28th June 2013
I've had leave booked for this trip since some wet day in (insert month of choice) this year. I was originally booked to leave on Thursday 27th, but changed it to today sometime last week.
This is the first trip of any length I'll be doing with the new bike, so I'll be looking out for teething problems as I go. I'm also wearing a BMW Rallye Jacket (non-tactical - fully badged and zipped) and using a Baglux tank cover and bag.
This means I don't have a belt to hang my camera pouch on - and the Baglux bag sits so far back that it projects over the seat, making fitting it there impractical. I decide to try to use the map case as a home for my camera, but last night - whilst trying this out - I inadvertently switched it on (which causes the lens to motor out) whilst trapped in there. It sounds like the cogs are shredded...
Never mind - that's exactly why I have a spare Canon S100 and four spare batteries on the shelf...
My cameras lead a hard life and this one has done well to survive as long as it has.
I decide to use the inside of the tank bag for now, and see how it works out.
These are all minor things I will get used to using as I go.
The major problem I have is that I really don't want to go. On Wednesday evening I was still working on the assumption that I'd be staying in the UK. Things have been difficult in a number of areas of my life for some time now and it's sometimes hard to break out of a pattern of behaviour. I was recently very badly let down by someone I have been involved with for several years. This isn't the first time it has happened and I can remember feeling just as resolute that this would not happen again several times in the past.
Apparently I don't learn from experience.
Ironically, my last trip to Europe, in November last year, was an attempt to get my head straight about the same issue. I'm trying not to see the bike burning out as a sign...
So anyway - yesterday morning I just thought 'Fuck it' - and decided to get the bike packed and go.
As you might appreciate, the day was fairly chaotic, a welcome interlude being a visit from Paul (astrro on UKGSer), who came to relieve me of my other Rallye jacket - and providing some timely travelling money...
By 21:30 the bike was as packed as it was going to get, so I locked the garage door, sorted out my riding kit and hit the sack.
I woke early and decided to get going anyway. I was booked on the 10:50 train (10:20 check-in). It's a dull day as I grab a quick snap before setting off...
...into the cool morning. We had a little rain yesterday, after quite a long dry period, so I'm wary of the road surface.
To be honest, I'm a bit wary anyway. It's November since I last rode a bike any distance and I need to get back into the groove of riding it - it feels unwieldy and heavy to me at the moment, although I'm sure this will improve with a few miles under the front wheel.
The bike itself is in fine fettle, with just about everything serviced since November. I was unable to find my spare poly V belt yesterday - in fact I seem to have lost track of a number of parts I used to routinely carry and think that some of them may have ended their days as a black mark on the road in Guadalajara...
I make good time through Watton and onto the A11 at Thetford. There are roadworks and delays even at this time of the morning going through Thetford Forest, where the work to 'dual' the entire A11 is well underway. It's scheduled to be complete in 2015, I think. Being on two wheels allows me to make good progress and I'm soon on the A11, A14 and ultimately the M11 towards London.
Somewhere near the M11/M25 junction I apparently overtake Paul (who bought the jacket) - how about that for a coincidence?
After some energetic filtering on the approach to the Dartford Tolls (free for bikes), I head towards Folkestone and make my usual stop at Maidstone services...
Where I fill the bike with Super Unleaded, and myself with...
...a breakfast bap and a large Americano (with skimmed milk, natch)...
Sufficiently restored, I ride out of the services and push on to Folkestone. I took my time over breakfast and I'm now just ahead of schedule. I go through the automated check in and park by the terminal to change some of Paul's Sterling into Euros.
I bought €210 for £205...
This is not going to be a cheap trip.
Hey-ho.
I join the rest of the bikes and wait to be called forward to join our train. Dave, riding this Harley, has a realistic attitude towards keeping his feet dry...
We're called forward and board almost immediately - there are a lot of bikes today (I normally travel on a Thursday, so I don't usually see the weekend traffic)...
The train sets off right on time...
...and I keep myself busy by trying to work out why my left driving light has failed. The connections I can access easily are good - I'll worry about it when I have some down time. I switch Bettie to metric (kph speedo) and reset her clock an hour forward. My computer and phone do this automatically, but I have to do it manually on the GPS - a device that (one would hope) knows where it is...
Soon we're arriving at Calais and there is much blatting of exhausts and revving of engines as the doors open - I set Strasbourg as an aiming point and get on the Autoroute.
I pick up a toll ticket at the first Péage - put it into the map case and then (a mile or so later) notice it's not there any more - poo...
Another bit of kit I'm missing is the extension lead, which connects my in-ear monitors to my iPod (actually, my iPhone - but you know what I mean). I generally use this on longish jaunts on the motorway, as it helps to pass the time, so I'm having to make do today with a heavy coiled version intended for use with a home stereo. The problem is that it's heavy and will catch the wind, which in turn will disconnect it - I pull into a service area (Aire) to sort this out and come across a couple in distress...
This is Kevin and Carmen, a lovely couple (despite having been grievously assaulted by this year's Harley Davidson 'Lifestyle' catalogue). They have just had a cuppa and have come back to the bike to find they can't switch off the immobiliser. It's flashing random indicators and making various electronic beeps and farts.
I take the key fob apart and give the battery and contacts a good clean - writing down the number of the battery whilst I do so. I click it all back together and it works - hurrah! The picture was taken after this event...
I give them the battery number and suggest they find a chemist/supermarket/camera shop and see if they can buy a couple of spares. A mate of mine gave me the tip to always change your alarm remote battery when you MoT the vehicle - it's a good habit to get into...
Onwards! It's in the low 60s F at the moment, but very humid, so I open the vents, but keep the waterproof liner in...
The weather ahead looks threatening, but I am lucky and never seem to get more than a misty drizzle, which isn't even worth changing gloves for...
Wind turbines are all turning quite slowly...
I keep up a steady 130kph, which wreaks havoc with the Adv's fuel consumption, leading to a stop, just before 15:00, to refuel...
Motorway food the world over is exactly the same, in my experience...
I kit up after a decent stop and almost immediately run into two things - a Péage station (remember I lost my ticket?) and bad weather. Luckily there is an attendant talking to a lorry driver - as soon as I explain what has happened she sorts it out - €13...
I kit back up and decide it's probably best to stop for the night - the weather ahead looks like hell on toast and I've been lucky to stay dry this far...
I choose the wrong route through Reims in the Friday afternoon rush...
...before arriving at the Budget ibis - I've stayed here twice before, when it was an eTap). I am greeted by the lovely Fanny (sorry about the camera shake - she told me her name just as I pressed the shutter), who tells me she has only three rooms left - they are all smoking rooms...
I go and give one a sniff-test (behave) and it's fine. I cart my gear up to the room...
...and stand under the (weirdly lit) shower for a long time.
I book some accommodation for Saturday night, but I'd be lying if I said I was certain of using the booking...
I've had leave booked for this trip since some wet day in (insert month of choice) this year. I was originally booked to leave on Thursday 27th, but changed it to today sometime last week.
This is the first trip of any length I'll be doing with the new bike, so I'll be looking out for teething problems as I go. I'm also wearing a BMW Rallye Jacket (non-tactical - fully badged and zipped) and using a Baglux tank cover and bag.
This means I don't have a belt to hang my camera pouch on - and the Baglux bag sits so far back that it projects over the seat, making fitting it there impractical. I decide to try to use the map case as a home for my camera, but last night - whilst trying this out - I inadvertently switched it on (which causes the lens to motor out) whilst trapped in there. It sounds like the cogs are shredded...
Never mind - that's exactly why I have a spare Canon S100 and four spare batteries on the shelf...
My cameras lead a hard life and this one has done well to survive as long as it has.
I decide to use the inside of the tank bag for now, and see how it works out.
These are all minor things I will get used to using as I go.
The major problem I have is that I really don't want to go. On Wednesday evening I was still working on the assumption that I'd be staying in the UK. Things have been difficult in a number of areas of my life for some time now and it's sometimes hard to break out of a pattern of behaviour. I was recently very badly let down by someone I have been involved with for several years. This isn't the first time it has happened and I can remember feeling just as resolute that this would not happen again several times in the past.
Apparently I don't learn from experience.
Ironically, my last trip to Europe, in November last year, was an attempt to get my head straight about the same issue. I'm trying not to see the bike burning out as a sign...
So anyway - yesterday morning I just thought 'Fuck it' - and decided to get the bike packed and go.
As you might appreciate, the day was fairly chaotic, a welcome interlude being a visit from Paul (astrro on UKGSer), who came to relieve me of my other Rallye jacket - and providing some timely travelling money...
By 21:30 the bike was as packed as it was going to get, so I locked the garage door, sorted out my riding kit and hit the sack.
I woke early and decided to get going anyway. I was booked on the 10:50 train (10:20 check-in). It's a dull day as I grab a quick snap before setting off...
...into the cool morning. We had a little rain yesterday, after quite a long dry period, so I'm wary of the road surface.
To be honest, I'm a bit wary anyway. It's November since I last rode a bike any distance and I need to get back into the groove of riding it - it feels unwieldy and heavy to me at the moment, although I'm sure this will improve with a few miles under the front wheel.
The bike itself is in fine fettle, with just about everything serviced since November. I was unable to find my spare poly V belt yesterday - in fact I seem to have lost track of a number of parts I used to routinely carry and think that some of them may have ended their days as a black mark on the road in Guadalajara...
I make good time through Watton and onto the A11 at Thetford. There are roadworks and delays even at this time of the morning going through Thetford Forest, where the work to 'dual' the entire A11 is well underway. It's scheduled to be complete in 2015, I think. Being on two wheels allows me to make good progress and I'm soon on the A11, A14 and ultimately the M11 towards London.
Somewhere near the M11/M25 junction I apparently overtake Paul (who bought the jacket) - how about that for a coincidence?
After some energetic filtering on the approach to the Dartford Tolls (free for bikes
), I head towards Folkestone and make my usual stop at Maidstone services...
Where I fill the bike with Super Unleaded, and myself with...
...a breakfast bap and a large Americano (with skimmed milk, natch)...
Sufficiently restored, I ride out of the services and push on to Folkestone. I took my time over breakfast and I'm now just ahead of schedule. I go through the automated check in and park by the terminal to change some of Paul's Sterling into Euros.
I bought €210 for £205...
This is not going to be a cheap trip.
Hey-ho.
I join the rest of the bikes and wait to be called forward to join our train. Dave, riding this Harley, has a realistic attitude towards keeping his feet dry...
We're called forward and board almost immediately - there are a lot of bikes today (I normally travel on a Thursday, so I don't usually see the weekend traffic)...
The train sets off right on time...
...and I keep myself busy by trying to work out why my left driving light has failed. The connections I can access easily are good - I'll worry about it when I have some down time. I switch Bettie to metric (kph speedo) and reset her clock an hour forward. My computer and phone do this automatically, but I have to do it manually on the GPS - a device that (one would hope) knows where it is...
Soon we're arriving at Calais and there is much blatting of exhausts and revving of engines as the doors open - I set Strasbourg as an aiming point and get on the Autoroute.
I pick up a toll ticket at the first Péage - put it into the map case and then (a mile or so later) notice it's not there any more - poo...
Another bit of kit I'm missing is the extension lead, which connects my in-ear monitors to my iPod (actually, my iPhone - but you know what I mean). I generally use this on longish jaunts on the motorway, as it helps to pass the time, so I'm having to make do today with a heavy coiled version intended for use with a home stereo. The problem is that it's heavy and will catch the wind, which in turn will disconnect it - I pull into a service area (Aire) to sort this out and come across a couple in distress...
This is Kevin and Carmen, a lovely couple (despite having been grievously assaulted by this year's Harley Davidson 'Lifestyle' catalogue
). They have just had a cuppa and have come back to the bike to find they can't switch off the immobiliser. It's flashing random indicators and making various electronic beeps and farts.I take the key fob apart and give the battery and contacts a good clean - writing down the number of the battery whilst I do so. I click it all back together and it works - hurrah! The picture was taken after this event...
I give them the battery number and suggest they find a chemist/supermarket/camera shop and see if they can buy a couple of spares. A mate of mine gave me the tip to always change your alarm remote battery when you MoT the vehicle - it's a good habit to get into...
Onwards! It's in the low 60s F at the moment, but very humid, so I open the vents, but keep the waterproof liner in...
The weather ahead looks threatening, but I am lucky and never seem to get more than a misty drizzle, which isn't even worth changing gloves for...
Wind turbines are all turning quite slowly...
I keep up a steady 130kph, which wreaks havoc with the Adv's fuel consumption, leading to a stop, just before 15:00, to refuel...
Motorway food the world over is exactly the same, in my experience...
I kit up after a decent stop and almost immediately run into two things - a Péage station (remember I lost my ticket?) and bad weather. Luckily there is an attendant talking to a lorry driver - as soon as I explain what has happened she sorts it out - €13...
I kit back up and decide it's probably best to stop for the night - the weather ahead looks like hell on toast and I've been lucky to stay dry this far...
I choose the wrong route through Reims in the Friday afternoon rush...
...before arriving at the Budget ibis - I've stayed here twice before, when it was an eTap). I am greeted by the lovely Fanny (sorry about the camera shake - she told me her name just as I pressed the shutter), who tells me she has only three rooms left - they are all smoking rooms...
I go and give one a sniff-test (behave) and it's fine. I cart my gear up to the room...
...and stand under the (weirdly lit) shower for a long time.
I book some accommodation for Saturday night, but I'd be lying if I said I was certain of using the booking...
One other thing, don't get confused by the Cl on the left with a capital 'C' small 'l' as this sometimes looks like a C1, but is Cl for 'class' the number is on it's own slightly to the right of this.
