2 do Alsace Lorraine in France & German Black Forest/Mosel

[EVskiy]

Arrived at the SC digs at Roes near Treis Garden by about 4pm and had a wee wander around

Found this Beemer lurking
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We dined in the only bar in town and luckily they served good bier and were doing homemade pizza too

@Paul Young would’ve been more excited about a bike with an Isle of Man sticker.

Great write up JB, I like it, concise, with good chunk of location information, story telling and pictures.
However, lack of photographic evidence of a tw*t on AT at the port does require to knock a few point off, as is lack of leaky QD and self repairs.

Carry on, I need more… might even do similar trip next year whilst avoiding B500, having done it in 2019 and being rather disappointed. It is practically impossible to do 70kmph on a road that wide, clear and built to operate at a much higher speeds. Makes you feel that you just about to come to a standstill at 70kmph

 

[JonnyBravo]

Im off to this area a week tomorrow, with the missus - I have thought several times that as we are in the area, we really should have a run down through the black forest as the wife hasnt been there before.
You have just convinced me to stick to the original plan, stay in France and give it a miss and remember the good old days.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Im off to this area a week tomorrow, with the missus - I have thought several times that as we are in the area, we really should have a run down through the black forest as the wife hasnt been there before.
You have just convinced me to stick to the original plan, stay in France and give it a miss and remember the good old days.

We both said we’d have been better staying longer in Eastern France and maybe venturing further south to Besancon area

 

[JonnyBravo]

We both said we’d have been better staying longer in Eastern France and maybe venturing further south to Besancon area

My plan is to head down to Besancon, onto Beaune etc into the Morvan and miss the BF out.

Anyway, good write up, to the point and great info

 

[simondippenhall]

@JohnnyBoxer Looks like you weathered the problems well, thanks for sharing the photos especially Amiens.

I share your view of the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry having taken it twice when cycling to Paris...arriving at silly o'clock in the dark when nothing is open and you need a coffee and breakfast after a sleepless night (we had seats next to a mega-snorer whom I actually woke as I thought he was going to expire!!). We cycled on through the countryside until, like you, we found an open cafe and a bakery opposite...quelle joie!

Thanks again, safe travels (and maybe see you in Leenane?)

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Sunday ….just one week ago

It was dry at lunchtime (after some early rain at 7am and the mother of all thunderstorms) and time to do touristy trundling down the Mosel

Local were out in force on pedals/classic cars and motorcycles ….plus a few Mosel river cruises for good measure

We ventured down to Treis Garden and along to Cochem and it was fuckung heaving (they’d heard Doc was coming the next day and wanted to have a drink before the place ran dry of Rosé and Weissbier)

So we crossed over and went up over into the hinterlands above the Mosel (fucking bliss !!….traffic free and some great twisty steep roads)

Unfortunately we had to come down at Zell and finally we found a cash machine that would give us some spondoolies …..YAY

Germany is very cash only and it’s safe to carry some

We got bored at a very busy Zell.. so crossed the Mosel again at Reil and found a great relaxed cafe, with an unkempt garden (in Germany FFS) ….so bloody ace to see some individualism

Obligatory Apfel Strudel and Sahne - very tasty it was and a proper milch café

Back home to the range and a great meal from @ikkje

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Monday - time to pack up and ship out

@ikkje wasn’t feeling great today, so I was deputised for cheerleading duties, but not before we’d travelled 30 miles along our route ….only to discover my friend had left his Klim waterproofs back at the digs (his admitted his head was a shed that morning, so all understandable)
Nothing for it, but to back track, disturbing the cleaners and collect them
From them on we just set fastest route to Chimay in Belgium
Not the most direct route, but via Luxembourg and into Belgium on dual carriageway
We arrived at the hotel at about 4pm - nobody about
There was a key code entry and we knew our room details
Garage for bikes
But nobody about whatsoever-it was like the ‘Marie Celeste’ and I dubbed it haunted house - a massive old country house in Chimay
We ventured into town and not much was open
We had a drink in Bar Galion - but didn’t fancy the food
Restaurant Charlotte was recommended and it didn’t disappoint
The food and wine was absolutely top notch and chef asked us how we wanted it done

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Last day in Europe on Tuesday and we travelled across France towards Dieppe, skirting south of Amiens
Cracking country roads and we were lucky with the weather
Found a fortified church and stopped for a look-see


Again found some great country roads nearer Dieppe - fields of Linseed and Borrage



We stayed at a great B&B - La Pommeraie near Envermeu - 20 mins from ferry

Lovely grounds and garage for the bikes

2 Leffe to unwind …..after a great ride ….




Superb evening meal - all home cooked and with produce from the garden

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Weds …the 12 noon ferry home and that night we stayed at a wee country pub near Newbury to break up the journey

All in all ….a good trip of 2200 miles for me

Good weather, great company and some superb & quirky accommodation-we probably wouldn’t rush back to Mosel and Black Forest though

@ikkje was on his new KTM 1390 SAS and me on my 21 year old 42k 1150 GSA

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

@JohnnyBoxer Looks like you weathered the problems well, thanks for sharing the photos especially Amiens.

I share your view of the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry having taken it twice when cycling to Paris...arriving at silly o'clock in the dark when nothing is open and you need a coffee and breakfast after a sleepless night (we had seats next to a mega-snorer whom I actually woke as I thought he was going to expire!!). We cycled on through the countryside until, like you, we found an open cafe and a bakery opposite...quelle joie!

Thanks again, safe travels (and maybe see you in Leenane?)

Thanks Simon and you have echoed our thoughts about the overnight DFDS ferry !

Be good to see you again at Leenane this September and accommodation is booked

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

@Paul Young would’ve been more excited about a bike with an Isle of Man sticker.

Great write up JB, I like it, concise, with good chunk of location information, story telling and pictures.
However, lack of photographic evidence of a tw*t on AT at the port does require to knock a few point off, as is lack of leaky QD and self repairs.

Carry on, I need more… might even do similar trip next year whilst avoiding B500, having done it in 2019 and being rather disappointed. It is practically impossible to do 70kmph on a road that wide, clear and built to operate at a much higher speeds. Makes you feel that you just about to come to a standstill at 70kmph

Thanks

No pics of the clumsy AT owner - too busy sorting out the innocent Italians carnage

Your thoughts align with ours

Germany has become too regulated and sterilised

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

BTW - our accommodation worked out at £56 each per night over the 9 nights abroad and 3 of those nights included breakfast (6 nights were SC)

So it doesn’t have to be expensive for great accommodation and it’s cheaper than staying in places in UK in our experience

 

[ikkje]

Adding a few photo’s. These are from the ferry line debacle, through to Verdun. I found the cemeteries in Normandy a sobering experience. The history of Verdun was also thought provoking.

 

[ikkje]

Verdun - down to Thann over the Grand Ballon. Fabulous roads and as JB has said, Thann was great

 

[ikkje]

Back through France - funny how I seem to have no photo’s of the Black Forest!

 

[ikkje]

I left JB north of Winchester and headed down to St Ives for a family memorial. So heading back to the Lakes today

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Cheers for the pics
Much better than my efforts

 

[Skid06]

Really enjoyed that Johnny, great write-up and fab pics

Cheers!

 

[EVskiy]

it doesn’t have to be expensive for great accommodation and it’s cheaper than staying in places in UK in our experience

Indeed. I said so to my wife recently, That I can have a long weekend away in France, for less than I would have same weekend away in Wales or Scotland and have room to breathe, without dickheads invading my personal space, be it own a car, public places, beach, you name it....

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Really enjoyed that Johnny, great write-up and fab pics

Cheers!

Thanks Steve
It was a super trip with more ‘food for thought’ for future escapades