Belgium and more - Loads More Piccies!

[Silver_Fox]

[chickenstrip]

The trip is open-ended

By which I mean, for me, it depends on how the available funds I have last, and what my stamina for the whole thing turns out to be. Company might well make it easier for me to keep going longer. I have pretty much unlimited time in which to do this

My mate, who I originally first planned this with, has to be back home no later than 10th June.

Out of the people who have commented so far on this thread, I have met Matt, Aff and Pigeon on other trips/meets (none outside the UK though so far). But if you never go on any, you'll never meet anyone

I'm coming down from Carlisle, hopefully staying overnight with aforementioned mate at his gaff in Kent (he doesn't know this yet ) before heading for the tunnel crossing.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Silver_Fox]

I bought my bike from Carlisle, that was a trek just to get back to MK

The 4 guys I bike with want to go to Snowdonia (again) 27th May, but Europe sounds way more fun
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CBR600 F3 FV
CG125

[chickenstrip]

Furthest I ever went to buy a bike was from London to Guernsey. Had a nice day out

Snowdonia's good - excellent roads and scenery, but Europe has got to the top of my priority list, something I've been wanting to do for years. I've only done limited riding over there, and that was donkey's years ago, and didn't really do much in the way of exploring even then.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[Pigeon]

I'm Guildford and about 2 hours from the tunnel.

Happy to meet up somewhere on route. 9am at the tunnel would be doable, but would prefer not to earlier if possible.

Needs my beauty sleep

[-Matt-]

[Silver_Fox]

Sounds good. I'm harmless, if you exclude the hi viz leathers and dad jokes
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CBR600 F3 FV
CG125

[chickenstrip]

Planning is going well for this - getting excited myself now

We'll be hopefully visiting a shed-load of museums and forts connected with both WW1 and WW2 in France and Belgium, and riding through some great scenery too. A lot to cram in to just 3 full days (most are travelling home on Tues 31st May).

Some of the places we hope to visit:

https://www.101airbornemuseumbastogne.com

https://www.december44.com/en/history_battle_of_the_bulgela_gleize.htm

https://www.chateau-fort-sedan.fr/en/visits

https://www.ww1battlefields.co.uk/verdun/fleury.html

https://www.tourisme-verdun.fr/en_subterranean-citadel-underground-citadel-.php
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[-Matt-]

Just to check; so far we have Me, Chickenstrip, Neil and arry confirmed.

Pigeon and Silver_Fox are you both definitely coming/cleared leave-wise with work etc or do you need a bit more time? Looking to book various bits soon.

For those that are coming, can you PM me and let me know if you want to share rooms/have your own or need to leave/return at a specific time on the Friday or Tuesday on the tunnel.

[arry]

Will sort out my details tomorrow mate. I'm seeing a mate tomorrow that may be up for it.

[-Matt-]

No worries, cheers

[Pigeon]

I'm definitely in. Cleared leave....sort of. I've asked and they said yes verbally. So I'm proceeding on that basis.

Will PM you Matt

[Silver_Fox]

I have the 27th off but not the dates after the weekend yet. I'll let you know asap. Room wise I'm not precious, I'm happy to share to keep costs down. Any funny noises I make in my sleep though are gratis
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CBR600 F3 FV
CG125

[-Matt-]

Thats alright, its not really urgent if you need more time, just trying to confirm and book whatever can be done at the moment to minimise things piling up .

I'll keep in mind you might be wanting to share if/when you do get it all confirmed .

[-Matt-]

All booked now . Sent PM's to everyone.

If anyone else wants to join the trip post on here or send me a PM and i'll forward you all the booking information.

Once you recieve your tunnel booking emails you can use the information in them to submit your API information (will recieve another email guiding you to do this). Needs to be done before travelling.

[chickenstrip]

Me and Fazer mate all booked, looking forward to it
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[arry]

I'm gonna be booked tomorrow as soon as I get to a proper screen

[arry]

Boom! Sorted

Now all I've got to do is re-learn how to ride this motorbike thingy

[grr666]

This sounds like it could be a right laugh.
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[-Matt-]

Sent you a PM grr .

[Pigeon]

Am booked

As I said to Matt, I really wanted to visit some of the areas made infamous by WW2, but probably would have been years before I'd got my fat arse in gear to sort it out.
Then thankfully you guys are going in 8 weeks time

Not entirely sure how my little mind will react to seeing some of these things. Much of which now will just be grassy dents and trees, but it's that funny thing of the hairs on your neck going off on one because of what happened. I certainly doubt I could visit Auschwitz.

But if I do end up balling like a 2 year old, I can count on BCF to not rip the piss mercilessly.......damnit.

Really looking forward to it.

[arry]

Fuck is it really eight weeks? I really do need to drag the bike out

[arthurmo]

I noticed you plan on going to Verdun if you have the time try and visit the trench of the Bavarians. It's some of the best original trenches of any I've seen.
https://www.magoguide.net/?mago_item=trenches-of-the-bavarians-and-the-count-of-roffignac
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ducati mutleystrada
Triumph Thruxton old and knackered just like the owner

[Silver_Fox]

[chickenstrip]

I'm not really a great fan of war cemeteries and concentration camps. I also find it all a bit depressing, and rows of crosses don't really do it for me as places to visit, though I do hold the proper respect for those that gave their lives to defend our liberty etc.

Rightly or wrongly, war fascinates me however, and I'm particularly interested in how servicemen coped with the extreme conditions they found themselves in, and the Battle of the Bulge is a good example of such extremes, not only because of the stresses of combat, but also the conditions of severe cold the combatants had to cope with. Those that survived must have been little short of supermen to come out of it with a shred of sanity left!

I can give you all a rough outline of what happened at the places we hope to visit while we're there for the WW2 stuff at least, but I would recommend that you read up on the relevant campaigns before doing so, on this trip and any similar that you may do in the future. It gives a great insight into what you are actually seeing, and makes the whole trip much more worthwhile if you know why you have travelled hundreds of miles to look at a trench or hole in the ground in some anonymous bit of woodland or field! (although of course, the museums, tanks and other remaining military relics do somewhat speak for themselves).

For the Battle of the Bulge, I would recommend this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RLA3VMG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!