Moto ADV - Holland/Germany/Luxembourg. Day 4.

View Cologne - Koblenz - Karden in a larger map

After two days we departed Cologne. That's how long it took to get out of the city with my Garmin checked for the Avoidances of Highways and also Autobahns and set to Shortest Route (duh - dementia!!). Eventually we zig-zagged our way to the northeast side of the river and headed on the left bank of the Rhine in the general direction of Koblenz.

The day was sunny - to match my disposition - and we found a lovely place to park the motos and get a coffee.

This is definitely the life.

A hot chocolate with cream - and let's check the map!!

Soon it was time to set off again. The Sat-Nav is still in the wrong mode but somehow we made it to Koblenz.

A pretty street on the outskirts of Koblenz.

The back streets are very pleasant.

We are the Usual Suspects.

It was too early for lunch, but we had a quick ride into the city for a look-see. Somehow we ended up on the 'wrong' side of the Mosel River when leaving Koblenz - same problem, incorrect Sat-Nav settings. I should have just reverted to basics - DR (Dead Reckoning) - but we eventually sorted things out and headed for the first town on the river on the northwest-side. We followed the Mosel from that point.

As it happens this turned out quite well because we rolled into Karden and, just before dismissing the place as closed for stocktaking we persevered and found a lovely little hotel for a late snack and coffee.

A quaint little place.

The proprietor was very kind in agreeing to rustle up some cheese and ham toasties for us. I casually enquired as to the availability and cost of rooms for the night....

The answer was in the affirmative. Single rooms were available at €40 including breakfast. Wonderful. The general consensus was - Okay let's stay here for the night. We had no fixed plans anyway. We would press on to Trier tomorrow.

Bed - Good!

Hanging up place for moto gear - Good!

Room - Good!

In the evening, before dinner, we walked around Karden and had a beer in a local bar.

This was a most pleasant nightstop. After a very good night's sleep it was time to set off for Trier. We are now at Day 5.

Moto ADV - Holland/Germany/Luxembourg. Day 2/3.

View Maastricht - Cologne via Beek in a larger map

After a very good overnight stay in Maastricht we set off the next morning for Maastricht-Aachen Airport where the BMW Motorrad agency is located. I had decided to have my battery replaced. While the moto was in the shop we repaired to the charming nearby town of Beek for an early lunch in the sunshine.

We had just about finished our snack and were watching the world go by - mainly on those wonderful Dutch bicycles - when the waitress said, "The moto shop phoned. Your bike is ready."

We set off for Cologne. The weather is keeping fine.

We checked the map. We must be somewhere near Einrade.

Having just crossed into Germany we stopped for coffee and stickies at this Proxy place.

By the afternoon we rode into Cologne and checked into the hotel which also had secure parking underground opposite. Excellent. Well done JK and MF for booking this place.

We got a very friendly reception.

We discovered later that the hotel was very adjacent to the local (in WW11) Gestapo HQ which we visited. Chilling!!! The hotel was definitely the more comfortable.

 We enjoyed Cologne by night......

..... as you can see.

We also went to a jazz bar called Papa Joe's.

The musicians were good.

Dr AM looks happy enough.

To be continued on Day 3 ...........

Meanwhile, planning the route for the next foray into Europe: TBN

View Eurotunnel - Tigny Noyelle in a larger map. 
Click, Drag or use +/- to change the scale.

Eurotunnel exit to Bd de l'Europe. To roundabout 1st exit onto D304. To roundabout to 2nd exit onto D305. To roundabout 1st exit onto D127 to GUINES. Keep on D127 to HARDINGHEN. Keep on D127 to ALINCTHUN. D127 to D215 to WIERRE AU-BOIS and SAMER. D901 to Neuville-Sous- Montreuil. Keep on D901 to WAILLY BEAUCHAMP and NEMPONT-SAINT-FIRMIN. Then to Tigny Noyelle.

Moto ADV Holland/Germany/Luxembourg. Day 1.

Due to time constraints the SPAIN ADV has been postponed UFN. Instead we went by P & O to Europoort near Rotterdam. Our first destination was Maastricht. Here is the approximate route that we took....

Below is a rough guide to Day 1 (after getting to Holland of course):



View Europoort - Maastricht in a larger map


We parked the motos carefully on the car deck of the Pride of Rotterdam......

..... then, after a refreshing hot shower or three, repaired to the bar for a beer.

From L to R some of the usual suspects: Dr JK, Mr MF, Dr AM, Mr JM.

JM was responsible for the navigation. He made a complete b0££!k$ of it. Nevermind - it all worked out in the end and it made for some interesting roads and ferry crossings. Here is the first, of quite a few, ferry crossing of a canal:

The back roads of Holland are delightful and riding along the narrow roads on the dykes was an interesting experience. I made a mental note to return sometime and do some cycling in the Dutch countryside.

We had to stop frequently to check the map. As I said, the navigation was less than perfect.

Anyone know where we are? "Yep just by the Anker Brasserie."

We stopped for some fuel here. Cash only. Fair enough. It's a thumbs up from AM.

By mid-afternoon we pulled in here ......

...... because it looked attractive.

Early March sunshine. Middle of Holland.

We ordered some coffee and some cholesterol-free cakes.

Soon we set off again heading generally south for Maastricht.

By sunset we had checked in at the Novotel in Maastricht. They gave us quite a good deal.

Maastricht is a lovely city.

We discovered a good restaurant.

Maastricht is a place that I would like to visit again. 

ADV Spain 2014

View Santander-Seville-Valencia-Bilbao in a larger map Use Arrows and +/- or drag to optimise the map view.

This is a possible alternative moto adventure for the Derbyshire/Staffordshire/Yorkshire MotoMates 2014.

At time of writing 19 March 2014 this ride postponed until more time available.

ADV South Africa 2014

View ADVenture South Africa 2014 in a larger map - Drag or use arrows and +/- to optimise map.

Proposed route for a pencilled-in moto 'adventure' to South Africa by the Derbyshire/Yorkshire/Staffordshire MotoMates in the spring - September 2014:

Boksburg-Vryburg-Kathu-Upington-Grunau-Springbok-Calvinia-Carnarvon-Kimberley-Bloemfontein-Clarens-Ladysmith-Barberton-Boksburg.

Total: 4,000km (2,485miles)/60h
10 days riding. About 400km/6h per day.
Route/itinerary flexible.
Accommodation TBA.

Alternative Route:

View ADV South Africa 2014. Barberton, Phalaborwa, Thabazimbi, Gaborone, Rustenburg, Boksburg. in a larger map

This alternative route is about 2,000km (1,242miles) and about 20 hours riding:
Boksburg-Barberton-Nelspruit-Phalaborwa-Tzaneen-Thabazimbi-Gaborone-Rustenburg-Boksburg.

Here are a few photos to help you make up your mind:

Moto France (via Belgium) - Day 5.

View Tigny - Zeebrugge in a larger map

Final Day: MF met with M Raymond W to settle the final bill. First though there was the question of beverage consumption. The reconciliation is done by a system of bottle tops, ticks, honesty and empties. The number is then divided by 2 and again by .5. MF relies on his ability to keep calm in even the most stressful of situations. I think it is his inability to understand the seriousness of the situation. Luckily Euros were acceptable and he had lots of those. They are like shrapnel.  

 It looks bad I know. It does seem like a lot. But MF did the maths. He says, "There are only 10 types of people - those who understand binary and those who do not."

Here is the proof.

Final group photo. Mais attendez. Zere are some peeps missing. Merde.

(Photoshop JA & J-M.D s'il vous plait!)

It looks like M Raymond is still figuring out why the drinks bill was so little.

What say we get out of here before Raymond figures out MF's numbers.

But first a little reminder of what we will be missing ........

 Le pont.

La maison.

L'autre pont.

 Le canal.

 La grange.

Le fleuve.

Le soleil.

But we could procrastinate no longer.  We had to go. We stopped for some petrol, but when they saw us coming they switched off les pompes à essence in case we emptied their town of fuel.

Mon Dieu. Nous marchons avec les fumes.

Undaunted, we contacted the Resistance and got some fuel on Le marché noir. (I'll be glad when my French hobby phase is over.)

V1 rocket.

We pulled in for lunch at a quaint little place which was kindly built and donated to the French nation by the Germans. They bollixed up the grounds with possibly a tad too much concrete, but they made a splendid job of the restaurant. I had a cappuccino and a chocolate brownie.

Mr TG did a great job of taking us on 'wiggeley' roads from the V1 Rocket Restaurant (thank you Krauts) through the busy town of Saint-Omer via Bergues and Hondschoote to the medieval Belgian town of Veurne.  Here we were able to give an impressive display of formation parking - one of our fortés or fortès.

It has become a tradition to call in at Veurne and to grace this rather drab town with our Gothic motos. 

We had a sizeable lunch in Veurne in case there was no food on the P&O ferry. Then we made the last dash for the port at Zeebrugge.

Zeebrugge Ferry Port - What's to like?

The next day we docked at Hull. On the car deck our motos were in two lines high above the cars and caravans and motos with trailers (hello??). Next to my motorcycle was a gentleman on a Virago. I started chatting to him. He was very pleasant and it was apparent that he had a few miles on the clock. He was 86 years old. He was with his son and his granddaughter.  They had been camping! Wow. Years of moto fun ahead for all of us.

Finally - I can't think of a caption for this photo. Can you? Prize for the winner.

PS. Mr MS sent me this link which is not totally unrelated to our credo: WWII PR Spitfire

PPS. Mr NM will soon be producing his brilliant magazine so keep a lookout. 

Fin