26th June 2014
I get a text from Peter at 0500 – do I want to make an earlier start?
Yes, to be honest – I’ve been dozing fitfully for the last two hours or so.
I get showered and dressed, noticing how oddly quiet the house is without my dog Marnie in it...
(I sent her to the “Holiday Home for Pets Pie Factory” yesterday).
Whilst getting my kit ready downstairs, I somehow manage to empty the contents of my CamelBak (two litres) onto the lounge floor…
No matter – I refill it with filtered water and prop it up against the wall in the porch.
It’s still there…
I set out on a clear crisp morning, with all the promise of a bright sunny day…
The sun is low on the horizon behind me and there's a hint of mist coming off the fields...
I ride through Great Massingham...
...and arrive at Peter's house on the dot of 0600...
...where Jake...
...is guarding Peter's Tiger 1050.
We set off straight away and ride down the A10...
...to the A14 and thence the M11 towards London. We stop for a coffee and a bite at Birchanger Services...
To our deep concern, we discover that there's nowhere to buy a full English. We have to make do with a bacon bap and a coffee from Starbucks - what happened to the Empire?
I return to the Adv and find a Caterham Seven parked next to it...
I rather think I've had too many full English breakfasts to fit into one of those...
Onward! I'm listening to the remastered recording of Wish You Were Here, having watched an excellent documentary about the making of the album on TV last night...
...the miles drift by...
...and pretty soon we're arriving at the Eurotunnel terminal...
...to check in.
Now, the snag is, we're actually booked on the 1520 train this afternoon - but we try a little charm and the chap agrees to put us on the 1220 for no extra charge...
Peter says "Bollocks to this - lets just go to the departure gate and give it a go"
It works like a charm - right up to when we get a very old fashioned look (from a border guard young enough to be Peter's grandson) and advised to return to the terminal and try again in an hour...
We do as instructed, watching the world go by...
Peter continuing a seemingly unending saga of calls about problems with his Orange 'phone contract...
I spot an interesting looking visitor and get a few snaps - anyone want to guess make/model/year?
When I get bored enough to photograph seagulls, I know it's time to go...
This time we get through all the checks and are left waiting for another hour or so in the boarding lanes. We eventually get a train half an hour earlier than we were meant to, so can't complain...
Our fellow two-wheeled travellers are an uncommunicative chap on a Deauville and Tracey...
Tracey is riding a Suzuki something or other and is on a 'trial run' testing her kit out for a sponsored trip.
To Romania.
She's apparently going to do 18 countries in 19 days (or the other way around). Not quite sure why she's doing it, but she seems happy enough...
The train lurches into movement and, just as advertised, drops us off at Calais 35 minutes later. Not as advertised - the air conditioning had apparently been turned off and it's a tad uncomfortable...
We give Tracey a wave and then set off along the Autoroute heading South East, towards our target for tonight - Nancy.
Nancy - what kind of name is that to give a town?
Peter gets so pissed off with how long an Eddie Stobart lorry is taking to overtake a French truck, he misses the fact that he's in the wrong lane and we miss our junction
No matter, we're soon back on track and setting a cruising speed of about 135kph down the A16...
Motorway riding is never going to be great fun - to pass the time we ride 'Escort' - a skill learned in a previous life, it involves riding in close formation, with the lead rider taking all decisions for the pair.
I'm now listening to a book on disc - A Gentleman and a Spy by Robert Harris - excellent...
We stop for fuel - the Adv is doing around 40mpg at these speeds...
...we stop for a break and a drink (will look for a replacement CamelBak tomorrow
)...
Despite the heat, I'm pretty comfortable with all the vents in my jacket open...
What a healthy dinner...
Onward!
Warning signs tell us that Grand Frère is watching us...
...and - sure enough - there he is a few klicks later...
Soon we are turned off the Autoroute (total tolls today about €20) and heading down some beautiful D roads towards Nancy...
Hmm - must be getting close...
...soon we are arriving...
...at the B&B at Nancy...
...where, for our €39 we each get an air conditioned slice of delight...
...and the bikes get an underground garage...
I spend a LONG time under the shower and we meet up to go in search of a beer. Unfortunately there are only two restaurants in walking distance and they both demand you order a meal if you want a drink.
Rude not to, really...
Just shy of 500 miles - a shorter (non-motorway) day tomorrow, I think.
I get a text from Peter at 0500 – do I want to make an earlier start?
Yes, to be honest – I’ve been dozing fitfully for the last two hours or so.
I get showered and dressed, noticing how oddly quiet the house is without my dog Marnie in it...
(I sent her to the “Holiday Home for Pets Pie Factory” yesterday).
Whilst getting my kit ready downstairs, I somehow manage to empty the contents of my CamelBak (two litres) onto the lounge floor…
No matter – I refill it with filtered water and prop it up against the wall in the porch.
It’s still there…
I set out on a clear crisp morning, with all the promise of a bright sunny day…
The sun is low on the horizon behind me and there's a hint of mist coming off the fields...
I ride through Great Massingham...
...and arrive at Peter's house on the dot of 0600...
...where Jake...
...is guarding Peter's Tiger 1050.
We set off straight away and ride down the A10...
...to the A14 and thence the M11 towards London. We stop for a coffee and a bite at Birchanger Services...
To our deep concern, we discover that there's nowhere to buy a full English. We have to make do with a bacon bap and a coffee from Starbucks - what happened to the Empire?
I return to the Adv and find a Caterham Seven parked next to it...
I rather think I've had too many full English breakfasts to fit into one of those...
Onward! I'm listening to the remastered recording of Wish You Were Here, having watched an excellent documentary about the making of the album on TV last night...
...the miles drift by...
...and pretty soon we're arriving at the Eurotunnel terminal...
...to check in.
Now, the snag is, we're actually booked on the 1520 train this afternoon - but we try a little charm and the chap agrees to put us on the 1220 for no extra charge...
Peter says "Bollocks to this - lets just go to the departure gate and give it a go"
It works like a charm - right up to when we get a very old fashioned look (from a border guard young enough to be Peter's grandson) and advised to return to the terminal and try again in an hour...
We do as instructed, watching the world go by...
Peter continuing a seemingly unending saga of calls about problems with his Orange 'phone contract...
I spot an interesting looking visitor and get a few snaps - anyone want to guess make/model/year?
When I get bored enough to photograph seagulls, I know it's time to go...
This time we get through all the checks and are left waiting for another hour or so in the boarding lanes. We eventually get a train half an hour earlier than we were meant to, so can't complain...
Our fellow two-wheeled travellers are an uncommunicative chap on a Deauville and Tracey...
Tracey is riding a Suzuki something or other and is on a 'trial run' testing her kit out for a sponsored trip.
To Romania.
She's apparently going to do 18 countries in 19 days (or the other way around). Not quite sure why she's doing it, but she seems happy enough...
The train lurches into movement and, just as advertised, drops us off at Calais 35 minutes later. Not as advertised - the air conditioning had apparently been turned off and it's a tad uncomfortable...
We give Tracey a wave and then set off along the Autoroute heading South East, towards our target for tonight - Nancy.
Nancy - what kind of name is that to give a town?
Peter gets so pissed off with how long an Eddie Stobart lorry is taking to overtake a French truck, he misses the fact that he's in the wrong lane and we miss our junction
No matter, we're soon back on track and setting a cruising speed of about 135kph down the A16...
Motorway riding is never going to be great fun - to pass the time we ride 'Escort' - a skill learned in a previous life, it involves riding in close formation, with the lead rider taking all decisions for the pair.
I'm now listening to a book on disc - A Gentleman and a Spy by Robert Harris - excellent...
We stop for fuel - the Adv is doing around 40mpg at these speeds...
...we stop for a break and a drink (will look for a replacement CamelBak tomorrow
Despite the heat, I'm pretty comfortable with all the vents in my jacket open...
What a healthy dinner...
Onward!
Warning signs tell us that Grand Frère is watching us...
...and - sure enough - there he is a few klicks later...
Soon we are turned off the Autoroute (total tolls today about €20) and heading down some beautiful D roads towards Nancy...
Hmm - must be getting close...
...soon we are arriving...
...at the B&B at Nancy...
...where, for our €39 we each get an air conditioned slice of delight...
...and the bikes get an underground garage...
I spend a LONG time under the shower and we meet up to go in search of a beer. Unfortunately there are only two restaurants in walking distance and they both demand you order a meal if you want a drink.
Rude not to, really...
Just shy of 500 miles - a shorter (non-motorway) day tomorrow, I think.
Keep it coming. Ride safe.
