I've wanted to do a European tour ever since buying the GS new in 2013 but work and family commitments have never quite aligned until now.
On Thursday 30th June I finished work for twelve weeks of which the first two (and a bit) have been set aside for me to head off to Europe. As this is the first time I've toured Europe this report is unlikely to contain anything you haven't already read about or seen for yourselves.
As much as I tried to plan a route before leaving I simply couldn't muster the enthusiasm and decided beyond a couple of known destinations I'll be making it up as I go along.
The first of those destinations is the 4 hour Classic Endurance race meeting at the Spa Circuit. The second is a hotel booking I've made in Cortina D'Ampezzo in the Dolomites for Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th July. I'm writing this sat in a campsite in Belfort, France so the first few days of this trip are behind me now. Actually I'm now in Cortina D'Ampezzo! Photo uploading got the better of me so this is somewhat behind.
Here's how it's gone so far...
I left our place in Solihull at 9am Friday morning after seeing the kids off to school for my 13:20 one way crossing on the Eurotunnel. I'm not kidding when I say there's no planning involved here.
Fairly obvious already that I've packed way too much stuff but it's too late now.
Listening to the radio on the M40 on the way down they announced a 3 hour delay on the tunnel. Ah well hopefully they'll have started clearing it before I get there. After the usual drudgery of the M25 and the obligatory tailback caused by accident rubberneckers I arrived at the tunnel just after 12 to be greeted by a queue already forming out onto the M20, oh dear.
My view for the next 45 minutes after filtering to the front of the queue.
Suffice to say the next 5 hours were spent people watching as the Welsh contingent who were trying to get to Lille for the Euro 2016 game all started kicking off and carnage ensued.
I went for some lunch...
I've never had any problems with the tunnel before so I'm not going to complain too much but it became obvious that once it goes wrong, in this case due to two train breakdowns everything goes to shit. I waited patiently like a good boy for my letter (L) to be called but eventually realised nobody was taking any notice of the board and awaiting their call. I therefore decided I'd head up to passport control and was straight through and joined a bunch of other bikers who were letters P, S and R! Another hour in this queue and finally another 30 minutes sat on a stationary train.
My wheels eventually hit French soil at 8pm so my original plan of reaching Spa by early evening had of course long since evaporated. I had friends already at the circuit but decided to check into the Ibis Calais for the evening and start afresh tomorrow.
I've definitely brought too much crap.
Saturday morning I was away by 10 and after a gentle ride down through Belgium arrived at the circuit for 2pm. 25 euros later and I was the proud owner of a piece of prime Spa real estate for the weekend. That'll be me and my two man tent pitched in a car park.
The empty car park is because this one was taken on Sunday evening after the meeting finished and almost everybody had left. I'm the little one in the middle.
Over the course of Saturday and Sunday much alcohol was consumed, a lot of bikes were watched. Warning, from herein there are disturbing selfies of the bald ugly author included.
Hero selfie.
Formula One circuit for classic bikes...
Packed grandstand
VIP bar and terrace. I wonder who you'd need to know to get in here on Formula 1 weekend.
Front row lineup for the classic parade. Of course once away they all quickly forgot they were parade lap, rightly so.
Nice arses
Someone has a bit of spare cash
There's a full weekend of racing but the 4 hour endurance starts at 8pm.
Sunday night campfire saw us burning whatever leftover wood we could find.
As I mentioned I'm now on day 6 in my hotel in Cortina D'Ampezzo. It's just gone midnight so I'll process pics and try and get up to date tomorrow. Essentially it'll involve a single dose of camping, Grimsel, Furka, lost keys, rainbows, Dolomites and 33 degrees. Nothing you haven't already seen
On Thursday 30th June I finished work for twelve weeks of which the first two (and a bit) have been set aside for me to head off to Europe. As this is the first time I've toured Europe this report is unlikely to contain anything you haven't already read about or seen for yourselves.
As much as I tried to plan a route before leaving I simply couldn't muster the enthusiasm and decided beyond a couple of known destinations I'll be making it up as I go along.
The first of those destinations is the 4 hour Classic Endurance race meeting at the Spa Circuit. The second is a hotel booking I've made in Cortina D'Ampezzo in the Dolomites for Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th July. I'm writing this sat in a campsite in Belfort, France so the first few days of this trip are behind me now. Actually I'm now in Cortina D'Ampezzo! Photo uploading got the better of me so this is somewhat behind.
Here's how it's gone so far...
I left our place in Solihull at 9am Friday morning after seeing the kids off to school for my 13:20 one way crossing on the Eurotunnel. I'm not kidding when I say there's no planning involved here.
Fairly obvious already that I've packed way too much stuff but it's too late now.
Listening to the radio on the M40 on the way down they announced a 3 hour delay on the tunnel. Ah well hopefully they'll have started clearing it before I get there. After the usual drudgery of the M25 and the obligatory tailback caused by accident rubberneckers I arrived at the tunnel just after 12 to be greeted by a queue already forming out onto the M20, oh dear.
My view for the next 45 minutes after filtering to the front of the queue.
Suffice to say the next 5 hours were spent people watching as the Welsh contingent who were trying to get to Lille for the Euro 2016 game all started kicking off and carnage ensued.
I went for some lunch...
I've never had any problems with the tunnel before so I'm not going to complain too much but it became obvious that once it goes wrong, in this case due to two train breakdowns everything goes to shit. I waited patiently like a good boy for my letter (L) to be called but eventually realised nobody was taking any notice of the board and awaiting their call. I therefore decided I'd head up to passport control and was straight through and joined a bunch of other bikers who were letters P, S and R! Another hour in this queue and finally another 30 minutes sat on a stationary train.
My wheels eventually hit French soil at 8pm so my original plan of reaching Spa by early evening had of course long since evaporated. I had friends already at the circuit but decided to check into the Ibis Calais for the evening and start afresh tomorrow.
I've definitely brought too much crap.
Saturday morning I was away by 10 and after a gentle ride down through Belgium arrived at the circuit for 2pm. 25 euros later and I was the proud owner of a piece of prime Spa real estate for the weekend. That'll be me and my two man tent pitched in a car park.
The empty car park is because this one was taken on Sunday evening after the meeting finished and almost everybody had left. I'm the little one in the middle.
Over the course of Saturday and Sunday much alcohol was consumed, a lot of bikes were watched. Warning, from herein there are disturbing selfies of the bald ugly author included.
Hero selfie.
Formula One circuit for classic bikes...
Packed grandstand
VIP bar and terrace. I wonder who you'd need to know to get in here on Formula 1 weekend.
Front row lineup for the classic parade. Of course once away they all quickly forgot they were parade lap, rightly so.
Nice arses
Someone has a bit of spare cash
There's a full weekend of racing but the 4 hour endurance starts at 8pm.
Sunday night campfire saw us burning whatever leftover wood we could find.
As I mentioned I'm now on day 6 in my hotel in Cortina D'Ampezzo. It's just gone midnight so I'll process pics and try and get up to date tomorrow. Essentially it'll involve a single dose of camping, Grimsel, Furka, lost keys, rainbows, Dolomites and 33 degrees. Nothing you haven't already seen
