Stewart H
Registered user
Good luck Oisin and keep safe, I look forward to reading of your exploits, good luck with those Russian beauties 
Stewart
Stewart
What goes around comes around... Dublin to New york
- Thread starter Oisin
- Start date
The very best of luck Oisín. I'm already looking forward to the virtual trip on here, so I can't imagine how you must feel setting off on the real thing. Keep safe. 
Day 1
<table><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SqFswLNVI/AAAAAAAByB8/VOloZKzaam4/s640/IMG_0492.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SkxDkE6rI/AAAAAAABxws/rz_XnpoSSxo/s640/IMG_0535.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SkzwhEDOI/AAAAAAABxw0/SvIKzTxyouc/s640/IMG_0536.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sk2hSjE6I/AAAAAAABxw8/jHJTC9OhFe8/s640/IMG_0537.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sk6Km_iQI/AAAAAAABxxE/y373L5MEEjo/s640/IMG_0538.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SlNjhvAiI/AAAAAAABxyE/0KHyvLEO2Lw/s640/IMG_0546.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SlXXfy3EI/AAAAAAABxyk/bOpIX5rmo2I/s640/IMG_0550.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SljDFvgPI/AAAAAAABxzE/r435ISmyjAg/s640/IMG_0554.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Slv7RouhI/AAAAAAABxz0/MQ9HBd9cPc0/s640/IMG_0560.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Slx9DSPsI/AAAAAAABxz8/K25C_ge9Iqc/s640/IMG_0562.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sl03CSk4I/AAAAAAABx0E/_v73bC_nMUs/s640/IMG_0563.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sl_HLXe5I/AAAAAAABx0c/FRDNgaeqjPk/s640/IMG_0566.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SmaEbiGqI/AAAAAAABx1w/jQY4FfQKJl0/s640/IMG_0576.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Smx7TUKcI/AAAAAAABx3k/7nLDRfiMlAo/s640/IMG_0590.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sm0ncfxsI/AAAAAAABx30/eXy3Wz21PIU/s640/IMG_0592.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnAnFrZZI/AAAAAAABx4k/P8eFYW_Md-8/s640/IMG_0598.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnSLTuD0I/AAAAAAABx6E/hiAMEG8xLkY/s640/IMG_0609.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnWtApdyI/AAAAAAABx6c/gjIFhg_ofeQ/s640/IMG_0613.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnfpFu46I/AAAAAAABx68/y15myBWElqw/s640/IMG_0617.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnqFmL1fI/AAAAAAABx7s/KX6EUnUmjd4/s640/IMG_0624.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoKMB1dKI/AAAAAAABx-M/4kGKLYuC66M/s640/IMG_0647.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoR06MxoI/AAAAAAABx-s/RkelJOYcim0/s640/IMG_0655.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoVJsVH9I/AAAAAAABx-8/nA33mwlnmCc/s640/IMG_0658.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoWyl-wfI/AAAAAAABx_E/nay7dsLdkBU/s640/IMG_0659.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td></table>
I left the house at 6:30am (12th April!) to hook up with my buddy Dave at the Nass (a place between Portarlington and Dublin roundabout for 7:05, hes coming along for the first two days. When I got there Dave was already gone, I'm quickly learning that all this gear takes far longer to get changed into than the normal 5 minutes.
Anyhoot I burned in for Dublin Port only to find that the Ulysses ferry was closed, I was too late. On Q I heard my phone ringing which when I answered turned out to be Dave waving at me from the ferry. All was not lost as I was able to get on the swift ferry which was sailing 45mins later and we hooked up ok in holyhead in Wales.
From there we drove south through Snowdonia national park. The most dramatic thing about it is that the transition from flat land to mountains happens instantly. I've no clue how to pronounce or spell the Welsh towns...most sound like they're pronounced with a handful of marbles in your mouth.
All day we had gorgeous hazy sunshine, the locals were telling us that its been raining solid there for ages, so make the most of it. We spent the rest of the day jumping on and off the bikes taking pictures of the Welsh countryside before making our way to Aberstw(insert random letters here) to catch a lovely sunset.
After what was a great day we headed out for some much needed pints...this sunshine is thirsty work!
Take care!
Oisin & Dave.
<table><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SqFswLNVI/AAAAAAAByB8/VOloZKzaam4/s640/IMG_0492.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SkxDkE6rI/AAAAAAABxws/rz_XnpoSSxo/s640/IMG_0535.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SkzwhEDOI/AAAAAAABxw0/SvIKzTxyouc/s640/IMG_0536.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sk2hSjE6I/AAAAAAABxw8/jHJTC9OhFe8/s640/IMG_0537.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sk6Km_iQI/AAAAAAABxxE/y373L5MEEjo/s640/IMG_0538.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SlNjhvAiI/AAAAAAABxyE/0KHyvLEO2Lw/s640/IMG_0546.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SlXXfy3EI/AAAAAAABxyk/bOpIX5rmo2I/s640/IMG_0550.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SljDFvgPI/AAAAAAABxzE/r435ISmyjAg/s640/IMG_0554.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Slv7RouhI/AAAAAAABxz0/MQ9HBd9cPc0/s640/IMG_0560.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Slx9DSPsI/AAAAAAABxz8/K25C_ge9Iqc/s640/IMG_0562.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sl03CSk4I/AAAAAAABx0E/_v73bC_nMUs/s640/IMG_0563.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sl_HLXe5I/AAAAAAABx0c/FRDNgaeqjPk/s640/IMG_0566.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SmaEbiGqI/AAAAAAABx1w/jQY4FfQKJl0/s640/IMG_0576.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Smx7TUKcI/AAAAAAABx3k/7nLDRfiMlAo/s640/IMG_0590.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sm0ncfxsI/AAAAAAABx30/eXy3Wz21PIU/s640/IMG_0592.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnAnFrZZI/AAAAAAABx4k/P8eFYW_Md-8/s640/IMG_0598.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnSLTuD0I/AAAAAAABx6E/hiAMEG8xLkY/s640/IMG_0609.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnWtApdyI/AAAAAAABx6c/gjIFhg_ofeQ/s640/IMG_0613.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnfpFu46I/AAAAAAABx68/y15myBWElqw/s640/IMG_0617.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SnqFmL1fI/AAAAAAABx7s/KX6EUnUmjd4/s640/IMG_0624.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoKMB1dKI/AAAAAAABx-M/4kGKLYuC66M/s640/IMG_0647.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoR06MxoI/AAAAAAABx-s/RkelJOYcim0/s640/IMG_0655.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoVJsVH9I/AAAAAAABx-8/nA33mwlnmCc/s640/IMG_0658.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoWyl-wfI/AAAAAAABx_E/nay7dsLdkBU/s640/IMG_0659.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td></table>
I left the house at 6:30am (12th April!) to hook up with my buddy Dave at the Nass (a place between Portarlington and Dublin roundabout for 7:05, hes coming along for the first two days. When I got there Dave was already gone, I'm quickly learning that all this gear takes far longer to get changed into than the normal 5 minutes.
Anyhoot I burned in for Dublin Port only to find that the Ulysses ferry was closed, I was too late. On Q I heard my phone ringing which when I answered turned out to be Dave waving at me from the ferry. All was not lost as I was able to get on the swift ferry which was sailing 45mins later and we hooked up ok in holyhead in Wales.
From there we drove south through Snowdonia national park. The most dramatic thing about it is that the transition from flat land to mountains happens instantly. I've no clue how to pronounce or spell the Welsh towns...most sound like they're pronounced with a handful of marbles in your mouth.
All day we had gorgeous hazy sunshine, the locals were telling us that its been raining solid there for ages, so make the most of it. We spent the rest of the day jumping on and off the bikes taking pictures of the Welsh countryside before making our way to Aberstw(insert random letters here) to catch a lovely sunset.
After what was a great day we headed out for some much needed pints...this sunshine is thirsty work!
Take care!
Oisin & Dave.
Racey
Registered user
Ready for ya if you need a bunk... Away from home Friday and Saturday big fella - but you are welcome thereafter (or before)
Simon
Simon
Racey
Registered user
Glad to have touched base... see ya Thursday Big Man...
BlueBird
Registered user
Here we go again
He's off again folks!
plenty of local girls to get stuck into here Oisin
Ride safe,and have a great time ( u will in the those baltic cuntrys
)
Remember we are with you all the way.
Bluebird.
He's off again folks!
plenty of local girls to get stuck into here Oisin
Ride safe,and have a great time ( u will in the those baltic cuntrys
)Remember we are with you all the way.
Bluebird.
Day 2 South to Bristol.
<table></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XxpY5_bpI/AAAAAAAByQc/lfVxfISPt6g/s512/MAP%20OF%20ROUTE%20THROUGH%20EUROPE%20UP%20TO%20BRISTOL.jpg"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Xxqy9WAGI/AAAAAAAByQk/ZyFtDLFDBLY/s512/ROUTE%20THROUGH%20THE%20UK%20UP%20TO%20BRISTOL.jpg"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoveBdVwI/AAAAAAAByJk/CPOnZELZZf4/s640/IMG_0670.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr>
</td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8So2VQMiwI/AAAAAAAByBI/UZPyQ_HmM-w/s640/IMG_0672.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SqPEMrC_I/AAAAAAAByC4/DNP8TQC6dc0/s640/IMG_0682.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sqa4V44BI/AAAAAAAByHg/uX4z1CNqAAw/s640/IMG_0689.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SqfAbRasI/AAAAAAAByD4/wfqnCtLgfyI/s640/IMG_0690.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SqiGiuHDI/AAAAAAAByHs/d2yqJomV0-E/s640/IMG_0691.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sqx79tc8I/AAAAAAAByJA/-gUi7H7U9ao/s640/IMG_0699.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sq06SeBbI/AAAAAAAByJM/iTqwTAb38lE/s640/IMG_0704.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvarzIjkI/AAAAAAAByLU/-2wqhAJPxcc/s640/IMG_0710.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvcxfJi3I/AAAAAAAByLc/CmKWUP36e2U/s640/IMG_0711.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Xvg8YANgI/AAAAAAAByLs/jVi0KdFXWcY/s640/IMG_0713.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvlLhY2OI/AAAAAAAByL8/Q-aBHa7XJZE/s640/IMG_0715.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvugyusfI/AAAAAAAByMk/fwV5LslIQ0k/s640/IMG_0720.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvwZMpkNI/AAAAAAAByRA/YRYqMAB9SL4/s640/IMG_0721.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td></table>
The great weather continued today as we ambled through the Welsh countryside in the general direction of Bristol. The towns in Wales are lovely, most are have very narrow streets and the houses are made almost entirely of stone.
With the good weather the amount of Bikers on the roads was way up. We met every type from Japanese Road rockets to Honda 50's, all enjoying a days riding without the rain gear.
The Welsh are a friendly enough bunch and easy to get on with. We were both surprised at how much the locals swing between Gaelic and English. We talked with several folks on the road about which towns were worth having a look at but what they pronounced and what we could see on the map gelled like oil and water.
For Example: From Wikipedia
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - pronunciation - (short form Llanfairpwllgwyngyll), also spelled Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll and commonly known as Llanfair PG or Llanfairpwll, is a village and community on the island of Anglesey in Wales, situated on the Menai Strait next to the Britannia Bridge and across the strait from Bangor. The village is best known for its name, the longest place name in Europe and one of the longest place names in the world....suffice to day there are whole websites dedicated to how to pronouce Welsh towns...
When we got to Bristol we hooked up with an old college buddy of mine Joanne O Rourke and went out for some grub. As we walked down to meet her we passed a statue of Queen Victoria I..... jeez...that chick was top of the "I wouldn't" charts....
All three of us were up early with Dave catching the boat back from Holyhead early in the AM and Jo up early for work...all very sensible.... everything going very smooth.
Take care
Oisin / Dave
<table></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XxpY5_bpI/AAAAAAAByQc/lfVxfISPt6g/s512/MAP%20OF%20ROUTE%20THROUGH%20EUROPE%20UP%20TO%20BRISTOL.jpg"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Xxqy9WAGI/AAAAAAAByQk/ZyFtDLFDBLY/s512/ROUTE%20THROUGH%20THE%20UK%20UP%20TO%20BRISTOL.jpg"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SoveBdVwI/AAAAAAAByJk/CPOnZELZZf4/s640/IMG_0670.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr>
</td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8So2VQMiwI/AAAAAAAByBI/UZPyQ_HmM-w/s640/IMG_0672.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SqPEMrC_I/AAAAAAAByC4/DNP8TQC6dc0/s640/IMG_0682.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sqa4V44BI/AAAAAAAByHg/uX4z1CNqAAw/s640/IMG_0689.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SqfAbRasI/AAAAAAAByD4/wfqnCtLgfyI/s640/IMG_0690.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SqiGiuHDI/AAAAAAAByHs/d2yqJomV0-E/s640/IMG_0691.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sqx79tc8I/AAAAAAAByJA/-gUi7H7U9ao/s640/IMG_0699.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Sq06SeBbI/AAAAAAAByJM/iTqwTAb38lE/s640/IMG_0704.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvarzIjkI/AAAAAAAByLU/-2wqhAJPxcc/s640/IMG_0710.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvcxfJi3I/AAAAAAAByLc/CmKWUP36e2U/s640/IMG_0711.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Xvg8YANgI/AAAAAAAByLs/jVi0KdFXWcY/s640/IMG_0713.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvlLhY2OI/AAAAAAAByL8/Q-aBHa7XJZE/s640/IMG_0715.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvugyusfI/AAAAAAAByMk/fwV5LslIQ0k/s640/IMG_0720.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XvwZMpkNI/AAAAAAAByRA/YRYqMAB9SL4/s640/IMG_0721.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td></table>
The great weather continued today as we ambled through the Welsh countryside in the general direction of Bristol. The towns in Wales are lovely, most are have very narrow streets and the houses are made almost entirely of stone.
With the good weather the amount of Bikers on the roads was way up. We met every type from Japanese Road rockets to Honda 50's, all enjoying a days riding without the rain gear.
The Welsh are a friendly enough bunch and easy to get on with. We were both surprised at how much the locals swing between Gaelic and English. We talked with several folks on the road about which towns were worth having a look at but what they pronounced and what we could see on the map gelled like oil and water.
For Example: From Wikipedia
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - pronunciation - (short form Llanfairpwllgwyngyll), also spelled Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll and commonly known as Llanfair PG or Llanfairpwll, is a village and community on the island of Anglesey in Wales, situated on the Menai Strait next to the Britannia Bridge and across the strait from Bangor. The village is best known for its name, the longest place name in Europe and one of the longest place names in the world....suffice to day there are whole websites dedicated to how to pronouce Welsh towns...
When we got to Bristol we hooked up with an old college buddy of mine Joanne O Rourke and went out for some grub. As we walked down to meet her we passed a statue of Queen Victoria I..... jeez...that chick was top of the "I wouldn't" charts....
All three of us were up early with Dave catching the boat back from Holyhead early in the AM and Jo up early for work...all very sensible.... everything going very smooth.
Take care
Oisin / Dave
Racey
Registered user
Right - your room's almost ready... I've taken the saw to the foot board of the bed in the guest room... You might just fit in now...
See ya tomorrow...
See ya tomorrow...
First day Solo...
<table></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SlKXQRIDI/AAAAAAABxx0/hkNfnUQRoUM/s640/IMG_0544.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Xv6P-Ix9I/AAAAAAAByNk/2vaVj_JjvWY/s640/IMG_0728.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Xv9eK7cmI/AAAAAAAByN0/o-kg7YP4f9k/s640/IMG_0730.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XwCpslCpI/AAAAAAAByOE/GXWl3iuCdIA/s640/IMG_0732.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XwPPQ3OyI/AAAAAAAByOw/tQyUKh2GLQY/s640/IMG_0737.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XwQ_dRcgI/AAAAAAAByO4/YLgpVDsg0w4/s640/IMG_0738.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XwU0oeLuI/AAAAAAAByPM/Kl6KmBI_ezQ/s640/IMG_0740.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h8rPJYCqI/AAAAAAABySA/qtF6hQEUPh0/s640/IMG_0749.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h8sTGUeBI/AAAAAAABySI/yR7L8eMmJtw/s640/IMG_0750.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h8ox4A1KI/AAAAAAAByRw/5iWadSkjxYs/s640/IMG_0747.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td></table>
I said goodbye to Dave this morning at 8am, he was burning for holyhead to catch a ferry back home. It was great having a riding buddy for the last two days, even if he was riding a girls bike.
I put the head down and crossed England to the town of Felixstowe which is north of London near the town of Ipswich. It was about 9deg the whole day and I was freezing on the bike.... I kept saying to myself....Jesus...if your cold now you are going to die in Siberia!"
I got to Fexlixstowe in the early afternoon, and while I was getting gas the price of it jumped out like a kick in the head. Over 37 Sterling to fill it up, or put another way about 60 dollars. I was cheered up by the fact that one of Jordan's boobs exploded when she was on holiday.
The town is best known for its docks where some of the biggest container ships in the world are loaded and unloaded. My mate John Mundy also lives there and I was calling in for a cup of tea. John completed the Panamerican highway last year so we shared lots of stories from the road over multiple cups of tea.
We said good luck and I went into the seaside town which is near the docks to find a place to stay. Its seen better days and the place I ended up staying in was as rough as a badgers arse, but need to keep the costs down so beggars can't be choosers. If you can imagine a scene were I'm kneeling in a bath trying to wash my hair under a tap....not my best moment. (No shower and the plug didn't keep the water in)... this was a minus 2 star joint.
After a couple of walks up and down the promenade I headed back to the (shi)hotel to get a kip.
Tomorrow I potter over to Hertfordshire, about 2 hours west to meet up with a chap called Simon whose doing a similar run to me april next year.
Take care...
Oisin
<table></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8SlKXQRIDI/AAAAAAABxx0/hkNfnUQRoUM/s640/IMG_0544.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Xv6P-Ix9I/AAAAAAAByNk/2vaVj_JjvWY/s640/IMG_0728.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8Xv9eK7cmI/AAAAAAAByN0/o-kg7YP4f9k/s640/IMG_0730.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XwCpslCpI/AAAAAAAByOE/GXWl3iuCdIA/s640/IMG_0732.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XwPPQ3OyI/AAAAAAAByOw/tQyUKh2GLQY/s640/IMG_0737.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XwQ_dRcgI/AAAAAAAByO4/YLgpVDsg0w4/s640/IMG_0738.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8XwU0oeLuI/AAAAAAAByPM/Kl6KmBI_ezQ/s640/IMG_0740.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h8rPJYCqI/AAAAAAABySA/qtF6hQEUPh0/s640/IMG_0749.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h8sTGUeBI/AAAAAAABySI/yR7L8eMmJtw/s640/IMG_0750.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h8ox4A1KI/AAAAAAAByRw/5iWadSkjxYs/s640/IMG_0747.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td></table>
I said goodbye to Dave this morning at 8am, he was burning for holyhead to catch a ferry back home. It was great having a riding buddy for the last two days, even if he was riding a girls bike.
I put the head down and crossed England to the town of Felixstowe which is north of London near the town of Ipswich. It was about 9deg the whole day and I was freezing on the bike.... I kept saying to myself....Jesus...if your cold now you are going to die in Siberia!"
I got to Fexlixstowe in the early afternoon, and while I was getting gas the price of it jumped out like a kick in the head. Over 37 Sterling to fill it up, or put another way about 60 dollars. I was cheered up by the fact that one of Jordan's boobs exploded when she was on holiday.
The town is best known for its docks where some of the biggest container ships in the world are loaded and unloaded. My mate John Mundy also lives there and I was calling in for a cup of tea. John completed the Panamerican highway last year so we shared lots of stories from the road over multiple cups of tea.
We said good luck and I went into the seaside town which is near the docks to find a place to stay. Its seen better days and the place I ended up staying in was as rough as a badgers arse, but need to keep the costs down so beggars can't be choosers. If you can imagine a scene were I'm kneeling in a bath trying to wash my hair under a tap....not my best moment. (No shower and the plug didn't keep the water in)... this was a minus 2 star joint.
After a couple of walks up and down the promenade I headed back to the (shi)hotel to get a kip.
Tomorrow I potter over to Hertfordshire, about 2 hours west to meet up with a chap called Simon whose doing a similar run to me april next year.
Take care...
Oisin
Shadwell
Registered user
Frustrated traveller myself oisin.
Got a job i cant get an extended holiday but 1475 days fro now i will be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
take care mate.
i am now subscribed to your threasd so keep it coming mate, im with you in spirit right round))))
Chad
Got a job i cant get an extended holiday but 1475 days fro now i will be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
take care mate.
i am now subscribed to your threasd so keep it coming mate, im with you in spirit right round))))
Chad
Last edited:
Racey
Registered user
Mr Hughes...
You were one of the best "house trained" house guests we've had...
Can't wait to see your write up !!
I'm delighted "me old bag" travels on...
We miss ya !!
Simon & Susie xx
You were one of the best "house trained" house guests we've had...
Can't wait to see your write up !!
I'm delighted "me old bag" travels on...
We miss ya !!
Simon & Susie xx
Hertfordshire to France...
<table></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8oKu0P0J0I/AAAAAAABysI/22_UP_SwZdg/s512/ROUTE%20THROUGH%20THE%20UK%20UP%20TO%20CHANNEL%20TUNNEL.jpg" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h85Kydx7I/AAAAAAAByTg/ahYOyS20a-s/s640/IMG_0768.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9HBSy8GI/AAAAAAAByUs/uvj3iJuR3O4/s640/IMG_0778.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9Jjt62qI/AAAAAAAByU4/hkmdTgnR4fQ/s512/IMG_0779.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9LKuOdeI/AAAAAAAByVA/tzqbAHr7f38/s640/IMG_0780.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9MNzAEgI/AAAAAAAByVI/McndZnAeuns/s640/IMG_0781.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9Nd2meGI/AAAAAAAByVQ/Pvvu0uScr4U/s512/IMG_0782.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9PMg5ZfI/AAAAAAAByVY/lsK3m12vT9A/s640/IMG_0783.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9V1c8ZwI/AAAAAAAByWA/v4EKoSwNUaI/s640/IMG_0788.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9Y-nRGwI/AAAAAAAByWY/EpQulOuoycE/s640/IMG_0791.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9h4l4d6I/AAAAAAAByXo/Lhevog0Tjvk/s640/IMG_0802.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9ldKERDI/AAAAAAAByX4/pjaqV0NjZxc/s640/IMG_0805.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h99QGnSEI/AAAAAAAByZg/grRvnHAp-70/s640/IMG_0817.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h-HnWNi5I/AAAAAAAByaU/craLFa_UD0Q/s640/IMG_0823.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h-QXgKdBI/AAAAAAABya0/GMhu-b89UQg/s640/IMG_0827.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h-UbLgb6I/AAAAAAABybI/x0DwPFTFNf8/s640/IMG_0829.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_MdwNgXI/AAAAAAAByco/RwklxYx6HeM/s512/IMG_0831.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_S0blPII/AAAAAAABydA/UaC9zK1o_Rw/s640/IMG_0836.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_UPEmBqI/AAAAAAABydI/j1zxB2pfOFE/s640/IMG_0837.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_W4YFloI/AAAAAAABydQ/_jjB_Qj8CS4/s640/IMG_0838.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_aaAzLTI/AAAAAAABydo/WGxz9N2UW4U/s640/IMG_0841.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_ferilrI/AAAAAAAByeA/l6eSb8zmel4/s640/IMG_0845.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8oLe8jNVfI/AAAAAAABysQ/jCQyz35dJp4/s576/TRIP%20UP%20TO%20VIMY%20FRANCE.jpg" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8oMEveQS_I/AAAAAAAByss/Rr4j7gu4V3I/s576/FRANCE%20MAP.jpg" WIDTH = 640></tr></td></table>
I left Felixstowe and headed over for the town of Weston in Hertforshire, about an hour north of London. I'd arranged to hook up with a chap by the name of Simon Race who was planning on doing almost the exact same trip in a years time and we were going to trade notes on routes/plans/timings etc.
Simon's gaff is a dude layer, the garage has a serious sports car, a KTM scrambler and of course a big BMW 1200 GSA, the same bike as my own. We went out for a dose of German beer and yakked on about Mongolia and Siberia (Note to self, better to have this chat prior to beer in future). After that we went out for some more beer (spot the trend) and then met up with Simon's missus, Suzie in the local. After that is was a round (2) of Shepards pie followed by apple tart, more beer and as sound a nights kip as I've had since I left Ireland.
Simon sorted me out with much more detailed maps of Mongolia than I had and also gave me a water proof hold all to replace the one which I'd wrecked the zip on the day previous..... Senor Race.... your a gentleman and a scholar...the help and advice was greatly appreciated.
I left around 8:30 the next morning. Top of my mind was if the chaos that has been caused by the Icelandic Volcano going off and thus the grounding of every plane in the UK would have a knock effect on the Channel tunnel which was where I was headed. As it turned out it was no problem.
It was my first time on the Channel tunnel, a great way to get onto the continent if you ask me. You just drive the bike up onto a train, and away it goes and you arrive in France about 25 minutes later.. couldn't be easier.
Once in France I headed for Vimy, one of the few places left where they have preserved the Western front from World war one, and its primarily famous for the Canadian war memorial there. If you want to know more about it have a read of this link:
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/firstwar/vimy/vimy7
The scene is very well preserved, the ground is all lumpy and hilly from all the shells going off, the only difference between now and 95 years ago is that its covered in grass, and they have some trees growing in the area. Back then it would have been a sea of mud. When you consider that the population of Canada in 1915 was a little over 7 million, the fact that 60,000 Canadians died in world war one is a startling number.
Tomorrow I'm off to do more World war one stuff, before heading south west to the Normandy beach landing sites for D day in world war 2.
Take care and God bless
Oisin
<table></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8oKu0P0J0I/AAAAAAABysI/22_UP_SwZdg/s512/ROUTE%20THROUGH%20THE%20UK%20UP%20TO%20CHANNEL%20TUNNEL.jpg" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h85Kydx7I/AAAAAAAByTg/ahYOyS20a-s/s640/IMG_0768.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9HBSy8GI/AAAAAAAByUs/uvj3iJuR3O4/s640/IMG_0778.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9Jjt62qI/AAAAAAAByU4/hkmdTgnR4fQ/s512/IMG_0779.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9LKuOdeI/AAAAAAAByVA/tzqbAHr7f38/s640/IMG_0780.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9MNzAEgI/AAAAAAAByVI/McndZnAeuns/s640/IMG_0781.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9Nd2meGI/AAAAAAAByVQ/Pvvu0uScr4U/s512/IMG_0782.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9PMg5ZfI/AAAAAAAByVY/lsK3m12vT9A/s640/IMG_0783.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9V1c8ZwI/AAAAAAAByWA/v4EKoSwNUaI/s640/IMG_0788.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9Y-nRGwI/AAAAAAAByWY/EpQulOuoycE/s640/IMG_0791.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9h4l4d6I/AAAAAAAByXo/Lhevog0Tjvk/s640/IMG_0802.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h9ldKERDI/AAAAAAAByX4/pjaqV0NjZxc/s640/IMG_0805.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h99QGnSEI/AAAAAAAByZg/grRvnHAp-70/s640/IMG_0817.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h-HnWNi5I/AAAAAAAByaU/craLFa_UD0Q/s640/IMG_0823.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h-QXgKdBI/AAAAAAABya0/GMhu-b89UQg/s640/IMG_0827.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8h-UbLgb6I/AAAAAAABybI/x0DwPFTFNf8/s640/IMG_0829.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_MdwNgXI/AAAAAAAByco/RwklxYx6HeM/s512/IMG_0831.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_S0blPII/AAAAAAABydA/UaC9zK1o_Rw/s640/IMG_0836.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_UPEmBqI/AAAAAAABydI/j1zxB2pfOFE/s640/IMG_0837.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_W4YFloI/AAAAAAABydQ/_jjB_Qj8CS4/s640/IMG_0838.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_aaAzLTI/AAAAAAABydo/WGxz9N2UW4U/s640/IMG_0841.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8n_ferilrI/AAAAAAAByeA/l6eSb8zmel4/s640/IMG_0845.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8oLe8jNVfI/AAAAAAABysQ/jCQyz35dJp4/s576/TRIP%20UP%20TO%20VIMY%20FRANCE.jpg" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8oMEveQS_I/AAAAAAAByss/Rr4j7gu4V3I/s576/FRANCE%20MAP.jpg" WIDTH = 640></tr></td></table>
I left Felixstowe and headed over for the town of Weston in Hertforshire, about an hour north of London. I'd arranged to hook up with a chap by the name of Simon Race who was planning on doing almost the exact same trip in a years time and we were going to trade notes on routes/plans/timings etc.
Simon's gaff is a dude layer, the garage has a serious sports car, a KTM scrambler and of course a big BMW 1200 GSA, the same bike as my own. We went out for a dose of German beer and yakked on about Mongolia and Siberia (Note to self, better to have this chat prior to beer in future). After that we went out for some more beer (spot the trend) and then met up with Simon's missus, Suzie in the local. After that is was a round (2) of Shepards pie followed by apple tart, more beer and as sound a nights kip as I've had since I left Ireland.
Simon sorted me out with much more detailed maps of Mongolia than I had and also gave me a water proof hold all to replace the one which I'd wrecked the zip on the day previous..... Senor Race.... your a gentleman and a scholar...the help and advice was greatly appreciated.
I left around 8:30 the next morning. Top of my mind was if the chaos that has been caused by the Icelandic Volcano going off and thus the grounding of every plane in the UK would have a knock effect on the Channel tunnel which was where I was headed. As it turned out it was no problem.
It was my first time on the Channel tunnel, a great way to get onto the continent if you ask me. You just drive the bike up onto a train, and away it goes and you arrive in France about 25 minutes later.. couldn't be easier.
Once in France I headed for Vimy, one of the few places left where they have preserved the Western front from World war one, and its primarily famous for the Canadian war memorial there. If you want to know more about it have a read of this link:
http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/firstwar/vimy/vimy7
The scene is very well preserved, the ground is all lumpy and hilly from all the shells going off, the only difference between now and 95 years ago is that its covered in grass, and they have some trees growing in the area. Back then it would have been a sea of mud. When you consider that the population of Canada in 1915 was a little over 7 million, the fact that 60,000 Canadians died in world war one is a startling number.
Tomorrow I'm off to do more World war one stuff, before heading south west to the Normandy beach landing sites for D day in world war 2.
Take care and God bless
Oisin
Racey
Registered user
Glad to have been able to help you out...
I still think it was Cottage Pie !! But seeing as you are bigger than me I won't argue...
Hope you enjoyed Vimy. Beaumont-Hamel is as interesting - particularly as it is the site of the Newfoundlander's battle... I hope you get there too... It is worth it...
Simon & Susie
I still think it was Cottage Pie !! But seeing as you are bigger than me I won't argue...
Hope you enjoyed Vimy. Beaumont-Hamel is as interesting - particularly as it is the site of the Newfoundlander's battle... I hope you get there too... It is worth it...
Simon & Susie
xdayzgrr
Registered user
good luck!
i wish to be there :.(
by the way,if u want to,i can send a new carpet from here,Turkey.
i wish to be there :.(
by the way,if u want to,i can send a new carpet from here,Turkey.
Down to Normandy....
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I left Vimy and headed cross country avoiding dual carriageways as much as possible in the direction of Normandy, about 8 hours away (taking it very handy). Along the way I stopped at one of many mass graves which this area if famous for and walked in and had a look around.
The sun was shining, there was barely a breath of air and the only noise to be heard was birds singing. The most stunning thing apart from the vast number of graves is the ages. Most were 18 or 19 years of age. When I think back to when I was that age and try to imagine if someone gave me a gun and said go and fight.....
I was looking out for any Irish names, and there were lots, over 50,000 Irish men died in world war 1 (Southern Ireland was part of Britain back then) ...with about 30,000 from the south never making it back home.
For anyone reading this whose not from Ireland, one of the most famous songs we have about world war one is Willie McBride...have a listen to the words...very few Irish people don't know the words, and if five or more are gathered anywhere in the world with a feed of drink on board you can be sure it'll be dusted off.
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From there I moved across the countryside towards Normandy where the World War II D day invasions happened, in the process crossing the spectacular Normandy bridge. I struck for Gold beach where the British landed. When you go there its hard to know what to expect, I guess part of me wished there would be some preserved battlements, or ships lying on the beach or something, but all have long since been cleared. Its easy to see why they picked that beach, the land is flat and they wouldn't get mowed down from a height. All thats where now is a beach.
I passed a statue along the way of a young soldier sitting on a bench, taking a break no doubt after storming up the beach and liberating the town he deserved it. I said to myself I'll swing back and take a picture of it after the beach...of course I used GPS to get to the beach and no matter how much I searched the town afterwards I couldn't find the statue.... !! sick!!
The weather all day was amazing and the countryside was full of Color, it seemed like half the fields were full of yellow rape seed.
Tomorrow I go to Omaha beach, and the American Cemetary..... and from there up to Bruges in Belgium.
Take care and God bless
Oisin
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I left Vimy and headed cross country avoiding dual carriageways as much as possible in the direction of Normandy, about 8 hours away (taking it very handy). Along the way I stopped at one of many mass graves which this area if famous for and walked in and had a look around.
The sun was shining, there was barely a breath of air and the only noise to be heard was birds singing. The most stunning thing apart from the vast number of graves is the ages. Most were 18 or 19 years of age. When I think back to when I was that age and try to imagine if someone gave me a gun and said go and fight.....
I was looking out for any Irish names, and there were lots, over 50,000 Irish men died in world war 1 (Southern Ireland was part of Britain back then) ...with about 30,000 from the south never making it back home.
For anyone reading this whose not from Ireland, one of the most famous songs we have about world war one is Willie McBride...have a listen to the words...very few Irish people don't know the words, and if five or more are gathered anywhere in the world with a feed of drink on board you can be sure it'll be dusted off.
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From there I moved across the countryside towards Normandy where the World War II D day invasions happened, in the process crossing the spectacular Normandy bridge. I struck for Gold beach where the British landed. When you go there its hard to know what to expect, I guess part of me wished there would be some preserved battlements, or ships lying on the beach or something, but all have long since been cleared. Its easy to see why they picked that beach, the land is flat and they wouldn't get mowed down from a height. All thats where now is a beach.
I passed a statue along the way of a young soldier sitting on a bench, taking a break no doubt after storming up the beach and liberating the town he deserved it. I said to myself I'll swing back and take a picture of it after the beach...of course I used GPS to get to the beach and no matter how much I searched the town afterwards I couldn't find the statue.... !! sick!!
The weather all day was amazing and the countryside was full of Color, it seemed like half the fields were full of yellow rape seed.
Tomorrow I go to Omaha beach, and the American Cemetary..... and from there up to Bruges in Belgium.
Take care and God bless
Oisin
Normandy to Bruges, Belgium
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Today started as yesterday ended; I spent about an hour trying to find the statue I drove by yesterday. Still couldn't find it, really beginning to think I imagined it.
Anyway, first port of call was to head down to Omaha beach where the American's came ashore on D-day, and then on up to the american war memorial. The beach much like Gold beach is just a beach, just a small silver memorial high up the beach, any signs that it was the site of the biggest invasion in human history are long since gone.
The American war cemetery reminds me very much of Arlington cemetery. While I was there I was asked questions by a local historian and got some surprising answers to questions that I didn't know. (They were doing a study of why people were coming there)
The first question was.. Did you come here because of the film saving private Ryan? the answer was about 90% yes...but it was also a place I wanted to come to since seeing the movie the Longest day.
The second question was... Do you think the graves are just memorials? or are there american soliders buried there? I answered that I wasn't sure, maybe the soldiers were repatriated to Arlington cemetery in Washington DC? Turns out that they are actual graves, over 40% of those killed in France are buried at Omaha.
The third question was... Do you think that the characters in saving private Ryan are fictional or are they buried there... I answered that I thought it might be loosely based on actual events but no I didn't think the characters were real...
The answer was that The plot was inspired in part by the true story of Fritz Niland, one of four brothers from New York state who saw action during the war. Two Niland brothers were killed on D-Day, while another was missing in action in Burma and was presumed dead, although he actually survived. Fritz was located in Normandy by an Army chaplain, Reverend Francis Sampson, and taken out of the combat zone.....but there are also 3 Ryan brothers buried there apparently.
Then another historian came along and chatted for a while and talked about the fact that Saving private Ryan is one of the most important war movies ever made....after all of that I felt like going right out and buying the movie.
If your from America, and ever get a chance to go to this part of the world, you wont regret it. On so many occasions you can feel the air getting sucked out of your lungs when you see the scale of the crosses lined up in perfect rows.
On the way in I met Terry who was a tour guide for folks looking at various war sites, and he was telling me that they recently uncovered an part of the French coast which was almost perfectly preserved from D - day...hopefully they open it to the public soon.
I took a last look at the ocean, its the last time I'll see it till I pull into Magadan port in Siberia....
I made my way north east for 5 hours to Bruges in Belgium (5th country of the trip so far.) The reason I'm coming here is the movie "In Bruges" with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, if you havent seen it, its well worth a look. I got into Bruges around 6pm quickly showered and headed out to take a few snaps of what is one of the most photogenic towns in all of Europe.
My buddies Barry Dunne and Phil Fitz are joining for the ride for the next 7 days and will ride as far as Prague with me, they finally showed up at 10pm in the square after riding the whole way from Dublin, Ireland in one day. (Some 15 hours in the saddle)
After the lads downed some Hot dogs and chips we went out for a couple of pints. No matter where you go you seem to bump into people being impacted by the Ash Cloud over Europe. We met two girls from Scotland who were supposed to be in Lanzarote but the flight was cancelled so they took the ferry here. Similarly one of the girls boyfriends is stuck in Singapore and cant make it home either. And if all that wasn't enough one of the lads (Joel) who was supposed to come along for the week as far as Prague cant get out of the south of France till the middle of the week so had to cancel.....
The weather continues to be outstanding!...the plan for tomorrow is to head out and about in Bruges and see what all the fuss is about.
Take care and God bless
Oisin
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Today started as yesterday ended; I spent about an hour trying to find the statue I drove by yesterday. Still couldn't find it, really beginning to think I imagined it.
Anyway, first port of call was to head down to Omaha beach where the American's came ashore on D-day, and then on up to the american war memorial. The beach much like Gold beach is just a beach, just a small silver memorial high up the beach, any signs that it was the site of the biggest invasion in human history are long since gone.
The American war cemetery reminds me very much of Arlington cemetery. While I was there I was asked questions by a local historian and got some surprising answers to questions that I didn't know. (They were doing a study of why people were coming there)
The first question was.. Did you come here because of the film saving private Ryan? the answer was about 90% yes...but it was also a place I wanted to come to since seeing the movie the Longest day.
The second question was... Do you think the graves are just memorials? or are there american soliders buried there? I answered that I wasn't sure, maybe the soldiers were repatriated to Arlington cemetery in Washington DC? Turns out that they are actual graves, over 40% of those killed in France are buried at Omaha.
The third question was... Do you think that the characters in saving private Ryan are fictional or are they buried there... I answered that I thought it might be loosely based on actual events but no I didn't think the characters were real...
The answer was that The plot was inspired in part by the true story of Fritz Niland, one of four brothers from New York state who saw action during the war. Two Niland brothers were killed on D-Day, while another was missing in action in Burma and was presumed dead, although he actually survived. Fritz was located in Normandy by an Army chaplain, Reverend Francis Sampson, and taken out of the combat zone.....but there are also 3 Ryan brothers buried there apparently.
Then another historian came along and chatted for a while and talked about the fact that Saving private Ryan is one of the most important war movies ever made....after all of that I felt like going right out and buying the movie.
If your from America, and ever get a chance to go to this part of the world, you wont regret it. On so many occasions you can feel the air getting sucked out of your lungs when you see the scale of the crosses lined up in perfect rows.
On the way in I met Terry who was a tour guide for folks looking at various war sites, and he was telling me that they recently uncovered an part of the French coast which was almost perfectly preserved from D - day...hopefully they open it to the public soon.
I took a last look at the ocean, its the last time I'll see it till I pull into Magadan port in Siberia....
I made my way north east for 5 hours to Bruges in Belgium (5th country of the trip so far.) The reason I'm coming here is the movie "In Bruges" with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, if you havent seen it, its well worth a look. I got into Bruges around 6pm quickly showered and headed out to take a few snaps of what is one of the most photogenic towns in all of Europe.
My buddies Barry Dunne and Phil Fitz are joining for the ride for the next 7 days and will ride as far as Prague with me, they finally showed up at 10pm in the square after riding the whole way from Dublin, Ireland in one day. (Some 15 hours in the saddle)
After the lads downed some Hot dogs and chips we went out for a couple of pints. No matter where you go you seem to bump into people being impacted by the Ash Cloud over Europe. We met two girls from Scotland who were supposed to be in Lanzarote but the flight was cancelled so they took the ferry here. Similarly one of the girls boyfriends is stuck in Singapore and cant make it home either. And if all that wasn't enough one of the lads (Joel) who was supposed to come along for the week as far as Prague cant get out of the south of France till the middle of the week so had to cancel.....
The weather continues to be outstanding!...the plan for tomorrow is to head out and about in Bruges and see what all the fuss is about.
Take care and God bless
Oisin
Enjoying this.
In Bruges...
<table></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xbdTiu7vI/AAAAAAABy6k/Z0S9RalFcKI/s640/IMG_1047.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xbj7lMHNI/AAAAAAABy60/cOlgQ_tyEqQ/s640/IMG_1049.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xbwpcOaYI/AAAAAAABy7U/GO_PdLfRyLI/s640/IMG_1053.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xb4RJP3oI/AAAAAAABy7s/PDBFkMRSJYw/s640/IMG_1056.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcAeIgnpI/AAAAAAABy8Q/B7d6xxmXPK4/s640/IMG_1061.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcKodw2lI/AAAAAAABy9E/kQzdildY4Fk/s640/IMG_1067.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcMg-g0DI/AAAAAAABy9M/JwmK7CAuprQ/s640/IMG_1068.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcVq9cjJI/AAAAAAABy9s/ghoQmBvsd0c/s640/IMG_1072.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcXrcoddI/AAAAAAABy90/qHrJs_OV7S4/s640/IMG_1073.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcjX9iQOI/AAAAAAABy-o/715OH3j2JyI/s640/IMG_1079.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xc0pm9KSI/AAAAAAABy_8/jLhHxvY7mbg/s640/IMG_1089.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xc4vuEljI/AAAAAAABzAM/i8Sd75gyzes/s640/IMG_1092.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xdRNmlhFI/AAAAAAABzBg/FzT6b8XfJKM/s640/IMG_1102.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xdYvomK_I/AAAAAAABzB8/Uy3DK1DtuCg/s640/IMG_1106.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xdj76HG1I/AAAAAAABzCc/jPWBrtpOiOI/s512/IMG_1111.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xdwO415uI/AAAAAAABzDA/ZceRW_qDwso/s640/IMG_1115.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xeERbSEhI/AAAAAAABzEM/5eOLs2qhKpA/s640/IMG_1124.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jCQ2ip3I/AAAAAAABzHM/sUUx1fl_iGU/s640/IMG_1145.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jF9EvyrI/AAAAAAABzHc/xitwjqXatUs/s512/IMG_1161.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jILg77YI/AAAAAAABzHk/DLCl8jv0Ua4/s640/IMG_1162.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jgtVoopI/AAAAAAABzI0/2drjtywmy60/s640/IMG_1178.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jeO_3KaI/AAAAAAABzIs/D4PBHnQ5pBg/s512/IMG_1177.JPG"></tr></td></table>
Beset with hangovers, Barry, Phil and myself went out and about in Bruges. For the great unwashed out there, its a world Unesco heritage sight (didn't know that either till I looked it up), but if your from Dublin, its where the film "In Bruges" was shot with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson was shot.. more than enough reason to check it out.
On every corner theres something cool to look at, and if your a girl the shops sell chocolate Willies and town halls. Its the ultimate place to walk a bit, sit down grab a coffee in one of a million outdoor restaurants and then go off and walk some more. Half the town potters around on bicycles which compete with horse drawn carriages for space on the narrow cobble lanes.
Lots of the buildings date back to the tenth century.... (Medieval) and the town has a very orderly feel to it. Bottom line... if you havent been, just go...its relatively cheap...and as far as city breaks go its hard to beat. I'm not going to try and tell you about all the stuff to see... you can look that up here..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruges
Now the only winge I'd have is the town needs a power chord. A what?
Someone to take a big electric guitar, an even bigger amp, plug it into a heavy metal pedal and start playing some AC/DC on it....something like the vid below....I'd say that might get the job done alright.
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That night the three of us met up with a friend of mine who I met in Cuzco, Vanessa. We'd a couple of civilised pints and we all inhaled Vanessa's rollies. (Cigarettes!)
Anyhoot tomorrow we head for Petrol head heaven, the Nurburgring...in Nurburg(not surprisingly)
Take care...and bring your bird to Bruges!
Over and out
The big fella und Barry mit Phil
<table></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xbdTiu7vI/AAAAAAABy6k/Z0S9RalFcKI/s640/IMG_1047.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xbj7lMHNI/AAAAAAABy60/cOlgQ_tyEqQ/s640/IMG_1049.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xbwpcOaYI/AAAAAAABy7U/GO_PdLfRyLI/s640/IMG_1053.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xb4RJP3oI/AAAAAAABy7s/PDBFkMRSJYw/s640/IMG_1056.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcAeIgnpI/AAAAAAABy8Q/B7d6xxmXPK4/s640/IMG_1061.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcKodw2lI/AAAAAAABy9E/kQzdildY4Fk/s640/IMG_1067.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcMg-g0DI/AAAAAAABy9M/JwmK7CAuprQ/s640/IMG_1068.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcVq9cjJI/AAAAAAABy9s/ghoQmBvsd0c/s640/IMG_1072.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcXrcoddI/AAAAAAABy90/qHrJs_OV7S4/s640/IMG_1073.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xcjX9iQOI/AAAAAAABy-o/715OH3j2JyI/s640/IMG_1079.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xc0pm9KSI/AAAAAAABy_8/jLhHxvY7mbg/s640/IMG_1089.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xc4vuEljI/AAAAAAABzAM/i8Sd75gyzes/s640/IMG_1092.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xdRNmlhFI/AAAAAAABzBg/FzT6b8XfJKM/s640/IMG_1102.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xdYvomK_I/AAAAAAABzB8/Uy3DK1DtuCg/s640/IMG_1106.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xdj76HG1I/AAAAAAABzCc/jPWBrtpOiOI/s512/IMG_1111.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xdwO415uI/AAAAAAABzDA/ZceRW_qDwso/s640/IMG_1115.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S8xeERbSEhI/AAAAAAABzEM/5eOLs2qhKpA/s640/IMG_1124.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jCQ2ip3I/AAAAAAABzHM/sUUx1fl_iGU/s640/IMG_1145.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jF9EvyrI/AAAAAAABzHc/xitwjqXatUs/s512/IMG_1161.JPG"></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jILg77YI/AAAAAAABzHk/DLCl8jv0Ua4/s640/IMG_1162.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jgtVoopI/AAAAAAABzI0/2drjtywmy60/s640/IMG_1178.JPG" WIDTH = 640></tr></td><tr><td><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_8x5h-fHHXiI/S88jeO_3KaI/AAAAAAABzIs/D4PBHnQ5pBg/s512/IMG_1177.JPG"></tr></td></table>
Beset with hangovers, Barry, Phil and myself went out and about in Bruges. For the great unwashed out there, its a world Unesco heritage sight (didn't know that either till I looked it up), but if your from Dublin, its where the film "In Bruges" was shot with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson was shot.. more than enough reason to check it out.
On every corner theres something cool to look at, and if your a girl the shops sell chocolate Willies and town halls. Its the ultimate place to walk a bit, sit down grab a coffee in one of a million outdoor restaurants and then go off and walk some more. Half the town potters around on bicycles which compete with horse drawn carriages for space on the narrow cobble lanes.
Lots of the buildings date back to the tenth century.... (Medieval) and the town has a very orderly feel to it. Bottom line... if you havent been, just go...its relatively cheap...and as far as city breaks go its hard to beat. I'm not going to try and tell you about all the stuff to see... you can look that up here..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruges
Now the only winge I'd have is the town needs a power chord. A what?
Someone to take a big electric guitar, an even bigger amp, plug it into a heavy metal pedal and start playing some AC/DC on it....something like the vid below....I'd say that might get the job done alright.
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That night the three of us met up with a friend of mine who I met in Cuzco, Vanessa. We'd a couple of civilised pints and we all inhaled Vanessa's rollies. (Cigarettes!)
Anyhoot tomorrow we head for Petrol head heaven, the Nurburgring...in Nurburg(not surprisingly)
Take care...and bring your bird to Bruges!
Over and out
The big fella und Barry mit Phil
Sorry for the hijack
I did in 2008 just after they finished filming 'In Bruges'.
We stayed at Martins Hotel and where impressed by the big chocolate gun.
Am loving your RR and updates.
Ride safe.
I did in 2008 just after they finished filming 'In Bruges'.
We stayed at Martins Hotel and where impressed by the big chocolate gun.
Am loving your RR and updates.
Ride safe.
