tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12182364279697018062024-03-13T10:54:42.404-07:00John Stephen's Biking TripsThis started out as the Trip to Scotland - Sept 2009 but continues with descriptions of other trips;John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-74015603244991240202012-04-15T08:31:00.000-07:002012-04-16T12:08:03.700-07:00Shock Horror; Chrissie Comes off Bike on first Outing!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mother of the Bride!</td></tr>
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Today was Chrissie's first ride since she was ten years old and, according to her father, she was a lousy pillion as she always tried to sit upright around bends! So, it was with some trepidation that we embarked upon this inaugural trip. I had though given Chrissie some homework weeks in advance to read up on hits and tips of how to be a good pillion.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Esso Lewes</td></tr>
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The weather was cool (7-8C) but thankfully dry. We donned our gear and I encouraged Chrissie to wear a silk balaclava as this would a) keep her hair out fo the way and b) keep her face warm. The photo here had us both rolling about ! Don't forget this is the mother of the bride !<br />
We took a route that I have travelled many times and it was great. Chrissie was immediately recognised as an excellent pillion; why? Because I could not tell that she was there; until that is she tried to dismount. We re-fuelled in Lewes and Chrissie tried a different way to get on again; it was OK but we agreed that we needed to work on this. However when we got to Robertsbridge - where we would stop for lunch, the dismounting efforts suddenly resulted in Chrissie actually falling off the bike and landing flat on her back in the car park! We were in fits of laughter which turned to slight embarrassment as we entered the pub to find that they had witnessed this spectacle and had found it most amusing!<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ECU9OsObblA/T4rotvm5BaI/AAAAAAAAAOM/g0ZLV99R8L0/s1600/IMG_0273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ECU9OsObblA/T4rotvm5BaI/AAAAAAAAAOM/g0ZLV99R8L0/s320/IMG_0273.jpg" width="240" /></a>Never mind, we had a great lunch and, but for the gathering clouds, a few spots of rain and what appeared to be an even cooler temperature, we would have continued the ride. As it was, we decided to return home as we had had a great time and no gain was to be had by getting cold and possibly wet too!<br />
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Once home I downloaded the route from my SatNav and we had done over 90 miles; and what fun it was too! We are now planning our next trip!<br />
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Post script : My GT has an Autocomm system fitted to allow me to hear my SatNav ("Emily") and also to allow me to have bike to bile communications. However, will a pillion passenger, it allowed Chrissie and I to chat away as we went. This was particularly useful in the first hour as I was able to confirm that all was well and also praise Chrissie for being a super pillion!<br />
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<br />John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-72280872168104654172012-03-28T05:47:00.002-07:002012-03-28T05:47:41.765-07:00Spring 2012 - SW France - Day 6I must be mad! I have said this a number of times, but each time I yield to the madness. I left Dave and Janet's at 5:30am and road solidly to Calais. I was pretty cold for the first 4 hours and what started out as a mild 10C soon dropped to 4-6C the further I sped from the mild temperature of the coastal area.<br />
The first problem occurred as I was topping up at the Le Clerc filling station; my Garmin Sat Nav simple crashed and stopped working. I was forced to remove it from ts holder; remove the back panel and the battery and effectively do a "hard reboot". Luckily that worked and we were all OK after that.<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9eCI3lqnz8/T3MIK_R-ZNI/AAAAAAAAANs/97QmPq1PAmE/s1600/IMG_0253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9eCI3lqnz8/T3MIK_R-ZNI/AAAAAAAAANs/97QmPq1PAmE/s320/IMG_0253.jpg" width="240" /></a>The autoroute towards Nior and then Poitiers was dull and cool and, by the time I stopped for breakfast at 9am, I was pretty cold. However a large café creme and 2 croissants, soon started the internal heat generators. I was soon back on the GT; this time heading for Tours followed by Le Mans; which was followed by Alençon and Rouen. It was around 11:15 that I reached Rouen with the SatNav guiding me through and around a very busy city as I once again linked up with the A28 and then, finally, the A16, the final part before reaching Calais.<br />
I headed for the nearest Carrefour and bought some cheese and ham; all tasty stuff that cannot be bought in UK. I then saw a string of fresh garlic and I thought, Yes ! <br />I then went to Eurotunnel and just missed a shuttle so had to wait 45 minutes until the 14:50.<br />
As usual, the journey is fast, efficient and uneventful. I only wish they had fold down chairs as the only option is to sit on the floor! Never mind, it's only 35 minutes.<br />
Back in UK; a fill up of cheaper (!) fuel and I was home in under an hour! A great mini-holiday and I am already looking forward to the next trip! However I will not do these 575-600 miles in one day; it's simply exhausting and not nice at all. The GT takes all this in her stride and she arrived home purring as it is precisely this type of touring that the GT was made for.John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-18454942541632173792012-03-26T11:45:00.001-07:002012-03-28T06:11:41.505-07:00Spring 2012 - SW France - Day 5Today was a trip that everyone says is a "must"; however, having done it we can understand why it's little more than a "tick in the box". The plan; and indeed the route, was to follow the coast road south to Bordeaux and then up into the Medoc.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The classic Medoc village of Margaux</td></tr>
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So we set off at around 9:30 and Dave mentioned that "this is not a GT road". So, with that in mind, I set the damping setting to comfort (my bum is still a little sore!) and off we went.Well it was true to say that the road was, in places, a little like a trampoline; definitely not a GT road; however all was well and we roled into Blaye; looked for a supermarket (to buy a picnic lunch) and then continued to Bourg. There we stopped at the local Carrefour supermarket where Janet and I went in and bought a large bread; some goats cheeses; salami; cucumber and tomatoes; not forgetting Bayonne ham! Now that we were stocked up for a picnic we continued and hit the (ghastly) Bordeaux "Rocade" (ring road). We had to stay on this road for perhaps ten minutes; but it was horrible; a huge volume of ricks and cars; all travelling at 65-75 mph, but bumper to bumper. We exited as soon as the Sat Nav "spoke" and I looked forward to the trip through the "fairy tale" Medoc villages where some of the most coveted wines of the world are born.<br />
Unfortunately my fairy tale was soon shattered by dense traffic; multiple roundabouts and commercial buildings. However, we did finally emerge from this and signs showed the infamous village of Margaux ahead. around us was a sea of vines; but they were seemingly totally devoid of life and grey in colour. This gave a somewhat macabre feeling to the place; almost lifeless. We tried to find Château Margaux but failed miserably; ending up at the plush golf course instead!<br />
Our plans for a picnic were not as we had thought or hoped; but 1pm we were coming through St Estèphe and Janet a couple of benches by the church. So that's where we stopped; outside the church. The picnic was great and very tasty. From here we routed directly to Lesparre-Medoc and from there directly to Le Verdon sur Mer. Here we took the ferry across to Royan; the bikes travelled as "horses" for around €10 and the passengers we just over €3. Twenty minutes later and we were in Royan; a plush and fancy seaside town; famous for the Cockleshell Heroes in WWII.<br />
We had a drink at a local café; ripped off paying over €3 for a coke or a coffee; but hey, this is Royan even though it's off season!<br />
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We then took the coast road back to St Fort sur Gironde; arriving at around 4:45pm. Just enough time for Dave and Janet to relax in the garden in the sun; nice.<br />
Tomorrow I will ride back to UK. I have had a fabulous time and, as ever, I am grateful to Dave and Janet for their kindness and hospitality. We had a great time and already we are discussing when we can do some more?!!!John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-70952346180155101322012-03-25T08:16:00.004-07:002012-03-28T06:07:02.061-07:00Spring 2012 - SW France - Day 4<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarlat<br /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">Sunday 25th. The clocks went forward 1hr last night but we were away by around 8:50. We headed SW on delightful roads following the Dordogne. However due to a SatNav error Emily then tried to route us via the autoroute. So Dave set a route to Sarlat which took us through very small tracks / C roads. Eventually we hit the D60 and we arrived in Sarlat. It's still lovely; clearly very touristy but, apart from a group of Honda Pan riders, it was fairly clear. We walked into the centre, had a coffee and I visited the cathedral where Sunday Mass was taking place. The road from Sarlat to Les Eyzies and then towards Perigeux was fantastic. Not fantastic for sports riders but for the GT it was perfect; 60-80 mph with great sweepers with closer curves to keep you on your toes; and all around great scenery. Lunch in Brantôme was very welcome and really </span>delicious<span style="font-size: 100%;">; the Ceasar salad was one of the best I've had. From Brantôme it was directly back to Dave and Janet's (just under 2 hours) with a stop for petrol in Jonzac. I was impressed that, again I was averaging just over 50 mpg. Back in St Fort sur Gironde at 4:30 and all is well. Fabulous weather!</span></div>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-39308427262648108162012-03-24T08:27:00.002-07:002012-03-28T08:28:24.375-07:00Spring 2012 - SW France - Day 3<span style="font-size: 100%;">I was up early this morning; the traders in the market were setting up their stalls at around 5:45 and there was much activity. I decided to work on today's route which was </span>fairly<span style="font-size: 100%;"> complex following the Dordogne gorges. Dave had originally decided that we'd leave at 9am but </span>called<span style="font-size: 100%;"> to suggest 8:30 instead. I was ready! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">We headed east along an excellent D road towards Argentat and once again we were smiling as this was a terrific biking road; smooth; quick and with lovely long sweeping bends. Definitely GT terrain. At Argentat we re-fuelled and then set of for the gorges; initially heading north and then zig-zagging as the roads snaked its way up into the hills. The views started to open out and there were some spectacular bridges and dams. It was now more GS than GT terrain and we were rarely out of 3rd gear with quite variable road surfaces. By 11am, Dave was becoming a little </span>agitated<span style="font-size: 100%;">; why? Because he had declined breakfast and was </span>now<span style="font-size: 100%;"> seriously hungry. My bum was getting sore so we stopped; had a stretch and decided that we would stop at the next town. Little did we know than a few hundred metres up the road was the </span>village<span style="font-size: 100%;"> of </span>Chalvignac where there was a delightful "Bar-Tabac". We parked up and went inside. Did they have any food? Well not really but would some cheese in a baguette do ? It was Cantal cheese (of the region) and this served as lunch ! It was an extraordinary place with local workers having a drop of wine and the owners dogs and cat wandering around the customers. From here we continued our route and now started to head south; this time on better, faster and more "GT" style roads towards Mauriac. Dave had mentioned that he was concerned that his bike was making a rumbling sound; so we swapped bikes to test this out. This also had the benefit of my Dave and Janet being able to try out the pillion intercom capabilities of my set up. This will be important when Chrissie comes because we will be able to communicate. I will need to buy the kit to for her helmet though (<i>post script; already purchased !</i>)</div>
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The road from Mauriac back to Argentat was fantastic; beautiful rolling countryside with fast (60+) sweepers that bring a smile to your face each time you swing from right to left as you negotiate the road.</div>
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Our hotel, the Sablier du Temps was again booked up last night using Booking.com and it's great. I am sitting outside in the garden; it's 22C, clear blue sky and free wi-fi; what more can a man ask for ?! Dave and Janet have gone off into town to see "what's what". </div>
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Tomorrow? Well; we're really not sure. One thing's for sure; I am rather hungry !</div>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-111698321957407632012-03-23T23:31:00.003-07:002012-03-26T11:54:07.645-07:00Spring 2012 - SW France - Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">The sun was shining and the day looked promising as we headed off from St Fort sur Gironde. We had checked our radios and were able to communicate between the bikes. Dave took the lead and we headed for Brantôme - a beautiful town on the banks of the river Dronne. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">Here we stopped and enjoyed a walk through the market where the site of beautiful </span>vegetables<span style="font-size: 100%;">; wonderful cheeses and fish, meat and poultry were simply a feat for the eyes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">The riding was lovely; some roads not as memorable as others but, by and large our GTs were in their element. We had filled up with petrol first thing and, in stark contrast to yesterday's 33mpg I was now </span>achieving<span style="font-size: 100%;"> just over 50 mpg; that's not hanging about but it is keeping under 80 mph.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">After Brantôme, we headed for Jumilhac le Grand where we stopped at 1pm and had a decent "menu du jour" of steak and chips + starter and desert for €12. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">We continued as far as Brive and a decent hotel (Le Chapon Fin) in the centre of the town. However, at 6pm we started to look for somewhere to eat. We walked and we walked and we walked; </span>retracing<span style="font-size: 100%;"> our steps as we sought to explore each of the roads which radiated off from the centre. We eventually stopped and thought that we would eat here "whatever". We ordered a caraf of rosé and the meal was quite decent. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">My room was on the second floor and I was told that it was market day tomorrow, Saturday, so people would </span>arrive<span style="font-size: 100%;"> early in the square.</span></div>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-87199486860084231872012-03-22T07:37:00.005-07:002012-03-26T11:47:16.958-07:00Spring 2012 - SW France - Day 1<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">04:30. Left the house. Dry and 5C. The white beam of the GT easily lighting up the dark road before the A26. The run to Folkestone was easy and I arrived at 5:25; just in time to be offered the 05:50 instead of the 06:20; nice; just how I like it. </span></span><span style="font-size: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722735820049176706" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yjFHrHk06PQ/T2s96HFvWII/AAAAAAAAALk/Y5rfCCvSg_E/s200/IMG_0229.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Waiting for the off now and then I'll have my breakfast; sandwiches. Next stop is Rouen (2 hrs from Calais).</span></span><span style="font-size: 100%; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722735502332393218" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f7M9mCBzFGs/T2s9nngJ9wI/AAAAAAAAALY/uhkxl5lMLjc/s200/IMG_0230.JPG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 150px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 200px;" /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Arrived in Rouen after just 1 Hr 45 mins; GT running well and did not want to travel at 130kph; so I left her off the leash :-)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">By 11:40am I was in Tours; still bright warm and sunny; and by 1pm I was just north of Poitiers. The GT had been cruising at around 170-180 kph very comfortably and, by 2:30pm I rolled up at Dave and Janet's house in St Fort sur Gironde.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">Here is the route; average 70 mph from Calais (but that includes all stops!! ;-) )</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span></div>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-42229382382313961282011-09-10T06:52:00.000-07:002011-09-10T06:53:42.215-07:00September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 9 : España - Hasta la próximaWe left Viellle-Adout at around 9:45 and set our Sat Navs to Condom. The route was “OK” but it was rather dull D roads interspersed with towns and the inevitable plethora of roundabouts. We had initially decided to go to Blaye and then travel up the coats road but, as the temperature settled on 28C Dave's idea of just getting home and the swimming seemed more and more attractive. So we joined the autoroute and sat there for an hour or so and, by 3:00pm we had arrived.<br /><br />The plan was for me to return back to Spain to pick up the ferry to Portsmouth but the more I though about it, the more illogical it became. So, I contacted Brittany Ferries and they swapped by Santander to Portsmouth ticket for a Caen to Portsmouth ticket; and refunded me £43 in the process :-)<br /><br />So I shall have to do Spain “next time”; or another time.<br /><br />Effectively this means that I shall be home 48 hours early; which is fine and which will bring the holiday to an end.John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-17246280641252532872011-09-10T01:25:00.001-07:002011-09-10T06:58:22.579-07:00September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 8 : a mixed bag - not greatThe group 8 bikes left Vielle-Amour at 9:30 and the plan was to ride the Roncal valley in Spain and then back up to France. After some 10 minutes’ riding, I was surprised to see a phone call come through from a French number; I answered it; it was Bellinda; she advised that one of the guys had left all his documents on the table. For the first time my Autocom phone system seemed to work !! Hurray ! I told her that I would immediately advise Phil. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i8SrKgZbLI4/Tmts2lL13AI/AAAAAAAAAIo/UHC3T68BCo4/s1600/IMG_1797.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i8SrKgZbLI4/Tmts2lL13AI/AAAAAAAAAIo/UHC3T68BCo4/s320/IMG_1797.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650729842416933890" /></a>I sped up to the front of the group and told Phil; we parked up some 1 mile further and Phil returned to retrieve the documents.<br /><br />The roads had variable surfaces and, at our first stop, Dave and I agreed that we would prefer to do our own thing at our own pace. So we split off and headed off towards the Roncal valley. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90VwrrCdV-Y/TmtsSVf-6WI/AAAAAAAAAIg/PLGgI9KEszw/s1600/Roncall.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-90VwrrCdV-Y/TmtsSVf-6WI/AAAAAAAAAIg/PLGgI9KEszw/s320/Roncall.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650729219731155298" /></a>The road was indeed wonderful but Dave became concerned that his brakes were fading; so we pulled over and Dave checked everything out; all seemed fine; so we continued without further incident.<br />We arrived back at Vielle-Adour at 6pm but had to admit that it had not been a great day; we were hot and tired and decided that we would cancel the hotel for Friday night in Spain and, instead, head back to Dave and Janet’s in St Fort sur Gironde where we would chill out and relax. I would then return to Santander on Sunday ready for my ferry on the Monday afternoon.John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-81204552238381412762011-09-07T22:35:00.000-07:002011-09-07T22:38:36.089-07:00September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 7 : Best Biking road ever ?! (200 miles)The plan today was to head south to Andora and then on into Spain and then circle back (across some Cols) to rejoin the N20 and head back into France. Over breakfast (which was absolutely dreadful) I was informed by some German bikers that the route to Andora, across the Cols, was 100% OK for bikes; after all, lorries and coaches use it!<br />We left at around 9:20 and the route was fun but not exciting; as we neared Andora, we were given the opportunity to either go over the Col or go through the new tunnel. We decided to go through the tunnel and were soon in the Municipality of Andora. Two things struck us about Andora; 1) the sheer number of petrol stations and 2) the lack of anything else to tempt you to stop. The revolting buildings and architecture were quite astounding and, before we knew it, we were through Andora and into Spain. However, we did fill up our tanks with 98 Octane petrol at €1.27 / litre which is around €0.25 cheaper than in France. <br /><br />The route from Andora took us south on the N-145 which then migrated into the N-260. The route was splendid, little traffic and enjoyable as we sped through the rolling hills and into Adrall where we turned right to continue the N-260 towards Sort. Again, the route was great, and I was relieved that we had not encountered any technically demanding sections because, in today’s 30C heat, this would not have been fun. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8WyBkbSjOds/TmhUffRorxI/AAAAAAAAAIM/JDRshGfYkoc/s1600/N-260%2BSort%2Bto%2BVielha%2B-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 140px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8WyBkbSjOds/TmhUffRorxI/AAAAAAAAAIM/JDRshGfYkoc/s320/N-260%2BSort%2Bto%2BVielha%2B-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649858632484433682" /></a><br />We rolled into Sort and stopped at a bar/restaurant where, not understanding the menu, we chose various Tapas which were both curious and pleasant and filled the gap since the (rubbish) breakfast at the hotel Confort.<br /><br />The section of road between Sort and the junction with the N-230 is simply 45 miles of the most outstanding motorcycling tarmac. We are discussing a road that could have been designed with the BMW GT in mind; perfect surface; smooth with few ripples; straights; fast “swoopy” bends that allow the rider to get into a rhythm swing from right to left and right again; and all of this following the contours of a river which sparkles and glistens from bend to bend. To add some additional fun, there is a section which Phil Battersby calls the “Scalectrix” section where bend follows bend with hairpins at end as the road descends hundreds of metres towards the valley floor. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YENhFajo_A/TmhUqXlrFnI/AAAAAAAAAIU/4aURxtvLtFI/s1600/N-260%2BSort%2Bto%2BVielha%2B-2.jpg.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 164px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YENhFajo_A/TmhUqXlrFnI/AAAAAAAAAIU/4aURxtvLtFI/s320/N-260%2BSort%2Bto%2BVielha%2B-2.jpg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649858819399554674" /></a><br />When you finally reach the junction with the N-230 at Vielha you are grinning from ear to ear. Dave and I have bike to bike comms so we are able to chat along the route; indeed with Janet as Dave’s pillion, she is also able to make her own observations. Along this section of road between Sort and Vielha we all agreed that this is a FIVE STAR (plus plus) road. And you don’t need to be a motorcyclist to appreciate it; no, had we been driving a serious sports car, the same accolades could be bestowed to the designers and builders of this road.<br /><br />The route back to Phil and Belinda’s place was uneventful and, had I used my head (as opposed to the Sat Nav) we would have had a smoother route as opposed to following “farm track” style roads which the Sat Nav felt were equally fast !<br /><br />We were warmly greeted by Bellinda and immediately made to feel at home. A group of 5 bikers arrived at 6pm led by Phil so Pyrenees Motorcycle Tours was full to capacity. Nevertheless, a delicious 4 course meal was served at 8pm which was great.<br /><br />Dave summed up today; “a perfect day’s motorcycling” - what more can one add?John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-19059848131935958762011-09-07T00:02:00.000-07:002011-09-07T22:35:41.482-07:00September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 6 : Hot or what ? (209 miles)We left Carcassonne on time at just after 8:30am, not having had breakfast. The plan was to head east towards Narbonne and then come down the coast. We had consciously avoided the autoroute and used the (lightly trafficked) N113. We arrived at the Mediterranean coast and searched for a café - easier said than done; however we found a little place and I went to the Boulangerie to buy pain au chocolat and croissants.<br /><br />We had decided not to enter the city of Perpignan and so headed for the small seaside resort of Collioure, south of Perpignan and within just a few miles of the Spanish border. We had a seafood feast which was not exactly cheap; however I did enjoy the oysters !<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YYZr3f1J0iU/TmhTsvDy_eI/AAAAAAAAAH8/tHVuYs_tOxA/s1600/Collioure%2B-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YYZr3f1J0iU/TmhTsvDy_eI/AAAAAAAAAH8/tHVuYs_tOxA/s320/Collioure%2B-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649857760548027874" /></a><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E7NoMwCvjQo/TmhTaOzTZtI/AAAAAAAAAH0/_JaERHYjTlA/s1600/Collioure%2B-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E7NoMwCvjQo/TmhTaOzTZtI/AAAAAAAAAH0/_JaERHYjTlA/s320/Collioure%2B-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649857442651268818" /></a><br />The day had started with clear skis and so it continued. As we set off again, we noted that the temperature was now up to 28C and a little later was 30C. We filled up with petrol and headed directly for the start of the route towards Tarascon sur Ariège. A few miles prior to the turn off for the Col route, Dave suggested that he and Janet make a direct route to Tarascon as he felt he had had enough. So we separated and agreed to meet in the town in separate hotels but very close by.<br /><br />My route was up and over the Col de Pailheres and it was quite challenging; why ? Because the road itself was extremely narrow and this, combined with tight, steep uphill hairpins was a little hair-raising, as staying on one’s side of the road was almost impossible. Dave would not have appreciated this Col and, in that respect alone, I was pleased that he had chosen the “GT style” main road which, incidentally, he confirmed as really fabulous!<br /><br />I arrived in Tarascon sur Ariège at just after 6pm and checked in; only to find that I had already booked for Dave, Janet and I; I would now be liable to pay for both rooms ! Luckily though, the room was easily re-let so all was well. Both my hotel (Le Confort and Dave’s - La Poste) are on the banks of the Ariège river and we each had beers sitting outside. The sun was setting and the temperature was a very pleasant 22C.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-InWGojI_JVU/TmhT_hNgUQI/AAAAAAAAAIE/Nxf39oAnM-4/s1600/Tarascon%2Bsur%2BAri%25C3%25A8ge%2B-1%2B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-InWGojI_JVU/TmhT_hNgUQI/AAAAAAAAAIE/Nxf39oAnM-4/s320/Tarascon%2Bsur%2BAri%25C3%25A8ge%2B-1%2B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649858083248165122" /></a><br />We had an evening meal together in a simple river side restaurant and decided that a Pizza was jsut what was required; washed down with cheap but acceptable rosé wine. The plan for tomorrow is to head south on the N20 and into the principality of Andora; then into Spain and the N260 where we shall branch north west and head for France again all, or for the most part, we hope on GT style roads (i.e. not small, tight, twisty roads with multiple hairpins!).<br /><br />I am writing this on Wednesday morning; the Wi-Fi internet connection at the hotel doesn’t work and so I shall have to wait until this evening when we shall be at Phil and Belinda’s place once again. We are there for 2 nights and I am sure that Dave and Janet will appreciate the comfort and hospitality offered. However, before that, we have approx. 200 miles of riding; I am anxious though, because if the riding is too challenging, we won’t be able to simply “turn round” .....John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-36780688083903743222011-09-05T22:30:00.000-07:002011-09-07T22:31:33.739-07:00September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 5 : The GT Twins meet up again (165 miles)It’s around 7:30am on Tuesday 6th; we’re in Carcassonne and the day started with my meeting up with Dave and Janet (who live north of Bordeaux) at their hotel in Tarbes. The plan was to avoid the motorway and travel on D roads to Carcassonne. All in all we had a really good ride. The weather was kind and we travelled at a brisk but not “fast” pace (David and Kelsey (a couple of an elderly BMW F650 single) would have appreciated it; well at least appreciated it more!)<br /><br />The route took us through beautiful forest and countryside with, by and large, excellent “GT style” roads. For one reason or another, we all decided to skip lunch which, I found surprising for me, and we continued to Carcassonne , stopping briefly by a huge hole on the rock face where a river rush and through which a small tunnel had been constructed.<br /><br />We arrived at Carcassonne at around 3:30pm; the Sat Nav guiding us directly to the hotel entrance :-) It was a simple (overpriced) but adequate “tourist” hotel; which was fine as we were immediately handed a map of the area and directions on how to find the mediaeval walled city of Carcassonne. Simply following the tourists was clue enough and, at the entrance to the City were entertainers which was probably a clue to what was inside. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1y9qPRl5EvA/TmhSKaiU5xI/AAAAAAAAAHc/6AH4JlV3woY/s1600/Carcassonne%2B-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1y9qPRl5EvA/TmhSKaiU5xI/AAAAAAAAAHc/6AH4JlV3woY/s320/Carcassonne%2B-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649856071411754770" /></a>Sure enough, shop after shop selling tourist-tat; bars selling beers at prices to make your head spin. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4KL7Xxq1aU/TmhSgICG4sI/AAAAAAAAAHk/JwR6iGMmfwA/s1600/Carcassonne%2B-2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4KL7Xxq1aU/TmhSgICG4sI/AAAAAAAAAHk/JwR6iGMmfwA/s320/Carcassonne%2B-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649856444401902274" /></a>Nevertheless, we entered and had a complete tour; including a couple of beers and a sandwich; the price of which was enough to force a hasty retreat from the battlements and walk 2km into the “real” Carcassonne, where we found a proper square with bars and restaurants all around. However, being a Monday - and France has some peculiar customs in this regard - almost everything was fermé ! So, we sat outside in the balmy early evening sunshine and Dave ordered some Tapas (we are near Spain after all!) and some rosé wine. This went down a treat and discussed how disappointed we were in Carcassonne as a whole.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y0IRKA99jok/TmhTDzKxznI/AAAAAAAAAHs/8gN-2PrnwaI/s1600/Carcassonne%2B-3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y0IRKA99jok/TmhTDzKxznI/AAAAAAAAAHs/8gN-2PrnwaI/s320/Carcassonne%2B-3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649857057276415602" /></a><br />We had planned to spend tomorrow morning (Tuesday 6th) “chilling” in Carcassonne; but the plans were quickly revised and we decided to leave and head for the sea - the beautiful Mediterranean around Perpignan. The weather forecast was still looking good so sun, sea and shell fish sounded pretty good to us all.<br /><br />So, we agreed to be ready at our m’cycles, at 8:30am. We have agreed that Dave needed his ablutions before setting out so Jane bought fruit juice and biscuits to help him on his way the next morning :-) !!<br /><br />It’s now 7:50am so I shall upload this to the “blog” but the pictures will have to wait until tonight where we shall again be in the SE Pyrenees.John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-88616480192349161132011-09-04T10:27:00.000-07:002011-09-04T10:35:59.204-07:00September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 4 : Such roads Do Exist !! (199 miles)Yesterday’s entry ended with “Our enthusiasm for this ride will depend greatly upon the weather forecast....”. Not only was the forecast rubbish but the early morning was misty, damp and had rain in the air.
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<br />The group was reduced to myself, Phil and his son, Ed; the others deciding to do their own thing. So, at 9:40 we set off; Phil leading and Ed at the rear. The plan was to run down into Spain and join some of the very best biking roads - ever! The mist started to clear and the sun started to shine. We crossed over the Col d’Aspin where we stopped for a few minutes admiring the stamina of the elderly men who had just cycled to the top. We then joined the D929, passing through Arreau and heading for the tunnel which leads to Spain.
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<br />The photo is us waiting for the green light which allows us to ride through the 3km tunnel.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MOUAgbplE9U/TmO19qLrSPI/AAAAAAAAAHE/8CStJzE6EA8/s1600/IMG_1741.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MOUAgbplE9U/TmO19qLrSPI/AAAAAAAAAHE/8CStJzE6EA8/s320/IMG_1741.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648558428552644850" /></a>
<br />On the other side we entered the region of Aragon and the start of what can only be described as an astounding road. It is wide; great surface and has multiple bends; the traffic is extremely light and it was almost a question of how quickly do you wish to go ? Police of other enforcement was non existent; except that we did come across a police “check point” where we were simply waved through.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-72taaExoK64/TmO2LRRGT4I/AAAAAAAAAHM/tD0lYbYovTA/s1600/IMG_1742.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-72taaExoK64/TmO2LRRGT4I/AAAAAAAAAHM/tD0lYbYovTA/s320/IMG_1742.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648558662382669698" /></a>
<br />The GT and her rider were experiencing a new level of motorcycling enjoyment and I had clearly selected Sport mode to ensure that the bike was optimally set up for the task. At around 11:50, we stopped for a breather and a drink before setting off again. The plan now was to continue to Ainsa where we would turn onto the N260.
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<br />Once more, our motorcycling senses were taken to new levels as the combination of scenery, road surface, camber and bends allowed full enjoyments at whatever velocity suits your style and ability.
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<br />We stopped for fuel a few miles from the French border and had a tasty dish of eggs, bacon, Corizo sausages and chips !! However the best part was that the Misano MotoGP was on live and we were able to watch a fabulous race.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RTrj1udJGXo/TmO20iLkgII/AAAAAAAAAHU/KHxJ75cPVqY/s1600/IMG_1749.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RTrj1udJGXo/TmO20iLkgII/AAAAAAAAAHU/KHxJ75cPVqY/s320/IMG_1749.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648559371297521794" /></a>
<br />The return to Phil’s place was via the D934 then turn off onto the excellent D35 heading towards Lourdes. We arrived back at 16:45 having had a thoroughly exhilarating day. My GT really earned some browny points today; she averaged 53 mpg despite being run in 2nd - 4th gears for long periods. The Michelin PR3s behaved well with the amount of lean angle clearly visible!
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Wgy4IaGQSs/TmO1sfl1LYI/AAAAAAAAAG8/eOmPEh7GC_4/s1600/Sunday%2B4th%2BSept%2B-%2Bwhat%2Ba%2Bride.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 194px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1Wgy4IaGQSs/TmO1sfl1LYI/AAAAAAAAAG8/eOmPEh7GC_4/s320/Sunday%2B4th%2BSept%2B-%2Bwhat%2Ba%2Bride.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648558133651778946" /></a>
<br />John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-29356836515130258682011-09-03T22:14:00.000-07:002011-09-03T22:46:16.454-07:00September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 3 : Local Exploration (142 miles)Today, there was no official or planned tour so each of the couples (+ me) did their own thing. Phil had proposed a route that took in the waterfalls because, having just had such heavy rain throughout the night, he suggested it might be worth a look.
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<br />The route was to head south through Baneres de Bigorre over the Col du Tourmalet and then to Cauterets and the Pont d’Espagne. The weather forecast was pretty dire and the darkening clouds as I prepared to set off, did not dispell any doubts in that direction.
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<br />I had obviously set up my route in the sat nav and so could concentrate on the journey; and what a journey it was. Great shafts of sunshine were breaking through the clouds and reflected off the surrounding hills and mountains ahead; it was very spectacular. The roads were, in the main, excellent and I was soon climbing upwards towards the Col du Tormalet, passing dozens of cyclists en route. About half way up, I passed through some mist and i was concerned that perhaps this would persist as I gained altitude.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TPztVGNLL1U/TmMJycTph3I/AAAAAAAAAGk/pexaskbVx3c/s1600/IMG_5924.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TPztVGNLL1U/TmMJycTph3I/AAAAAAAAAGk/pexaskbVx3c/s320/IMG_5924.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648369119849449330" /></a>
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<br />I was soon greeted by clear skies and I entered the resort town of la Mongie; it was dreadful in all respects with gaudy colours, brash signs and tourist shops everywhere; yuk! At the top of the Col (2115m), the views were spectacular and I took the photo below.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AyG-tu9fYc0/TmMKFpBZZnI/AAAAAAAAAGs/g9nlYr5k-ek/s1600/IMG_5926.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AyG-tu9fYc0/TmMKFpBZZnI/AAAAAAAAAGs/g9nlYr5k-ek/s320/IMG_5926.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648369449680070258" /></a>
<br />I descended the Col but was ever conscious of the cattle and sheep that use the road also; leaving behind choice samples seemingly purposely on the (hairpin) bends themselves. Caution and safely had to come first. But that was fine as this wasn’t a race and I gently made my way down to continue the route through beautiful gorges on my way to Cauterets.
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<br />I did see a few waterfalls and very mice they were too but, as I approached the panoramic viewing area of Pont d’Espagne, the mist was again evident so I decided to turn around and head back towards Lourdes. I was in two minds whether or not to visit the famous Grotto or the other pilgrimage sites. I parked up opposite the local market and had lunch in a local bistro; all for under €10 and very tasty and, upon remounting the GT, decided that I would head north east and explore some of the other roads in the area.
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<br />As for the weather, it remained dry the whole time so that was a blessing. I returned to Phil and Bellinda’s place at around 3:45pm having down 142 miles; just as the previous day coincidentally.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2LpO3LoXqic/TmMQYufLRSI/AAAAAAAAAG0/iW2O7NgzHu0/s1600/Pryrenees%2B2011%2B-%2BRoute%2B3rd%2BSept.jpg.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 166px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2LpO3LoXqic/TmMQYufLRSI/AAAAAAAAAG0/iW2O7NgzHu0/s320/Pryrenees%2B2011%2B-%2BRoute%2B3rd%2BSept.jpg.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648376374634431778" /></a>
<br />The meal in the evening had eight us us around the table thoroughly enjoying the delicious food and each swapping tales of the day’s exploits. Tomorrow could be interesting; a potentially longer ride that takes us into Spain, crossing over to another valley (road) to the east and then back up into France again.
<br />
<br />Our enthusiasm for this ride will depend greatly upon the weather forecast....John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-32828029742519494172011-09-03T00:17:00.000-07:002011-09-03T00:21:07.740-07:00September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 2 : The local Cols (passes) (142 miles)Six motorcycles left at just after 9:30am, having breakfasted well! The initial route alarmed those of us not on GS1200s (or equivalent) as it was narrow; damp and generous smatterings of mud! This route took us into Orignac and Sieutat and from there we joined a D road where Ed’s son (on a Triumph Tiger 995i) and I zipped off and enjoyed the road at a slightly brisker pace.
<br />
<br />What became apparent though; was that the GT is happiest on fast flowing N and D roads but cannot match the pace of the “adventure bikes” which can be flicked from left to right with great ease. That’s not to say that the GT embarrassed itself; far from it; but the effort required from me was clearly much greater than those on the GSs!
<br />
<br />We had a number of stops; the stops being significantly longer that the actual riding. I guess it depends upon what people want. There were two couples on GS 1200s which were clearly “friends of old” and they stopped to take photos and generally chat at many (many) opportunities. So I guess, if I could replan yesterday’s route, it would have had more riding and hence fewer stops with more “GT” favorable roads - but now I am being “picky”.
<br />
<br />The weather forecast was dreadful but it remained clear skies and (frankly) too hot - 26-29C. We had a brief shower of rain in the late afternoon, but it soon cleared up.
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ywx_mkB1uIs/TmHVNNjgi5I/AAAAAAAAAGc/yMns8DWa0mQ/s1600/IMG_5921.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ywx_mkB1uIs/TmHVNNjgi5I/AAAAAAAAAGc/yMns8DWa0mQ/s320/IMG_5921.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648029830652922770" /></a>
<br />The GT behaved herself beautifully and, at the petrol pumps, surprised the GS riders when I recorded almost 50 mpg which has higher than them :-)
<br />
<br />I cannot close today without a mention of the meal and hospitality back at Phil and Bellinda’s place in Vielle-Adour. After a shower I came downstairs and helped myself to cold bears from the fridge. Then at about 7pm nibble are served and more beer, wine etc. Then at 8pm a 4 course meal was served; really delicious; certainly a “Bib Gourmand”. By 9pm the thunder and lightening were going strong with lightning illuminating the skies. Very spectacular.
<br />I retired to bed at 10:20 leaving the others to continue chatting, eating cheese and drinking wine. All in all, a great day.John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-70437481744107569582011-09-01T21:51:00.000-07:002011-09-01T22:22:12.456-07:00September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 1 : Santander to Lourdes (330 miles)I am starting this trip description from Santander, Spain. The journey from Portsmouth is a full 24 hrs and, in contrast to the group of whale watchers who went around in a permanent state of excited anticipation of their next siting (miles and miles away from the boat), I found the journey incredibly boring and, just too much.<p></p><p class="p1">So the trip for me really started from the Mies De Villa B&B in Soma; less than 30 mins from the Santander terminal on the other side of the bay. </p><p class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p2">You know that sinking feeling when your carefully laid plans have been trashed by some unforeseen event? It was like that, this morning - Thursday Sept 1st. I noticed that my small pouch in which I keep my maps, was missing. I imagined my having to return to the restaurant in Somo and having to wait until at least midday until anyone arrived....However, I had had a premature senior moment and all was well.<span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p2">At 7:30am, and in accordance with my planned schedule, I set off from the comfortable and highly recommended Mies De Villa with bats still flying around and dawn yet to fully break.<span class="s1"></span></p> <img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DZaU4nFX30c/TmBmneV-2RI/AAAAAAAAAF8/DK99EnT-suM/s320/Pryrenees%2B2011%2B-%2B8590.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647626761068796178" /><p class="p2">The journey today was simple; Santander to my base B&B near Tarbes (near Lourdes) on the French side of the Pyrenees. My route was to take the Autopista (motorway) to Pamplona and from there head east south east to Jaca where I would take the N330 into France.<span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p2">Well, the Autopista between Santander and Bilbao is stunning! Yes, it’s a motorway but it has wonderful bends as the road snakes through hills and low lying mountains with panoramic vistas opening up at frequent intervals. <span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p2">To my great disappointment, the Spanish seem to have followed the French in their imposition of absurd speed limits which not only try to impose an upper limit on speed but seek to do so at such frequent intervals that drivers appears to totally ignore them and just drive at, what I considered to be safe speeds. An example of this madness was a stretch of motorway with two wide lanes - flat and straight for a number of miles - with a 62 mph (100 km) limit. So everyone ignores it and runs at around 75-85 mph; just like UK.<span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p2">Despite my meticulous route planning - and its transposition to the SatNav - I made an error in Pamplona and I had to stop and manually target Jaca. Apart from that one small blip, the routing and directions had been perfect for which I had been grateful since arrival in Spain; as I had enough to think about, let alone worry about navigation!<span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p2">The road started to get really interesting from Jaca onwards where I turned north and headed towards the Sompart pass and France. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8UasRlRof7g/TmBm5tMOL5I/AAAAAAAAAGE/H8ONQw9aqZs/s1600/Pryrenees%2B2011%2B-%2B8592.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8UasRlRof7g/TmBm5tMOL5I/AAAAAAAAAGE/H8ONQw9aqZs/s320/Pryrenees%2B2011%2B-%2B8592.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647627074292035474" /></a>Beautiful scenery, great roads and surface and light traffic. The weather was fine; almost too fine as it was pushing 28C which started to become a little too warm for comfort. However, I celebrated my arrival into France by stopping for a sandwich and a coca cola! <span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p2">My route to my B&B - <span class="s2"><a href="http://www.pyreneesmotorcycletours.com/">Pyrenees Motorcycle Tours</a></span> - took me through Lourdes where I witnessed coach-loads of pilgrims visiting the holy sites. (I won’t get into a discussion here over my views of this glorification of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ).<span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p2">I arrived at Vielle-Adour at around 3:30pm and was welcomed by Bellinda Battersby who, of course, was expecting me.<span class="s1"></span></p> <p class="p2">The screen shot below is the route from today's ride</p><p class="p2">
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<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hpw3O7NpZ7g/TmBkby7qyYI/AAAAAAAAAF0/6kzYG6hdESw/s1600/Day%2B1%2Btrip.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 177px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hpw3O7NpZ7g/TmBkby7qyYI/AAAAAAAAAF0/6kzYG6hdESw/s400/Day%2B1%2Btrip.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647624361413888386" /></a>
<br /> </p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">
<br />
<br /></span></p><p class="p2">Now, there are B&Bs and there are B&Bs. Phil and Bellinda have something special here and I make this observation after having spent just 15 hrs here so far. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7yrUZMirUM/TmBnrFO-yuI/AAAAAAAAAGM/ACEjcMyUxfU/s1600/Pryrenees%2B2011%2B-%2B8600.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S7yrUZMirUM/TmBnrFO-yuI/AAAAAAAAAGM/ACEjcMyUxfU/s320/Pryrenees%2B2011%2B-%2B8600.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647627922559650530" /></a>It may be a cliché but it feels like one if staying with friends. The house is open and one helps oneself to drinks for all sorts including wine and beer; as much as you wish; and all included in the single nightly rate. My room is comfortable and I have a view directly south towards some of the peaks of the Pyrenees.</p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Staying here as well are two other couples and Phil’s son Ed. We are all keen motorcyclists (for why else would we be here ?!) and the route for tomorrow has already been planned. As is usual in any group, there are a variety of rising styles and preferences, so I am likely to pair up with Phil’s son on his Honda VFR who likes to ride at a fun pace also. We shall see.</span></p>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-65260875303646466352011-03-29T01:36:00.000-07:002011-03-29T07:57:50.490-07:00March 2011 - SW France - Day 5 Some great sights; great riding; shame about the separation!<span class="Apple-style-span">The day started rather dull and it was evident that rain had fallen in the early hours. However, it was dry for the time being. Dave and I had breakfast at around 8:30 and we were ready to leave at 10am.<br /><br />The plan was to visit the Grande Dune Du Pilat (also spelt Pyla) and then Arcachon; from there, some route to St Emilion. So, at around 10:15am we left the comfortable hotel Caravelle on the shores of the lake, and returned towards Arcachon. The skies were clearing and the sun was rapidly drying the damp roads; and what roads. Just as yesterday, the coast road towards / from Arcachon is a great biking road with first class road surfaces, good sweepers and almost no traffic. I believe that there was a 70kph speed limit but it was clearly ignored by us and the few cars that we saw.<br /><br />The French have gone mad with road legislation; not only are speed limits everywhere, they even reduce the speed limit before corners. So, if the limit is 90 kph (the standard limit for single carriageway roads), the authorities “helpfully” reduce the speed limit 50 metres of so before the bend to 70 kph or less. I have to say that I find such “enforced” regulations at best annoying and at worst, pointless. If people cannot regulate their speed to match the conditions, they shouldn’t be on the road in the first place. Rant over!<br /><br />The Dune du Pilat rises some 117 metres and, according to Wikipedia, is the largest sand dune in Europe. We removed our riding jackets, leaving them and our helmets with the bikes (on the basis that the chances of their being stolen was negligible). We then set about climbing this wall of sand which, from the leeward side, is incredibly steep. Luckily Dave noticed a path which most people which reduces the gradient of the accent. We were puffed as we reached the summit but it was worth it. The panoramic views towards Arcachon and the Atlantic coast are really impressive. We returned to the bikes via the windward side of the dune (which is much less steep) but got caught out because when circling back we had some very steep sand to negotiate across! However, it was great and well worth the visit. What wasn’t great was the €1 car park charge which required us to dismount, find our credit cards as no cash was accepted !!<br /><br />We headed the short distance into Arcachon and road through and around it. In general it’s supposed to be a nice town but, for me, it was yet another coastal town with more shops etc. We didn’t actually stop in Arcachon but headed in the direction of St. Sympphorien by turning south east to avoid the Bordeaux ring road. However, the initial route was eastwards and this was slow and tortuous with heavy traffic and a plethora of roundabouts. Dave spotted a good boulangerie where we each bought a baguette filled with chicken and salad. We set off again and eventually the mini roundabouts gave way to gascony forest roads which were very enjoyable. By 1pm we were hunting for somewhere to stop for lunch and we found a church, beside which was a wooden table and bench; perfect. What wasn’t perfect was there was nowhere to safely park the bikes. So we ate our baguettes standing outside the church; it was here that Dave tested the local loos, only to exclaim that they were in a disgusting state.<br /><br />The route then took us north to St Emilion where we traveled through vast hectares of vineyards; again all bare and ready to blossom when spring arrives fully. St Emilion was delightful but loving wine is essential because almost all the shops sell nothing but wines costing hundreds of Euros each bottle! We bought a single bottle of more modest wine which was delicious.<br /><br />From St Emilion, Dave decided to take us back via a route that avoided the autoroute and was great biking. I followed him a few hundred metres after which he stopped to exclaim that his sat nav had packed up and wasn’t navigating. I entered the first destination and turned around. I then considered that dave wouldn’t wish to turn around so returned to him and indicated that all was OK. M sat nav took me down a small road to the right where i could see that the route would route us back onto the main road in a few hundred metres. I looked in my rear view mirrors; no Dave. I waited for perhaps 20 more seconds and then turned back; no Dave. I returned to the point where he saw me pass him; no Dave. I considered that perhaps he hadn’t seen me turn right and had continued straight; so I went a few km down this road; no Dave. I returned once again and was frustrated by the fact that the radios weren’t working as Dave’s battery was flat; I couldn’t call him as he had no mobile phone on him; Arrgh!!!<br /><br />I decided that the only option was to continue to the destination that Dave had mentioned but, after multiple km, it was clear that Dave was not around so I reset the sat nav to return directly to Dave’s house in St Fort sur Gironde, some 80 km away. I was routed along “main roads” only to be turned off down a small “track” to then join a D road and eventually, join the A10 autoroute which was both boring and fast. I arrived back at Dave some 15 minutes before him. we then sat down to discuss how it was we managed to get separated.</span>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-26053475458660648402011-03-28T00:05:00.000-07:002011-03-29T01:42:57.988-07:00March 2011 - SW France - Day 4 Dave’s place to Nontron and then Nontron into the Dordogne and around; or, how to resurrect something out of nothing<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <meta equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css"> <title></title> <meta name="Generator" content="Cocoa HTML Writer"> <meta name="CocoaVersion" content="1038.35"> <style type="text/css"> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} span.s1 {letter-spacing: 0.0px} </style> <p class="p1"><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <meta equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css"> <title></title> <meta name="Generator" content="Cocoa HTML Writer"> <meta name="CocoaVersion" content="1038.35"> <style type="text/css"> p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px} </style> </p><p class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The weather today was overcast with showers forecast throughout the day. However, after a wet start, the skies started to clear and, by 11am the sun was making progress - at least in St Fort sur Gironde. The previous evening, we had mapped two Michelin “Viree” motorcycle routes in/around the Dordogne but they required a 2 hr journey east to Nontron to reach the start.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" >
<br /></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" >By 12pm we were were on our way, having set the sat nav to go the fastest route via Angouleme. Above us the weather remained dry but clearly threatening; however, as we continued, it was clear that we were speeding directly into what the weather forecast had stated as “local storms”. As we exited Barbezieux-sur-Saint-Hilaire heading north east onto onto the N10, the proverbial “heavens opened”. Dave was leading and he immediately had problems with his glasses and helmet causing a serious reduction in visibility; we exited and headed back for “home”. However, the rain immediately above us had stopped so we thought to go to Arcachon we set off; 1 minute later and we decided to head home after all.; we set up. And yet again, we stopped and Dave suggested that we at least head to St Emilion and then home. I happily agreed to all these suggestions and so off we went again. Whilst on route we reset the Sat navs to go to Blaye probably because we were unable to find St Emilion other than via a boring dual carriageway type road.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" >
<br /></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" >At last the skies were clearing and the road snakes though mile after mile of vines. Being late March, they were some months away from yielding their valuable fruit but it is clear that La Vigne is the principal crop in this area.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" >
<br /></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" >We arrived in Blaye and parked around the walls of the garrison walls and then followed the footpath overlooking the swirling confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers to form the Gironde estuary. we then walked to a cafe and planned what to do. Dave thought that we should head for Arcachon and so I consulted the Michein guide (never leave home without it!).</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" >
<br /></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" >We had a dull ride south west on motorway type roads which were surprisingly congested for a Sunday afternoon. After more than an hour we peeled off and then had mile after mile of straights interrupted by roundabouts. Finally we turned off the coast road and came inland towards the lake name the Etang de Cazaux et de Sanguinet. The road leading to our hotel was fabulous; swooping bends, wonderful road surface and little traffic. We arrived at the hotel in bright warm sunshine at 6:30pm.</span></p><p></p>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-72380921826042505852011-03-27T01:11:00.001-07:002011-03-27T13:17:25.893-07:00March 2011 - SW France - Day 3 La Rochelle to Dave’s PlaceAnother lovely day; up with the lark and we had breakfast in a small cafe in the market square. We were already packed up and ready to go so, by 8:30am we were rolling out of the center of St Rochelle. The initial part of the route was a dull dual carriage way (D-road !) but we soon peeled off towards Fouras and the tip of the promontory which overlooks the small islet of Ile d’Aix and the island of Oleron.<p></p> <p class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; ">At this point, Dave’s pal on the R1150RT decided that now was the moment when he’d head directly for home. The GTs were now free to run at their own pace and they were happy.</span></p> <p class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; ">Oyster beds were now in abundance as we headed across the highly impressive bridge which crosses the Seudre estuary and immediately turned right to hug the coast to follow a delightful road which snakes its way through a pile forest. The road plunges and weaves left and right and, ignoring the 70kph speed limit, it’s a great biking road! The photo below wasn’t taken by me but is perfectly representative of this part of the trip; fabulous.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--8Yrnu7RtZY/TY73Bcy7cOI/AAAAAAAAAFY/HYcyAPRddJQ/s1600/Coastal%2Brd.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 149px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--8Yrnu7RtZY/TY73Bcy7cOI/AAAAAAAAAFY/HYcyAPRddJQ/s200/Coastal%2Brd.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588675791895097570" /></a></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">We continued following the coast road and arrived at the coastal resort of Royan which I understand was flattened by the Brits in WWII as the Germans had a U-boat base there. We exited Royan and the road became quite narrow and undulating through mile after mile of vineyards. Dave was in his element and was setting a pace that I found a “tad” quick as I was unfamiliar with the road and trying to acknowledge Dave’s frequent comments through the radio indicating points of interest to the left and right! We negotiated multiple villages and with Dave exclaiming that we were 2 minutes away and that, down the hill and to our left was Dave’s final resting place. I muttered “hopefully, not just yet”!<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fC_CK6nNkNM/TY7628PL38I/AAAAAAAAAFo/twXCogsU7o0/s1600/La%2BRochelle%2Bto%2BSt%2BFort%2Bsur%2BGironde.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 305px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fC_CK6nNkNM/TY7628PL38I/AAAAAAAAAFo/twXCogsU7o0/s400/La%2BRochelle%2Bto%2BSt%2BFort%2Bsur%2BGironde.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588680009403064258" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span></p><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><br /><br /><p></p> <p class="p2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; ">We arrived at Dave’s place in St Fort sur Gironde at around midday and relaxed and planned the next days rides over a glass of wine or two :-)</span></p>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-74671495653005214932011-03-25T22:47:00.000-07:002011-03-29T01:40:59.168-07:00March 2011 - SW France - Day 2 : La Turballe to La Rochelle via the coast road.<span class="Apple-style-span" >The sun was shining and breakfast were served from 8am. The owner’s wife had already been noted for her slightly abrupt tone; so when, in response to asking for a plate (on which to prepare a croissant, butter and jam) she replied; “ah non”, we were not unduly surprised; clearly not a people person; unlike her (much older) husband, who was charming.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The route we took started OK but it was hard to enjoy when the roads were all 90, 70 and even 30 kph restricted. This was made worse by Dave’s friend on his R1150RT having an almost obsessive addiction to the speed limits. This made riding together challenging because, although I was trying hard not to us my GT’s power, the 1150RT is totally annihilated by the GT’s pace; even when you are consciously trying not to use it!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >The route what went from poor to awful as we went through featureless (modern) residential villages which then “blossomed’ into commercial estates with countless roudabouts. The Ile de Noirmoutier was a total waste of time as it had nothing of note that we could see; despite riding around the entire island.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eGoIkHsPbr8/TY76ToUQcQI/AAAAAAAAAFg/BuqIVudP_D0/s1600/La%2BTurballe%2Bto%2BLa%2BRochelle.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eGoIkHsPbr8/TY76ToUQcQI/AAAAAAAAAFg/BuqIVudP_D0/s400/La%2BTurballe%2Bto%2BLa%2BRochelle.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588679402760204546" /></a><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Things bottomed out when we stopped for lunch in a nondescript layby; more out of desperation that anything else. Things should have improved after lunch as we abandoned the planned route and headed directly for La Rochelle. However, Dave's friend's obsessive observance of the speed limits and his inability to accelerate in a meaningful way, meant that at times it was like following an electric disability scooter!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >La Rochelle was and is a lovely place. It was my first visit and I was and am pleasantly surprised. We had a walk to and around the harbour followed by a few beers and a simple meal. Dave had cleverly found a 3 bedroom apartment right in the centre of La Rochelle with underground parking for our bikes.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Tomorrow we plan to travel south towards Royan and then to Dave’s house. The weather these past couple of days have been incredible; like summer; however the forecast is for this to change; possibly tomorrow (Saturday 25th March). </span></div><div><br /></div></div>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-20130378979204613872011-03-25T22:41:00.000-07:002011-03-25T22:58:12.877-07:00March 2011 - SW France - Day 1 : Home to La Turballe (470 miles)The plan was to meet up with Dave in Brittany just north of La Baule and to tour south along the coast to stay at Dave's place and perhaps have a tour from there.<div><br /></div><div><div>Thursday 24th March</div><div>Anyone who know me also knows that I have something that is close to paranoia when it comes to being on time. My Eurtotunnel train was booked for 6:20 am and I had planned to be there by 5:45 by leaving at 4:45am. However, I didn’t do that. I actually rolled out from Glebelands at 4am sharp and arrived at Folkestone shortly after 5am. Why so long you’re wondering? Well, although a reasonable temperature of 5C, it was very misty and I took it easy due to the poor visibility. I also had no reason to rush. At the Eurotunnel check-in, the helpful computer did not “say No” (!) but actually offered the 5:48 departure. So I accepted and gained the extra 32 mins.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was on the Autoroute by 7:30am (French time) heading towards Rouen and the skies were clear in bright sunshine. However it was still only around 3.5-5C so I was glad that I had the heated grips and my thermal underwear ! </div><div><br /></div><div>The GT was eager to go and I set the cruise at 130kph; it then crept to 150 where I remained for some time and had the odd burst upwards to some exceedingly naughty numbers. “<i>Of course the Autoroutes are relatively devoid of traffic, so such incidents are not dangerous per se; merely outside the legal limit, Ma,ludd</i>” or the equivalent in the froggy vernacular.</div><div><br /></div><div>I arrived at Rouen at 9:30am and was amazed to find that there were large potholes and serious road repairs required along much of the rat-run through the centre of Rouen to rejoin the A28 southwards. However, after what was probably only 15 minutes and a number of traffic lights, I was once again headed south towards Alençon on the boring (but fast) Autoroute. </div><div><br /></div><div>I had planned this particular route for some time and was clear on the route I should take; so imagine my frustration when I was taken off the Autororoute north of Alençon only to have to turn round and re-join again. Very annoying; it may have been my fault when I set up the route, I’m not exactly sure.</div><div><br /></div><div>South of Alençon I left the autoroute and headed for Château Gontier - east, south east of Rennes on a mixture of D roads. The roads were really good and the GT was in her element; now in Sports mode and giving me a great ride. I was actually grinning all the way because it was so enjoyable swooping from right to left at a respectable pace with no traffic to marr or impose upon the moment. Living in England, one gets so used to the sheer density of traffic that it’s almost shocking.</div><div><br /></div><div>From Chateaubrillant (which, whilst famous for the beef steaks, appeared to be little more than an industrial complex) the roads were not as much fun because the volume of lorries on the D and N roads increased, requiring lots of overtakes manoeuvres. Not that this was a problem but it was less enjoyable than earlier.</div><div><br /></div><div>I arrived at the small coastal resort of La Turballe at around 3:30pm and, to my surprise, Dave and his pal (on a BMW R1150RT) had already arrived. The owner of the Chant d’Ailles hotel helpfully stepped out to meet me and showed me where to park my bike in his garage.</div><div><br /></div><div>The weather was glorious (summer temperatures) so it was a quick change into shorts, a walk along the sea front and a couple of beers. What wasn’t so geat was being unable to connect to the Internet; however, not a real issue!</div></div><div><br /></div>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-81049769106910688582010-08-02T13:12:00.000-07:002010-08-02T13:16:33.148-07:00Continental Trip - Final ThoughtsThe principal thing that comes to mind is that I planned too much. A combination of extreme heat (33-36C) and multiple alpine passes meant that it took real time to cover the distances planned. In such heat, we were sorely tempted to discard our riding gear and "go local" ; however, contemplating the consequences of even the lightest spill, ensured that we kept our boots, gloves, jackets and trousers "on" at all times. Next time though, I would propose a pipe through which I could take regular sips of water. I feel sure that much of our exhaustion was exacerbated by partial dehydration. <br /><br />And the GT? Quite honestly, an awesome bike which proved its great capability in all areas of touring; from stretches of motorway/autobahn being covered at 100mph+; to twisty but fast "A" roads where the GT's poise, balance and steering made such riding very rewarding (helped of course by my new set of Michelin PR2s)! <br /><br />As for fuel economy, Dave on his late 08 K1200GT believed that his bike was more economical than my K1300GT. However, we discovered that the K1300 is every bit as frugal as its sibling GT, giving 53mpg on touring runs (45-75mph using 3-5th gears); and only when I was hammering down motorways at speeds around 3 figures, did the mpg drop to a low of 38.5 mpg (these are imperial gallons you understand!)<br /><br />The one aspect that did surprise us was the efficiency of the cooling system. When we were riding with "in the shade temps" of up to 36C, the "road" temperature (in the sun) was considerably higher. Never once did the GT's temperature gauge rise above its normal operating position and never once did it offer less than perfect reliability, fuelling and performance. <br /><br />I can think of no better motorcycle - period. <br /><br />Who's up for touring in 2011?John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-34498465664190558322010-08-02T12:25:00.000-07:002010-08-02T12:37:58.156-07:00Day 9 : Saturday 17/7 - Reims to BlightyI enjoyed my short stay at the Cheval Rouge; the food was good and the breakfast was half decent too. I slept like a log but was till up early as I was keen to get on the road.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFcdFoXnE2I/AAAAAAAAACg/7opMQXCgNZk/s1600/IMG_1424.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFcdFoXnE2I/AAAAAAAAACg/7opMQXCgNZk/s320/IMG_1424.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500897452429349730" /></a>I pulled away shortly after 8am and took the D roads to Reims, then Laon. Probably almost as fast as the autoroute as the roads were<br />clear and, save for some absurd gravelling on a 2km stretch, the pace was as you'd expect for the Gran Turismo :-) !<br /><br />Outside Laon, I stopped at a supermarket to buy a few things, re-fuelled, and we were<br />on our way. I re-set the sat nav to get me to Calais via the fastest possible route. The in-line four was ready to respond.<br /><br />The autoroute had little traffic and I settled into a quick cruise (around 95 mph). I noted that, whereas previously, the GT had done a respectable 53 mpg; when ridden at these speeds, she dips below 40 mpg. Most likely the pricipal culprit is my large Calsi screen.<br /><br />I arrived at the Calais Eurotunnel at 11:40 and, despite my reservation being for tomorrow at 18:20, the system obligingly searched and re-allocated me to the first available train.<br /><br />Was home around lunch time. Great trip and many thanks to Dave without whom this trip would not have come about.<br /><br />Now, what shall we plan next?John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-29323517808683577322010-08-02T11:40:00.000-07:002010-08-02T12:53:44.247-07:00Day 8 : Friday 16/7 - 3 countries in one day + Dave's postRoad to Lugano at 4:15am - 22C<br />Whilst the use of a sodden towel is of some benefit in reducing heat, there is no doubt that lying in damp bed has its drawbacks. I had slept for 4 hours but then, by 2:30 am I was wide awake. I stayed in bed wrestling with my own sanity as thoughts if starting out at that time kept recurring. By 3:30am, I was getting up, packing my final bits and quietly coming dowstairs at 4am. By 4:15 I was away, the streets were totally devoid of all traffic. My route took me up over the hills behind Menaggio and then a long twisty(and in places surprisingly narrow) road to Lugano. I could count the traffic on one hand and was thankful that I had chosen to ride at such a time. The sun was casting a beautiful pink hue on the numerous mountain peaks and the GT enjoyed the cooler (22C) air at this time of day.<br /><br />The St Gotthard tunnel was a few km away and with only 1/3rd tank left, I decided to fill up at the (motorway) service station. However it was not yet 6am and everything was closed! Not to worry, my bike's computer was showing that I still 85 miles in the tank, so I entered the tunnel - it was a cool but pleasant 17C.<br /><br />The speed in the 17.5km tunnel is 80kph (50mph) so I set the cruise and tries to relax; no one warned me that the St Gotthard tunnel is a fan oven! I was astounded at my temp gaugue went from 17 --> 23 --> 38.5C !!! I was getting worried because I had closed my vents on my riding gear and now, I really needed to get some air in - albeit very hot air! And of course, there's no where to pull over. I tugged at various zips and managed to get more ventilation.<br /><br />As I approached the "8km (to go) marker", the temp guage started to come down and returned to 17C upon exit. I stopped at the first service station. Having filled up I went to the gents. Can you believe it; the gents required the entry of a Swiss franc coin??!! Of course I didn't have such a coin and wasn't prepared to break a €10 note; so I held on; but that's not good :-(<br /><br />The views on the Swiss side were lovely; deep green grassy slopes, dotted with post-card Swiss chalets with snow capped mountains all around; wonderful!<br /><br />My route led me to Luzern and north towards the Black Forest in southern Germany. I entered Germany at Koblenz, but blink at you'd have missed it. I stopped soon after at a cafe; indeed it was labelled "Bikers welcome" ! By now I was pretty desperate for a cup if tea / coffee. It was 8:40am and I had had little to drink except water since I left Como. Blow me; it was closed :-( This fact started to have a real impact upon my lower parts; I am normally not concerned about such things but now, I really wanted the loo!! Next door was an outlet for industrial tools. I walked in and looked helpless as I said "Enshuldeeganzi bitter; toiletten?" The middle aged lady looked up and smiled; she led me out through the workshop and round to a house in which she pointed to the loo. I smiled a generous smile and said "Dankashern". (careful to avoid the "Grazzi Mille" that I had been using in Italy!!)<br /><br />A serious number of bikes were evident coming in the opposite direction on this road which cuts through the Black Forest south of Freiburg. However, can you imagine my horror to see that the gravelling of roads is not just the madness of the French. No the Germans appear openly frank about it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFcY5tUY9kI/AAAAAAAAACQ/doWxlQVaruQ/s1600/IMG_1421.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFcY5tUY9kI/AAAAAAAAACQ/doWxlQVaruQ/s320/IMG_1421.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500892849553077826" /></a>Whereas the French lay out multiple temporary waning Triangles, the Germans here erect permanent warnings about gravel and helpfully suggest a speed of 30kph..... I was stunned; these are great roads being consciously destroyed by tipping tons of gravel over them. The cars find it annoying. The bikers find it potentially lethal.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFcZ5iYmRYI/AAAAAAAAACY/Ax2lJm75v90/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFcZ5iYmRYI/AAAAAAAAACY/Ax2lJm75v90/s320/IMG_1422.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500893946129565058" /></a><br /><br />Enough was enough; I set the Sat Nav for Strasbourg and routed towards Freibourg and the Autobahn.<br /><br />The Autobahn (my first experience) was interesting. Whilst there was no speed limit, with only two lanes and fairly heavy traffic, there was no opportunity for anyone to speed.<br /><br />I stopped at a service station, filled up -53mpg - and had a welcome sandwich. I set off again with the heat really building as the sun in the cloudless sky beat down relentlessly.<br /><br />By now I was getting tired and was glad I was on the autoroute (we were now in France) as it was the safest place to be. The GT set a steady pace of 140kph (90 mph) and she hummed along in Comfort mode, making the ride plush. Naturally I had the odd excursion beyond this boring cruise, but we made good progress.<br /><br />I stopped at an Aire, found some shade and actually fell aslepp for 20 mins. When I awoke I decided that enough was enough, and so I consulted my Michelin Guide and booked into a small hotel east of Reims; perhaps 40 miles away.<br /><br />What about Dave, I hear you think? Well Dave's plan was to take the ferry to Belagio and then ride south, hitting the main east west trunk road which would take him east. Whilst I have textedit Dave no less than 4 times today, I haven't had an update. So cannot comment. (Yes I did try to call his mobile).<br /><br />This evening a welcome rain shower has taken the heat out if the air. This suggests a good night's sleep with fresh air (wonderful) !!<br /><br />I called home to say that, the plan was for me to be home by mid afternoon tomorrow.<div>_________________________________________________</div><div>Dave's post</div><div><br /></div><div>Well I set off down the coast and just kept going. I was a man possessed!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFciGLCGf1I/AAAAAAAAACw/UCWabw5vuu0/s1600/IMG_1323.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFciGLCGf1I/AAAAAAAAACw/UCWabw5vuu0/s320/IMG_1323.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500902959292514130" /></a><br />The further I went the less point there was of stopping so I arrived at Porto Recanati at about 8. There is no doubt that this was the hardest riding I have ever done in my life. I think I hit the coast from Rimini south at their busiest time and I had to filter through traffic like I was in London and avoid the thousands of scooters buzzing around everywhere. Not ideal after 9 hours riding and very hot.<br /><br />Anyway it was my decision and I actually quite enjoyed it. I then had to get the tent up of course and blow up my posh airbed with lung power! i was dripping sweat but enjoyed the beer or 3 afterwards (great value at 3 euros a big glass)<br /><br />Took the bike out today in true Italian style - swimming shorts, slip on shoes and a T shirt. No gloves. It was glorious and it was the only way I could possibly have gone out on her in this heat but I knew beforehand that the shoes weren't suitable and I'm going to buy a sturdy pair of trainers for the time I'm here.<br /><br />Janet is having a truly awful journey from Lucerne. The motorways are a nightmare with jam after jam. She was at a standstill for almost an hour in a tunnel in Switzerland and she said Italy was even worse. She's just rung to say she will be about an hour (having left Lucerne at 7)</div>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1218236427969701806.post-73256221698582040722010-07-14T09:53:00.001-07:002010-08-06T12:42:35.994-07:00Day 7 : Thursday 15/7 - A Day of RestA very hot night where a wet towel used as a top sheet was the only<br />way to try to get cooler and hence sleep. Simple but effective!!<br /><br />This morning, another clear blue sky suggested yet more high temps into<br />the 30s. No motorcycling planned for today. Plan to take a ferry<br />shuttle across the lake to Belagio - supposed to be a very beautiful<br />village.<br /><br />At 10am, we bought a day ticket for €11 and set og for Verena and Belagio. It's around 15 minutes to cross the lake and we stayed on bought and went first to Belagio. This is reputedly a most beautiful village. Well, yes, it certainly doubtless had a charm; however today, it's solid tourism and proces and shops to match.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFxkQeZOfCI/AAAAAAAAAE4/wwK9kQkrq2A/s1600/IMG_1395.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFxkQeZOfCI/AAAAAAAAAE4/wwK9kQkrq2A/s200/IMG_1395.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502383078939458594" /></a><br />Returning on another ferry to Verena, this is very different being simple with some charm. Not over (over!) priced cafes serves up tasy snacks and drinks with the unforgettable views of the mountains and lake.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFxkxqoBDyI/AAAAAAAAAFA/XkjpQvdFGng/s1600/IMG_1409.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_0QIx3PVj4IA/TFxkxqoBDyI/AAAAAAAAAFA/XkjpQvdFGng/s200/IMG_1409.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5502383649158401826" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow, Dave sets off for the Adriatic coast and I head north for<br />Switzerland and Southern Germany and then back to Calais and home. I have up to 3 days in which to cover the 1250km but, I may try for 2 days depending upon progress tomorrow crossing the Alps and my use (or<br />not) of motorways.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Post Script : I actually did the journey home in a day a half; such is the GT's pace !</div></div>John I. Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14281759642904698590noreply@blogger.com1