I'm plonking a bit of a ride report in, because it seems to me that this neck of the woods is quite a well kept secret and worthy of a bit more attention from Brit bikers.
We (wifey and I on 1200GS and friends on new K1600) travelled down to Newcastle, and unusually, straight onto the boat....no fighting or arguing with crew about parking the bike so we could get off/round it, found the cabin, and shortly after the bar....running down the Tyne , in the evening sun with a beer, waiting for our allotted time in the Buffet restaurant. Eat too much as usual, dwinkies in bar and early to bed. We have adopted the practise of going outbound on a Sunday night...saves getting too involved with common people, stag/hen parties etc...
I'm always up fairly early, and enjoy a while with coffee while everybody is abed., watching the morning sun flood in. Calm as Persie loch. Leisurely breakfast, donder down to bike and get ready. We keep a rucsac in the top-box with overnight kit, putting the tankbag in the topbox for the journey, and I wrap both helmets in jackets, wrap them in a pac-safe wire net bag and lock them to the bike....saves a lot of humping of kit up and down stairs...I don't like to load wifey up too much too early.
Easily off the boat and off to the nearest motorway...this part of Holland is pretty dire, and best seen at speed from the motorway. We were heading to Bastogne for the first night, only because Pete has been nagging for years about seeing the poxy tank in the square. Down past Eindhoven Maasricht towards Liege. Previous experience of Liege led me to find a route avoiding it altogether, so we went across to Verviers, down and through Spa-Francorchamps....beautiful...and obviously a wealthy part of the world...across to Houffalize and down to Bastogne....the natives were out in force to welcome me....all out on the streets, flags etc. Busy place.
We had booked....via booking.com in here..
https://www.booking.com/hotel/be/bw...bbfffcd6b15d72e4d6e;dcid=1;dist=0&type=total&
central, private parking, close to town for grub beer etc. 41/2 hours driving from Ijmuiden.
Next day, next stage....bit of N road to Arlon and then join motorway down to Nancy. I realise many willpour scorn on me for using motorways, but if you are trying to cover a bit of distance and avoid such dull places as Luxembourg and Metz, they are worth every bit of peage.
Talking of which, I had got a sanef tag, and a waterproof holder..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0012BQZ0A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
wifey waved it at sensor, barrier up and off we went..even in the 30kph lane...great. Pete and Diane had no success with theirs...don't know why yet. Absolutely brilliant for bikes....no fumbling with gloves, trying not to lose tickets, cash cards, just pull from jacket and hold it up..
We were heading for Pannassieres in the Jura. Past experience told me that it was just as quick off the motorway south of Nancy, so thats what we did, down through/round Epinal, Vesoul, Besancon, then through some (very) country lanes to our next stop...
https://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/ho...bbfffcd6b15d72e4d6e;dcid=1;dist=0&type=total&
https://goo.gl/photos/rPu3HgDMRqjByQjF7
again booked via booking.com. Perfectly good comfy room and good grub in restaurant. It was hot by now so a cool shower was very welcome. Jim Esson....an ex BMW club stalwart, had driven over from his home in Lausanne to join us for the rest of our tour....good to meet up again after a year, enjoying a beer and a good meal.
Usual bread for breakfast....I've formed the opinion that as much as I like France, there are some things they can't do....plumbing, bogroll.....and breakfast...but I digress.
And off we go toward our final destination...again a country route for the most part, following and crossing the Rhone at Seyssel..
https://goo.gl/photos/xiXw3SQRQ5MkeQm26
We continued past Lac de Bourget, down through Aix-les-Bains, popping onto the motorway to bypass Chambery, popping off at Pontcharra. This proved to be a mistake, but it meant we were able to find, completely by accident, a magic bar for lunch..
We continued into Grenoble on the road running parallel with the motorway which is where my error became apparent...traffic lights every few yards. Garmin finally got us through the city...temps in the high 30's....out te other side, climbing to our destination...
https://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/au...bbfffcd6b15d72e4d6e;dcid=1;dist=0&type=total&
Much research had suggested this would be a good spot....and so it proved. Completely on its own, 1200m up, with very good grub. Family run, some English spoken...not that we needed it particularly. Its on its own so you are effectively committed to eating there, but the quality of dinners made that a pleasure. We saw over the next few days a succession of locals calling in for their tea...always a good sign.
More later
Fukkit...links not photy's...
We (wifey and I on 1200GS and friends on new K1600) travelled down to Newcastle, and unusually, straight onto the boat....no fighting or arguing with crew about parking the bike so we could get off/round it, found the cabin, and shortly after the bar....running down the Tyne , in the evening sun with a beer, waiting for our allotted time in the Buffet restaurant. Eat too much as usual, dwinkies in bar and early to bed. We have adopted the practise of going outbound on a Sunday night...saves getting too involved with common people, stag/hen parties etc...
I'm always up fairly early, and enjoy a while with coffee while everybody is abed., watching the morning sun flood in. Calm as Persie loch. Leisurely breakfast, donder down to bike and get ready. We keep a rucsac in the top-box with overnight kit, putting the tankbag in the topbox for the journey, and I wrap both helmets in jackets, wrap them in a pac-safe wire net bag and lock them to the bike....saves a lot of humping of kit up and down stairs...I don't like to load wifey up too much too early.
Easily off the boat and off to the nearest motorway...this part of Holland is pretty dire, and best seen at speed from the motorway. We were heading to Bastogne for the first night, only because Pete has been nagging for years about seeing the poxy tank in the square. Down past Eindhoven Maasricht towards Liege. Previous experience of Liege led me to find a route avoiding it altogether, so we went across to Verviers, down and through Spa-Francorchamps....beautiful...and obviously a wealthy part of the world...across to Houffalize and down to Bastogne....the natives were out in force to welcome me....all out on the streets, flags etc. Busy place.
We had booked....via booking.com in here..
https://www.booking.com/hotel/be/bw...bbfffcd6b15d72e4d6e;dcid=1;dist=0&type=total&
central, private parking, close to town for grub beer etc. 41/2 hours driving from Ijmuiden.
Next day, next stage....bit of N road to Arlon and then join motorway down to Nancy. I realise many willpour scorn on me for using motorways, but if you are trying to cover a bit of distance and avoid such dull places as Luxembourg and Metz, they are worth every bit of peage.
Talking of which, I had got a sanef tag, and a waterproof holder..
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0012BQZ0A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
wifey waved it at sensor, barrier up and off we went..even in the 30kph lane...great. Pete and Diane had no success with theirs...don't know why yet. Absolutely brilliant for bikes....no fumbling with gloves, trying not to lose tickets, cash cards, just pull from jacket and hold it up..
We were heading for Pannassieres in the Jura. Past experience told me that it was just as quick off the motorway south of Nancy, so thats what we did, down through/round Epinal, Vesoul, Besancon, then through some (very) country lanes to our next stop...
https://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/ho...bbfffcd6b15d72e4d6e;dcid=1;dist=0&type=total&
https://goo.gl/photos/rPu3HgDMRqjByQjF7
again booked via booking.com. Perfectly good comfy room and good grub in restaurant. It was hot by now so a cool shower was very welcome. Jim Esson....an ex BMW club stalwart, had driven over from his home in Lausanne to join us for the rest of our tour....good to meet up again after a year, enjoying a beer and a good meal.
Usual bread for breakfast....I've formed the opinion that as much as I like France, there are some things they can't do....plumbing, bogroll.....and breakfast...but I digress.
And off we go toward our final destination...again a country route for the most part, following and crossing the Rhone at Seyssel..
https://goo.gl/photos/xiXw3SQRQ5MkeQm26
We continued past Lac de Bourget, down through Aix-les-Bains, popping onto the motorway to bypass Chambery, popping off at Pontcharra. This proved to be a mistake, but it meant we were able to find, completely by accident, a magic bar for lunch..
We continued into Grenoble on the road running parallel with the motorway which is where my error became apparent...traffic lights every few yards. Garmin finally got us through the city...temps in the high 30's....out te other side, climbing to our destination...
https://www.booking.com/hotel/fr/au...bbfffcd6b15d72e4d6e;dcid=1;dist=0&type=total&
Much research had suggested this would be a good spot....and so it proved. Completely on its own, 1200m up, with very good grub. Family run, some English spoken...not that we needed it particularly. Its on its own so you are effectively committed to eating there, but the quality of dinners made that a pleasure. We saw over the next few days a succession of locals calling in for their tea...always a good sign.
More later
Fukkit...links not photy's...