Tuesday 27th July mileage1810 Sand Norway

Talked to bikers in the ferry lane at Hirtshals, they were doing a four day tour of central Norway. One of them recommended I include an additional road on my tour the E44 from Flekkfjord to Eglusund.  Talked to other pair of bikers in thwe line called Ron and Knut, one English the other Norwegian, I'll let you work out who was who !!  They were returning from an aborted tour of the Rhine valley in Germany. Ron was having problems with sciatica causing his leg to go to sleep. They both live and work in Stavanger and so invited me to ride up that way with them.  I agreed.   On the ferry to Kristiansand (Colourline cost euro 69) you have to secure your own bike ad so there were plenty of helpers to assist when I was having trouble with the ratchet straps.
Changed some pounds for Norwegian Kroner, you get about 10 to the £ and then slept fitfully till we landed at 04:15.  Followed Ron and Knut on the road to Stavanger, they had been very helpful explaining all about how motorbikes go free on tyoll roads, police attitude towards bikers, and the need to keep religiously to the speed limits.  If you are caught doing 10 Km/hr above the speed limit it is an euro 800 fine, if you are caught speeding at a school area it is a euro 3000 fine, and if you cannot pay they confiscate your vehicle and deport you.  Fairly draconian, but people do keep religously to the speed limits, especially the slow ones where there may be schools.  The speed limits are very low, open roads are 80Km/hr but as sson as you get into developed areas it drops to 69km/hr or even 50km/hr.  Nice speed for travelling on a bike though, not too much wind noise etc.  Cold morning so had heated grips on and it was warmer in the tunnels than outside.  Parrted from Ron and Knut at Flekkfjord and went on the coastal road.  The views are really spectacular, to say they take your breath away is an understatement. 

Arrived at a rest area /viewing point at Jossinfjord and read the plaque that commemerated an incident in 1939 when the British attacked a German tanker called the Altmark which was carrying british prisoners of war captured by the germans during naval operations.

 The Norwegian support for this attack (they were neutral at the time) is commemerated by the term jossing in Norway which means to stand up against aggression.   I keep stopping to take photos and then around the next bend there is an even more magnificent scene. 

Decided to cook tonight so bought pasta, tomatoes, pasta sauce, onion  etc. Stopped at a place near Sand and pitched next to a Swiss couple.  Got out my trusty Leatherman to chop up onion, and found out that it is very sharp as I took a sliver off the end of my thumb.   went to bed early as tired from lack of sleep last night and slept through till 8:00am.  In morning weather was awful, clouds hanging in the conifer tyrees at the sides of the valley.  So wated for break in weather and broke camp and off again.

TOR

Monday 26th July mileage 1550 Hirtshals northern Denmark

Weather fine all day.

Decided to get on and make my way to the ferry for Norway.  Took it easy all day. The Danes are more speed concious than the Germans, and behave the laws.  Eventually arrived at the ferry terminal at 15:30 and was told that I had just missed the ferry by 15 mins and would have to wait for the next ferry at 01:15.  so I have returned here to Aalborg and found an internet cafe.  looks like I will not get any sleep tonight, so should only do a small mileage tomorrow before camping up and resting.  Looking forward to the roads amongst the Fiords and off the motorways.

Need to go now so will edit this post later.

TOR

Sunday 25th July mileage 1155 Bad Bramstedt Germany

Weather hot all day.

Got up at 08:00 broke camp and ready to leave by 9:00 after cup of coffeee and croissant in the camp cafe.
set tom tom for Esjberg in Denmark.  Lovely day no worries.

Missed a photo opportunity yesterday when getting near Leeuwarden, there was an aquaduct across the top of the motorway, and as I approached there was a large boat crossoing with about 100 regailing passengers on the top deck well drunk and waving arms.  It reminded me of the Suez Canal when you see a large bost it looks like it is sailing across land.  Told myself to stop and take the photo because you miss the opportunity. This morning stopped and took photo of large scupture in the centre section of the motorway. It was like a huge atomic lattice/compound.

On autobahn, shit those Germans really do want to drive fast, taking a lot of care with manouevering betwen lanes.  The biggest problem comes at intersections as people leave and join the autobahn they are jumping between lanes to try and gain a place.  I looked in my mirrors and there was just a red car some 300 yds back, so I indicated to move out and just befor moving did the check over my left shoulder and there was a porche right there beside me.  I can only assume he came in from the intersection and went straight into the outside lane behind me.  You really do have to check every time !!!!

Stopped for petrol (benzin) outside Bremen and had a snack ( cheese sandwich, yoghurt desert) tea made with sterilised milk yuk!

Hit big traffic jam between Bremen and Hamburg spend about 3 hours crawling along smiling at German children in the back of cars.  Proud of myself that I resisted travelling between the lanes of traffic !!!!
Eventually arrived at Hamburg, passed the docks and through the Elbtunnel.  After short time realised I am tired and came off autobahn to look for a camp site, and hence arrived at Bad Bramstedt.
again 11 euro a night, but with unlimmitted use of shower.  Showered, and washed clothes.  Went into town looking for internet cafe, no luck.
Italian restaurant called "La Mammina" and had salad, spaghetti bolangaise and beer.  The owner is the splitting image of the fat man in the "go compare" advert.

 Back to campsite and to bed tired again.

The thermarest works really well and is very comfortable.

Will post photos later when I have the camera cable !!!

TOR

Saturday 24th July Mileage 883 Leeuwarden northern Holland

Weather fine all day.

Set off from Veurne about 9:30 after a good continental breakfast at "de Loft"  Both my cards returned canceeled when I tried to pay hotel bill !   Set Tom Tom for Amsterdam, after about an hour stopped for petrol and credit card again refused at auto payment type pump.  Called Halifax they said they have not rejected any payments, problem is with the retailer.  Went into the shop/casier and was pleased to see a line of complaining customers all whose cards had been refused.  Woman very frustrated doing all the payments manually.Decided not to stop in Amsterdam and make progess on towards Norway  reset tomtom for Leeuwarden, and tried to get it to send me via the Zweiderzie ( big dyke/roadway) connecting to northern Holland.  anyway learnt that I have not yet mastered the tomtom travel via command and ended up going up the west road and therefore unfortunately didn't do the Zweiderzie.

Arrived Leeuwarden and followed signs for camping, which seemed to follw signs for the zoo ( bit worried I may be pitching tent ion with the chimps !!).

Nice place, bar restaurant, shower ( for exactly five minutes on electronic timer)  is 0.6 euro extra  at 11 euro this is more affordable on a long term basis.

Pitched, showered and went for dinner.  It was bingo night and so eat outside.  Place packed, 58 women, 15 men.  Chicken and chips and beer very good.   There is a break half way through the bingo and he place clears when everyone goes outside for a smoke.  Been bitten by midges whilst outside eating my dinner.

Off to bed happy.

TOR

Friday 23rd July Milage 590 miles Veurne Belgium

A good day after yesterday.  Made phone calls to Suzuki dealers between Lewis and Dover to try and locate a new offside pannier, no luck, they say they have to order them from Germany, (perhaps I should pick one up on the way !!), so thought I would just try a few random motorcycle shops around Lewis.  The first I called was P&H Motorcycles in Crawley and spoke to a chap called Ron in their spares dept.  He said they would never take a pannier off a showroom model, it's too much hassle, however he said he would go and look in the stockroom.  He came back a minute late and said he thinks he has a pair that was left over from some sale that went wrong, but is not sure if they will fit.  Forty minutes later I am trying on the pannier and it fits fine.  Ron looks in the spare decls box and finds a silver decal.  These are needed to block up the holes.  Unfortunately you cannot buy seperate panniers, they always come and travel in pairs !!.  I called the insurance company and told them I had located a replacement pannier, and they said go ahead and keep the receipt and they will reimburse later. So I bought two panniers £250 and Ron is posting the spare nearside pannier back to Bingley.  Result  !!    So now I have one Orange pannier and one Silver pannier, so perhaps I should change my name from The Orange Rider  (TOR) to The Orange and Silver Rider (TOSR)  which if you pronounce sounds like "tosser"  which is fitting because that is exactly what I felt like standing in the fast lane of the M25 yesterday.   And many thanks to Ron at P&H Motorcycles  in Crawley.

On to Dover and starting the journet at last.  Went to P&O and asked the price for one way ticket to Calais  £77, went to DLL lines £44,  went to SeaFrance £35 so SeaFrance got my business, and they were the first ferry top leave.  Woman at P&O couldn't give a s**t when I went back and complained about their prices !!

Met a group of 7 bikers from Cheltenham Motorcycle Club in the ferry boarding lane.  They were on a 10 day touring holiday to Mosel valley in Germany, avec wives and with hotel rooms all booked.  They couldn't believe I was going clockwise right around Europe on my own.  Later when I got to know them better I told them about the M25 incident.  It sound funny when told afterwrds, and they were falling about with the image of me picking up all my belongings amidst the traffic.

Off ferry and along the coast towards Dunkerque and into Belgium.  Tired by 18:00 and stopped in small town called Veurne.  Found a hotel called "de Loft" too expensive, but tired so 69 euro accepted.  walked around town, and couplke of drinks in a bar, chicken kebab takeaway, more beer and back to room to watch football match.

Have photos, but forgot camera cable today so will post them later.

TOR

22nd July mileage 400 miles Lewis Sussex

Left Jack's at about 1:00pm and set off for Watford to spend time with Joanna, Emma, Glen and the grandchildren in a park with paddling pools and play areas etc.  Weather when in London was thundestorms so waited for these to move over and then the weather improved and we had a lovely time in the sunshine playing with the kids.

Arranged to go and see Kalina in Brighton before moving on to Lewis to spend the night with Jan and John.  I hit the rush hour on the M25 and we crawled along interspersed with periods oh speedy progress.  I watched the motorcyclists wizzing along between the lanes of slow moving traffic and thought this is the life, I can do that.  All progressed well untill a VW Sharron Taxi pulled up very sharply and in so doing veered slightly to the left.  I braked hard, but had to swerve to avoid him, unfortunately my off side pannier clipped his bumper and the panneir shattered, and all my belongings were sprayed along the fast lane of the M25.  The traffic was not going fast and the taxi pulled up in the outside lane, so I stopped in front of him.  Then as the traffic weaved around the taxi I proceeded to pick up camping stove, two pairs of shoes, locks, plates, cups and what seemed a mass of other miscellaneous yet important items I had carefully packed.
You can imagine how furious I was with myself.  Anyway we exchanged details quite amicably, nobody was hurt just his bumper dinted and me minus one pannier.  The taxi driver was taking people to Gatwick and was wanting to get going, and so only now realising that it was a mistake I said he could go.  At this point I had to pack three panniers of goods into two panniers whilst parked in the small strip of land to the right of the fast lane on the M25.  Of course when the taxi was there all the traffic was going around him very slowly, but once he had gone, the cars started to pick up speed and whizz past me.  !!!   Not a comfortable position.  I cut off the damaged lid of the pannier that was still attached by some sort of high tensile umbilicle cord.  First use of the Leatherman that I had purchased as a retirement gift at Harry Varleys Outdoor World just yesterday.
Anyway it's amazing what you can pack when you need to and with everything seeming secure I was ready to get out of the fast lane.  Now here's an issue, with the bike all kitted up the only way I can get on is from the near side, so I have to wait for a gap in the traffic just to get my leg over (so to speak).  It came and now I eventually get the bike started and wait for another gap, and zoom I'm away and somewhat flustered but grateful to start to put this all behind me.  Before you all start trying to figure out who's fault it was let me tell you it was mine.  It was the first lesson in not being a d******d and I have learnt it well !!!.

Got off the M25, notified the insurance company, no problems yet anyway.  Told Kalina I won't be calling tonight, and made my way to Jan and John's.  What a strat for the first day !! Surely it can only improve !!!


Sorry no photo of the M25 incident, somehow I didn't have the forethought to take a picture of all my belongings being scattered and the traffic swerving around my stove.  The Colemen stove by the way stayed in it's plastic box and has dufferred no harm

TOR

Wednesday 21st July

21/7/2010

Milage 300 miles to Milton Keynes

Well I actually set off at last on Wednesday 21st July.
Because of packing problems I didn't get to leave Bingley until 14:00hrs, and then had to go to Clitheroe to pickup a Leatherman from Ken Varey's Outdoor Store which was a retirement gift from colleagues at JM.

Next step of the journey was to stop at Emma and Rob's in Milton Keynes before traveling on to London.

The weather was pretty good on the journey with only two significant showers, but the new Hein Gericke suit proved a match for the rain and I eventually arrived safe and dry.

Tomorrow plan to play golf with brother in law, then on to stay with friends in Brighton.

Best wishes to all

The Orange Rider  (TOR)    aka Geoff

Just a few days to go...... getting nervous

Just a couple of days to go before I set off and after a weekend of camping up at St Andrews with old school friends I learnt a few things about my proposed camping gear.  Must get out and find a new Thermarest......

Still need a map that will fit inside the plastic pocket of my tank bag, but since my eyes are so bad without reading glasses it probably doesn't matter that much that I have a map visible all the time.  I have managed to update my tomtom to get the correct European coverage.

Went out on the bike on Wednesday and got wet when I was caught in a downpour.  I think I need to spend some of the tokens kindly recently donated to buy a new waterproof motorcycle jacket.

All my plans of what to take could change when I do a trial packing of the bikes panniers and box tomorrow.