Europe part 1 , the wet road

A latish start, always the same, trying to make sure we have everything and back and forward to the bikes to check and double check meanwhile saying goodbye to all our neighbours. Waterproof trousers on but not the full monty, hoping the rain doesn't come to much.

Through Edinburgh bypass and onto the A68, a stop for a home made roll just North of Jedburgh and a braw cup of tea from the flask, sometimes its good to be miserable, you feel like you've won.

Into England, a quick stop at the border for a photo, then onwards until Almost Tow Law when a police car was blocking the road. We rode to the front of the queue and I got of to ask the police wifie ( strange to see a woman in the traffic car 🤣) she was very pleasant, somebody had put a sports car in the ditch and they were recovering it.

Around 20 minutes later we were on our way and by just after 4pm we arrived at Thirsk. Tent up and cup of tea before the heavy rain started, we hid in the tent till it eased off. Then into Tescos to buy an umbrella and marvel at the low prices of whisky, my god we get robbed by there nationalist arseholes,  maybe that's why wee krakie has flitted to London. Witherspoon for food, a braw day 

border photo

camping photo

It rained very heavily on Monday night, the tent thankfully kept the rain out except when I had to go outdoors for a pee , then the rain soaked me. That's camping, an idyllic life when it's dry and hell when it's wet. 

Luckily the rain went off for 2 hours between 8 and 10 to allow us to get organised and managed to almost dry the tent , our neighbour, an older guy also in a tent was ex post office telecoms , small world, good to see he is making full use of his BT pension! Waterproofs on which is a right pain but necessary, we took the back roads but unfortunately our go to baker was closed so onto Molton, a nice town for a late breakfast, friendly people, good to get a blether with strangers again, the old adage that strangers are friends you haven't met yet holding true.

Then towards Hull, heading towards the Humber Bridge but there was roadworks on so we got lost and crabbit. After a short stop we found our way toward our campsite near Louth. We have a cabin for the night, only a tenner dearer than camping so a no trainer. As I type this a thunderstorm is passing over so a doubly good call

our hut

Bikes at rest

A night of very heavy rain and thunderstorns, thank god we were in a hut. A bright morning but it didn't last, by the time we got going at 10 am the waterproofs were on, ,then it started raining heavily. Passed RAF connisby in pissing rain watching several fighter jets landing and taking off, pretty spectacular. A stop at a service station and McDonald's outside Spalding for some respite. The rain eased, eventually on the M11 more than once , a 3 lap roundabout loop let's you know how lost we were, trying to take the back roads was becoming a right PITA, eventually onto the turnoff for Stanstead airport and to our hotel, a long day but not over yet, the road was closed, a phone call to the hotel and we got a lassie trying to explain the 5 Mile diversion, back into the traffic to joust with the school traffic, when you think it's over, its not over until you take the keys out the bikes. The guy on reception was brilliant, letting us put our bikes in a locked outhouse, and then we were calm.

First stop ,outside a tesco

2nd stop 

We got the bikes loaded and then the heavy rain started, are you noticing a pattern here ? A stop on the M11 just before the M25 and it was teeming down, we entered the Macdonalds as usual very wet and making a mess on the floor. 

We started off again and yes it rained and it also got very windy, this was beyond a joke to be honest, as we approached Dover we made the decision to just get the next ferry despite having booked a hotel in Dover for the night. After some faffing and some more expense we wobbled our way onto the ferry in very high winds, goodbye UK , we shall see you when you have learnt to behave. Arrived in Dunkirk at 6pm euro time and found our way to our hotel shortly after. Very glad to park the bikes to be honest.

A plus point, the French border guard hardly even looked at our passports and the UK border guard didn't even open the window to speak to us, point is, have we been logged into Europe or not, time will tell when we come back home....

This weekend a bike meeting in Belgium, hopefully dry !

escape

Happy

boat photo

the lac, where we had our dinner

This blogging from the phone is hard work, but I've done it, keep on keeping on 

A wee hurl round Perthshire

We took the V85's out for a hurl to make sure they are OK for our Euro trip, over Glenquaich and then the back road to Aberfeldy,  through the sma Glen and home. Pleased to say all went well. My new Daytona boots are still sore on my feet, I think they have changed the make up, my previous 3 pairs weren't this bad,  bad show Daytona ! 

And of course this is just to make sure my blogging app is still working as I won't have a laptop with me 

Keep on keeping on

Glenquaich,  still Bonnie 

Home and Strontian!

 Well I think i speak for the two of to say we are glad to be home, a crap experience flying with BA, almost 3K for 2 one way tickets in Premium Economy, treated like shit and left 10 hours between meals, terrible, not even the offer of a cup of tea and then the Joke that is Heathrow. The big problem is these days you cant complain because the staff will say you have been abusive and then you are banned from flying. Why anyone wants to fly those days is now beyond me.

Brother in Law Peter kindly picked us up from the airport, top man, greatly appreciated and after 20 hours we were back home, a long day indeed. Saturday was spent opening a myriad of threatening letters from the BBC for cancelling our TV licence, state harassment! Then opening letters from the Taxman to say I will be paying more tax to keep the great unwashed living comfortably, welcome home! And then all my bank cards, its great to have access to your own money again!

We slept a lot, jet lag seems to be getting worse but we had to get organised for Strontian the following weekend, I decided to take the Airhead as quite frankly I couldn't be arsed getting a Norton ready. A trip to Cultybraggan for a blether with Iain and the staff made it better and a test of the V85's to make sure they are OK and then Friday up to Strontian on the BMW with Alex, Budge and Johnny T and a meeting with Swiss George who I last saw in Santiago Chile in 2013. He got in touch on the Thursday night saying he was in Scotland so we told him to meet us in Strontian, strangely I ended up right behind him on the Corran Ferry, small world!

The usual laughs and stories, great to catch up with everyone but not so good to have the temperature dip below freezing, welcome home, Fiona was still not up for a weekend camping on the bike so she took the support van which was great.

So thats it, still digesting the trip and having a small rest before we set of for Europe shortly, keep on keeping on!

Laurenne and Liz

Budge and John

Friday night meal ( Fi didnt take photos on Saturday )

Alex borrowed Fionas hat

Sadly that was the complete Norton contingent

Swiss Georg

A wee wander in the Sun

Flowers are out

Frosty

Airheads convention

Stunning but cold

Almost Home

Japan, almost done, Asia goodbye

 So after spending a couple of days photographing Mount Fuji from every angle we set off in the pouring rain for Fiona's tour of the more Northern or central part of Japan. It worked well in the postie pat car especially when it was pouring but as soon as we got a good day we were thinking the bike would be good . We were very lucky to see so much of the real Japan so we could get a feel of how people lived. we visited some stunning lakes on our grand tour, much like Scotland , the bikes were everywhere as long as the sun was shining. We basically did a loop back round via the Honda Museum and back to Tokyo.

The Honda experience was very corporate but good to see, once again surprised at what bikes were not on display which seemed to be a theme. There was a car race on the circuit and in a other part of the complex a car meeting and what looked like an autojumble.

Back into Tokyo, 34 million people and all queuing at the same traffic light, it takes forever in the big towns to get around which is why everybody uses the Trains but in my opinion if you are coming to Japan driving a car gets you into the rural areas and away from the bulk of the tourists so just bear with the traffic, eventually you will get good roads.

Some things to note, the locals although reserved are polite, the rules are obeyed and there is no graffiti. Kids walk the streets in safety unlike the UK because the punishments are harsh in Japan and people have respect. 

Asia has been difficult, living in a different Hotel every night for 5 Months is a mental challenge and not being sure what you are going to eat is also stressful, and can anyone tell me why anybody thought it was a good idea to eat food with two sticks instead of a knife , fork and spoon, answers on a postcard please .

We will both be glad to get home for a rest until the next part of the tour begins, Photos as always tell the story better.

Keep on Keeping on!

This  triumph Rocket 3 and sidecar was outside the Honda place

Postie Pat Van

A rainy day

Colourful

Fi and Budda

A nice day

Fiona exercising

Big Hills

Big Hairpins

Any mail Postie

Loch Earn

Nice

Snow on the hills

Brake Brake

Funny, the tyres make a sound on the road surface

Rural Japan

Very Nice

Snow ahead

No we didnt

Bikers having a break

Brewery

Good view

This made my Day

The Boys are back in town

See ya

This is about 5km from the massive Honda complex

Car Race

OK back to Honda

Surprised to see this, they acknowledged that MV were so far ahead that Honda had to learn from them

The Innards of the oval piston bike, amazing

Fellow Scot Alex George gets a mention

A Beast

Cool, a cafe just outside the Honda Complex

Night time Tokyo

Our neighbour

Orderly

This is a kids play park, they teach them road rules on their bicycles, including traffic lights, and if you go crazy there's a park ranger to slow you down 

The Play park, nothing destroyed

And again

Police Pushbikes