Abby and I go shopping - Biker Chick !!!!

NEC Motorcycle Live 2013

 

 

Visited the NEC and met with these two characters........ Mike O'Malley and Sam Manicom - great to meet with you both again

Only purchased a few books but had a good look around... Had a good look at the CCM 450. £8000 ! Or the Triumph XC...... .?

It was a cold ride up and back....

 

Stratford-upon-Avon - Day 2

Good evening Blog..... Another excellent day - Did a lot of wandering around the Stands and Stalls - and met many very interesting people - of course they are far more diverse than usual as it's not just bikes. So many big trucks and converted Land Rovers.... Some of the big trucks are thousands of pounds - enough to finance many RTW trips - there is a ex-military truck up for sale at just £37,000..... And a new MAN truck with luxury body for just £230,000 ...... WTF...... bathroom,under floor heating, iMac, air conditioning, well just about everything you could think of...... Mind you it only does 2 kms to the litre !!!!
I think I will stick to the bike and overpacking !!!



It's now 7pm and too late to cook - so I may just go and get a pint and a bowl of Crocodile curry !!!!! Honest !

Nite nite



nigel.grace@btinternet.com

Stratford-upon-Avon - Adventure Overland show....

Good morning blog,

It's now about 7 in the morning, quite cold, and I am boiling porridge and having a second cup of tea.
Having just read the first chapter of Ted Simon's "Rolling through the Isles".

Sitting in a field in the middle of Stratford racecourse about the size of six football pitches with just two very small tents!! Apparently someone on gate has directed most of the bikes to the main camping area where they are all squashed together with the 4x4 overland trucks...... I had a nice quiet night - these bikers can be a noisy lot.

The facilities are sparse and quite a long way off - not planned for campers really.... Looks like just one shower for many hundreds of campers... Having said that most of these huge truck probably have one inside with the hot tub.

The forecast looks good and should warm up soon. The porridge was excellent as is the tea. Looks like the rest of the site is waking up now.....

Bye for now



nigel.grace@btinternet.com

Saturday - somewhere north of Stafford

Dear Blog

It is now 1130 and it is still cold - thank god for heated grips... Had a pleasant ride into Stafford and visited Stafford Motorcycles... They have 3 Africa Twins and 2 BMW Dakars... I will need to think about this..

Left Stafford and Gertie led me North and I am now somewhere near or heading to Nantwich ? I will re-direct her to Oswestry and then south to Newtown and then Hay-on-Wye....

I am sat in a very nice Tea Rooms somewhere - nice and cosy with Nat King Cole playing in the background... The sun just shone through .... If it starts to rain later I may well ride on through Gloucester and home --- it will be pointless setting up the tent in the rain just to sit and listen to the rain all night...

Chat later

Just to finish this - I did travel down to Tintern and then across the bridge and then home - in one hit - a bit saddle sore by the time I reached home - but a nice relaxing ride home nevertheless...

It turned out that Stafford Motorcycles wer not prepared to offer me a sensible price for my BMW even though they were over the top on their price for the XT750.    So back on the BMW for now and maybe stick with it for a few more years..  I am planning to retire in 2016 and do the big trip that I have always wanted to do ...  it will be 11 years old by then....

Day 2 - Much Wenlock

.... Nice Camp site - still pouring with rain ! I decided that it was too wet and cramped to cook in this tent - so I walked into the village - found a good pub and had a beer and Faggots, Peas, Gravy and chips - excellent. Met a nice chap and we talked about Croatia and Cycling then walked back in the rain.

And so to bed....

Cold this morning but not raining yet --- good showers here and I am now having an early morning cuppa.     Then !!!! Disaster - I went to open the packet of Porridge but opened up the Staffordshire Chicken Balti instead - bugger - so that's breakfast !!!!!

It's still cold and my toes are freezing in these Crocs !!!!!! Now to have a 'hot' breakfast ?

Bye for now

En Route to North

This is my current location.
Having a coffee in the Car park

http://maps.BlackBerry.com?lat=52.31352&scr_z=0&lon=-2.23333&label=A449%2C+Hartlebury%2C+England%2C+United+Kingdom%2C+DY139&address=A449&city=Hartlebury&region=England&country=United+Kingdom&postalCode=DY139&z=0

A weekend in the Rain...

I thought it was about time that I got away from everything again - so I will be packing the bike on Thursday night and travelling up to Staffordshire on Friday morning.  Colin H was going to accompany me this time but his work schedule has got in the way again - a definite case of not yet having the work / life balance sorted yet..

A simple trip up the Staffordshire - possible visit Stafford Motorcycle and look at some examples of Honda XRV 750's and bikes like that.  Then on Saturday traverse over to the Newtown area of Wales and then follow that lovely road down to Hay-on-Wye.   Then travel home on the Sunday via the Honey Cafe, Tintern Abby and Salisbury Plain.... Proper Job !!   Going to try to travel ultra light LOL

At the Adventure Travel Film Festival in Sherborne Dorset

Dear reader, arrived yesterday after work and having located Mick O'Malley and pitched the tent it was time for a quiet beer.

Linked up with Austin and Lois, Sam Manicom, Ian Harper etc we had a BBQ for the Volunteers and another beer then it was time to hit the sack.

Slept OK but was a bit too warm in the new sleeping bag - also Daughter #2 had borrowed the bag for a beach party and left lots of sand in the bag. Also a bottle top from a Vodka bottle which I found - or should I say my backside located it at 2am. Surprise surprise !!!!!




It's now past 7.30am and I cooked Breakfast and had cups of tea at 6am, walked around the field for exercise as my back is none to good. We have a Volunteers meeting at 10.30.....

Right I'm off the test out the Festival toilets - something to do with worms ?!!!!!!!

Well that's that then..

Trip mileage 3285..

Finally arrived home at 3pm after a day's total of 340 miles  - mind you we had a break at the Eurotunnel.  

Home early by about 5 Days - well yes but why not - the plan was to get to Dubrovnik and that's what we did. Next time I think I will travel with another rider  as it will keep me "on plan" - maybe.. now I have time to sort a few things out before Monday.  

The bike was great with no problems - the tyres still have tread but they need to be changed this week. The rest of the kit worked fine and whilst unpacking I could find very little that I had not used. I still need to take less though!  It was noted that 3 of the Travellers I met en route were riding the elderly BMW R80GS - mmmm interesting - I was offered one at the HUBB UK??

Next year I been told that I am flying to Oz to visit friends and "have a proper holiday" with Debs and no motorcycling. .   So planning for Morocco 2015 will start in Jan 2015 ish

We still have the Adventure Travel Film Festival in August and maybe the occasional weekend event this year to look forward to and many more miles of riding...

18th June.....

Trip mileage 3072 to Calais

Dear Reader....
..... I must be getting near home as it rained all night... Early night and therefore early start - I'm not one for navel gazing in the mornings ..... S+S+Shaved, made a brew... Packed up the wet tent for the final time this trip.... Waved goodbye the Jean Claude at the gate and away we go.......

We had planned a very gentle route to the Chunnel of just 172 miles through some very local and empty roads.

Remember the big Overlander I met on day two - well I looked them up on the net - a very interesting guy - www.overlandkiwi.com - I only met his english wife and baby on the site as he was in Turkey on business !!!! Read the site and see why he is one not to be messed with. I must read the rest of the site when I get home.

Well back to the ride - very gentle thriugh the lanes and backwoods all they way - very little traFfic until the motorway leading to Euro port - I booked in and had jusy enough time to get some smellies for Debbie..... And a bun.... Then on the metal rabbit . We have to put the clocks back one hour - so we actually arrive in the UK before we left France - if you see what I mean.....

Just the ride from Folkestone to home now .....

Bye for now

... Still in France

Trip Mileage: 2868
Today: 284
Current location Soissons France

We got an early start (8am) as today was promising to be a hot one - 32 degrees at one point. The roads at the start were great as the climbed more hills through to St Die and Rambersvillers. After that it got very flat and agricultural around Nancy, Toul and up to Verdun and very straight roads for miles and miles ......

Tried to get Gertie to avoid Reims but I think she likes the catheral as, just like 2 years ago we went straight into the center at about 4pm !!!!! Bugger

Finally arrived at about 4.30pm - sorted out the tent etc and had a wonderfully hot shower...... And hung up the riding jacket and trousers as they are smelling very lived in .... Got to dash it has now started to rain .... Got to get the washing in......

Now to sort all this paperwork that I have in various pockets....

.... Goodbye Scharnitz

Trip Mileage 2615 - today 274....
.... We left Scharnitz at about 7.30 - very overcast and cold - roads still very wet from the overnight thunder storm - God when it rains around here - its the works..... A good little campsite - quiet and very clean..... Had a group on KTM 900's getting ready to hit the trails - master and pupils by the looks of it - I don't like the bike myself but it does sound good!!!

Rode back through a much drier Garmish then in and out of Austria and Germany en route to Friedrichshafen which is not to be recommended on a Sunday as the place was over flowing with bikers, cyclists, vintage cars, and walkers (does nobody walk without two ski poles anymore). We them rode along the lakeside and away to Titisee and Freiburg - then finally crossing ze Rhine again and riding up to Colmar and stopping. Too many miles again but better than sitting in the sun somewhere reading and chillin !!!!!!

Tomorrows route is to Verdun via Nancy and promises to be only 200 miles?

Now to sort out a shower and then some dinner......

The view from my Tent: ain't life a bitch

....Scharnitz, Austria

Trip mileage 2336 miles

Dear Reader

The problem with plans are that they are OK if you stick them - but having to re-route to avoid any flooding in Southern Germany - re-route I did, and headed from Camp Slapic in Croatia towards Zagreb and then Ljubljana with the idea of staying over at Camp Bled again! Sounded good but although I had a late start (9am).... (Delayed by a group of British Camper drivers wanting to know about the roads to Dubrovnik) but I arrived at Bled too early to stop - So I rode on to Cortina d'Amprezzo - again too early to stop - off again to the Brenner pass - might as well carry on I though !!!! Ouch was the feeling from my bum - so I finally called it quits here at 6.30pm - somewhere between Innsbruck and Garmish.

Had a great shower and cooked Chicken Balti !

Now time for bed...... Tomorrow we make the run from Austria through Germany into France ( Silent approach is called for I think).......

Today was Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria, Italy, Austria .......

Nite nite

This is my current location.

http://maps.BlackBerry.com?lat=47.38507&scr_z=7&lon=11.26277&label=Feldweg+390%2C+Scharnitz%2C+Austria%2C+6108&address=Feldweg+390&city=Scharnitz&region=Tirol&country=Austria&postalCode=6108&z=7

Friday - day off !!!!!

Hi Dear Reader

So much for taking a day off from riding - left at 7.30 and rode to the top of the hill over looking the Old Town to get some pictures..... Then back into town but there were a couple of ships in and it was busy already and so out on the coast road again going North - it took me 2 leisurely days to ride down - but took one long day to ride back up and then turn off into the hills and to a small campsite at Generalski Stol.... Full of D and NL vehicles as expected.

The riding was fine and the traffic going was lighter.. Lots of speed traps though.... Made good time but my butt is suffering....

Tomorrow I intend to ride to Lienz and then on Sunday back track through Innsbruck either via the Brenner Pass or the Grossglockner and then try for Colmar in France.... I wonder if it still raining on the other side of the Alps? I know this will put home earlier than expected but thing to do .......

Nigel - in the hills near Zagreb .....

.... Another day in the sun....

Trip mileage 1634 miles....

Talk about having wind ..... That was a very unpleasant night - quite hot but laying in the tent while the wind tried the tear it to pieces is not the makings of a restful night - tip: get a geodetic (sic) tent......

Up early this morning and on the road for 7am. A long and hot ride to split and Dubrovnik. Met with a very nice Dutch couple whilst having a break in a layby... The english don't chat or wave..... Had breakfast (yogurt and fruit) then rode on for another 4 hours. Through the border check into Bosnia and then 5km later back into Croatia - it's a mad world....

Another scary moment today - at one point they were repairing the road for a 2 miles stretch.... Up with the tarmac and down with BIG GRAVEL about 3 inches deep and not compacted - shit I thought as I nearly lost the front end on 3 or 4 occasions - standing on the pegs and gunning it was not an option......

The site at Dubrovnik is good and I have found a spot out of the wind - of course it's now too hot!!!!! I popped down the road to the local cafe for coffee and charge up the laptop. Looking to head back up the coast tomorrow on a more inland road.... The coast road in very pretty but mostly 50 and 60kph with lots of no overtaking for Johnny Foreigner - locals apparently can ignore those signs !!!!!

I have done the doby and now just waiting for the sun to go down a little before cooking supper.

Back to the maps - I will to re-route through Italy then into France - mind you it's over a days ride to Trieste from here..... Must visit town get some pictures of the old town from on high........

.. Update ......

Well the wind is now 100 miles an hour but managed to get a satisfactory erection with the aid of a German couple and their kids.... what struggle.... Must be an age thing... Plus I couldn't find the 6 inch nail type tent pegs - bugger. More bent pegs....

Have had to move to the shelter of the bar to check the mapping!!!!

A strange place is the continental campsite - on arrival it's men sitting around drinking beer and woman dashing about with pots and pans.... Then later it's the men are dashing about with boxes from their chemical toilets and the woman sweeping and tidying.... Now it later and there are couples ambling about in matching dressing gowns back and forwards to the showers.......

Nite nite

Waiting for this wind to drop (no chance) - it's going to be a rough night..... Tomorrow is Dubrovnik which is only 4 hours drive away....... Then ??????? Who knows.... Might even stop for a day - washing etc

.... Day ??? Whatever.....

An excellent day riding in the heat - it got up to 32 degrees. Fought my way onto the coast despite Gertie deciding otherwise..... I took quite a few breaks on the way down as the views were so stunning. The traffic was very light and no trouble at all.




 

I pitched up at the camp site and have a spot just 3m from the beach - which sounds and looks ideallic if it weren' for the 30 mph winds coming off the sea, and the rock hard ground ( lots of bent pegs). I am not even going to try to put up the tent yet !!!!!

Pretty spot though.......

Breakfat with a view

.11th June Tuesday.. Yes I'm sure it is.

 

No rain over night in Bled, so that was a plus… I actually overslept and climbed out of bed at 7am..   But still managed to be on the road by 8.20…  I had changed the route overnight and decided not to ride around the Pula Peninsular but I would backtrack at little to Kranjska Gora and then take the 206 over the Mountain to Tolmin and what a road well over 50 hairpin bends and many very steep turns.  I met with some Dutch bikers at the top and exchanged cameras to get photo of each other.   What a view from the top – fabulous and above the snow line.  Then it was a pleasant run through the more wonderful country side to the border crossing into Croatia…  

 

After that the roads got even poorer on the leg down to the campsite at Medveja….  We ended up on a very local road, very steep 18%, with road works and a man telling me that I had to turn around and go back up the hill .   I nearly dropped it when the front wheel locked on the gravel and again trying to do a 3 point turn on a hill…. so very close to dropping it.  Found the campsite about 4pm.  It’s a bit shabby but nearly dry.   I met with a lovely couple from Canada and they invited me over for supper…  excellent… and then a stroll along the beach and an ice cream for desert.   They are riding a Honda Goldwing with trailer and are travelling for about 3 months.   I forgot to get their email address - but they got mind - I hope they will let me know how they are getting on... 

 

The plan tomorrow is to ride down the cost to Nin just outside Zadar….Still have to decide if I want to visit Bosnia ?  

 

....Nite Nite

... And lastly Slovenia

Evening reader

We ( that's is Bike, Gertie and I) started with a typical German breakfast at 7.30... and it was still raining - loaded the bike and set off at 8am and passed 3 campsites all under water !!!! Bugger this - head for the hills.... well mountains actually. It wasn't very long before we were on the Brenner Pass and into Italy - well today we have done Germany, Italy, Austria, Italy, Austria, Italy and lastly Slovenia. All before my office had got to lunchtime !!! Good job they are open borders or it would take forever....

The scenery has been fantastic and the roads good - very twistie on the B111 over the mountains - more twists that a Corrie plot !!!! The last 20kms was through the forest on gravel - the type of roads that knobblies were made for - alas I have road tyres at are about 2000 miles from their demise - I hope.

I am now beside Lake Bled and the tent and kit is drying out nicely - I treated myself to a mushroom omelet and a local beer - excellent ( that's one for you David - skoll). Now sitting beside the lake watching the rowers and the promanarders and listening to live guitar music ..... It is 6.30 local time

Tomorrow is the ride to Croatia and hopefully warmer weather - it has been as elusive as my cold weather allowance - every time I get near it - it moves further ahead!!! If it does turn out nice I may just miss out the Pula Pennisula......... And side on the coast....

Ahh. The sun has just come out for the photo...... So tranquil here......

I bet my desk in already a mess with work ..... And I am in Slovenia trying not to think about how to sort it out on my return - after all this is Day 1 of my holiday and I am already over 1,000 miles away !!!!!!....

Bye for now. .....

…Sun pm 9th June

Dear reader
We left the Café on the hill and rode over some amazing roads through Neustadt, Singen, and past a hugh lake to Frierichshafen and Lindau. Excellent weather and quite sunny. We crossed the Rheine un-opposed and noticed that was very full. No so further up north I believe where the Elbe has burst it's banks.
From then on I think we popped in and out of Austria as one does and of course up and over mountains – lots of mountains. No sooner had we found the road to Garmish and the heavens opened and down it came… thunder, lighting and vast amounts of rain. The roads were under 2 inches of water with minutes. I saw a steel workers factory and it had a awning so under we went – bike and all and just waited for the storm to pass… After about 20mins – all was clear – out we go back on the road and it started again. Torrential again – and within 10 mins I was at the Camp Site and yes your right – it was now under 3 inches of water like every thing else around town.

I was now totally soaked in spite of wearing full waterproofs….I told Gertie to start on tomorrow's route to get us out of town – and yet another downfall – even heavier this time – sod this we thought…. What is that over there a B & B with a Union Jack outside… One night, one person, lots of wet clothes and Breakfast please…. Job Done. The room is small with clothes everywhere… and a bag of Madeleleines for company…..

Breakfasts at 7.30....... Then Italy and Bled in Slovenia.... What joy....

Sunday Maybe

Dear reader.....
Last night we had the mother of all thunder storms - right over the top of my tent - talk about the crack of doom and the rain was relentless..... Managed to packed up in the rain and am now in the mountains at a cafe - trying to warm up and dry out . It is getting brighter but still cold. I should get to Garmish at about 3pm. I think the sun is coming out as I write.

Lots traffic - even for a Sunday ...... Losing track of the days now.... Cold still with me and the cough is worse.... More worry is the headache that just won't go away.... Ah well let's blast more fresh air through the visor............

Now do I take off the waterproofs or not !!!!!!!

N

Day two

Mileage done 577

Dear Reader

Gertie and I are now in Kaysersberg near Colmar.

Arrived at 3.30 and it is very hot still. About 34 on the road today now only 27.

No major cock-ups en route but had a few diversions due to road works. Stopped for a late breakfast in the sun. Still got the cold but not coughing as much. As expected the camp site is full of lorry sized campers and trucks. Next to me is the biggest overlander I have ever seen I it's a M-A-N and its enormous. I will try to get a picture. It has such a large overhang at the back that they even have a swing for the kids!

The ride down was good and the last 50 miles was up into the hills (1200m high) and the down again - loads of bike and lots of Twisties.

We will be making a silent approach into Germany tomorrow and into the Alps.............

Later......

Soissons France

Day 1

Ridden 310 miles today from Ringwood to here.

It rained most of the way to Folkestone but arrived in good time for the 3.50 train. Found out that had left my glasses at work and now my Euro card won't work - Bugger. I have a spare pair of glasses and a Master Card ....

I managed not to get lost on the way to Soissons and arrived at 8.30pm local time - I have pitched, washed and cooked Staffordshire Chicken Casserole and it is now 9.30pm.

No rain at all in France and the Temp at this time is 27 degrees !!!!!!

Early night I think...........

Nigels 2013 Trip to Croatia..

Dear Reader...Thursday 8pm.... enough packing already... Day Miles (DM)=
0 Trip Miles (TM) = 0

I have just stopped repacking the bike - again - I have tried to pack small
and light but sod it - too much effort... Mind you the top box is only half
full with the stuff I would normally have carried in the Tank Bag... and one
of the panniers is not totally full.

Noon tomorrow is the start time - weather for the UK looks great -
unfortunately that can't be said for Europe !!! flooding in Prague down to
Salzburg and Pressau ... bugger.
I had an Email from a tourist office in Garmish and so far their Campsites
were not flooded and were dry... So the route down to Croatia will stay
the same - for now. Or as David would say "A plan is a basis for
change".....

Bye for now - do call in again later....

Sunday 2nd June ..very AM

Just sitting in a quiet corner of the building (with 240v socket) with a cup of tea enjoying the quiet… I hit the sack early last night but the partying sounded like it went on until about 3pm….   Dave left at about 7am and I will be leaving at about 1pm as I am on duty in one of the presentation rooms from 10 until 1pm.

All in all a very good HU event – and a great location – lots to see and do – and some time to just chill….  The showers were hot and the weather did eventually clear up.

Saw this bike in the field - Ian Coates - just returned from a trip of 14 years !!!!! and it's an XRV 750 Africa Twin..



Young Mick has just gone back to the tents to finish packing…..   My bike is ready to go.

We just had a tea break with Natham Millward (the Postie) check the web for it – he rode a 105cc postie bike from Oz to the UK and has just come back from riding it around the USA and up to Alaska.

Lots going on yesterday – including the Road Kill Cooking demo…. Not for me though

Sat...... possibly

Friday 5pm........ Just having a cuppa tea before going on duty until 7pm..... Two presentations ....

Met some great people today and I have wandered amongst the trade stands - I only purchased 1 book this time..... Never mind there is always Saturday.... More guys from SAM turned up - I think that makes 6 in the field.    I think this band of roaming warriors are using the same SatNav as me...

I need to remember that I need to get new tyres and repack the bike for next Friday - leave work at 12 noon and catch the chunnel at 3.30pm ...... Mmmmm

Friday (ish)

Friday 5pm........ Just having a cuppa tea before going on duty until 7pm..... Two presentations ....

Met some great people today and I have wandered amongst the trade stands - I only purchased 1 book this time..... Never mind there is always Saturday.... More guys from SAM turned up - I think that makes 6 in the field.

I need to remember that I need to get new tyres and repack the bike for next Friday - leave work at 12 noon and catch the chunnel at 3.30pm ...... Mmmmm

HUBB UK

Friday 5pm........ Just having a cuppa tea before going on duty until 7pm..... Two presentations ....

Met some great people today and I have wandered amongst the trade stands - I only purchased 1 book this time..... Never mind there is always Saturday.... More guys from SAM turned up - I think that makes 6 in the field.

I need to remember that I need to get new tyres and repack the bike for next Friday - leave work at 12 noon and catch the chunnel at 3.30pm ...... Mmmmm

Early morning tea

Thursday . I think

 

Yesterday for wet, very wet…..  I spent most of the day helping with the setting up, moving tables and chairs, putting up various tents and display units….   Lots of suppliers are here as well as a great range of 4x4, overlander vehicles, pedal bikes and motorcycles.   The camp was quiet except for the occasional low flying airplane from the airport next door.   We can also hear the Donnington race track from here….

 

Popped into the bar early last night as it had been a long day and managed a couple or three lemonades before retiring early ??   Some of the guys from SAM are due to arrive today so I suppose I will have to join them in the bar again this evening!!

 

I am in duty at 2pm until 5pm assisting with the IT and the presentations in one of the rooms.  The organisation is excellent and Sam Manicom and Ian Harper have done a great job.  Sue and Grant Johnson are here and Grant is looking very well.

 

It is now 9.30 and I cooked breakfast in the tent at 6.30am…. had as shower shave and then put up posters and timetables ready for the event start at 2pm.   I am sitting in a quiet corner of the building just sorting out this laptop and files that I need ready for next Friday – which is the start of the next 16 day adventure – riding to Dubrovnik – oh for some hotter weather….

 

HUBB UK

Arrived ...... Sort of .....

Hi the trip up was wet and misty ... Left work at 4.30 and stooped for coffee at Family Farm near the M40...

The I got to my Nemisis the M42 / M6 .... Gertie did here normal thing and directed me west this time .... Bugger ... Stopped at a Shell garage for fuel and the nice chap showed me a short cut over the other side of the M6 and back to the M42 and of the castle Donnington . Arrived at 8pm and pitched the tent and am now in the bar enjoying a beer and a scampi and chips ??????

A trip to the Beach

 

I dropped the bike off at CW motorcycles for a service this morning and replacement front discs -
now that's going to cost maybe an arm and a leg - I think I will leave the tyres for early June !!!!!

I took out a loan bike (BMW 650 Sertao) and I am now sitting on the beach at Burton Bradstock waiting for the Cafe to open.

An interesting ride - a smaller bike than I'm used to - but quite fun; as long as you stay away from motorways !  Put on Pannier rails for the soft luggage and a solid top box for the Technology and away we go.....  It pulled very well for a 650 - I did test it going up the hill at Abbotsbury....

..and so to Touratech South Wales..

…Off we go… rushed into Southampton to give Blood at the donor centre and got there too early – bugger – such nice people there and I managed to get bled early… then off to work for 9.15am.. Tried to get the desk clear ready for the off to South Wales at 12.15. As usual the faster you go the slower you get - and then stuff just keeps arriving and has to be dealt with…. 12 noon all stop and I need to get changed… on the bike and away to meet with David at Ower…

On a clear day you can see my bike and tent.......

David was already there and it was time to stop and relax over a coffee and a burger - the Touratech weekend had started.. Just got started on putting on the technology onto the bike (Radio and SatNav (one has to have music your know)) I then realised why Gertie was on my desk at home last night – put the route on she was saying… bugger missed that… OK David looks like your leading….

Let’s take to non-motorway route to the Severn Bridge…. We stopped at Chippenham for coffee managed to get an adapter so that I could extract the route from David’s micro SD card onto my grown up SD card and I now had the route as well…. Yippee… onwards to the bridge and endless lines of Bank Holiday traffic as we approached the junction of the M5 etc- lots of filtering passed hundreds of miffed drivers wishing they too could filter to the front like us !!!

It was not too windy on the bridge – remembering my last disastrous crossing where I dropped the bike on the bridge due to the exceptionally high winds … Oh how I dislike that road along to Swansea – so we turned off and fled into the valleys heading north to the Head of Valleys road and west to Touratech (the named of the location looks like a poor hand at Scrabble ??) only stopping once to put on more clothes to ward off the cold.

Arrived in good time and pitched the tents and met up with Mark from SAM. Once settled, and cooked, we decided that a trip to the nearby pub was in order – at least they had the heating on… but…….. they don’t like quiet in Wales …. On goes the juke box – loud and therefore everyone has to talk louder to be heard. So we moved into the other bar – only to have the sound from the TV join the throng… two pints and so to bed…

A fair nights sleep as I had taken the Snug Suit to wear – Dave had a cold night and later that day decided that a new sleeping bag was needed…. I was so tempted to get one too…. And still am…

The event was well – disappointing – not many stands – not enough to do and see – having been spoilt for choice at the HU events – it was very noticeable…. Oh yes and not enough toilets… and no showers….. we passed the day looking around the Touratech Showroom and smirking the price tags, chatting to the few stands that were there, meeting up with Austin Vince again and watching some of the BMW GS Trophy Challenge – which mainly consisted on riding non BMW bikes over rough ground and around and around cones in the car park ! Not forgetting the putting up tents competition!! I must have missed the interesting bits..

Cooked a good meal and decided to slip away to the local pub again… same thing; loads of chat, loud juke box, a local version of “you ain’t got talent” on the TV but as a special treat a Karaoke man playing louder to be heard and singing to the occasional track…. Two pints and we were away to the tents….

The second day had not much promise and to wait around all day just to listen to Austin Vince that evening was a none starter… so up at 6.30am and on the road for 7.30am… we were meant to be running west to east and into … and then south through Hay-on-Wye – Swindon - Marlborough and then home… but as with all things planned – I made a miss turn and ended up going south at back over the bridge at Newport Cirencester ….ending up in Salisbury for coffee in the square… excellent…

Arriving home at about 1pm and a much needed hot bath……

Excellent weekend even though Touratech was disappointing…. A good preparation for the HUBB and Croatia in May and June….

... Just a note to say that this weekend is the Touratech Event in South Wales...  Using it a shakedown for the HUBB and trip to Croatia in June...   All the kit is in the garage - just have to sort it and discard it and then pack it....  I do try to pack light but it all goes wrong somehow !!!  Good job the big is big enough to take it !!!   David Chalton is going and I think Mark Haydock will also be there.. 

A visit to CW Motorcycles next moth should fix both the front discs and the money I thought I had to spend on the trip !!! Bugger

... Must sort out a another bike - Tenere XT660, KLR600 sort of thing - XRV750 are just so expensive now -

Next report from South Wales

….. Wow – that was a fabulous read – without doubt one of the best Motorcycle Adventure books I have read – and I have read many.   It is so very down-to-earth, extremely well written, factual without over doing it and full of wonderful imagery from a marvellous couple one of which is totally blind.   There is nothing over the top about it, just two lovely, wonderfully “ordinary” people (their word not mine – I think they are extraordinary people) riding the world on an elderly BMW R100RT.     We, and I include myself is this; spend so many hours talking and thinking about the right bike for the trip, the best kit, shall we go or not, solo or not etc, etc ….   It brings to mind a John Cleese training film I once saw – GOYA…. or Get Off Your Arse…….

When I was at Horizon Unlimited and I passed Cathy and Bernard on the steps as I was “on duty” in another hall and never did get to meet or hear them speak – I won’t pass up the opportunity again…

My humble advice is go out and get the book and then GOYA – as for me – I have 3 year before retirement and maybe a belated Gap Year..

..Off to the Races..

An early morning start from home, the weather was cold but promising for a good day at the races at the Prescott Bike Festival, just north of Cheltenham - the ride up to Salisbury saw a temperature of just -3 degrees. 

By the time I arrive at Prescott the weather was clear and about +9.   It was my first time at the Prescott Motorcycle hill climb festival and the organisation was extremely good.  Lots of parking, many trade stands, and load of bikes.    The first stop was to the tea stand for a hot drink and warm up a little.   I sat on the hill and watch the first set of bike make their way up the hill - some fast and some not so fast.....   Then lunch in the Bugati Owners Clubhouse - very nice (and warm)...  More wandering around looking at the bikes and stands and then more racing up the hill.

Met a chap who was the George Suttleworth (Speed Demon) look-a-like (aka George Formby) - I will leave you to look it up on the www.  Photo below

 

 

All in all a good day out and I will certainly go again next year.

 

 



... and the Planning goes on. I think the route is about right now - nothing planned other than the Chunnel tickets - just the general route and the possible number of days. It would be so good to have just a direction and no end date... The route is 2 days short so I can stop over or be late if I want !!! No Sites booked but I have marked up a few places I would like to see - the castle at Neuwachstein, Garmisch Partenkirchen, the Brenner Pass, the Lake at Bled, the Bridge at Mostar, Dachau Concentration Camp and some of the memorials to the Somme.

...Also planning some events to attend:

ZEN Overland open day - Mar
Ace Cafe Adventure Bike Day London - April
Adventure Travel Film Festival in Sherbourne - Aug
Touratech Weekend in South Wales - May
Prescott Bike Festival at Cheltenham - Apr
Horizons Unlimited weekend HUBB at Donnington - Jun

and hopefully a weekend or two just touring UK !!!

Bye for now