appear to have gone now (good) and it is very quiet. Cooked an evening meal and have now washed up and showered ready for bed. Remembered to spray DEET sprayed in the tent just in case. I am sure it will be too hot for the sleeping bag !!! The reception does not open until 9am so it will have to be another late start, but it is an easy run tomorrow to the Dordogne... I will try to slow it down as the miles are going too quickly... will try to potter along at just 70mph tomorrow... I know they have WiFi there... so will post the Blogs...

Miles so far just 478...

Day 3.......

Good morning it is 6.30 on Sunday morning as I sit in a very warm bed in annex of Dave Perry's house is Southern Brittany. But I and getting ahead of myself..... I arrived in France on the boat and an still feeling tired after a lousy nights sleep... I wandered down to the car deck and re packed the kit on the bike and was ready to go as soon as the doors were opened...

I rode off the ship and without any customs at all I was on the road across northern France..... I took a little time before I noticed that I had not changed the clocks to French time .. I rode some very empty roads along the coast and finally stopped at the port of Paimpol for a coffee.. very pleasant view over the boats in the harbour... By the time I got to Guingamp the sky had darkened at the rain looked imminent. So I re-set the Garmin and headed south to Perry Maison (Dave's humour there)....

Arrived in good time... to finally meet up with Dave and Trish I have not seen Dave since 1986 and Trish since 1973 (ish)... too long ago for all of us... and so after much when was that - what year was that and do you remember so and so - like a couple of old sods on a bench we changed and popped into town for a few well place beers (a couple at an old Abby and then a few more in the town square we also took on the locals at table football and I am glad to report that England won again.... we returned to the house and continued to re-live past days until I really had to get to bed... overnight the rain has persisted and it looks like a wet ride down to La Rochelle and the first Camp Site - The time is now 7am and time for a shower and repack...

The bike is handling well considering the stuff I have packed... Must log off now as the rain is coming down quite hard now........ bugger

Miles so far 221
Sent from my BlackBerry wizzything

....at sea at last

.

I arrived at the port with time to spare - only to find out that the boat would be sailing 90 minutes late -such a good start
The good thing was that Rui de Costa and David Charlton turned up to see me off - how wonderful was that...   Parked and secured the bike on the deck - one of the desk-hands managed to knock a step ladder over onto my bike ...idiot…    Meet Ian Mutch from MAG (the Editor of The Road) on the boat – nice chap – I remember him from the HU event at  Ripley and I have read a couple of his books.  I had a bit to eat (ham salad – without the normal Mushroom Soup....  Nite Nite

It’s now 5.30 in the morning and the night passed as expected – an uncomfortable seat and lots of weird drunks dressed in shorts, scarfs and flat caps !!  They look  like a breakaway group from the young farmers or something out of Monty Python…..  Next time I will take a cabin.

I will try not to become another grumpy old man during these blogs ( I have just read the book and some of it has definitely rubbed off on me)…  Now let go a sort of the tribe of roaming french kids that can neither sleep or talk quietly ……..