Writing home from Southern Spain before crossing into Morocco in May 2015

They said they would take cash !!! £11,500 only. !!!!

ALL DONE..... Bike now fully Road Legal, Taxed, MOT'd and Insured...

....and about time....  Number plate and then ride........

And I found this picture on the www and thought I would keep it just to remind me of how not to pack .....

.. I think we is getting there...

It sailed through the MOT today... Just got to get it through the DVLA process !!!!

Now what should I name it !!!  The other one is called Madiba - should I call this one Winny! or Herman the German!

Yippee - 66,000 miles and counting

Great day - Madiba clocked up 66,000 today - and a service confirmed that all is well at the front end of the bike after the tumble....  All I have to do now is get the other one through it's MOT and registered..... I am awaiting HMRC to get it's act together......    

6 Nov. ..... Yippee - those really nice people at HMRC have said that there is NO VAT to pay on the bike.........  Next is the DVLA and MOT......

Peas in a pod.... Shame I will have to sell one of them.....

USA extended visa approved and Canadian Travel permit obtained.... Months to do are getting few!!!!

Next decision is Camping or not Camping or a mixture of both!!

All back together again....

Bugger....

All the way from Germany and now the bike is lost somewhere in the Midlands.....
I was suppose to arrive today from Nuneaton ... but they can't locate it at this time.....
Germany efficiency stops at the channel .....

I will therefore spend this weekend putting Madiba back together, just the crash-bars, fairings and electrics to sort out.....

Madiba may ride again .....

Buggered Bike......

Update...

Well the old bike is now back in my garage , looking very sad. I contacted the seller in Germany about the replacement and it has not yet been shipped - bugger. Hopefully it will be shipped on Monday ..... Then the task starts of swapping over the bits, lights etc and getting the endless paperwork sorted, Vat, MOT, Road tax and DVLA ,,,,,,
Maybe I should have gone for the expensive one from UK.!!!!!!

Bugger --- The bike appears to be a write-off

Having had a front tyre deflate at 60mph yesterday the bike appears to be a write off.....

I am just sorting out with the insurance company the figures.....

But in the meantime I have located his German cousin and it will be shipped to the UK in the next 2 weeks.... And this is it.... Like peas in a pod... And with panniers too...

Do it now.......

On the beach in North Wales .... And yes it's still raining

There is something surreal about riding a motorcycling in the cold, wet, misty, windy and awful weather of Wales while listening to the Beach Boys singing Surfing USA !

We hit the road at 7.45 am and rode the full distance to Ringwood with a couple of fuel stops and a tea break at some random Golf Club somewhere near Leominster ...

Even with the poor weather I did enjoy the trip... It was just a shame that most of the stunning views were hidden in the mist... But I now know why Wales is so green.....  I am now sat in a hot bath and writing this blog... Heaven..

North Wales - August 2015

Who would have thought that it would rain for two days straight in Wales !!!
OK the answer is everyone - bugger.

David and I rode up to the Haw Bridge Inn on the River Severn on Thursday night and spent a few hours talking bikes and having supper in the pub. There was a group on the site who had booked the whole site for the weekend but we managed to sneak in - and not pay for the pitch!!!

We made out normal 8am start and rode in the rain through Herefordshire and into Wales stopping for breakfast at the Honey Cafe at Bronllys - always excellent. Left there in the rain and rode up to Newtown and on to Llangollen ... Now very wet... We then took a short cut via Bala and arrived at the campsite at about 4pm.... We had now sat under the tarp on a table making tea and getting ready for our meal -- cooking tonight and we each have a bottle of cheap plonk to assist with any insomnia .....

More later maybe. Hic.

Llangollen in the rain

Bronllys for breakfast....

Adventure Travel Film Festival 2015

Thursday ...   It was a good ride until I hit the traffic at the North Circular, so stopped off for a tea at the Ace Cafe... Then it started to rain and rain and I managed to get my so called waterproofs on at Harlesdon without getting my wheels nicked !!!.. Arrive at the venue and pitched the tent in an empty field.   More rain... Then started to assist putting up signage and a pair of scaffolding towers for the Big Screen.  Yet more heavy rain and thunder .... Now totally soaked..   Mick O'Malley arrived and we manage to get a few beers sorted before end of play.....  So unusual being away on a school day, I just keep thinking it's a Saturday...

Friday ...  After a goodish sleep I awoke to thick mist... But the sun have just started to shine a little now and breakfast was sorted by 0900.    Going sort yet another cup of tea... while the world sorts itself out....   Then, we wee approached by a long haired bike in need of some assistance - it turned our to be Ross Nobel - looking for a puck - honest .....  Nice lad.

Mick and I decided that we need to erect the second scaffold tower and so set about it in the mist..  another job well done... all with my special Health & Safety, Toetechter Crocs, no gloves or protective glasses or ear plugs - or safety net or fall arrester cable .....

Saturday ...  It was was a fine day, the sun shone and we watch various excellent films throughout the day and basically chilled - there was a very relaxed atmosphere to the whole event.  I met with lots of great people and friends throughout the day - and received many a compliments on the XRV 750... and one adverse one: but he was a tosser on a KTM !!

We watched the starlight film and as usual they presented the "Nigel Grace Award" to the first person to buy a ticket to this years event (Named after myself as I was the first person to buy a ticket for the first event five year ago... at Appledore in Somerset- and I have been to all five now..

Sunday ...   a very relaxed affair and I left the site at about noon and fought my way down the North Circular to the M3 and then home...  Yet another brilliant weekend...

Over and out from No 1 Ruta 40



An excellent choice of Bike - USA here we come....



This is a brilliant photo - with Austin Vince addressing the assembled masses
for the Starlight film and London in the background..
 

 

Dartmoor at it's Best

Sunshine at last

Good evening,
An early start this morning, on the road by 8am. I stopped off at McDonalds in Bridgewater for a cuppa. Then followed that awful road the A39 until could not stand it any more and so cut off left and through the wonderful lanes across Exmoor and another cup of tea and fuel at Dulverton. Then north towards Combe Martin and then Barnstable, Bideford and Oakhampton. It was still to early for then 2nd night stop so I rode to Tavistock and across the moors via Princetown and Ashburton, then back across the moors to Morhampstead and back to Oakhampton. Found the campsite and it's next to a pub to my surprise. The poor old campers are 300 yds away from the loos - I will have to wear my running shoes in the morning😩😩

Tomorrow the route is Exeter then home try to avoid the A30.

And..... Yes it rained all the way home - totally soaked - looking at the www it would only cost £1500 for the Rev It Defender Gortex suit and gloves .... So that might have to wait until I win the lottery !!!

Wet, wet and more wet

Next time I have a good idea like this - stop me. I left work at 4pm and rode in extremely heavy rain towards Somerset. I thought the main storm was in the South but no it's here. The roads were awash and the traffic on the A36 and A 303 was awful - luckily I don't mind filtering so I can only say sorry to any car that lost or had his wing mirror adjusted by my panniers???

 

The planned campsite was closed and the alternative one was now a building site - so I reverted to asking Gertie Garmin to assist - which she promptly did. So I am now at what appears to be the caravan/campsite for all the screaming, shouting and generally a pain in the ass children in the County.

All the riding gear is soaked and I think the tent is leaking .... It's too wet to go outside so it is now dry rations in the tent while listening to the inane chatter of them outside. Just going to find a dry pair of socks and roll out the sleeping bag. The wind is getting stronger and I need to go out an make sure the bike is secure for the night. Then off to the showers and turn in for a rough night.... I would not have it any other way.... Where's the ear plugs....

Nite nite

I could fit all my stuff in these bad boys ....

Excellent Overland Event at Great Missenden

This weekend was the first Overland Event and it was held at Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire.
The was a great mix of Shows, Displays, Presentations and meetings - and a bar of course.  The food stalls were excellent and not over priced.  Plenty of camping space.  all in all a very good weekend

Somewhere near nowhere.... and on the move....

 

Adventure before dementia.... I think !

Nigels Trip

https://share.delorme.com/share/nigelgrace

Password is. Madiba

The last Hoorah.....

Last night I stayed with Dave and Trish and a lovely warm bed and a proper hot cooked meal - thank you both...

A late start of 9.30... and Madiba and I started off through the lanes of Brittany heading for the coast and then towards Calais hoping to over night near Dieppe for the last night. But the shitty French weather had followed us from the time we crossed the border from Spain...

From the outset we had heavy rain storms, hail stones and high winds - oh how I hate cross winds. Anyway we rode on until about 1.30pm (near Avranches) and we decided that the idea of riding another 3 hours in the rain, then Camping and then riding another 3 hours in the morning to the Chunnel and then riding for 3 further hours from Folkestone to Ringwood was just was not on. So as we're were so close to Caen and just riding by, we decided to go and find out the time of the next ship to Portsmouth...

So here we are on board and heading for Portsmouth... ETA 2130...

I have been thinking about lessons learnt from this trip:

1. Don't ride at night
2. Don't arrive after dark
3. If you drop your bike; take a photo before picking it up.
4. Just because the Moroccans give a road a number it does not make it a road...
5. Take less stuff
6. Take more money
7. Use a tether on cameras
8. Take more photos

I am sure there are many more....

And yet more France...

Yes it was cold again this morning and a bit moist - so on with the wet weather kit... By now most of the coffee stops all appear the same... But I did stop at a pretty little place called Pons just South on Saintes - which was going to be my overnight stop but I got there so early so.... as expected we motored on to another site nearer to Damvix. Too many kids but ah well.

I had considered riding on the the next planned stop but that would mean riding for another 4 hours and as I left at 7.30 this morning and arrived here about 2pm I thought my backside needed s break....

By the way the reception was closed on the way out this morning so whoops sorry about that, but the showers were hot which made up for having a campsite next to a five-a-side football pitch that was in use until about 10pm!!

Tomorrow promises to be a short one up to Lorient to visit Dave and Trish Perry - I last saw them when I was en route to Slovenia the first time... So that must have been 4 or 5 years ago... I was the first trip on the BMW GS.  I had less luggage then!!!

Just lazing in the sunshine now until it's time to eat. Isn't odd how the WiFi is mostly free in Morocco but you have to pay for it in France - even the campsites WiFi in Spain were mainly free...

More later....

Spain, Rain and France

A good but very cold start this morning, over the lanes from Castrojeriz to the A 231 to Burgos - then N120 to Logrono, Pamplona where the rain got much worse.. I have never seen so many walkers and they are all striding away with there Nordic Walk Poles - I remember when we walked without them the good old days!!!

After that the world and his wife took the N121 north to Biarritz and I took the A135 which was not a mistake but I can see why people avoid it - very wet, very twisty and mostly in the clouds. Then the final burst to Ortez and after a really good hunt for the campsite I found it but it was closed and looked like it had been that way for some time... So the consolation prize was to double back to a McDonalds, regroup and tap in the next campsite.

So a quick run West to a very unloved campsite in Salies-de-Bearn. No one in reception on arrival and some two hours later the same... I hope they are there in the morning !!! I would hate to leave without paying for such a tatty pitch.

Tomorrow should be a shortish run of 345kms North some ways above Saintes.... Yes ahead of schedule again but waiting in a tent is not much fun so we are pressing on - the good news being that David made it home OK but it was a bit of a choppy crossing on the boat....

Later each...,

Freezing again

Just stopped to warm up a bit - I am somewhere near Pamplona.... The weather is cold and windy and it looks like rain going north.... Bugger

Route back - Day whatever

Early start this morning but what a change in the weather: very cold and high winds (oh I hate high cross winds).

I had to stop after an hour to find my warmer gloves and put on more clothing - my arms were freezing and my teeth chattering....

Stopped for fuel a couple of times and the landscape mostly boring.

Got near to the campsite south of Burgos and things got better. It a pretty little site with a great view of the old fort/monastery

Looks like a biker car boot sale...

Good night...

A long day not doing very much - just me and some podcasts from Radio 4...

Kit washed and sorted, supper cooked and eaten (chicken curry), photos uploaded, and I have just returned from a nightcap at the bar. I hope to get away at 8am tomorrow and potter along the more minor roads before getting on the autovia to avoid going through the centre on Salamanca.

I have dialled into the CCTV at work and so glad to see thats it's raining .... What is sadder is that I did it at all. I am still resisting the temptation to pick up my work emails!!!!

The weather is not looking good going North ... Ah well ..... Good Night Reader

Most resting ....

A Rest Day... Today I am trying something new: not doing a thing!!  and it is not easy, and after a easy beginning I start seeing things that need doing on the bike- so out with the tool bag and that is sorted... I have listened to many Radio 4 programs, endless cups of tea or coffee, and I even had porridge for breakfast.  

Most of this site is large camper vans... With their owners busying themselves with cleaning their windows whilst the ladies paint on gallons of sun tan cream with large paint brushes; being very careful not to miss those hard to reach places...  No photos to follow !!!

The sun is at it's hottest now and I am glad for a break from riding in the noon day sun.  David should be on the boat this evening and home by morning... He is good company and a great riding buddy...  I could not have got from under the bike without his back breaking lift.... And the bruising has almost gone... I think David took a photo once we reached the Cafe on the Tarmac...

The plan here is to ride up to a campsite near Burgos for tomorrow night and then the Pico site for Saturday night - I had to check the calendar then as I am totally unaware of the day of the week...  Almost in retirement mode already!!!

I am trying to resist the temptation of rolling two days into one or taking a faster route..... Although if I get home early I could some of jobs done: painting the new bathroom, and the hall,   Stairs and landing etc....

So it should be France on Sunday.... And some cooler weather - I am not complaining but a tad cooler would be good...

The distance so far is 2509 miles...

Route Back - Day 3 Rest day....

We have decided - Madiba, Gertie and I to have a rest day here at Caceres. I am so far ahead of plan at present....

Just found some photos of the Riad in Fez

Route back - day 2

Long and hot ride up to Saville and I am now at a very good campsite near Caceras... And shade over tent and bike, free WiFi, my own personal shower/toilet (with paper!!!), and nothing like the facilities in Morocco. Tomorrow we (Madiba and I) are riding up to the Picos Range to overnight before cutting across the top of Spain and entering France - maybe

David's picture of myself trying to get a quick nap on the boat. Knackered as we had been riding all day and it was now 10pm...

Leaving Morooco

Having spent 5 hours getting David's bike to start we stayed in a Riad over night and had a good nights rest. All began well this morning and we found our way out of Fez without to much fuss... The plan being to get David and his bike to Spain asap whilst he is unsure of the cause of the problem.... That begin just not starting .... We hit the motorway and twice when stopping for fuel it failed to start - so again off with the Tupperware and fiddle with the connector up under the tank.... And twice we got it going.... One petrol station let us use their tyre bay to get out of the fierce sun.

We stopped on the way to buy new ferry tickets and then dashed to the port to try and catch the promised 5pm sailing only to find out that there is not 5pm sailing today .... So we are sat at the dock waiting for the 8pm sailing.

We will camp at the site in Spain that we stayed at on the way and then David will decide if he is going to thrash it to the port of Santander and home, whilst I start my solo wanderings up through Spain and on to France ( I am ahead of time so the wandering will be slower and maybe a longer stop somewhere.

Route back - Day 1

We arrive at midnight and the gate was locked - but a closer look showed it with the padlock just draped over the bars - and we are in..... Pitched in the dark and slept. This morning David was away very early and going to try to get across Spain post haste. Bon Chance....

I showered a slowly packed while awaiting the arrival of reception... By the time I was ready there was still no one around .... So away I went at 8.30am : one free night.... I rode North towards Saville - just not the same not having David in the mirror - his bike started this morning so hopefully it will behave on the route home.

Once passed Saville I will get back back to my planned pottering route North...

Later...

In Fez

We travelled up from the Gorge du Dades, which was stunning - photos to follow once I down load them off the camera.   The trip up was very very hot and we climbed the mountain passes and dipped down to the endless plains. From the top you can see all the miles that have still to be ridden across some very inhospitable lands.... The temperature here was 44 degrees at 5pm.

We arrived in Medelt and pitched up in the Municipal Campsite and where probably ripped off for the pitch fees - but £8 a head was ok in retrospect.  We asked the staff to get us 6 litres of water for tomorrow but he got 6 x 1.5 ltr bottles I will have to drink most tonight!!!  We are close to the loos...

The camp here is basic but the water in the showers is hot and have the same mixture of Dutch, French and a German Panzer Wagon.   





As with all campsites over here they all need maintenance but won't be getting any...


Tomorrow we are off the Fez...

Lunchtime in down-town Er-Rachidia

Lunchtime in down Town Er-Rachidia - just a quick omelette and chips.

Whoops and the help of some very nice Moroccans

All stop for many hours in the noon day sun. 44 plus

And more