50. Trip to England

It's very difficult to know where to start with this as so much happened over the miles that I did and I have so many photo's and even a wee bit of video to share. Total distance travelled was 4111.1 km or 2554.5 miles. I left early ish on Tuesday the 9th July with a full fuel tank and two 5 litre cans full one in each side pannier.

You can probably see that I have spent a lot of time cleaning and polishing "Tina" well that was a stupid thing to do as it turned out. so my first days route was up to Valencia then to Zaragoza up to Huesca over the Pyrenees to Pau where I was staying the first night a distance of around 400 miles, my stopping points for re-fuelling all come around the 210 mile mark 330-350 km. As I approached the mountains I noticed the sky getting darker and darker and it came down by the bucketful apparently the worse weather they have had in the region for decades, this is where I found out my weathertek suit wasn't waterproof and nor where my gortex boots. Some of the scenery was staggering though.

 I stayed in an Ibis budget hotel which was OK I had booked breakfast so I didn't need to stop off for food in the morning. I started loading the bike up and I wasn't impressed with the roll bag on top of the big bag of clothes that I took so I decided to ditch one of the petrol cans and put the roll bag in where the can had been this made things far more comfortable for me and of course easier to pack. Time to leave for #Belongamick, my socks were still a little damp my idea of hanging them over the lamp shades didn't work out but at least the sun had come out and it was dry. Today's trip was the shorted of the route of only 289 miles so no rush the route took me through the Landes de Gascogne National Park which is very pretty, then past Bordeaux and just north of Limoges I made landfall around 4:30 in the afternoon.

Mick and MJ have worked very hard to restore some buildings in the Hamlet of Les Brouilons to make a very comfortable place to stop for a visit and a base from which to explore this mostly undisturbed part of France. After breakfast it was time to leave for the channel tunnel a distance of 409 miles which took me up past LE Mans and Rouen and up the coast to Calais where I caught the first available train.

I arrived at my destination on time and had a great few days nut then i was time to pack up to come home again, The return leg was a little different as I was crossing  the channel on a ferry this time Newhaven to Dieppe overnight, the ferry left at 11 pm I got there in plenty of time and tried my best to get some sleep on the way over, only 271 miles back to BelongaMick where I ad booked a two day stay...time to recover a little bit. On the second day Mick took me a on little tour of the area which I have to admit is stunning..

Excuse crappy music this is due to YouTubes latest T&C's update

I could have happily spent a lot more time there but I had to make my way home next stop was back to the same hotel in Pau I got there in plenty of time had a decent nights sleep woke up to what looked like some more angry weather over the Pyrenees.

Thankfully by the time I left the hotel it had cleared up a bit and I did't encounter any more rain on the trip, once the mountains had been cleared I had to endure "The Boring Bit" this is the road from Huesca past Zaragazo down to Valencia 4 hours of trying to stay awake, yes it is that bad, the last bit to Gandia flashed by and before I knew it I was back home and I travelled 2554.5 miles and I was wrecked. The bike had averaged over 55 mpg but I have to do something about the saddle and my rain proof gear before I attempt my next adventure.

49. A visit from the Grandson and Step son...!

Nearly 8 months go by and the only person I have seen is my step daughter now I have two little rascals in the house, my grandson Joe and my step son Chris, both are here on holiday Joe for two weeks and Chris is also going to help out with the dogs while I am away in the UK. The first thing Lorni said when she saw Chris was...barbers LOL

 Before

After

It was really good to see Chris again and of course get some help with the dogs also Joe and Chris seem tog et along rather well which was the idea of having the both here at the same time, at this moment in time they have both been tot he beach a few times and the local pool as well as Joe being taken to Valencia with Lorni who is now home thank god. boy do I miss my wife.And Joe has been for a spin up in the mountains n the back of my bike after helped me pick it up form the floor....long story!

Spanish Simpson s Monopoly

Joe's tan coming along

At the pool

 Beach

Joe on a trip with Granddad

During some of this time Lorni has been back to the UK to see about her knee and the usual response was forthcoming, try another pain killing injection..yawn yawn, talk about trying to put something off, Oh well we will just have to get it done privately over here then sod the NHS.

Also I have been trying get everything ready for my trip back to the UK to race at Dragstalgia this has been a nightmare to plan as every time I sort something out another problem seems to arrive, I have got my pollution sticker for France, European breakdown cover and all my stop overs booked and crossings.The cover for my saddle turned up at the 11th hour this afternoon, I have loaded the bike up and topped the tank up ready for an early start in the morning.

Ready to go, yep I must be bloody mad to do this at my age but sod it why give in to age just rock it instead, I'm just a little bit sad that i wont be here to the end of Joe's visit but I'm sure Lorni will spoil him on his last few days, in the meantime an early night is called for before my 1300 mile trip starts tomorrow morning.