Beer, chocolate and chips - off to Belgium

[Orinoco]

Finally off and sat on the ferry waiting for it to get underway from Newhaven. Rode up yesterday to visit a friend in Pulborough, no photos of his lovely Aston Vanquish, 6 litre v12! Or his ‘daily driver’ F Type, he’s done well and great to try out the toys without the costs. 34 degrees there, up to 36 travelling, but I think the Himmie over estimates.

Then on to daughter and son in law in Newhaven, very handy, Chinese, watched England playing Ghana and a humid night with little sleep, up at 4am

Already ‘lost and found’ my wallet, phone and glasses… disorganised and tired.

On my way to meet friends in Genk, from all over Europe and some Americans, we’ve been meeting for the last 30 years. Nice hotel in Genk, thought I was going to be camping on the way there and back. Change of plans due to the heat, stopping in St Quentin tonight the only air conditioned hotel I could find, still have all my camping stuff, has made me realise how much easier it is to just hotel or B&B it without all the camping clobber.

 

[Wapping]

 

[The Other PaulG]

Nice one Adrian, enjoy the trip.

That Newhaven crossing is my go-to, always seems a lot less hassle than Dover.

 

[Doc]

Have a good one.

 

[Ectopic]

I'm with you all the way on camping. I did it for years when money was tight, but soon realised that sharing a room in a cheap hotel was not much more expensive and WAY more convenient.

 

[Rusty]

Sounds like the start of a good trip

 

[wessie]

should've left the camping apparatus with the Newhaven sprog ... then forget to collect it on the way back as you won't need it again.

 

[Wapping]

Is he there yet? Has the mighty Himalayan melted, in the record breaking heat? Did the hotelier prove unbiker friendly?

 

[gerarddwatts]

...'biker unfriendly' surely...?

 

[Orinoco]

Well it’s been interesting, so hot, travelling so just stopping was a problem, up to 42/43 degrees, rising to 47 when stopped at roadworks and a peage. Coming off the ferry at Dieppe it was 25, I thought great, but quickly rising as I travelled inland.

Garmin did its usual crap, fortunately I also used MRA on an old iPhone which helped. New stuff includes finding that it’s cooler to ride with visor down when above 40 degrees than open.

Stopped St Quentin overnight in a budget Ibis, with air conditioning thankfully, secure parking. St Quentin is not worth a visit, downtown seemed very down at heal with, not somewhere to spend time. TBH, it was just too hot to do anything other than stay near the air con, though the war memorial and bridge were impressive.

I did have a moment when trying to get through a peage, off the motorway into St Quentin, there was only one booth that accepted cards, blocked by an HGV which was having some problem, one booth tags only and the other specifically no motorcycles, but I tried to go through, but it wouldn’t work for me, so back up. Static in the sun the temp rose to 47, after a long hot ride I was done in, someone suggested going through at the same time as a car, so l did and set off an alarm, there will be camera, so assume there’s a fine. Anyone know what happens jumping a peage?

 

[Wapping]

...'biker unfriendly' surely...?

Of course, but I was using bikermate speak.

 

[Wapping]

Get yourself a paysge blipper tag thing. Even for occasional use, they are definitely worth it.

 

[Wapping]

St Quentin, has a decent bit, up on the main square. Other than that, it’s pretty rundown in parts.

 

[Wapping]

New stuff includes finding that it’s cooler to ride with visor down when above 40 degrees than open.

The air you are moving through is (as its name suggests) at ambient air temperature. Other than through evaporation, you are not getting much cooling effect. It’s about the only thing that mesh does. Shade and water (to replace the litres that you’ll sweat out) are the only reliable coolant.

 

[Orinoco]

Thursday I was up at 6, breakfast and off by 7, trying to get to Genk by 1pm, started off at a nice 28 degrees, but quickly rose again to 34-36 for most of the rise, finding places with enough shade to stop to have a drink seemed to be difficult, there's never a shady layby when you want one. I'd plotted a route up through the Ardennes using a Simon Weir route as a guide, though I think in hindsight the route is probably great on a sports tourer, but not that interesting plodding along on the Himalayan, plus... did I mention it was hot

I stopped in Givet to take some photos for a friend who's writing a book of statue of Mehul, a composer from Givet, nice to have a purpose for a visit.

Happily arrinved in Genk just after 1pm, thanks to MRA navigation and no thanks to Garmin, relieved to be off the bike. Air con in the bar and restaurant, but not rooms, staying in the M-Hotel in the centre of Genk, it doesn't look much, but the facilities are good and the staff lovely, with a very nice park next to the hotel... and the all important secure parking in the basement... tested as the heat has got to me and I managed to leave the keys on the bike last night, still there this morning. Thinking back with the heat, despite thinking I'd been drinking enough, I still made some sill decisions and found concentrating difficult, OK on straight roads, but more tricky with the bends in the Ardennes and when trying to figure out some junctions.

Met up with chums, just 30 of us this year, but lovely to catch up, we've been meeting up annually for 30 years now. The beer is good and the food excellent, dinner was mushroom and coconut soup starter, Pork cheeks with salad and frites main, followed by a sort of Eaton mess type thing.

Slightly concerted about the hotel wifi, it's unsecured, so fingers crossed

 

[Wapping]

there's never a shady layby when you want one….

I read that as ‘lady’, not lay-by.

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Get yourself a paysge blipper tag thing. Even for occasional use, they are definitely worth it.

Voice of dissent here.
I have one and it's more trouble than it's worth.
I've tried using it on the bike and in the car without much success.
It's never worked with the car and on the one occasion it worked with the bike I got charged at 'car' rate. I contacted the card supplier numerous times as soon as I got the bill and was ignored each time.
I've given up with the blessed thing.

Edit: I fact I've had more success with my tarp than I have with the blipper.

 

[Wapping]

I fact I've had more success with my tarp than I have with the blipper.

If at first you don’t succeed….. give up!

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Nice write up though, thank you.
Could it be that the visor blocks an air vent on the top of your crash helmet when it's in the up position?

 

[wessie]

Stopped St Quentin overnight in a budget Ibis, with air conditioning thankfully, secure parking. St Quentin is not worth a visit, downtown seemed very down at heal with, not somewhere to spend time. TBH, it was just too hot to do anything other than stay near the air con, though the war memorial and bridge were impressive.

I have used that Ibis for a single night after an afternoon Tunnel crossing. The hotel itself is fine for a night en route but that end of town near the train station is a bit run down. It's more of a suburb than downtown. The nice Vietnamese restaurant we used does not seem to have survived the covid shutdowns. I think it is a nail bar or vape shop last time I checked Streetview.

In St Q, in normal weather I would prefer the Logis Hotel Le Florence, close to the actual main centre. A much better choice of bars and restaurants nearby. No aircon for this sort of weather though.