Joybringer
Registered user
Hello Peeps
I took delivery of a new KTM 990 SM on 1st March, and booked a ferry for the long weekend of 20th-23rd, to France, to put some miles on it.
I also bought a new camera - a Canon PowerShot G10 (thanks, Magnum
) -and wanted to test that properly, so no excuses for any arty-farty stuff! Anything slightly odd is there purely for me to assess tonalities and picture quality etc. Apparently.
This is my first report here, so any feedback will be appreciated!
Here goes...
I booked the overnight Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to St Malo ferry, planning to return the same route, but got so enticed by the bike and the roads and the weather while I was out there, I stayed until Monday night, and returned to Portsmouth via Le Havre.
Compact and bijou, Mostyn...
No poop on the poop deck...
Sunrise off the port bow...Saturday morning, bright and early...
It doesn't hurt to check the lifeboats..!
Lots of rocky island things on the approach into St Malo harbour - this one had a lighthouse...
...and this one was inhabited!
Still no poop or nuffin on the poop deck...
An absolutely stunning few days in terms of road conditions, weather, scenery, and the fantastic performance of the KTM. The LC8 really is a great twin.
Coastal road just off the ferry, St Malo harbour is somewhere in the background...
I planned to visit Le Mont St Michel - I was pleased that I did. A fascinating place, especially this early in the year with great weather and few tourists.
On the causeway approach to the rock...
Same position, but full zoom...
Up close and personal...
One of several stalls just inside the main entrance...
This place is old...
The French take their bike protective clothing very seriously...
See what I mean?
The East face of the Abbey...
The bedroom was a bit sparse...
...but the view was good...you can see my bike if you squint...
This street would be packed later in the season...
Another shot of the East face...
Inside the Abbey walls, now...
A much photographed facade, and I make no exception!
You can see my house from here...
The light quality and architecture are simply stunning...
Caught by the cloisters...
Interesting textures and tones...
The North face of the Abbey...
The only birds I was likely to get close to...
The view from the North ramparts...
After being totally gobsmacked by the sheer beauty and scale of the Mount, I thought I'd try and look for a spot of R&R, and decided to troll along to the Forest of Villecartier. Not that far away, and it looked like a good place to stop and eat a sandwich or 3.
All of a sudden, there were some wooden things in the road...
I think they were trees...
The lake was very...erm...lakish...
Another view of the lake...very tranquil...
After an hour or so, I decided to troill off and find my B&B. My trusty Streetpilot found some, erm, interesting roads.
Confused? I am now...
Rural 'D' class road quality ranged from dubious...
...to disconcerting...
..to What the feck..!
Made it...
The cows had seen it all...
But some were more interested than others...
I stayed in a B&B in Brittany for Saturday night, at a quaint manor house called Manoir de la Grande Mettrie, run by Sylvie and Pierre. A very welcoming couple, and throughly recommended for an above average B&B. Details are here. Like so many others, they don't normally offer one night B&B, but as it was very early season, they were extremely helpful.
I forgot to take some external pictures of the Manor, though!
The Tower Room...very regal...
Sharing with a mini tractor and trailer combo...
Sunday morning, and after one of the most comfortable night's sleep I've had while touring, it was time to set off for Normandy, and in particular, Karen and Adrian Cox's Normandy Beach B&B in Arromanches. Again, they don't normally offer only one night stays, but it was early in the season. Mind you, I've been there so often, I probably count as a relative! Details here
I stopped for a sticky bun on the way...
Very fancy wrapping..!
Bayeux Cathedral, en route...
A solitary bike in Normandy Beach's courtyard...
...but the flags were out...
The church in Arromanches is very quaint...
with some very interesting detail...
Another good night's sleep, after a late meal and copious amounts of wine, meant a slow Monday-morning meander to Le Havre for the 17:00 LD Lines ferry to Portsmouth. I decided to visit Pegasus Bridge (en route) and then stop at a favourite spot in Honfleur for lunch, and watch the World and his Wife go by for an hour or two.
As the sign says...
A small, but fascinating building...
The Austrian wanted in on the photo, too...
The original Pegasus Bridge, just a few yards away, in a safe place...
...complete with glider...
The Austrian slut was alone in Honfleur for just a few moments...
...before attracting the "wrong sort"...
A quick blat into Le Havre saw mine as one of only 4 other bikes making that crossing. We were alone for quite some time.
Remember...it doesn't hurt to check the lifeboats ;-)
Go-faster stripes...
That's about it. I arrived in Portsmouth about 45 minutes late due to the strong headwind, but otherwise a fairly uneventful crossing. LD Lines is probably a poorer quality experience than Brittany Ferries, but adequate nonetheless.
I intended to put about 200 miles on the KTM, but ended up adding over 400, taking it way over the first service mileage requirement! I was that enticed by the bike and the experience.
I'm returning to Normandy in June, from the 4th to 8th for the 65th D-Day celebrations, where I'm slumming it by tenting it
so maybe see some of you there?
By the way - I throughly recommend both the bike and the camera!
Ride safe
JB
I took delivery of a new KTM 990 SM on 1st March, and booked a ferry for the long weekend of 20th-23rd, to France, to put some miles on it.
I also bought a new camera - a Canon PowerShot G10 (thanks, Magnum
) -and wanted to test that properly, so no excuses for any arty-farty stuff! Anything slightly odd is there purely for me to assess tonalities and picture quality etc. Apparently.This is my first report here, so any feedback will be appreciated!
Here goes...
I booked the overnight Brittany Ferries Portsmouth to St Malo ferry, planning to return the same route, but got so enticed by the bike and the roads and the weather while I was out there, I stayed until Monday night, and returned to Portsmouth via Le Havre.
Compact and bijou, Mostyn...
No poop on the poop deck...
Sunrise off the port bow...Saturday morning, bright and early...
It doesn't hurt to check the lifeboats..!
Lots of rocky island things on the approach into St Malo harbour - this one had a lighthouse...
...and this one was inhabited!
Still no poop or nuffin on the poop deck...
An absolutely stunning few days in terms of road conditions, weather, scenery, and the fantastic performance of the KTM. The LC8 really is a great twin.
Coastal road just off the ferry, St Malo harbour is somewhere in the background...
I planned to visit Le Mont St Michel - I was pleased that I did. A fascinating place, especially this early in the year with great weather and few tourists.
On the causeway approach to the rock...
Same position, but full zoom...
Up close and personal...
One of several stalls just inside the main entrance...
This place is old...
The French take their bike protective clothing very seriously...
See what I mean?
The East face of the Abbey...
The bedroom was a bit sparse...
...but the view was good...you can see my bike if you squint...
This street would be packed later in the season...
Another shot of the East face...
Inside the Abbey walls, now...
A much photographed facade, and I make no exception!
You can see my house from here...
The light quality and architecture are simply stunning...
Caught by the cloisters...
Interesting textures and tones...
The North face of the Abbey...
The only birds I was likely to get close to...
The view from the North ramparts...
After being totally gobsmacked by the sheer beauty and scale of the Mount, I thought I'd try and look for a spot of R&R, and decided to troll along to the Forest of Villecartier. Not that far away, and it looked like a good place to stop and eat a sandwich or 3.
All of a sudden, there were some wooden things in the road...
I think they were trees...
The lake was very...erm...lakish...
Another view of the lake...very tranquil...
After an hour or so, I decided to troill off and find my B&B. My trusty Streetpilot found some, erm, interesting roads.
Confused? I am now...
Rural 'D' class road quality ranged from dubious...
...to disconcerting...
..to What the feck..!
Made it...
The cows had seen it all...
But some were more interested than others...
I stayed in a B&B in Brittany for Saturday night, at a quaint manor house called Manoir de la Grande Mettrie, run by Sylvie and Pierre. A very welcoming couple, and throughly recommended for an above average B&B. Details are here. Like so many others, they don't normally offer one night B&B, but as it was very early season, they were extremely helpful.
I forgot to take some external pictures of the Manor, though!
The Tower Room...very regal...
Sharing with a mini tractor and trailer combo...
Sunday morning, and after one of the most comfortable night's sleep I've had while touring, it was time to set off for Normandy, and in particular, Karen and Adrian Cox's Normandy Beach B&B in Arromanches. Again, they don't normally offer only one night stays, but it was early in the season. Mind you, I've been there so often, I probably count as a relative! Details here
I stopped for a sticky bun on the way...
Very fancy wrapping..!
Bayeux Cathedral, en route...
A solitary bike in Normandy Beach's courtyard...
...but the flags were out...
The church in Arromanches is very quaint...
with some very interesting detail...
Another good night's sleep, after a late meal and copious amounts of wine, meant a slow Monday-morning meander to Le Havre for the 17:00 LD Lines ferry to Portsmouth. I decided to visit Pegasus Bridge (en route) and then stop at a favourite spot in Honfleur for lunch, and watch the World and his Wife go by for an hour or two.
As the sign says...
A small, but fascinating building...
The Austrian wanted in on the photo, too...
The original Pegasus Bridge, just a few yards away, in a safe place...
...complete with glider...
The Austrian slut was alone in Honfleur for just a few moments...
...before attracting the "wrong sort"...
A quick blat into Le Havre saw mine as one of only 4 other bikes making that crossing. We were alone for quite some time.
Remember...it doesn't hurt to check the lifeboats ;-)
Go-faster stripes...
That's about it. I arrived in Portsmouth about 45 minutes late due to the strong headwind, but otherwise a fairly uneventful crossing. LD Lines is probably a poorer quality experience than Brittany Ferries, but adequate nonetheless.
I intended to put about 200 miles on the KTM, but ended up adding over 400, taking it way over the first service mileage requirement! I was that enticed by the bike and the experience.
I'm returning to Normandy in June, from the 4th to 8th for the 65th D-Day celebrations, where I'm slumming it by tenting it
so maybe see some of you there?By the way - I throughly recommend both the bike and the camera!
Ride safe
JB
