kitty kat & stevep's tour of Europe - finally finished :

[kitty kat]

DAY 1 to Brussels 25/26 September 2009, 517 miles

Stevep & I met up at Charnock Richard services, M6 at 2pm on Friday 25th September, heading for Dover and a 3.30am ferry
crossing to Calais. I was on my 2001 600 fazer with 75929 miles on the clock, he was on his Harley Davidson Softail Custom.
The aim was to take our time getting down there and have a few stops for a late lunch and a late tea and the inevitable
refuels. My sat nav gave up the ghost somewhere around Birmingham, now we only had the paper maps as a back up to Steve's Tom Tom Rider.
We actually arrived at Dover ahead of our planned time and optimistically went to check-in, only to be told we were
too early and could we return at about 2am. A ride around the port, taking a wrong turn and ending up at the point
where vehicles are taken to be searched and we eventually got to the town centre for an impromptu midnight snack at
KFC. My intercom gizmo had died, it needed charging, it was only when Steve came to locate the relevant connection that
we realised it had been lost en route, now we had no communication between the 2 bikes. No worries we would find the part in a shop on the other side.
It was now after midnight, so we made our way back to the ferry
terminal and found a waiting area where we managed to grab about 30 minutes sleep before proceeding again to check-in at 1.45am. Luckily we were offered the 2.30am sailing and boarded the ferry.
We were the only bikers on that sailing, got the bikes tied down and went upstairs to enjoy the extremely calm journey
across the Channel.
Our first destination was to Dunkerque for breakfast to see the beach where some of the events from the 2nd world war
took place. Because we arrived an hour earlier than planned, nowhere was open, so we sat in the town centre and watched
daylight arrive. We eventually managed to get a croissant and a drink before heading off to the beach. Mission accomplished, a bunker explored, we set off for our first stop near Brussels, Belgium. Again our plans were scuppered, we were too early for the site, reception was closed for lunch. Decision made, find supermarket, buy something for tea, breakfast and lunch the next day then return to site. All went well, provisions purchased and site was open when we returned. Place booked for the night, tent pitched, drink made, then some welcome sleep after being awake for over 36 hours.
About 6pm we awoke, had a welcome shower, got dressed and headed off Brussels for the evening. The way people drove was
amazing, fast and basically ignoring give way signs and pedestrian crossings, it certainly was an eye-opener. We managed
to park the bikes and went for a wander. I wanted to see the Mannequin Piz and Grand Place, but could we find them - no!
we bumped into a Celtic FC kit wearing Irish man and stupidly asked him for directions. After him pointing to his mate
and being told he was a man who could piss and being kissed by the drunken pair we set off in search of the Grand place.
Luckily we found an English speaking female police officer and were directed to the 2 locations. The city was heaving with
people, there was some big event taking place on a stage in the square and it proved difficult to take good pictures.
The fountain I wanted to see was hidden away on some street corner and was certainly easy to miss. Photos were taken
and then some hot, Belgian waffles with strawberries & cream were devoured on our way back to the bikes. All I can say
is thank god for Steve's Tom Tom Rider. We eventually made it back to the site, to find the gate closed. Luckily the gate didn't reach fully to the fence, there was just enough room to get the 2 bikes
past, then a ride around the path to reach the tent. Try sneaking in when one of the bikes is a Harley, stage 1 tuned
with Screamin' Eagle pipes on it!
A long but fun day, the first of our holiday.

ready to go
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip001.jpg

Services near Dover
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip002.jpg

At dover
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip011.jpg

On the ferry
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip014.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip019.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip023.jpg

Dunkirk
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip028.jpg

Bunker at Dunkirk
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip031.jpg

Dunkirk
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip032.jpg

Brussels
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip036.jpg

Grand Place
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip038.jpg

Mannequin Piz
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip045.jpg

Day 2 Cochem, Germany 27 September, 221 miles

Had a good night's sleep and woke ready and raring to go for the next stage - Koblenz in Germany. Belgium is quite a boring country to ride through, nothing really to see on the scenery side and the roads were , well just roads.
We headed for Cologne for lunch, what a beautiful city. We found a spot to park near the Rhine and enjoyed glorious
sunshine and temperatures in the high 20's whilst we watched the world go by on a Sunday afternoon. Lunch eaten and time to head for our planned destination of Koblenz. Once we left the city we followed the river Rhine and somehow ended up riding a fantastic road through mountains, following the River Mosel. It was the B257, running very close to Nurburg and then onto the L98, both of these roads are green routes on Michelin maps.
We found a lovely campsite (thanks to the sat nav) right on the banks of the river and set the tent up so we were as close to the river bank as possible. It had been a long day, so we decided to splash out and have tea at the restaurant on site before retiring at about 9.30pm


https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip052.jpg

Cologne
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip053.jpg

River Rhine
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip056.jpg

Mosel River
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip058.jpg

Mosel river
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip059.jpg

Mosel River
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip060.jpg

Day 3 Baden Baden, 28 September 173 miles

Awake & ready to set off by 10am, we were starting to get good at this packing up lark. Our route today was down to Baden Baden
at the Northern tip of the Black forest via non highway. The first road we turned onto was an immediate steep hill climb with
quite a few hairpins, fantastic road, well surfaced and correct cambers on the corners, it was pure pleasure to ride.
We ended up at a service area with a large truck stop area, a petrol station and a Mcdonalds. We needed fuel by this stage so a food break it was and a browse around the garage to see if they had the required connection for the intercom. No such luck, every fitting bar the one we needed, we were still riding using hand signals to each other. Time to move on and locate our destination. We ended up in a largish town (can't remember the name) and decided to try a bike dealership for the missing intercom part. It was a Triumph dealer we found he didn't sell intercom systems, so while the guy was giving Steve directions to a local electronic shop I was busy drooling over the KTM RC8R they had on display. Luckily I was dragged away by Steve, how would I have explained to my beloved Fazer, Sam, that I was leaving him there and taking away another bike? Oh well, it was lovely to look at, but now we had to find this shop. Hurray, we arrived as he re-opened after lunch and he had the desired charger unit, that purchased, my unit on charge and off we went. As we had wasted a lot of time in the town we hit the highway in order to try and make up some time. We got onto the E35 and located a campsite in Rheinmunster, just outside Baden Baden. Supermarket found, provisions purchased and we checked into the site. It was huge and located near an enormous fishing lake, we found a suitable spot, pitched tent and settled down to cook tea. Funny, at home I usually go to bed about 11pm, since we had been away we had both been really tired and in the sleeping bags by 9pm. It had been another fun day on the bikes and at least now both headsets were charged up and we had communication between us for tomorrow.

Mosel river
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip069.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip072.jpg

McDonalds
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip075.jpg

Lake at campsite
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip077.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip081.jpg



Day 4 Wasserberg, Lake Constance, 29 September 161 miles

Up early today, breakfasted and packed and ready to leave by 9am, our route today was to be non highway to Lake Constance at the bottom of Germany, there is only the lake seperating Germany from Switzerland. we were actually heading for Friedrichschafen about 2/3 of the way down the lake.
Off we set, ending up on the B500 a green road on the map. As usual, Michelin got it right, it was a scenic road to ride and now we could chat to each other it was great to be able to talk about what we were seeing. We came across a ski/toboggan run as we were traveling through the mountains & forest areas. Scenery was breathtaking, pictures just didn't do it justice.
We found a nice little picnic area about lunch time, made a hot drink each and ate sandwiches before joining the highway to head south. We had taken our time riding the back roads, and now we just wanted to reach the lake and find a campsite. steve put in the town, but it couldn't find any sites near to it, so we plumped for one further down and set off with the sat nav directing us. The site was in a village called Wasserberg, it bordered Lake Constance, sounded perfect. We arrived, set up camp and discovered the washing machine. I made the drinks, Steve did some washing. It was actually warm enough to get some of the clothes dry. Shopping again, then a walk to the lake, what a view, we could see Switzerland from the campsite and the lake was beautiful, we sat & chilled until the mosquitoes became too much of a nuisance and headed back to make tea before we hit the sleeping bags again.

campsite entrance
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip082.jpg

ski run
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip083.jpg

A View
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip086.jpg

German village
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip087.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip089.jpg

A view
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip093.jpg

Campsite
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip094.jpg

Stream running into lake
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip096.jpg

Lake Constance
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip097.jpg

Mountains in Switzerland
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip100.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip102.jpg

Statue near Lake edge
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip104.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip105.jpg


Our next destination would be Austria and will be continued when i have some more spare time.
____________________
Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people

[Mark65]

Very nice kitty , looks like you had a great time, i bet your off again next year

Mark
____________________
07 Yamaha YBR125, 07 Honda CG125 , 15 CBR300R (Chocolate Crank, Deaded), 16 CB500FA, 19 Honda Forza 300, 70 Suzuki SV650

[Charlie]

Looks like you have had great fun! Very jealous! Look forward to the rest of the write up
____________________
Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[Alexio]

Looking forward to seeing the rest as well. Am definitely jealous
____________________
will never give up his CG. I look at my fuel gauge more as a progress bar than a fuel gauge.
G: With my GSXR I do often effectively use it as a scooter with a clutch in town.
ms51ves3: why does it need 500 miles? Are you teaching it how to be a piston?

[Tonka]

Great write up, Kitty Kat - installments to keep us all on tenter hooks!!

Definitely gives me the wanderlust reading stuff like this, thank you!
____________________
'The core of a man's spirit comes from new experiences'
Suzuki SV650S (Clean); Yamaha XT250 Serow (Dirty)

[R4nger]

You can really tell that you have adventured in to continental Europe when you go to a McDonalds.

[kitty kat]

Day 5 to Mattsee, Austria, 30 September, 208 miles

Up early and ready to go, destination somewhere near Salzburg, we hadn't decided where, we would let the sat nav find a campsite when we reached the border. We set off along the B308, a green road which followed along the border with Switzerland, just the route I had worked out on the map. all was going well, a beautiful run through mountains. On the
way we traveled along a new stretch of road running over a lake/reservoir, what beautiful clear water and a lovely colour. I told Steve I was stopping to take a photo, A bit of rapid breaking by Steve to stop near me off the busy road, but he was getting used to me randomly stopping to take pictures. Car drivers must have thought me mad as I wandered back along the bridge armed with
camera to photograph the water beneath us.
Mission accomplished, on we go along more fantastic roads to our lunch stop at a small village with a river running through it. We think it was on the B307. As we were stopped a load of bikes passed us, great it must be a biking road ahead. It was, a great twisty road running alongside the river, and it continued all the way to the E45, then another green road followed on and would have taken us almost to Salzburg. We followed the sat nav, but somehow (stupid sat nav) we ended up heading away from the road we had wanted to ride and ended up on a fairly ordinary one, ST2095 which ran north of lake Chiemsee instead of on the B305 which would have taken us along the edge of the Alps. We had gone too far to turn back, so all we could do was continue on and watch the mountains disappear into the distance instead of getting closer. Time to pause and find a site for the night, that done off we rode towards Mattsee Lake. We did end up on a decent road towards the end though which led to the campsite. The site we picked via sat nav was on the opposite side of the road to the lake and up in the middle of farmland. Luckily there was a site more or less opposite which was right at the edge of the lake, so close it even had it's own jetty and boat house. Decision made, lakeside site it was.
What a good choice, we had a view of the lake from the tent and were that close we could see the ducks swimming on the water - perfect.
Another decision, stuff cooking tonight, we were going out for tea, quick change and off we set on Steve's bike into the town of Obertrum in search of a restaurant. It was weird, we sat inside and I could actually smoke indoors whilst sat at the table, no going outside to stand on my own tonight.
Back to site, a late night for us tonight, it was gone 9.30 before we arrived back at the tent.



Looking out onto reservoir/lake
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip108.jpg

sign on bridge by reservoir
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip109.jpg

looking at mountains in distance
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip110.jpg

view (looked better with naked eye)
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip113.jpg

German house
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip115.jpg

lunch spot
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip116.jpg

stream near lunch stop
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip117.jpg

Lake Mattsee
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip121.jpg

campsite
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip123.jpg

Lake as viewed from tent
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip124.jpg


https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip125.jpg

Harleys have their uses - a clothes drier!
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip126.jpg

old building opposite campsite
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip128.jpg


b]Day 6 Lake Bled, Slovenia, 1 October, 170 miles[/b]

Today was going to be fun, we were heading for Slovenia and the sat nav stopped at the border as Slovenia is considered Eastern Europe and Steve hadn't paid the £59 to add those maps. It wasn't worth it for 1 country and we had a map anyway.
On the road fairly early, but we decided to call in at the place we ate last night and have a morning cuppa in comfort. Batteries recharged with a warm drink and off we went, first destination Salzburg just so I could say I had been there. What fun, there were quite a few roadworks about in the city and sat nav decided to send us down a road that was blocked off. Never mind the road ran along the Salzach river and I could see the castle from our side. All I wanted was a photo to prove we had been there lol.
Our route was a direct one to the border, B roads following the same line as the E55 onto Villach and then across the border. Half the journey was a green route, then we would be struggling to find scenic roads into Slovenia. Riding across the lower Alps it was absolutely beautiful, we were in danger of never reaching our destination for photo stops, so I came up the idea of hanging camera round my neck and just pointing it in the direction of the view and pressing the button. Must admit I did manage some half decent shots whilst still moving.
We stopped for lunch somewhere on the B99. It had been a very steep uphill climb and at the top was a picnic area near a ski lift. A perfect place to take a break. Anyway Steve needed a rest from me singing bits of songs from The Sound Of Music (we were in Austria after all!). Now the downhill section, around every corner there was a ski lift and an empty village just waiting for the arrival of the snow & holiday makers. It was beautiful but quite eerie riding through deserted built up areas.
The road we were on eventually met up with the E55, we decided to use that to get us to Villach where we would make the border crossing. A nice fast run, ok a bit boring, but it got us to the Karawanken tunnel to cross over to the border. On approaching the pay booths slight argument ensued, I thought Steve had used the wrong lane, when in actual fact it was me that was wrong. We got split up and I ended up in the cash only pay lane, not the card one. After a bit of pushing in I was able to pay my 6.50 € in order to proceed and catch up with Steve.
The tunnel is awful to ride through, just under 8km long, and once you are past the point of still being able to see the entrance the air becomes yellow with the fumes and the extractors were not in use. We couldn't wait to get out of it. Thankfully the end was reached and we were both low on fuel. We pulled off the E61 (as the E55 has become) and into the first service area. A quick check of the map and we decided what route to take to reach Lake Bled. As usual I was wrong and started to lead us the wrong way, Steve thankfully laid the law down and we ended up on the SS54 en route to Bled. It was now getting on for 5.30pm when we arrived at the lake and as it had already been decided that we were staying in a hotel for the next 2 nights (my birthday present to Steve) we rode along the lake and found a hotel. 124€ for the 2 nights and for that we got a corner room, overlooking the lake and with a double room and a twin room attached to it (plenty of space to hang clothes we had washed).
A lovely hot shower in a nice warm bathroom and dressed ready for tea. The hotel had a restaurant attached, so for convenience we went there to eat. It was a lovely meal, followed by a glass of beer then up to the room to bed.

Sunrise at Mattsee
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip130.jpg

us on the jetty at site
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip138.jpg

Salzburg castle
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip140.jpg

river Salzach
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip141.jpg

in Salzburg
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip143.jpg

us 2 parked at dead end - sent there by sat nav!
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip144.jpg

Austrian Alps, taken whilst moving
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip145-1.jpg

Austria
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip146.jpg

Austria
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip148.jpg

In Austria somewhere
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip149.jpg

The Alps
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip150.jpg

The sign over bridge at top of hill climb
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip151.jpg

Jesus on the cross, icons like this are all over the place
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip153.jpg

view from the top of hill climb
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/th_Europetrip154.jpg

picnic spot with a view
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20holiday%20pt%202/th_Europetrip156.jpg

Austrian Alps
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20holiday%20pt%202/th_Europetrip157.jpg

Service area in Slovenia - to prove we had crossed the border.
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20holiday%20pt%202/th_Europetrip160.jpg

Castle in Bled
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20holiday%20pt%202/th_Europetrip161.jpg

view from hotel window - Lake Bled
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20holiday%20pt%202/th_Europetrip162.jpg

Day 7, rest day, 2 October, 50 miles

Today it was cloudy when we awoke, first non sunny day we had had, it didn't matter though, we weren't going to go far today. We had breakfast, lots of different breads, some meat, cheese & bacon, eggs & sausage were laid out buffet style. I think I ate enough for everyone in the dining room. once fed we got changed and set off for a ride to Lake Bohinjska only about 20 miles away. We had a lovely leisurely ride along the B209 to the lake, some nice twisty bits and then through some lovely little villages. We did come across some roadworks, no sign and no road either. When the Slovenians do roadworks they seem to take the entire road surface away to soil level, leaving lots of muddy potholes, Harleys & fazers can go off road, we proved it in Slovenia.
Although it was cloudy it was still quite warm and we spent a good hour at Lake Bohinj, enjoying the peace and watching the trout in the crystal clear water. My next idea was to go to the Savica waterfall at the far end of the lake in the Triglav National park. We had a coffee at the cafe there, then I paid to walk up to see the waterfall. Steve has bad knees so the climb would have caused him great pain. It reckoned a walk to view it would take 20 minutes, so he opted to sit and wait for me. Oh yes it took 20 minutes, but it was really steep and loads of steps to reach the viewing point. I was shattered by the time I got there and spent a long time admiring the view (getting my breath back!) On the way down i decided to count the steps I had climbed - over 500 of the wretched things, but at least it only took 7 minutes to descend.
Back on the bikes after another coffee and we spotted a sign for a cable car so that was our next stop. We went up to the Vogel ski resort. Unfortunately the cloud was covering the top of the mountains so there was no view to see, in fact we couldn't see anything. We had a spot of lunch at the top, then went for a wander outside. There was absolutely nothing to see, cloud was really thick, so we followed the path and came across a small ski lift, when we turned around to walk back there were suddenly about 3 buildings infront of us, a hotel and 2 restaurants. It is quite a large ski resort with 12 ski runs and several lifts, but we could see very little today.
We spent about an hour at the top then got the cable car back down. Next stop the town centre of Bled for a walk around the shops and find a restaurant where we would eat later on. We rode the bikes right around Lake Bled, it was very beautiful and as the cloud had lifted we had some good views on the journey round.
We had a wonderful 5 course Chinese meal that night and a glass of beer to wash it down before we returned to the hotel.

Castle at Bled
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip161.jpg

Lake Bled
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip162.jpg

Lake Bohinj
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip163.jpg

Statue of a Chamois at the lake
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip164.jpg

the lake
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip165.jpg

View from waterfall
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip168.jpg

Savica waterfall (this is what I climbed 500+ steps to see)
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip170.jpg

view from cable car looking down on Lake Bohinj
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip178.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip183.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip184.jpg

part of the ski village
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip189.jpg

coming down in cable car
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip192.jpg

Lake Bohinj
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip196.jpg

is this what happens to Harleys in the end?
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip201.jpg

the only island in Slovenia
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip206.jpg
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20part%202/th_Europetrip211.jpg
____________________
Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people

[wizzzard]

Great write up so far KK. Very inspiring and a great example to anyone who wonders about the reliability of higher milage bikes
____________________
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?
Zeitgeist / Addendum / Moving forward

[kitty kat]

edited last post as the photos were wrong. Lesson to self, don't type things up when tired.
Hopefully I will get the last week of the trip typed up and posted by Tuesday night.
____________________
Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people

[Gazz]

Looks amazing.


You dont happen to have a google map or anything do you of your trip ?

[kitty kat]

I will post one up when I get round to sorting it out.
____________________
Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people

[kitty kat]

This is roughly the route we took. some of the roads are wrong, but it shows the general directions we went. Google maps wouldn't allow me to put the actual route in, it said I had too many destinations to calculate
____________________
Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people

[kitty kat]

Day 8 Lake Garda, 3 October, 269 miles

Steve's birthday today he had already had his present - the hotel room and I had forgotten his card, so he got me singing happy birthday instead - surprised it didn't rain.
Breakfast eaten, no tent to put down and we were on the road by 9am. All the cloud had lifted and it looked as if today was going to be a warm one, it was also to be the longest journey, to lake Garda in Italy. we decided to use the Interstrada to reach Padova in Italy
as it would cut the journey time down. What a boring way to reach any destination, but then we were going to ride some B roads for the last half of the route. All was going well, we came off the motorway where planned, Steve was using the sat nav, doubting Thomas here though swore blind we were getting sent back on the motorway. We had stopped at this point and map was consulted, I was in front and I thought Steve said we were taking the exit then turning right after it. In a bad mood I set off on the route Steve had told me, I thought he was behind me. We were now too far apart for the intercoms to work, no problem, I was going the way he said, he would catch me up - so I thought. I came to a roundabout, didn't remember that in the directions so I went straight over that and straight on at the next one - oops, big mistake. Suddenly realising I hadn't been paying attention to what road I was on I was now lost and no Steve in sight. Service area on my right, I pulled in and parked up, he would come past soon I thought. There was a McDonalds there, great I could get a drink while I waited and I could leave a message on his phone. 2nd problem, Steve had all the cash, all I had was my cards. Damn. Map consulted, I worked out my route, I would head for Verona and ring him from there. I rang him and left a message saying I would head down the R47, onto the S434 and wait in Verona. All well and good, but I wasn't on the road I thought I was on, thank goodness steve turned his phone on and rang me. I told him what road I thought I was on and I was at a McDonalds, he used the sat nav, no there was no McD's on that road, but he would go to the first one on his list and see if I was there. 15 minutes later he turned up (thankfully as I never admitted to him, I was getting a little bit worried at this stage). A reconciliation over a drink and a burger and we decided to use more motorway than intended and headed towards Vicenza on the E70. We did use the R11 after there and arrived in Verona, the route was easy now, it was signed Lake Garda.
My god, it was heaving with vehicles and people around the lake. we were going to stop in a hotel for 2 nights as we had arrived pretty late. All hotel rooms were fully booked as was the municipal campsite. It was Octoberfest and there were loads of Germans having a holiday there and making the most of the hot weather. We eventually found a site at Lazise for the 2 nights, it turned out to be a good move. The site was right at the water's edge and had shops, bars etc and it was clean.
A shower, change of clothes and my peace offering was a meal out in the town at one of the restaurants that lined the lakeside. It was a beautiful evening, lovely meal, great company and a stroll around the town. Perfect end to a horrible day.

hello Italy
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip214.jpg

Old passport control at the border
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip215.jpg

goodbye Slovenia
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip216.jpg

Italian Alps
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip217.jpg



Day 9, Lake Garda, rest day, 4 October, 108 miles

Woke up to a beautiful sunny day, perfect as we were going to have a lazy day further up the lake after the events of the previous day. We set off first of all in search of an internet cafe so Steve could pay a bill on line. I managed a quick post on the north section here, then we were ready for a relaxing day in each other's company. We set off on the R249 towards Garda a few miles further up the lake. It was chaos for the first couple of miles, cars everywhere, making it difficult to overtake. Eventually we arrived and parked the bikes, found a cafe at the lakeside and we sat in the sunshine with a drink & some nibbles, pure heaven. It was getting quite hot now, I was glad I had gone against all my rules and was wearing jeans & trainers instead of leathers & boots. I did have my summer gloves & my leather jacket on over my t shirt though. I suggested that we ride around the lake, it didn't look that far on the map, I must learn to look at maps a bit better. After about 40 minutes riding we were somewhere near the northern tip of it. By now temperature had risen to 29 degrees, time for a break. we pulled into bike specific parking bays on the roadside and went into a cafe opposite. A large ice-cream each and a couple of cuppas whilst watching the windsurfers and bikes coming and going - it was a popular spot for bikers and the cafe we were in seemed to attract a lot of them.
Time to move on, the road was not as busy now as we set off on the S45b, what a road to ride, lots of tunnels, twists and loads of bikes, we had fun. There was one particular tunnel we were enjoying,when all of a sudden there was a rush of wind coming towards us, then a load noise. We thought we were riding the road fast at about 60mph, the 2 bikes that were causing the noise must have been doing double that. It was probably a silly way to ride a tunnel with bends in, but by god did those bikes sound good as they passed us. We continued on right round and back to the campsite, 108 miles altogether, so much for a short run. We hadn't eaten the lunch we had taken with us, so we took it with a couple of soft drinks we had bought and went and sat at the end of a jetty on the shore eating our tea whilst watching the sunset over the lake. Steve will probably disagree, but it was very beautiful and very romantic. Ok a biker getting soppy, sorry Sunset over and back to the tent for some sleep ready for tomorrow's journey to the coast.

Lake Garda viewed from campsite
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip221.jpg

the lake
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip222.jpg

the campsite viewed from jetty
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip223.jpg

our spot on site
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip225.jpg

on the road around the lake
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip226.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip227.jpg

Steve riding in front of me (taken whilst moving)
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip228.jpg

look at that sky - it was hot!!
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip229.jpg

lake Garda
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip232.jpg

cheers
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip237.jpg

Lake garda
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip240.jpg

parked up near waterside
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip241.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip242.jpg

Sunset over lake Garda, viewed from Lazise
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip245.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip246.jpg


Day 10, Ceva, Italy, 5 October, 220 miles.

Our intention was to go to Genova on the South coast and if we didn't like it there then find a campsite near Savona. We set off in good spirits, first heading towards Brescia, then using the P45b to get down to Cremona for lunch. It was a fairly ordinary road, nothing very scenic about it, but we managed to make good time. We continued on Piacenza and then onto the S45, which according to my map had a green section on it. As we rode along it I was a little disappointed, it wasn't as good as I had expected. How wrong I was, as the road followed the line of the river Trebbia it became a joy to ride. There were some good corners, as we cut through the mountains, sheer drops down to the water, lovely views as well. The pace had slowed now as we concentrated on keeping the bikes on the tarmac, the best was still to come. We went through a town called Bobbio, then the road became full of sharp corners, twisting left then right along the line of the river. We went around a right hand bend, onto a straight, then there was a left hander, and a sharp right. We decided to stop on the straight for lunch and a bit of a break while we enjoyed the sunshine and the views. Suddenly as we were relaxing we heard a bike, we couldn't see it, but it was definitely a Ducati approaching. At last we saw it, pure poetry, he never slowed, but threw the bike into the tight left, immediately into the right. These bends were tight with a sheer drop to his right and a cliff face to his left. The tone of the bike never altered, he maintained his speed, he even managed to acknowledge us before he threw it into the really tight left hander. I have never seen a bike get so low without scraping the floor and there was none of this, hanging off or sticking knees out, he just looked as one with his bike. We sat there amazed at that guy's riding ability for a while before we set off - at a much slower pace than him I hasten to add.
The road continued like this while we climbed up, then dropped down towards the valley. The next part of the road was back to being mundane as we approached the coast. We were still in the mountains, but the road cut into them via tunnels, so it became more gentle curves and inclines than the dramatic ones we had just ridden.
Now we approach Genova, OMG what a shock. So far we had seen mostly large motorbikes and the odd scooter ridden by a geriatric, suddenly, we as bikers were outnumbered. Scooters, peds, call them what you will, they were everywhere, like swarms of wasps. Young girls in mini skirts, high heels and lid not fastened, men in suits and lads in shorts & flip flops were raging through the traffic as if the cars were stationary. Steve & I pulled up at a set of lights, side by side, to my right a ped stopped and 2 stopped on Steve's left. We had the intercom on and I jokingly said to him it was like the start of a race. The lights were about to change, I said 'get ready, go'. The peds had gone before I said go, weaving across 5 lanes of cars bumper to bumper. It was mad. Suddenly we were surrounded, it was like something out of wacky races, every ped seemed to have scrapes, dents, bits missing. It was quite scary at the time, they were cutting us up as if we weren't there.
Time to get out of the city and onto Savona to find a place to stay.
The coast road is a nice gentle twisty one with views down the coast and hardly any peds!
Savona is a dirty looking place, but we located a campsite just outside via sat nav, pulled over to check directions and then I noticed my panniers had broken. Thank god for cable ties, we made a quick repair, repacked the damn things and found what must be the worst site ever. It was dirty with loads of what looked like dis-used camper vans parked up, we moved on. The next site was looking better, but the owner expected us to pitch a tent on gravel, then offered to charge us to camp on the beach.
A quick discussion and we decided to head out on the road towards our next destination -Gap and find a site somewhere off that road. We travelled on towards Cuneo on the S28, no campsites to be seen, Steve made a decision without telling me. I said to him that we had better find somewhere soon as the light would be fading and we needed to get the tent up and find food. He told me to follow, so I did as I was told for once and we pulled into a hotel car park in Ceva. Ok it was not anywhere scenic, but it was brand new and opposite a little bar that did food. It was a beautiful hotel, and we had a lovely double room at the front that overlooked the car park, the pay booths for the autostrada, but more importantly, we could see the 2 bikes parked outside the front door. A quick shower, and over to the bar for something to eat and a drink before bed about 10pm.

a view whilst moving
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip253.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip255.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip256.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip259.jpg

What a drop!
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip261.jpg

the view
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip262.jpg

the road we had just come along
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip264.jpg

looking at where Ducati rider came from
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip265.jpg

lunch break with a view
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip266.jpg

approaching Savona
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip274.jpg

the hotel in Ceva
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip276.jpg

the bikes
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip277.jpg

look hard enough you can see the autostrada
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip278.jpg


Day 11 Gap, France, 6 October, 184 miles.

Up bright and early, breakfast was served downstairs, bloody continental breakfast, no cheese, no meat, just croissants of various types & only 1 drink each. Never mind we had had a good night's sleep. Time to move on and head for Gap. This was my aim for the holiday to ride the N85 tomorrow that everyone has raved about. Sat nav set to non highway and off we went, me infront with Steve giving me the directions. Of course I went the wrong way as usual, I missed the turning, luckily sat nav re routed us and took us on the P661 towards Bra. It turned out to be a great road, a Michelin green route, full of twists and very enjoyable to ride. It was sending us towards Savigliano where we would turn right onto the R20 towards Cuneo, then back on track on the S21 to Gap. we saw a sign for Cuneo before our turning and followed that, it cut out a few miles, but the road was busy with vans & lorries. Little did we know, but the best bit was still to come.
The S21 is nothing to write home about until you come to a town called Vinadio, then you start climbing through the mountains. Lots of twists & tight bends to begin with, very scenic, then hairpins, one after another and uphill all the way. Some kind soul has numbered each hairpin, 20 in all, it was exhilerating to ride. It took a lot of concentration, especially if you met a lorry on a bend coming the opposite way. Near the top we had a break and admired the view, it was a photo opportunity so i managed to get part of the road recorded. as we were stopped I noticed a funny little creature run from a bush to a burrow, neither of us knew what it was, then a few more followed it, turned out to be marmots. Onwards & upwards and we reached the top 2500km above sea level - the border of Italy & France. Another photo opportunity and on to the downward section which is now the D900. Just as good, tight bends, some good fast straights, scenic, but downhill. Poor Steve I scared the living daylights out of him on this road. As said I was in front, I went round a corner, just a nice sweeping bend whilst looking to my left at the mountains, Steve was just in range of the intercom, but still had to come around the corner. Next thing he heard was me swearing in a panicky sort of way, he came round the corner to see me trying desperately to keep Sam vertical & rubber side down. I had taken the bend too sharp and ended up on the gravel between tarmac & rock face of mountain. Luckily although I was panicking, I managed to bring the bike under control using light touches of brakes. All Steve could see was a huge cloud of dust and obviously thought the worst. I could have ended up in solid rock, or worse veered off to left and gone down mountainside. It shook me up for quite a while and our riding pace slowed down quite a bit after that. We could have continued on the D900 and then turned onto the N85 to Gap , but when we looked at the map, we opted to turn right onto the D902 towards Guillestre and onto N94 to Gap. That turned out to be another wide choice by Steve, 3 brilliant biking roads one after another and the N94 good down to Embrun.
We arrived in Gap only for satnav to tell us that the nearest campsite was miles away, back the way we had come. Steve suggested that we ride the N85 - the road I really wanted to ride and see if there were any sites along it. Luckily only about 2 kms out of town we found one and booked ourselves in for the night. It was almost empty, so we had plenty of space around us and managed to pitch well away from everyone else. We were just at the start of the green section of the road for tomorrow's ride, a perfect place to stop.

on the road, some random bridge
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip285.jpg

the road into the alps
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip287.jpg

views as riding
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip289.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip290.jpg

Italian 3 wheeled van
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip291.jpg

more views
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip295.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip297.jpg

some of the 20 hairpins - S21
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip299.jpg

one of the less severe corners
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip301.jpg

looking at where we were heading
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip302.jpg

hello france
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip303.jpg

French Alps
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip305.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip306.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip307.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip308.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip309.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip311.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip315.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip316.jpg

campsite
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip323.jpg

blue sky at after 5pm
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip324.jpg


Day 12, Moncey, France, 7 October 255miles

Up bright & early, all packed and ready to go and ride the road I had been looking forward to all trip - the N85 Route Napoleon.
The road started off well - once we got past the roadworks, a few hairpins, all uphill, not bad for a start. Unfortunately I was greatly disappointed in the N85, yes it was scenic in parts, a few sharp bends and it ran through the mountains, but after the S21, D900 & D902 yesterday it was a bit of an anticlimax. Never mind at least I could say I had ridden it.
We had decided to alter our planned route, I had planned to got to St Etienne today, but as I now had company and Steve thought it a bit ambitious to got to St Etienne then onto Dijon and Luxembourg , it was decided to head in the general direction of Luxembourg & camp somewhere near Besancon. It was to be a long day, so after the N85 we were doing a more direct route, using highways. The sat nav was trusted implicitly by me and I just followed it. It was quite a long uneventful journey, nothing really to write home about. We did this route to reach Besancon. Once there we waited for sat nav to find a campsite. Nothing near, but we did see a sign for a site, just 1 sign, we never found it. After stopping at a supermarket and asking some poor woman if she knew of anywhere local we rode around the lanes. Steve eventually found some people to ask, they gave us the address of 2 local sites. we headed to the first one, it was shut and the gateway was chained, on to the 2nd one. Luckily we found it with no problems and it was open. As we had had a late lunch somewhere along the way we weren't hungry, so after the tent was pitched and we had freshened up in the converted portacabin we went to the bar for a drink. We only wanted 1 drink each, but the people there were really friendly & we ended up having 3 drinks. I know I always say I don't drink when on the bike, but these were only small glasses and 1 wouldn't have hurt. 3 left the pair of us a bit tipsy. We walked (well wobbled) back to the tent and promptly fell asleep.

N85 - Route Napoleon
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip327.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip328.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip331.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip333.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip336.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip339.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip340.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip341.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip343.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip345.jpg

the campsite in Moncey
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip354.jpg

river near campsite
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip355.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip356.jpg


Day 13, Diekirch, Luxembourg, 8 October, 226 miles

We woke with no ill effects of the previous night and were heading to Luxembourg today. I had already selected 3 campsites for tonight, all sounded good, it was just going to be a case of which one we arrived at first.
We were using highways again today, mainly N57 and E23, anyway toady was overcast and threatening rain. We had donned waterproofs as forecast was for heavy rain in France. Over the trip so far I had got into the habit of having my camera around my neck so I could take photos whilst moving. Today I did the same, big mistake, it got wet and halfway through the journey the display had gone a nice yellow/green colour & it took photos with nice lines across it. Think I had now broken my camera and anyone who knows me knows I am lost without it in my pocket ready for action.
we eventually crossed the border and ended up in the middle of Luxembourg, in heavy traffic. I have never seen such a small place with so many roadworks. At least it had stopped raining and it was quite warm even though it was still overcast. At last we were out of the town and on the N19 heading towards Echternach and a campsite, again plans changed and we missed out Echternach and found a lovely little town called Diekirch. The campsite we were going to stop at was closed, but there was one a few hundred metres up the road, that would do, it was right on the river bank and there was plenty of space. Booked in, tent pitched, now time to find the shops and replace my now defunct camera and the battered panniers.
It was a lovely town, all pedestrianised and plenty of shops. first things first, camera. We located a shop selling cases & bags first, so a rather large holdall was bought so I could move some of the heavier items from the panniers into the bag which could sit on the pillion seat, then at last a new camera was purchased, I was now happy. We decided to sit at a cafe with an apple strudel each and a drink.
When will these Europeans learn how to make a cup of tea? All trip I had been given a cup of hot water & a tea bag, I like the water poured over the tea bag, not tea bag dunked in hot water.
Supermarket next, we bought something for tea to be cooked at the tent.
It was lovely to sit outside the tent eating with the sound of the river Sauer running at the back of us. We were getting pretty tired by now, we had had 3 long days on the run and it was starting to tell on both of us, so once the sun had set we retired to the tent for some much needed sleep.

River Sauer, Diekirch
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip358.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip359.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip360.jpg

apple strudel
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip362.jpg

Diekirch town centre
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip363.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip365.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip366.jpg

River Sauer
https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip367.jpg

https://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad72/kk1964/europe%20pt3/th_Europetrip371.jpg


Day 14, Mons, Belgium, 9 October, 129 miles

We took our time getting up and leaving the site as today was a relatively short run back into Belgium.
It wasn't long before we crossed the border into Belgium, we were heading for Mons, a site of a battle in WW1, we wanted to visit a war cemetery and see what the town had to offer in the way of remembrance. again an uneventful journey, we used the N4 to Namur, then E42 into Mons. We did stop at a restaurant for lunch there were already 9 German bikes parked there, so we thought we would be ok to go in dressed in full bike gear. Steve used a seriette to clean his glasses and managed to snap the frame, that would be fun, he needs them for reading, how the hell would he see the sat nav? We had a lovely meal each, but I was surprised to see people coming into dine bringing their dog in with them, wouldn't be allowed here.
Time to move on, Mons has a funny sort of ring road which has a road running alongside it on either side of the ring road. it was very easy to get lost & take the wrong road. We found a nice little site about 2 km away from the town centre, but once on the site you would never know you were in the middle of a town. There was a large park to the side of the site and all we could hear was a load of ducks.
Tent up, now we needed an opticians to see if the glasses could be repared. Unfortunately due to where they had snapped they couldn't be repaired, so the optician set about finding a frame that would fit the lens. luckily one was located & lenses were fitted, hurray, Steve could read again and see the sat nav properly. I treated us to a bite to eat and a drink while Steve used the sat nav to find a war cemetery nearby. Not as easy as you would think, the town of Mons seems to want to forget the past and build up tourism based on the new stuff around it. Anyhow, he did find one and programmed the sat nav to get us there, it was on a road called Rue des Prisonniers, seemed appropriate. Off we set, along main roads, then onto a housing estate. The road was fine to begin with, but got narrower as we progressed, it became single track, then we met bollards across the road. Steve suddenly remarked that he saw a sign earlier which said the road was a dead end. The sat nav was not giving an alternative route and the cemetery was only a few km ahead of us. Steve said that the bikes would fit between the bollards, so we squeezed through. It wasn't too bad, the path was cobbled, then the cobbles ended, we were now on a grass/mud pathway. Did you know that Harleys can go off road quite well? We reached the other end, a housing estate, then another gravel pathway. The cemetery was just at the end, we had found it.
I have never been to a war cemetery before, this one was only a small one, about 500 graves. It was very tidy and there was even a guest book with pencil supplied and a book listing the grave numbers of all the known dead. That wouldn't happen here, there would be no book and certainly no pencil. We had a walk round, it was so moving, graves saying 'Soldier of the Great war' at the top then the cross in the middle and at the bottom ' Known Unto God'.
Most of the graves were dated 23rd or 24th August 1914, that was the dates of the big battle in Mons. There were German graves there too, all graves were well looked after and I have never seen such a neat graveyard, it was immaculate. there were also a few graves dated October/November 1918, I presume there was more fighting then too. One of the graves listed the Canadian soldier as having died 10 days after war was declared over, 22 November 1918. I never thought I would be so moved by a graveyard, but when you see ages of the 'men' as 18 & 19 it makes you think. I have a son of 18 who I don't think would be prepared to give up his life for his country.
It took us well over an hour to wander around, we then brought ourselves back to the present and went back to the tent. We cooked tea then I had a wander into town to get something for breakfast & a few snacks. I also bought a couple of bottles of beer we could enjoy later. Neither of us felt like the beer, we had a cuppa instead and reflected on what we had seen today before it was time for sleep.

roads in Luxembourg
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Border of Belgium/Luxembourg.
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Mons town centre
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the war cemetery
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Day 15, Rest day, Mons, 10 October, 25 miles (approx)

It had rained overnight as was still drizzly when we got up. A rest day was called for. as we had travelled for over 24 hours in some of our clothes on day 1, we decided to use the washing machine on site & wash the stuff we would travel home in and a few other bits. Great the washing machine worked, but not the drier. We put all the wet clothes in the top box and set off for the launderette. An hour spent there and the clouds had all disappeared, we had clean clothes, washed and dried for about a fiver. Time to go into the town and have a look around properly. Yesterday when we went to the opticians we spotted 2 bikes parked across the square from us, today we aimed to park where they had been rather than down one of the streets where we parked yesterday. Easier said than done, it is all a one way system and you cant take a vehicle across the square. After riding round for about 45 minutes, riding along a pavement and doing about 6 miles we eventually decided to give up and head for where we had been the night before. Someone was having a laugh with us, we now couldn't work out how to get back. As luck would have it we accidentally ended up where we originally wanted to be. The square was full of cars, we parked then asked the local police if we were ok to park. Apparently no, the cars were all there for a wedding, but if we brought the bikes forward, we could park next to the police van. Perfect, we wandered around, there was a market on, we had a Belgian waffle each then sat at the cafe which overlooked the square & our bikes. £ drinks each and a lovely meal sat in the sunshine watching the world go by, it was wonderful. The town planners certainly worked well as all the modern buildings fitted in very well with some of the really old ones, no carbuncles built here. We must have sat there almost 3 hours, we were chilling we really felt like we were on holiday. Back to the bikes and now to find our way back to the tent.
It was easier getting out of the town centre than getting into it. We arrived back and I decided to check my scottoiler and then wash the bike, it was filthy, Steve washed his and we checked them both over for tomorrow's journey home.
The bikes had not been so clean for 2 weeks.
No cooking tonight, we decided on 1 last treat, a meal out, and as we were in Belgium we had a Chinese lol. It was a lovely way to end a perfect day. Back to tent and still beer had not been drunk, Steve was going to take it back home with him, were 2 bottles of beer within the duty free allowance?
We packed most of our stuff ready for tomorrow and for the last time crawled into our sleeping bags.

mons town centre
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Day 16, Home, 12 October, 472 miles

All packed, we decided to leave the airbed, it was only a cheap one to begin with, it was decidedly knackered, at least that was less weight for me to carry and one of the frying pans was abandoned due to it never having been non-stick as claimed. At last, 9am all ready for the homeward journey, we were going to use highways as although a shortish journey, we wanted to be able to stop for a mid morning snack and also have lunch before we got the pre-booked ferry at 2pm.
We said goodbye to Belgium on the A27 and entered France, following signs to Lille. it was somewhere after this we hit roadworks, stupid here got us into the wrong lane and we ended up on some little country lanes trying to get back on the main road again. It gets quite scary when you pass a load of men with guns looking strangely at you, Steve must have been waving a white flag as we got passed them with no problem
Back on track, ontowards Dunkirk then Calais. I was last in Calais in 1985, it has changed a lot since then but we managed to find a little cafe about midday and stopped for lunch. The ferry was booked for 2pm, but we decided to see if we could get an earlier crossing and proceeded to the terminal. We were lucky, we got on the 1.10pm crossing and joined the queue of cars and the man with the bicycle (no onions). After a short wait we moved to passport control, this was the first time we had to show our passports. I had to take my helmet off, don't know why I look nothing like my photo. Then onto the ferry, we were the first bikes on, tied the pair of them down then went upstairs to enjoy a daytime crossing. It seemed like no time at all before we were allowed to go back to the bikes and prepare to ride on British soil again.
A few stops on the motorway to re-fuel & have tea I arrived home at just after 9.30pm and Steve arrived at his home just before 10pm.


all packed ready for home
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some random lane in France
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Calais
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Approaching ferry terminal
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in the queue
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boarding ferry
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the 2 bikes safely tied down
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Farewell France
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white cliffs of Dover
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Dover
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ready to leave ferry
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riding off ferry
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at services, north of London
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It had been a fantastic 2 weeks, we had seen quite a few countries, crossed many borders and ridden a lot of miles.

Would I do it again? Yes. It was the best holiday I have ever had.
Would I change anything? No. I had the best riding companion, we had ridden some fantastic roads, seen some wonderful views and we have some great memories.


It is definitely worthwhile making the effort of taking a bike abroad, no matter what age or model of bike. I had a battered Fazer with over 75000 on the clock and Steve had a Harley cruiser.

The only regret I have is that we didn't have longer over there, but there is always next year...... you up for it Steve?
____________________
Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people