david a hall
Registered user
I realy enjoyed that thanks
Ireland to Morocco and back April 2008
- Thread starter davidgibson999
- Start date
Sunday 20th (196 miles)
Woke to heavy rain beating against the Ibis windows. In the breakfast room two couples caught my eye and one guy said “Excuse me, are you a tosser?”. His partner nearly fell off her stool with embaressment. They introduced themselves as fellow UKGSers – BHT and I can’t remember the other one – if you read this I apologise but let me know who you were!
Not the most pleasant of days – those knobbly tyres are horrible on the slippy roads and I diced with the old Mercedes taxis for most of the day.
My neighbour's 8 yr old kid presented me with a lollipop before I left and I promised I'd eat it in Morocco and get a picture at the same time so if you look closely you'll see a chuppa chups!
the rain was washing off the authentic red dust patina the bike had picked up. I'd hoped it would last til home!
Hopefully I'm not tempting fate but the big girl rolled her 20000th trouble free mile on the way to Ceuta
By Ceuta I was well and truly dehydrated, not even having the energy to lift the bike onto the centre stand. Checked into the hostal and slept for 3 hours. Met John in the reception area. He runs Trailmasters, a 4x4 tour company – relaly nice guy who ran me down to the nearest Burgerking – the only thing I could keep down was icecream and water. He produced a cup of salt and sugar dissolved in water – not the nicest thing I’ve tasted but it certainly did the trick and I went to bed feeling a lot better.
Woke to heavy rain beating against the Ibis windows. In the breakfast room two couples caught my eye and one guy said “Excuse me, are you a tosser?”. His partner nearly fell off her stool with embaressment. They introduced themselves as fellow UKGSers – BHT and I can’t remember the other one – if you read this I apologise but let me know who you were!
Not the most pleasant of days – those knobbly tyres are horrible on the slippy roads and I diced with the old Mercedes taxis for most of the day.
My neighbour's 8 yr old kid presented me with a lollipop before I left and I promised I'd eat it in Morocco and get a picture at the same time so if you look closely you'll see a chuppa chups!
the rain was washing off the authentic red dust patina the bike had picked up. I'd hoped it would last til home!
Hopefully I'm not tempting fate but the big girl rolled her 20000th trouble free mile on the way to Ceuta
By Ceuta I was well and truly dehydrated, not even having the energy to lift the bike onto the centre stand. Checked into the hostal and slept for 3 hours. Met John in the reception area. He runs Trailmasters, a 4x4 tour company – relaly nice guy who ran me down to the nearest Burgerking – the only thing I could keep down was icecream and water. He produced a cup of salt and sugar dissolved in water – not the nicest thing I’ve tasted but it certainly did the trick and I went to bed feeling a lot better.
Thanks for all the positive comments so far - makes the trip report worthwhile knowing you guys enjoy it.
Only a few more days to go...
Only a few more days to go...
Monday 21st (645 miles)
Boring, cloudy and cold motorway day. About to launch myself into the tunnels of Madrid again. 50km south of Burgos the rain turns to painful hailstones and I even pass a gritter salting the road!
Stayed in Hotel Ittimurria near the Spanish border.
Tuesday 22nd (255 miles)
Set off at 9am. In no rush today.
liked these trees - can't remember where they were:
Stopped at Punonx-Sur-L’adour for a hot chocolate.
Straight on to Belves and the Cafe du Paris where the owner recognised me from previous years and gave me coffee free. Called in with friends of ours, Steve and Becky, who run their gite business Bouillitou (great spot in the Dordogne if you’re interested!)
Boring, cloudy and cold motorway day. About to launch myself into the tunnels of Madrid again. 50km south of Burgos the rain turns to painful hailstones and I even pass a gritter salting the road!
Stayed in Hotel Ittimurria near the Spanish border.
Tuesday 22nd (255 miles)
Set off at 9am. In no rush today.
liked these trees - can't remember where they were:
Stopped at Punonx-Sur-L’adour for a hot chocolate.
Straight on to Belves and the Cafe du Paris where the owner recognised me from previous years and gave me coffee free. Called in with friends of ours, Steve and Becky, who run their gite business Bouillitou (great spot in the Dordogne if you’re interested!)
Decster
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BHT is the 'creator' of UKGSer, and on the 7th day he rested.
Great trip report Dave
Wednesday 23rd (411 miles)
Set off in heavy rain and cold mist from Bouilliac in the Dordogne. By Le Mans the sun was starting to come out and I arrived in Arromanches on Gold Beach in a really friendly B&B run by a guy called Adrian. In fact he was full but he allowed me to keep the bike in his shed and got me sorted in a neighbouring guesthouse where I got a great deal on a loft apartment! Walked the beach in the evening and watched the sun set from a hill.
overlooking Gold Beach with the Mulberry B harbour
Set off in heavy rain and cold mist from Bouilliac in the Dordogne. By Le Mans the sun was starting to come out and I arrived in Arromanches on Gold Beach in a really friendly B&B run by a guy called Adrian. In fact he was full but he allowed me to keep the bike in his shed and got me sorted in a neighbouring guesthouse where I got a great deal on a loft apartment! Walked the beach in the evening and watched the sun set from a hill.
overlooking Gold Beach with the Mulberry B harbour
BHT is the 'creator' of UKGSer, and on the 7th day he rested.
Great trip report Dave
I'd have kissed his feet had I known....
Deleted account 220427002
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how could you forget Lucy if you met her
Thursday (112 miles)
Left the B&B in Arromanches
and rode along the coast to the Battery at Longues – the last remaining gun battery with its original guns intact.
this one got a bit of abuse on D-Day!
Next up was Portes-en-Bessin before Omaha Beach and the US cemetary.
The American War Cemetary was very moving – perfectly maintained with perfectly placed row upon row of white crosses with a number on each. The beauty of the place belied the brutality and violence of the deaths represented by each cross.
"To these we owe the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live".
Being able to see Omaha Beach where the men died from the cemetary itself was disturbing – what a waste of life. Rode the bike along the beach for a bit
I know Tuned In will be disappointed there hasn't been a shot of me so here's a gratuitous one just for you Gary!
...before heading for Pointe de Hoc where 225 US Rangers scaled the cliffs to capture the German position. Only 90 were fighting by the next day. The ground is so wrecked with craters and twisted concrete lies everywhere.
I wanted to visit the German cemetary and found it Cambe. I liked the inscription outside it: “...it is a graveyard for soldiers not all of whom had chosen the cause or the fight. They too have found rest in our soil of France.”
Saw the parachutist at Sainte Mere-Eglise and visited the Airbourne Museum there. The film they show is very good and gives a good overview of what happened on D-Day and in the following few weeks.
Last visit of the day before Cherbourg was Utah Beach.
At Cherbourg the customs guys were feeling energetic and gave the Polish van in front of me the works – slicing open every cardboard box and even the loaves of bread he was carrrying.
When I showed my passport something was said to an officious bloke who waved me over and asked “Where are your drugs?”. He then emptied my carefully packed panniers onto the tarmac... He then went through my toiletries and started to pat me down. He asked that I remove the armour from my trousers but I successfully put him off doing that – I didn’t fancy standing in my pants trying to put the trousers back together again. All the while he was asking “Where is your cannabis? Where are your drugs?”. At one point I was tempted to say “Up my arse” but thankfully sense prevailed. I certainly didn’t want him to check... By this time I was pissed off and every other vehicle was through and waiting in line for the boat. Reached my place in the row of bikes and a French dude called Arnaud shared saucisson with the rest of us and the world seemed right again.
Now sitting in the cabin and reading something by John O’Donohue. He writes for the traveller and says:
“Every time you leave home,
Another road takes you
Into a world you were never in...
When you travel, you find yourself
Alone in a different way.
More attentive now
To the self you bring along
Your more subtle eye watching
You abroad; and how what meets you
Touches that part of the heart
That lies low at home...
When you travel,
A new silence
Goes with you,
Find if you listen,
You will hear what your heart
Would love to say...”
Perfect.
Friday (250 miles)
Uneventful run back up north to home, my wife and my own bed...
When I got home I found out that the same kid who gave me a lollipop before I left had baked me four buns for my return! Here they are along with the carrot cake Lynda made me:
good to be back...
Left the B&B in Arromanches
and rode along the coast to the Battery at Longues – the last remaining gun battery with its original guns intact.
this one got a bit of abuse on D-Day!
Next up was Portes-en-Bessin before Omaha Beach and the US cemetary.
The American War Cemetary was very moving – perfectly maintained with perfectly placed row upon row of white crosses with a number on each. The beauty of the place belied the brutality and violence of the deaths represented by each cross.
"To these we owe the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live".
Being able to see Omaha Beach where the men died from the cemetary itself was disturbing – what a waste of life. Rode the bike along the beach for a bit
I know Tuned In will be disappointed there hasn't been a shot of me so here's a gratuitous one just for you Gary!
...before heading for Pointe de Hoc where 225 US Rangers scaled the cliffs to capture the German position. Only 90 were fighting by the next day. The ground is so wrecked with craters and twisted concrete lies everywhere.
I wanted to visit the German cemetary and found it Cambe. I liked the inscription outside it: “...it is a graveyard for soldiers not all of whom had chosen the cause or the fight. They too have found rest in our soil of France.”
Saw the parachutist at Sainte Mere-Eglise and visited the Airbourne Museum there. The film they show is very good and gives a good overview of what happened on D-Day and in the following few weeks.
Last visit of the day before Cherbourg was Utah Beach.
At Cherbourg the customs guys were feeling energetic and gave the Polish van in front of me the works – slicing open every cardboard box and even the loaves of bread he was carrrying.
When I showed my passport something was said to an officious bloke who waved me over and asked “Where are your drugs?”. He then emptied my carefully packed panniers onto the tarmac... He then went through my toiletries and started to pat me down. He asked that I remove the armour from my trousers but I successfully put him off doing that – I didn’t fancy standing in my pants trying to put the trousers back together again. All the while he was asking “Where is your cannabis? Where are your drugs?”. At one point I was tempted to say “Up my arse” but thankfully sense prevailed. I certainly didn’t want him to check... By this time I was pissed off and every other vehicle was through and waiting in line for the boat. Reached my place in the row of bikes and a French dude called Arnaud shared saucisson with the rest of us and the world seemed right again.
Now sitting in the cabin and reading something by John O’Donohue. He writes for the traveller and says:
“Every time you leave home,
Another road takes you
Into a world you were never in...
When you travel, you find yourself
Alone in a different way.
More attentive now
To the self you bring along
Your more subtle eye watching
You abroad; and how what meets you
Touches that part of the heart
That lies low at home...
When you travel,
A new silence
Goes with you,
Find if you listen,
You will hear what your heart
Would love to say...”
Perfect.
Friday (250 miles)
Uneventful run back up north to home, my wife and my own bed...
When I got home I found out that the same kid who gave me a lollipop before I left had baked me four buns for my return! Here they are along with the carrot cake Lynda made me:
good to be back...
(RIP) petcul
Registered user
David that was brilliant. Great shots and enjoyed the write up.
Right now, where's me maps
Right now, where's me maps
Great report Dave
Glad to hear you're back safe too. See u at the N.West
Trev
yep give me a bell when you're over
garfield
Registered user
just awesome.....
.....thanks so much, I really enjoyed that....
.....thanks so much, I really enjoyed that....
Absolutely Brilliant big lad.
73octane
Guest
Many thanks for a well written and beautifully photographed report......inspirational
Nice write up, well entertaining
I forgot to mention a big thankyou to Timolgra for helping me plan my route! Cheers mate
falcoron
Registered user
Exellent review of your trip. Doing it in April next year (well ya have too dont ye?)
What did you take with you and what would you not take if you went again.
Never been off road before but i'm sure im going to get some practaice in before i go.
really dont think i would go it alone though.
cheers dave for sharing
Ron
What did you take with you and what would you not take if you went again.
Never been off road before but i'm sure im going to get some practaice in before i go.
really dont think i would go it alone though.
cheers dave for sharing
Ron
A cracking ride report David. Well written and great pictures too. Thanks for the time and effort in posting it here for us to enjoy.
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