Europe 2

We arrived in Belgium after a night in Dunkirk, no surprise it rained heavily, we made our way to our friend Geerts house and got settled in. Lunch by the river, very pleasant and much cheaper than the UK, the place was crowded which once again is different from Home.

Then off to meet Eddie and the other guys from the BBA meeting to give them to set up for the weekend, a full afternoon and evening with a stop at Eddie's House for a nightcap before getting back to Geets house for a sleep.

Saturday a surprise visit from our old friend Evelyn a lunch once again in a packed cafe and then on the bikes and to the meeting. Saturday night was crazy, there was a pink theme which some people took very seriously, only pictures do it justice . It was cold and wet But a bit of dancing heated us up.

Back to the tent at 3am ! We were up at 8 and took a while to pack the gear and an even longer while to say cheerio to everyone. A cold but dry run to Metz in France but it started to heat up, woo hoo

BBA

The raffle prize 

nightcap

lunch with friends

tasty Laverda

booking in tent 

Boony with his N15

madness for Saturday night, this girl works ASAP BMW bike mechanic

more crazy people, we have many photos which I could share but it could on forever

Switzerland and Italy

We decided to get up early and see how we would get on, no rain which was a bonus and it started to heat up which was excellent. Into Switzerland, the usual rip off 40 euros each for the vignette so you can use their roads, why don't we charge them in the UK?

Just as we passed the border there was roadworks chaos but eventually we got cleared, and then the snow covered Alps appeared, an impressive sight. We had to stop for fuel, expensive and a sandwich also expensive but we had only stopped for a pee and petrol all day so justified. Through the St Gottard tunnel and it was roasting, 38 degrees, our air cooled Guzzis complaining especially since we had filled up with E10, big mistake.

Glad to escape the tunnel and into Lugano, slow ride through the town as we hit it at teatime and all the Italians who work in Switzerland but live near lake Como were heading home. Finally the ferry from Mennagio to Varenna and then to the home of Moto Guzzi Mandello Del Lario, just under 500 miles but glad to get the tent up, a much needed shower and food. One thing was the amount of tourists, never seen so many here, mostly Americans, overtourism is here as well.

A well deserved day off Tuesday, a look at the factory which is being rebuilt and a visit to Agostinis the famous Guzzi dealer in Mandello to buy a couple of T shirts.

home to Moto Guzzi

the famous Gates desecrated in the Name.of progress

Agostinis

making.dinner 

the beach at Rimini ( Hotel stop )

beer on the beach

Wine holder !

Norton Rally , Albania and Macedonia 

We had a run down the autostrada to the Norton rally just North of Pescara, a very hot run, no point in using the small roads they are busy and you can't make progress. The Autostradas are expensive, 150 miles costs around 25 euros each!

We arrived eventually, some signs would have been good, also some organisation would have been good but it is Italy and the chaos is part of the charm. It took us 3 hours to check in despite having provided all our details months ago! Great to meet up with old friends and a nice party on the beach on Thursday. 

The site was in two parts, the bungalows on one part and the camping on the other , separated by a 300 metre path and a big fence which nobody told us was locked at 9pm, a small group of us poor people camping had to help each other over a 8 foot gate, very dangerous and totally unnecessary as we found out the next day you could get a key!!!!

Apart from that, a great weekend with a stunning beach nest to us plus 30 plus degrees weather.

Our Dutch friends

sign in ....

the London guys

beach party

poser

Hessels bike

Nice

this was ridden from Czech 

fiona enjoying a swim 

Monday we said our goodbyes and headed south in very hot weather to Bari to catch our ferry to Albania. More examples of classic Italian bad organisation by GNV and motorcycle riders being treated as a nuisance, one of the deckhands started shouting at me as I tried to park the bike because I didn't understand his hand gestures, he quickly ran away when I shouted back with some hand gestures of my own. A overnight crossing to Albania followed by a pleasant passport control and some laughs with the insurance guys (15 euros each for 15 days) wait a minute, suddenly we realised the people were organised and courteous, not expected at all. The roads were a bit potholes but no worse than the UK and the driving was controlled by speed limits which most people seem to stick to. A couple of stops at the plentiful cafes at the side of the roads was a good experience as well. 

Through the mountains to the Macedonian border where we had the usual grumpy Border guards and an expensive insurance (50 euros each for 15 days) it started to feel like we were travelling again, lots of papers and 2 border crossings in a day, we could have been back in Central America.

I booked into a nice hotel on the lake for a couple of days R&R and to figure out what's next

food stop

We had a run down the autostrada to the Norton rally just North of Pescara, a very hot run, no point in using the small roads they are busy and you can't make progress. The Autostradas are expensive, 150 miles costs around 25 euros each!

We arrived eventually, some signs would have been good, also some organisation would have been good but it is Italy and the chaos is part of the charm. It took us 3 hours to check in despite having provided all our details months ago! Great to meet up with old friends and a nice party on the beach on Thursday. 

The site was in two parts, the bungalows on one part and the camping on the other , separated by a 300 metre path and a big fence which nobody told us was locked at 9pm, a small group of us poor people camping had to help each other over a 8 foot gate, very dangerous and totally unnecessary as we found out the next day you could get a key!!!!

Apart from that, a great weekend with a stunning beach nest to us plus 30 plus degrees weather.

Monday we said our goodbyes and headed south in very hot weather to Bari to catch our ferry to Albania. More examples of classic Italian bad organisation by GNV and motorcycle riders being treated as a nuisance,  one of the deckhands started shouting at me as I tried to park the bike because I didn't understand his hand gestures,  he quickly ran away when I shouted back with some hand gestures of my own. A overnight crossing to Albania followed by a pleasant passport control and some laughs with the insurance guys (15 euros each for 15 days) wait a minute, suddenly we realised the people were organised and courteous, not expected at all. The roads were a bit potholes but no worse than the UK and the driving was controlled by speed limits which most people seem to stick to. A couple of stops at the plentiful cafes at the side of the roads was a good experience as well. 

Through the mountains to the Macedonian border where we had the usual grumpy Border guards and an expensive insurance (50 euros each for 15 days) it started to feel like we were travelling again, lots of papers and 2 border crossings in a day, we could have been back in Central America.

I booked into a nice hotel on the lake for a couple of days R&R and to figure out what's next

1st in the ferry queue

last on the boat !

ready for Albania 

First stop, nice place

2nd stop

Nice food 

just before Macedonia 

our digs, not too shabby

Keep on keeping on 

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