France. Again.

[Nutty]

Keep your chin up Mike, but if I can make a suggestion. Those crappy chain hotels are shite, and thoroughly depressing. We stayed in one on our trip to Italy in May, and I vowed to never stay in one again. There are some fantastic small hotels and B&B's where you are, so why not try some of those?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Keep your chin up Mike, but if I can make a suggestion. Those crappy chain hotels are shite, and thoroughly depressing.

+1

When you can wake up, throw open the curtains and look out on a splendid Alpine view, why would you stay on an industrial estate in town

............just because of the wifi

A lot of the small hotels have it, coupled with a decent bar and restaurant

You can bump into others or the locals, have a beer and maybe read a book whilst watching the world go by

That's my formula

 

[Bryn]

+1

When you can wake up, throw open the curtains and look out on a splendid Alpine view, why would you stay on an industrial estate in town

............just because of the wifi

A lot of the small hotels have it, coupled with a decent bar and restaurant

You can bump into others or the locals, have a beer and maybe read a book whilst watching the world go by

That's my formula

Point him towards Bad Peterstal on the way back up

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Point him towards Bad Peterstal on the way back up

Cracking cellar bar, full of locals ................ Steins served by wenches in traditional German costume

Great food

Hotel Hirsch.....................is your friend

http://www.hot-hirsch.de/

 

[Dave h]

Stayed there few years back,came through bad peterstal last week, stayed at Bad Rippoldsau, Both areas have nice serving wenches with there boobies hanging out

 

[chad]

Cracking cellar bar, full of locals ................ Steins served by wenches in traditional German costume

Great food

Hotel Hirsch.....................is your friend

http://www.hot-hirsch.de/

now that looks nice

 

[Mr K]

Keep it up Bonny Lad.
Not sure about the "Travelsheds" and all the pre-bookings, but it's your ball.

Crack-on!

 

[MikeO]

Thanks for the suggestions - all of which outline what makes a trip good for you.

I'm not much of a drinker and don't particularly like a pub atmosphere - and certainly not a 'boys on tour' scenario.

After a day's riding I (did) like to upload my pictures and get my thoughts down - don't forget that I write these entries entirely for my benefit. The older I get, the more I realise how unreliable memory becomes - and the journals I have of my travels are great reminders for me. If anyone else reads and enjoys them, then that's a bonus.

I've been on group rides and there's always some testosterone fuelled twat trying to ride above his ability - the potential consequences of this destroy any fun for me. I am completely non-competitive and this doesn't sit well with some folk - I really can't take competitive people seriously and I'd rather not be in that sort of group. I tend to ride alone (the majority of the time) or with one or exceptionally two riders whose riding I know well.

I hope that explains why I travel like I do - the evening venue is of no import, so I go with what I know. This isn't a direction as to how I expect you to travel - it's just the way I do it.

What it doesn't explain is the sudden lack of spark in doing this. It was a mistake setting off on Friday. This has been a mechanical process with none of the buzz I normally get from travelling like this.

The oddest thing is that, if I won the Lotto this week - I can't think of a single thing I'd do...

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Thanks for the suggestions - all of which outline what makes a trip good for you.

I'm not much of a drinker and don't particularly like a pub atmosphere - and certainly not a 'boys on tour' scenario.

After a day's riding I (did) like to upload my pictures and get my thoughts down - don't forget that I write these entries entirely for my benefit. The older I get, the more I realise how unreliable memory becomes - and the journals I have of my travels are great reminders for me. If anyone else reads and enjoys them, then that's a bonus.

I've been on group rides and there's always some testosterone fuelled twat trying to ride above his ability - the potential consequences of this destroy any fun for me. I am completely non-competitive and this doesn't sit well with some folk - I really can't take competitive people seriously and I'd rather not be in that sort of group. I tend to ride alone (the majority of the time) or with one or exceptionally two riders whose riding I know well.

I hope that explains why I travel like I do - the evening venue is of no import, so I go with what I know. This isn't a direction as to how I expect you to travel - it's just the way I do it.

What it doesn't explain is the sudden lack of spark in doing this. It was a mistake setting off on Friday. This has been a mechanical process with none of the buzz I normally get from travelling like this.

The oddest thing is that, if I won the Lotto this week - I can't think of a single thing I'd do...

Fairy enough Mike, it works for you

I'm not much of a drinker either, but do like the 'bonne vivant' of being away, the craic etc

We enjoy your RR's...............keep it up

 

[GS.Jack]

Lotto win

If you won the lotto you would probably ride your GS around the World taking photos. The USA tour was a great read. You came across as a British Jack Reacher on a GS. Went through a similar phase myself a few Years ago, got out of it by buying a GS . Now the problem is trying to find the time to use it to its full capacity. Anyway I'm looking forward to the next report, like many others are.

 

[Den]

What it doesn't explain is the sudden lack of spark in doing this. It was a mistake setting off on Friday. This has been a mechanical process with none of the buzz I normally get from travelling like this.

The oddest thing is that, if I won the Lotto this week - I can't think of a single thing I'd do...

You must be approaching 'small campervan syndrome time' Mikey boy!
Its a strange natural progression that comes, whether you like it or not, to a goodly amount of motorbikers.

 

[MikeO]

you came across as a British Jack Reacher on a GS.

No offence mate, but you need to step away from the bong for a few days...

 

[MikeO]

You must be approaching 'small campervan syndrome time' Mikey boy!
Its a strange natural progression that comes, whether you like it or not, to a goodly amount of motorbikers.

Nooooo!

It's just a top box FFS - not the beginning of the end...

 

[Hairnet600]

den - naahhhhhhhhh

he doesnt stink of wee quite yet surely

or drink brown beer

 

[Hairnet600]

You must be approaching 'small campervan syndrome time' Mikey boy!
Its a strange natural progression that comes, whether you like it or not, to a goodly amount of motorbikers.

with the boxes on the bike no van needed

 

[MikeO]

2nd July 2013

I sleep well and wake early to a beautiful day. After a quick shower I pack the bike and then have a spot of breakfast. I'm refuelling by 07:15 and filling my CamelBak with a litre and a half of chilled water. I plug the iPod in - fittingly, the auto-shuffle starts with Bob Marley's Exodus...

I set off into a cool clear morning, without a breath of wind. There is some altostratus and the occasional decaying contrail, but the sky's otherwise clear...

I get on the Autoroute - you can see the windsock hanging limply- it's an amazingly still day. There’s little traffic on the road and I set a cruise of 130kph and watch the road disappear under the front tyre.

After a while I come across some mist lying across the road...

...but it doesn't affect visibility enough to slow me and soon burns off as the temperature increases.

After just under three hours and 212 miles, I pull into an Aire to refuel and have a bite to eat. I'm just filling the Adv when this car turns up...

Anybody care to guess the make/Model/Year? (I've smudged the number plate to make you do some work)

I have a long chat with Richard (the owner) and his mate David - they are on their way back from a rally in Slovenia - over 3000 miles in the last three weeks. Richard apologises for the filthy state of the car. It's clear to me that we have different definitions of the word filthy...

I park the Adv and have a spot of brunch...

After a suitable break, I'm back on the road...

...slowed briefly by a section of "le contra-flow"...

I stop for a final splash of my boots before arriving at...

Calais...

...where I am put on the next departing train at no additional charge (despite being a week early).

A train is just boarding, so I have a while to wait. I spend it looking at this old girl (Wendy, from the name engraved beneath the "Spirit of Ecstasy")...

I chat to the owner, who explains that he's driven 300 miles today, so the car needs a minor service...

1920s engineering under the bonnet...

...and enough controls on the wheel to make a F1 driver feel at home...

My train is called, so I make my way to the boarding lane, past the tunnel-cutting bit, set on a plinth by the roundabout...

I join four other riders, who are returning from a weekend at Assen...

We're quickly boarded and the train sets off dead on time. We chat about each other's bikes while we cross and arrive at Folkestone 25 minutes before we departed from Calais...

We're soon off the train and on the M20 towards London. It's a dull day and is forecast to be wet closer to home. Quite suddenly I see a pair of red lights flashing alternately, as a police car starts a rhythmic weaving motion across all three lanes and gradually slows traffic down to about 30mph...

We continue at 30mph for about five minutes, after which the police car switches its lights off and exits on a slip road.

It's like the safety car has just left an F1 track...

In no time, it seems, I'm through the Dartford tolls and entering the tunnel...

Note the 50 maximum and 10 minimum speed limits - not a sign you often see in the UK...

Once through the tunnel I stop at Thurrock Services to refuel and set off towards the M11. As I approach Stansted Airport it starts to drizzle, so I pull off at Birchanger Services, suit up and put the camera away. I route via Thetford and Watton and arrive home at about 17:00.

I'm knackered...

 

[Mr K]

Okay. Maybe it's just me but you set your replacement bike up just like the one you lost in the fire...and the title of the thread is "France Again".

Maybe it should have been "Somewhere else on a different bike"?

Not preaching, just wondering.....



PS: Enjoyed reading the report regardless/because.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Short & sweet

I think Chris has hit the nail, you need to head east to explore new countries and horizons

I'm going back to the French Alps next week, haven't been for 10 years and i'm excited, although isn't my favourite country

Good report though

 

[MikeO]

Okay. Maybe it's just me but you set your replacement bike up just like the one you lost in the fire...and the title of the thread is "France Again".

Maybe it should have been "Somewhere else on a different bike"?

Not preaching, just wondering.....



PS: Enjoyed reading the report regardless/because.

It took me years (and a great deal of trial, error & money) to get my last bike exactly suited to my needs. Of course I replicated it - why would I try and reinvent the wheel?

 

[Mr K]

It took me years (and a great deal of trial, error & money) to get my last bike exactly suited to my needs. Of course I replicated it - why would I try and reinvent the wheel?

I've had my 2004 1200GS from new and think it's the best bike in the Universe and have tailored it to suit me but don't have the same enthusiasm to get out there at every opportunity like i used to. I love it when I do... but I just wondered if I need "fresh" and "different" and maybe not "perfect"...

I dunno... hope it all works out.