Wear the Fox hat!

GSTraveller

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So its finally here. T Minus 11 hours and counting. I have packed and repacked. Dropped, swapped and bought tonnes of new kit. Tried to keep it to the bare minimum but still seem to be taking too much. Finding the balance between comfort and roughing it it such a tricky one. The plan; France for the next few days, Spain for a few more and then into Morocco for the HUMM and beyond. Solo for the first week around Europe and then a random team of hooligans and hoodlums will be meeting up in Northern Spain with a few more stragglers following on a few days later. Afterwards we have people going in all directions. Who knows where we will end up, whether we will survive the HUMM or even the dunes in Erg Chebbi. One thing is for sure, it will be an experience. I hope to touch down in Milan on 28th May all being well. Wish me luck and I will try and post a pictorial review of the days proceedings as I go along in case anyone is interested. Morocco here I come! :clap:bounce1:thumb

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For our neeburs in Fife

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So, day one, made it down through France to here:



And set up home for the night. I knew it was probably going to be raining when I arrived but luckily only a dribble. Threw up the poncho to give me some shelter and got a brew on the go. Things I've learnt already in this trip:

#1 Rouen is the Sat Navs equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle. Every year I end up in the middle of it with no idea which way to turn.

#2 For us hairy boys, trimming the hair on the back of your thighs makes long rides a pleasure!

#3 The wind proofing abilities of waterproof jackets must not be understated or forgotten about. It was absolutely Baltic this morning.

#4 If you happen to be in the wrong lane at a junction in France. Dont try and cut in, even in a polite manner. A Frenchman will try and actively run you down with his car and kill you forgetting all sense of perspective and rationality. They are insane!

#5 Tip for you campers. Dispense with those shite camping pots and pans. Get down Tescos and by a cheap non-stick milk pan. Oh the joy of just rinsing it out!

Oh and if you are wondering about the title of the thread. It's linked to both my surname and what people keep saying every time I tell them I'm heading for Erg Chebbi! (After the HUMM).

Picture of my homestead to follow.
 
This setup takes literally seconds to throw up. The poncho is stored in a small fishing rod bag and is quick to hand. It allows me to get must stuff off the bike and in the dry. Later I will set up my 1 man bivvi tent underneath to dry and keep it dry before packing tomorrow.

 
I don't quite understand point 2 on your post one above this, can you explain for the Somerset simpleton. :p Glad you've navigated the channel and are now safety in France, look forward to the next instalment, can't wait to get going now. Take care Pete.
 
#2 I worked out that a lot of the pain and discomfort was caused by those hairs on the back of your legs/arse trying to free themselves from your skin, especially after a few hours on the bike. Trust me, you'll thank me for that tip.That is hairy riders gold right there!!
 
Looking forward to this, it was this time last year we headed off on our Moroccan adventure...Have a great trip and ride safe..

Great avatar BTW.....
 
So, day 2 and I leap frogged to here:

Moto-Camp Dorgne. If you haven't ever been, you should definitely give it a look sometime. Free beer on arrival. Sold!! Today could be summarised by one word; rain! Woke up to rain, rode through rain but after 7 hours made it to cloudy sunshine and 26 degrees!! Left my side stand pad in Caen, bugger!!

On arrival, dropped my bike, not once but twice. The site is still quite muddy and there's a tricky incline. I was also very tired and dehydrated. Can't think of any other excuses just yet. In anycase, bikes fine and picking it up was an experience I will have to get used to I guess.

Thought I was going to be alone for the evening then 2 other Dutch GS's turned up. Interesting cookie scheme on one of them. Pics to follow.
 
Check out this guys paint job! He only bought it 2 days ago and said it was like that when he bought it?!
 
So, day 3 and an inpromptu ride out with my 2 fellow Dutch campers. Cloudy day with climpses of sunshine but crucially it's lovely and warm. I dare say verging on too warm but I know this is only the beginning of things to come so I'll say no more. The roads round here are absolutely stunning with views to match. I can really put the Heidi's to the test. Speaking of which, I took a shot of the rear at 1100 miles. Obviously a good deal of motorway mileage but so far so good. Whether they will make it to Milan remains to be seen. Nothing much to report. One of the guys managed to reverse into a ditch and we came across an upside tractor with some mad Frenchmen trying to drag it out by rope via a poor little tree! You'll have to wait for he video ride report!

 


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