The state of the hotel didn't bother me at all by the time I got back to it.
Yes, but was the hotel bothered by the state of you
Nice report Kev
Yes, but was the hotel bothered by the state of you
Nice report Kev
Deleted account W
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Day Nine, Thursday, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, 22 miles.
Seven of us decided to stay over one more night in Veliko, it was cheap and we needed a rest. The others wanted to be back home for the weekend so left for more Northern locations first thing.
I went off in search of a car spares shop to get a replacement alternator belt.
We wandered through the town and came across a large war memorial.
It seemed wise to let sleeping dogs lie.
I found a place near the trolly bus terminus who said he could get me a belt by lunchtime.
Up the road the George Pub did English breakfasts, which seemed like an opportunity not to be missed.
I’d been told about the village of Arbanassi on the hill above the town. I rode up to have a look a Bulgarias most picturesque village. It was nice and I had a very pleasant coffee sat outside a bar.
We met back up in the bar and dined with H&K again, saying our goodbyes. Back on the road the next day I decided on an early night, something a school trip party staying in our hotel thought wasn’t such a good idea. Praise be to earplugs.
Seven of us decided to stay over one more night in Veliko, it was cheap and we needed a rest. The others wanted to be back home for the weekend so left for more Northern locations first thing.
I went off in search of a car spares shop to get a replacement alternator belt.
We wandered through the town and came across a large war memorial.
It seemed wise to let sleeping dogs lie.
I found a place near the trolly bus terminus who said he could get me a belt by lunchtime.
Up the road the George Pub did English breakfasts, which seemed like an opportunity not to be missed.
I’d been told about the village of Arbanassi on the hill above the town. I rode up to have a look a Bulgarias most picturesque village. It was nice and I had a very pleasant coffee sat outside a bar.
We met back up in the bar and dined with H&K again, saying our goodbyes. Back on the road the next day I decided on an early night, something a school trip party staying in our hotel thought wasn’t such a good idea. Praise be to earplugs.
Deleted account W
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Day Ten, Friday, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria to Majdanpek, Serbia, 395 miles.
We had an idea to head North West into Serbia and maybe get to Novi Sad for the night where Gavin Bell had given me a couple of contact phone numbers.
Todays roads turned out to be the best yet. We headed for the mountains and a town called Montana, a North West town in Bulgaria that borders Serbia and Romania. The petrol station attendant here took a shine to the bikes and wanted her picture taken on one. Which we obliged. Shame she had a face like a robbers dog.
The road North out of Montana was stunning, big sweeping bends and I don’t remember seeing more than two or three cars for thirty miles.
The border was up in the mountains and we were the only punters using it apart from a German lorry driver called Fast Eddy, we knew his name as it was printed on his tee shirt. His vocabulary stretched to one word, sheisste. I think this expressed Fast Eddy’s displeasure quite well. Even before we got through he’d been turned back the way he came. Not a happy Eddy.
A few of us hadn’t got insurance for Serbia so a man was called from the next town to dispense worthless bits of green paper for a tidy sum of 90 Euro each. We must have made his day.
Mr Ifan had told me about the road that follows the river and border between Serbia and Romania. Good advice this was, a truly awesome biking road.
It was getting on in the day and Brian was running low on fuel. We pulled over for a smoke.
We left the river road and headed over the tops to find a petrol station, a farmer and his daughter pointed us in the direction of the nearest fuel and as it was getting dark we rolled into the town of Majdanpic.
The town seemed to exsist solely to serve the huge open quarry it was built next to. It seemed a tad “down at heel” lets say. We found petrol and a hotel.
The hotel people stressed that we should get our bikes out of public view and opened up what looked like a closed down shop at the side of the hotel for us.
Inside the hotel was decorated in a 1970’s communist chic. We dined in the restaurant on non-descript soup and chicken and chips,
In the morning Blowzorn and Shapshifter planned to leave at six in a dash for home. That would leave five of us.
We had an idea to head North West into Serbia and maybe get to Novi Sad for the night where Gavin Bell had given me a couple of contact phone numbers.
Todays roads turned out to be the best yet. We headed for the mountains and a town called Montana, a North West town in Bulgaria that borders Serbia and Romania. The petrol station attendant here took a shine to the bikes and wanted her picture taken on one. Which we obliged. Shame she had a face like a robbers dog.
The road North out of Montana was stunning, big sweeping bends and I don’t remember seeing more than two or three cars for thirty miles.
The border was up in the mountains and we were the only punters using it apart from a German lorry driver called Fast Eddy, we knew his name as it was printed on his tee shirt. His vocabulary stretched to one word, sheisste. I think this expressed Fast Eddy’s displeasure quite well. Even before we got through he’d been turned back the way he came. Not a happy Eddy.
A few of us hadn’t got insurance for Serbia so a man was called from the next town to dispense worthless bits of green paper for a tidy sum of 90 Euro each. We must have made his day.
Mr Ifan had told me about the road that follows the river and border between Serbia and Romania. Good advice this was, a truly awesome biking road.
It was getting on in the day and Brian was running low on fuel. We pulled over for a smoke.
We left the river road and headed over the tops to find a petrol station, a farmer and his daughter pointed us in the direction of the nearest fuel and as it was getting dark we rolled into the town of Majdanpic.
The town seemed to exsist solely to serve the huge open quarry it was built next to. It seemed a tad “down at heel” lets say. We found petrol and a hotel.
The hotel people stressed that we should get our bikes out of public view and opened up what looked like a closed down shop at the side of the hotel for us.
Inside the hotel was decorated in a 1970’s communist chic. We dined in the restaurant on non-descript soup and chicken and chips,
In the morning Blowzorn and Shapshifter planned to leave at six in a dash for home. That would leave five of us.
Deleted account W
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Day Eleven, Saturday, Majdanpek, Serbia to Krk Island Croatia, 475 miles.
We wanted to see the Croatian coast line, so hatched a plan to get there by this evening. The Lonely Planet guide said good things about the Island of Krk so that’s where we headed.
The view from the hotel looked promising at half six when I got up to see Shapeshifter and Blowzorn off.
After dropping down from the town we picked up the autoroute to Beograd and then headed for Zagreb in Croatia.
A lot of motorway miles today but we wanted to cover some distance.
We were getting a bit mixed up about countries and money, at one point we came across a toll booth, Burton went to ask what currency they took.
The roads were dry and the sun was out.
I don’t know why but none of us were aware of the huge range of mountains which we needed to cross to get to the Adriatic coast. As we climbed the temperature dropped to 3 degrees, then it started to rain, then it got dark and finally it got foggy, on the descent the wind picked up.
The road itself was great, just the conditions could have been better.
Krk turned out to be a gem, we found a big hotel overlooking the bay and settled into the bar, there was an organist playing at one end and we sat at the other, he wasn’t on top form.
We wanted to see the Croatian coast line, so hatched a plan to get there by this evening. The Lonely Planet guide said good things about the Island of Krk so that’s where we headed.
The view from the hotel looked promising at half six when I got up to see Shapeshifter and Blowzorn off.
After dropping down from the town we picked up the autoroute to Beograd and then headed for Zagreb in Croatia.
A lot of motorway miles today but we wanted to cover some distance.
We were getting a bit mixed up about countries and money, at one point we came across a toll booth, Burton went to ask what currency they took.
The roads were dry and the sun was out.
I don’t know why but none of us were aware of the huge range of mountains which we needed to cross to get to the Adriatic coast. As we climbed the temperature dropped to 3 degrees, then it started to rain, then it got dark and finally it got foggy, on the descent the wind picked up.
The road itself was great, just the conditions could have been better.
Krk turned out to be a gem, we found a big hotel overlooking the bay and settled into the bar, there was an organist playing at one end and we sat at the other, he wasn’t on top form.
Deleted account W
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Day Twelve, Sunday, Krk Island Croatia to Hallstatt, Austria, 289 miles.
The view from the hotel window was a treat in the morning. A nice town that I’ll definitely be coming back to one day.
We tried to follow the coast as close as possible the next day, avoiding the autoroute but eventually had to succumb to it’s ability to get us North to Slovakia. The roads were quiet and we made good time, only stopping once in Slovakia for a lunch of Bratwurst and chips.
Brian has spent years touring Austria and Germany and knew the roads and towns to see so we went by his recommendations. And good they were too.
On the way to Hallstatt while turning off a single lane road onto a two lane road I had a brain storm and pulled out onto the left side of the road. A Merc coming up the hill took evasive action and shot into a private drive at the side of the road, I shit myself and locked front and back brakes and stalled the engine. I was very lucky.
Hallstatt sits at the side of a lake in the Alps, and very pretty it is too.
We found a family run guest house with views that took your breath away.
In town the chosen restaurant turned out to be run by a special chap, we took a shine to him straight away.
We found a tiny bar for Floyd to try our schnapps, then wandered back to bed. Another good day over.
The view from the hotel window was a treat in the morning. A nice town that I’ll definitely be coming back to one day.
We tried to follow the coast as close as possible the next day, avoiding the autoroute but eventually had to succumb to it’s ability to get us North to Slovakia. The roads were quiet and we made good time, only stopping once in Slovakia for a lunch of Bratwurst and chips.
Brian has spent years touring Austria and Germany and knew the roads and towns to see so we went by his recommendations. And good they were too.
On the way to Hallstatt while turning off a single lane road onto a two lane road I had a brain storm and pulled out onto the left side of the road. A Merc coming up the hill took evasive action and shot into a private drive at the side of the road, I shit myself and locked front and back brakes and stalled the engine. I was very lucky.
Hallstatt sits at the side of a lake in the Alps, and very pretty it is too.
We found a family run guest house with views that took your breath away.
In town the chosen restaurant turned out to be run by a special chap, we took a shine to him straight away.
We found a tiny bar for Floyd to try our schnapps, then wandered back to bed. Another good day over.
That was SLOVENIA........not Slovakia
Deleted account W
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Day Thirteen, Monday, Hallstatt, Austria to Schwabisch Hall, Germany, 303 miles.
Brian had more roads in mind when he suggested we head for Schwabisch Hall in Germany, plus the hotel there had a salt spa attached which appealed to our aching bodies.
We climbed out of Hallstatt with a great view behind us and more good roads in front.
Somewhere around Munich Floyd and I lost Brian and Burton. Knowing which town they were headed for meant it wasn’t such a problem.
We took the direct route rather than the Autobahns when we got North of Ulm.
During this part of the ride we were on a long straight stretch of two lane road, I pulled out to overtake a VW Polo who was sat behind a bus. As I drew along side him he decided to pull out to overtake the bus. Floyd, behind us, hit his horn and I moved as far to the left as I could. He only noticed me when he hit my pannier with his driver’s door. I wobbled and he hit the brakes. He locked his wheels up and swerved from one side of the road to another nearly taking Floyd out as well.
Second “life flashing in front of my eyes” moment in as many days.
We found the others in the Hotel Hohenlohe. We were in the salt spa baths within and hour then saunas. We wandered into the town for food and beers.
We spotted this odd thing by the bridge.
The push bike thing was a little odd too.
Another good day.
Brian had more roads in mind when he suggested we head for Schwabisch Hall in Germany, plus the hotel there had a salt spa attached which appealed to our aching bodies.
We climbed out of Hallstatt with a great view behind us and more good roads in front.
Somewhere around Munich Floyd and I lost Brian and Burton. Knowing which town they were headed for meant it wasn’t such a problem.
We took the direct route rather than the Autobahns when we got North of Ulm.
During this part of the ride we were on a long straight stretch of two lane road, I pulled out to overtake a VW Polo who was sat behind a bus. As I drew along side him he decided to pull out to overtake the bus. Floyd, behind us, hit his horn and I moved as far to the left as I could. He only noticed me when he hit my pannier with his driver’s door. I wobbled and he hit the brakes. He locked his wheels up and swerved from one side of the road to another nearly taking Floyd out as well.
Second “life flashing in front of my eyes” moment in as many days.
We found the others in the Hotel Hohenlohe. We were in the salt spa baths within and hour then saunas. We wandered into the town for food and beers.
We spotted this odd thing by the bridge.
The push bike thing was a little odd too.
Another good day.
I paid 10Euros to get a green card for Serbia - last August.
When he saw my twenty, he changed his mind and said 20, but I insisted on getting the change. Dodgy bar-stewards must have seen you coming to charge 90!!
When he saw my twenty, he changed his mind and said 20, but I insisted on getting the change. Dodgy bar-stewards must have seen you coming to charge 90!!
Deleted account W
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Day Fourteen, Tuesday, Schwabisch Hall, Germany to Nurburgring, Germany, 250 miles.
Burton wanted another play in the salt spa and the sauna in the morning but he festered in bed instead.
I fancied a look at the Nurburgring and Brian knew a good town nearby and good roads to get there. So that’s what we did.
We followed the Rhine valley for a while then over and across to the Mosel Valley.
We dropped the panniers and Burton off at a guest house in Cochem and rode up to the Ring. Burton wanted to go shopping. Cochem is like Skegness By The Mosel, full of shops selling German wampum
The ride up to the ring was on excellent roads.
We had a look for the girl who drives the Ring taxi but as the track was closed to the public she wasn’t there.
We found a corner to watch the cars being tested on the track, Mercedes, Porsche and Audi seemed to have the track to themselves today.
Back at Cochem we found Burton and then found an Irish bar, you can guees the rest.
Burton wanted another play in the salt spa and the sauna in the morning but he festered in bed instead.
I fancied a look at the Nurburgring and Brian knew a good town nearby and good roads to get there. So that’s what we did.
We followed the Rhine valley for a while then over and across to the Mosel Valley.
We dropped the panniers and Burton off at a guest house in Cochem and rode up to the Ring. Burton wanted to go shopping. Cochem is like Skegness By The Mosel, full of shops selling German wampum
The ride up to the ring was on excellent roads.
We had a look for the girl who drives the Ring taxi but as the track was closed to the public she wasn’t there.
We found a corner to watch the cars being tested on the track, Mercedes, Porsche and Audi seemed to have the track to themselves today.
Back at Cochem we found Burton and then found an Irish bar, you can guees the rest.
Deleted account W
Guest
Day Fifteen, Wednesday, Nurburgring, Germany to Brugges, Belguim, 230 miles.
The morning was overcast and by the time the bikes were packed it was raining.
Brian and Floyd had booked themselves on the Zeebrugger – Hull ferry for tonight and I wanted to go back to Brugge after visiting a few years ago.
We rode some great biking roads in the rain then got on the autoroutes, around the Brussels ring road and onto Brugge.
Brian and Floyd followed us to Brugge to take a look.
We had a bite to eat with them then they left for the ferry. Our hotel was right in the city centre in a 14th century building, the owner let us stick the bikes at the side of it under our room.
The Jap tourists were out in force.
Hidden gems appeared through archways.
I went and bought a clean tee-shirt and a pair of clean jeans and then me and Burton made Brugge our bitch.
Last night of the trip, had to be a big one.
The morning was overcast and by the time the bikes were packed it was raining.
Brian and Floyd had booked themselves on the Zeebrugger – Hull ferry for tonight and I wanted to go back to Brugge after visiting a few years ago.
We rode some great biking roads in the rain then got on the autoroutes, around the Brussels ring road and onto Brugge.
Brian and Floyd followed us to Brugge to take a look.
We had a bite to eat with them then they left for the ferry. Our hotel was right in the city centre in a 14th century building, the owner let us stick the bikes at the side of it under our room.
The Jap tourists were out in force.
Hidden gems appeared through archways.
I went and bought a clean tee-shirt and a pair of clean jeans and then me and Burton made Brugge our bitch.
Last night of the trip, had to be a big one.
I have a very similar foto of that hotel... two bikes parked in exactly the same spot too!
Deleted account W
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Day Sixteen, Thursday, Brugges, Belguim to Nottinghan, UK, 310 miles.
The bin bags in Brugge said it all, last day of the trip and the end of the holiday, a sad day.
A late breakfast and a steady ride to the tunnel. Straight onto the next train and we were back in the UK. Burton took exception to the tunnel coffee machines efforts.
We made it to my house in time for a take away curry and a trip down to my local for the pub quiz.
This was probably the best trip I’ve done, the variety of the roads, countries, people and scenery at times overloaded my senses. The people I rode with and the people I met made it even better.
Thanks to all the Trotters for sharing the ride with me
The End
The bin bags in Brugge said it all, last day of the trip and the end of the holiday, a sad day.
A late breakfast and a steady ride to the tunnel. Straight onto the next train and we were back in the UK. Burton took exception to the tunnel coffee machines efforts.
We made it to my house in time for a take away curry and a trip down to my local for the pub quiz.
This was probably the best trip I’ve done, the variety of the roads, countries, people and scenery at times overloaded my senses. The people I rode with and the people I met made it even better.
Thanks to all the Trotters for sharing the ride with me
The End
Great report Kev, wish I could have stayed the second week
Deleted account 230523001
Registered user
Brilliant report, enjoyed it muchly...
What were the best beers that you enjoyed?
What were the best beers that you enjoyed?
Deleted account W
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Lets see some more of your pics guys, I'm sick of looking at mine already
Decster
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thats 1 excellent ride report, well done Waldin.
where are the other 11
, well done Waldin.where are the other 11
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