Gordo's Croatia 09 Trip Report

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This is going to take a little while to post so if I could anyone who wants to comment to hold off till I'm done.

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A little rough and ready....haven't got time to edit etc, just wanted to
get this done now before I 'dont' have time:

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Croatia 09

It was always going to be a long’un, not just in miles
but time in the saddle. I was really looking forward to
this trip when I got the word from Bryn that I was ‘in’
but as time got nearer I was beginning to think it was
a huge mistake. Why, because it so close to a run into
the Picos, Spain I’d just made, riding back up through
France and back up to North Yorkshire. I was shattered
from that and wasn’t sure how I’d get on with a trip heading
south again and lapping up 3500 miles.

However, I’ve never ridden with a large group before, normally
making runs either on my jack or with 1 or 2 others. I like
to kick around both scenarios every now and then … it gives
me some real sellfish time to myself or time with beers etc
with my mates during the evening, but 20 odd bikes and
even more people, of which I knew no one………….I had to give it a shot.

So………hopefully, a quick run down of what
happened, some photos and some observations but let me
tell you now…………’it were a reet good’un’

This was the route we took: 11 countries in 12 days.

 

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9 July: Had chatted on the phone with Rivendell about
riding down together from North Yorks for a one night
stay in Dover. I’d checked the forecast before he arrived
and told him ‘it’s going to be a dry one’…..well, feck me….
tell ‘em, David……..it started to rain immediately and
by the time we got to Grantham services it was chucking it.
I was OK though, I was wearing my new gaiters to stop
the rain getting through my boots and making my tootsies
all wet. The said ‘gaiters’ are now in the bin !!!

So a further push south, think Rivendell didn’t think I was
going to stop for fuel but we did, mine was on fumes
too so we pulled into one of those charming service stations
you only find on UK motorways where you feel like you’d
better get the wheels off the bike ‘cos they’ll be gone
by the time you’ve paid for the fuel.

A great opportunity for some filtering across the Dartford
Bridge and dropped down to Dover my early evening. The
first pleasant surprise was the car park….bugger, it’s ok
for you peeps with long danglies (legs) but for ‘lesser
taller’ peeps, finding a point on the road which I can
actually touch is often something I have to plan.
(ed. more of this later !!!) In saying all that, Rivendell’s
bike went over…….sorry, David….it’s just gives me
great satisfaction as a short arse when I see a taller
person get it wrong. No photos I’m afraid … Peter, you
had your priorities wrong … photo first then help get
the bike up.

 

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Bleriots driveway doesn't appear to have much of a gradient
but it found a victim:

 

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Weatherspoons that night … usual stuff … curry and a
pint for a fiver. Good opportunity to have a few ales
and meet these other-like minded ladies and gents who
want to blast around Europe on a bike. So who was
there that evening, Bryn, Lyn, Parky and Tracy, GSEddie,
Casperfelix, Rivendell, Chubs, Fuddy, Drumacoon Lad,
Caleb, Steeeeevo, Alan J and CBT. The others to arrive
the next morning.

10 July:
So off to the port with a thick heed (cheers Bryn for the paraceets)
where the pack formed up. Bryn does the business at
check in, bikes are strapped down and we’re off and it’s
breakfast upstairs.

Into France where Flash and Trassa are picked up and it’s an immediate hoof down the road. Think Major Gadget still
hadn’t finished his packing (surprised ?) as we’re were all
in top gear while he was strapping his tent down. 100 miles
down the road, and the pack decides to swing it sideways
into a fuel station … as far as I could see it was only myself
and two others who were prepared to continue on half a tank
of fuel. At the time I didn’t know it was Rivendell and Chubs
behind me and it wasn’t long before Rivendell also pulled
off to a fuel station. It was funny actually, because he was
flashing me for some time, more so as we approached the
fuel station and he realised I wasn’t pulling in there either.
I though he needed fuel but no, his zumo was telling him
to ride around his home in North Yorks !!!! I didn’t know
this so just waved ‘goodbye’. So now it was the hard men,
me and Chubs … we still had a ¼ tank left so you have
to admit we were being pretty daring ! A quick pull over
to a lay by to put on my fleece (I was being a pussy and
getting a bit cold) and off down the Rhine. This was where
you’ll love to know, ‘specially Stevo and Haley, where
I had to make my first U-turn. Actually, while we’re here,
you know what the favorite word of the trip was :
‘recalculating’…. or atleast it was on my bike !


Chubs on his GSA on our way down the Rhine:

 

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Obviously, loads of barges down the Rhine.
This one you can just make out the Vauxhall (more likely Opel) Astra and
a sports bike which you cant see sitting on its top.

 

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Into the camp site at Mainz … not bad but stinking,
fantastic shower (the first of many). Getting the wrong
bits under those jets ……. well…………you wouldn’t
be going on to Garmisch that night. Major Gadget pulls in next,
followed by Fuddy who took advantage of the open gate
on the site and had to be chased around for a bit for payment. Just the 4 of us camping tonight.The others … living it up in the Ibis.
Into town for some beer and food to come back to the camp site
to find Major Gadget with head torch pointing down…he’d
clearly lost something !! Come on Ken…..what was it that
night ?


Fuddy filling his bottle:

 

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Mainz Camping: 30 minute walk up to the Irish bar.

 

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11 July:
Off down to Darmstadt to meet up with a mate I hadn’t seen
for 17 years. Bit of a chat and a ride down the road

 

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Then a coffee stop for me and Chubs

Can make out Bryn/Lyn, Parky/Tracy and Stevo and Hailey at the back.
2nd from the end ?

 

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It was easy to get set up for these shots: the sound of
silence was broken by dirty, tractor noises.

Charlie and Ruth

 

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Brett and I had caught up with the peleton and stopped for
a bite to eat...or in my case, a drink.

Parky and Tracy wanting attention.

 

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Hang on, how come there's something in front of Bryn !!!

 

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Fuel stop

 

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The further we move south towards Garmisch, the
more the group becomes segmented. Great country
sweepers down the B45, B14, NE of Stuttgart.
For some reason I get held back and find myself on my
jack …. but Parky/Tracy L’esgargot/Ruth catch me
up but only to find that my Zumo is taking me into
Ikea….so I oblige. Sorry guys ! All’s not lost, I find
them again down the road at a fuel station.

The scenery's getting better:

 

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....and better.........

 

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..and better and better....

 

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Weather’s a bit cool by the time I pull into the campsite
at Mittenwald and it wasn’t one of the better sites, although
GSEddie and Peter were happy, they got some free stickers.
Couple of snorers that night and I’m putting my money
on Major Gadjet and Casperfelix. I was sandwiched
between them so I had it from both sides …..eh, sorry,
that should say ‘I could hear them very clearly’.

Leaving Mittenwald camping the next morning for Trieste:

 

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12 July:
Off down to Garmisch to meet up with the BnBers to
find they were all still powdering their noses. This was
the morning when the group split ….. some off to Poland (boo hiss) whilst everyone heading south. Today, Trieste was our
destination.

 

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This was always going to be the longest day. 320 miles
in 11 hours long. But you’ve got to say, it was a great riding
day. Trying to keep the bikes together ended with us being
segmented before we left Garmisch. It was my fault. I took
the group into the train station in G. and though I’d be clever
and take a different route out. Only 3 others followed: Chubs,
Fuddy and Casperfelix. We left the town thinking the main
group ‘had’ to be ahead of us so off we went on a charge
to eventually find they’d been behind us all the time.
Another segmentation quickly followed before we made our
way up the Timmelsjoch. I know Caleb had a brill time
and had the chance to use some of the unused tread on the
side of this tyres. What a road.

Taken from a virtually identical position from last year.

 

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This was the shot from last year: