Europe 2023 Part 2

 We left Puget and because of roadworks on the route Napoleon we couldn't get onto the mountain road that usually takes us to Sospel and then by a small mountain road to Dolceaqua so we ended up dicing with the Nice Monaco and Italian crazy people on the motorway! we took the turnoff to Bordighera which saves going through Ventimiglia (always crazy on a Friday due to the Market) We stopped to fill up in Camporosso and had a coffee and something to eat in the cafe at the gas station. The guy who runs the cafe has a BMW GS and remembered us and asked if we fancied going on a memorial run that Sunday, starting at 10.30 from Dolceaqua. We explained we were heading North towards Alba on Sunday but we would stop in for a blether. 

We arrived in Rocchetta to be met by Bruno, we were to stay in the village at one of his houses which was brilliant as it was just down the stair from his Mum Tina  which made it easier to visit her, we spent a great weekend with the family, the usual overeating and some light refreshments. Sunday came too soon and we said our goodbyes and headed to see the local bike club heading off on their run, they tried to persuade us to join them but we had miles to do so after waving them all off we headed back to the highway, First towards Savona then North towards Alba, we got fed up with the crazy driving and headed onto the small roads and got lost! Its funny a GPS each and a Mobile and we still weren't sure where we were.

Obviously we finally found our way (or I would have been writing this in Italy asking for International rescue to come and get us) and headed into Piedmont and the wine growing region where Barollo wine comes from, very tidy and orderly, It was overcast so not great for picture taking unfortunately. Our Hotel was superb (and not expensive ) and had a great view over the Vineyards, a pleasant evening was spent with superb food and superb wine.

Monday arrived and we headed North towards Milan, never a great experience but a bit better that the roadworks that have blighted to route towards Monza (an then Lecco) for years appear to have finished. We eventually saw the lake and soon turned off for Mandello Del Lario, home of Moto Guzzi! We got booked into our hotel and rushed up to the factory for a look round the Mueseum (again) The thunder, lightning and rain started and we sent an hour sheltering in the best possible place before heading back to wards the lakeside to enjoy a beer in a nice pub. All very civilised indeed, part 3 to follow.......

The old home town

Always a constant

Where I played as a kid

Family

Bike Family

Nice Guzzi (allegedly done 300K Km)

New Guzzi

A gold wing on these roads would be a challenge

On your Marks

Go

Then there were only us (and a Honda)

Tea Break

Hamburger and Flies for lunch....

Wine time

Nice view from our Hotel

Moody skies

Mandello alarm clock

Nice place to have a bike factory

This is where it all Happens

Excellent engineering, Turbocharged 250

A 500 cc twin supercharged watercooled motor from 1937

Watercooled v4 1000cc from 1988

Nice

Nice

Really Nice

The Mighty V8

And a copy of it at the roundabout

It had rained

Mist on the Lake

Still pretty

Oh dear, nae swimies

Love this bar

Nice

A wee photo of where our bikes were Born 

Europe 2023 Part 1

 Another Euro tour, this time a kind off "regular route" getting the ferry from Newcastle to Ijmuiden in Holland, stopping in Paris to see my daughter for a night then to the South of France via Grenoble and the Route Napoleon and into Italy to see family before making our way via Barollo and Lake Como, Switzerland and Germany and home to Newcastle again.

The V85's were loaded and ready (the luggage makes them handle a bit weird) First stop at Berwick where we didn't get our anticipated breakfast due to lack of staff at Morrisons, this was always a good stopping point but nae E5 petrol and nae breakfast means it's off the Christmas card list. We stopped at the services just after the turnoff to the ferry, there used to be a little Chef here but its now a burger King and Greggs so I opted for a sausage roll (well two) just to ensure the Rennies got a work out later. The Ferry queue was efficient and we were quickly on the ferry. The usual tying down completed and we relaxed ready for the Sunday ride to Paris. 

Europe doesn't allow artics to run on Sunday so it should have been quiet but Holland never is, Belgium was worse, especially the Antwerp ring, the normal chaos with lots of filtering, and eventually the busyness of Paris, I won't try to explain how crazy it is, we eventually found our hotel just outside the peripherique. The speedo on my bike showed 38 degrees just before our turn off so tempers were short whilst I made a few navigational errors. We decanted our stuff into the hotel and found our underground secure parking a street away and then found a bar! We had a couple of (expensive) beers and some food before going back to the hotel to get out of our bike gear and getting ready for our night at the Moulin Rouge, we had free tickets to pick up and got the full VIP treatment not having to queue with the normal punters. We enjoyed the show and met Micky after and were taken to their normal after hours bar nearby, good to catch up, one of her pals came along and we all had a great night, 4am we arrived back at our hotel, normally thats morning almost! 

   

At the ferry waiting to load

Leaving Newcastle

A wild night in the bar....

Ready to unload

Fuel stop, it was warm

Eventually found our hotel!

A night in Paris

And with the star of the evening (Me of course )

The following day (Monday) came too soon, we left the Hotel at Noon after loading up the bikes and joined the high speed traffic jam the is the Paris Ring road, but not before Fiona got hit by a car driver who didn't see her!! Luckily it was a glancing blow which she expertly rode through but it kind of spoils your confidence. We took about an hour to get through the worst of it, an hour of very forgettable motorcycling.

For once we were glad to get on the Toll Road to get some peace from the craziness, after a full day we were nearing Dijon where we were going to camp but we were knackered so found the nearest Campanile (Cheap hotel) which was in Avallon and got a much needed sleep.

Tuesday we rode on the small roads eventually past Grenoble, the scenery was amazing and the roads quieter , we stopped for the night a nice campsite near Gap which I could recommend.

Wednesday we rode down to Puget Theriers to a campsite we have used before, once again highly recommended, we chilled out and had a day off from Motorcycling, enjoying the town and the Sunshine before our ride over the Border to Italy, but thats the next part..

Just South of Grenoble, lunch stop

Not a bad vista

Camping near Gap

Clouds coming in to make us feel at home

The next day we had to put the waterproofs on for an hour

Then it was Sunny again

Route Napoleon

Campsite in Puget

Braw place to spend a couple of Nights

Having a beer or two

The town has these decorations up

Salon De The

Braw

Fi stretching her legs

Happy

One of our neighbours

Puget

Mair paper birds

Eating out

Sometimes I have to eat out so we don't have to do the dishes