16th Sept Mon
Several days to go yet before I catch a ferry from Portsmouth to Caen. First trip to Europe for my comparatively new BMW F800 GS.
Thurs 19th Sept
Various ends to tie at home and then it was off. Weather cloudy but dry and should improve as I head down to Portsmouth. Having all day I decided to call on Oliver my nephew who lives in Merton , London. Going round London till the M4 and then in , I thought I would be avoiding most of the 20mph zones which drive me insane droning along in second gear on the bike. But it was awful . ! Next time I come to London it has to be train and bicycle! Anyway I reached Oliver and we had a nice chat over a cup of tea sitting outside in the sunshine.
Then it was onwards to Sam who was working from home this day. Nice catching up with the whole family and all their animals….goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, guinea pigs, dogs and fish! I even got fed before leaving in the dark to reach Portsmouth by 9pm for the 11pm departure. In the event the boat arriving was late so we loaded late and left late. Quite a lot of motorbikes and also a mass of bicycles. Head to cabin and make a cup of tea. Long day to be followed by another long day.
Friday 20th Sept
515 kms to cover but it was an early start at 7am ( or 6am english time). It was dark but weather dry and at first not too cold. Did various loops round Caen before getting on my road to Laval. Lovely looking mist patches floating over the small valleys but the temperature dropped and hit 9c at one point. It had to warm up! Large sun slowly rose as the dawn arrived. Quite flat countryside for a while, plenty of huge harvested fields but slowly maize crops and sunflowers appear. Temperature slowly warmed up. I bought picnic food and later found a brilliant picnic spot on a side road where it was sunny. I had a quick shut eye as I was a touch tired !!.
On and on but reached Greg on the Ile d’Oleron by 4.15pm. Good to see him and Maud. Later I am taken to see the high tide down at the port. It was high and many of the little wooden shops would have had their ground floors flooded. But they were used to it and ready. Very high tide in Norfolk too…highest of the year.
These little wooden sheds at Le Chateau, Ile d’Oleron, are tourist shops. They are used to the high..high tide and move their stuff out of reach of the water !
Sat 21st Sept
Today I am headed to the house belonging to Jo Diamond who has organised this week. I will meet other guests etc. I have about 300 kms to do and Google maps says 4.5 hours. Weather not playing ball and it is vaguely raining. Warmish…17c.. but dress up in waterproofs and head off about 10am. Rain does stop after awhile. Good roads…scenic countryside. Vines everywhere near Cognac. Plenty of sunflowers and maize growing too. In the woods the hunters were out and about after boar I guess. Managed a picnic again but no sunshine. One hour to go while I was filling up with petrol I was spotted by another english motorcyclist . He was heading to the same spot so he decided to follow me!! Just in the last 10 mins it started to rain again. Arrived at 4.45pm in Miramont de Quercy.
I am staying in an old farmhouse. Own room, share bathroom. We are 8 guests…2 couples,two single ladies and two single men. One lady riding as pillion. We thus all meet and have a good supper while Jo explains what will be for some of the week!
Sun 22nd Sept
Breakfast at 8am and off at 9am. Essentially we wander on the bikes around the area doing 150 miles. It rains as we leave for the next 2 hours, at times heavy. We stop before the rain stops and some of us plod up to the citadel in this town… Penne d’ Agenais . By the time we come down and join the rest the rain stops and for the rest of the day it is grey and but dry!. Long lunch in Issigeac. Back to Headquarters at Jo’s. We had done a huge circle. 145 miles
Wet !
Mon 23rd Sept
Early breakfast at 7pm to be off by 8am. It is gently raining and very misty and murky. We are headed to the Gorge de Tarn…eastwards… The rain is travelling with us apparently. We are 7 bikes…3 bmw’s, one motoguzzi, one Tenerere , one Harley and one kind of Harley/ custom bike. This latter belongs to “Ratty”. We parked on a bridge over the River Lot to admire the river. During the stop some alarm sounded on Ratty’s bike and then the bike refused to start. So sadly he and bike were left behind waiting for the breakdown truck. The lady on the Harley also stayed as she spoke French. On go 5 bikes.
Its a long day of 215 miles. Many bends!! The decision is made to out run the rain and miss a few picturesque small roads. This means we reach the Tarn before the rain and where it was dry and sort of sunny. Jo leads us to the Sublime Point where we launch drones and take photos. Thereafter it is bends all the way up the gorge. It is very pretty and the dry road makes for good motorbiking. Very little traffic too… We finally stop for the night in Florac. Delicious meal…
Tarn Gorge from Sublime point.
We are waving at a drone !
Tues 24th Sept
Today we effectively head back to Jo’s House but not the way we came ! Guess what….its raining again . But not for too long and we enjoy a mainly sunny day. I had a feeling my front tyre was a bit soft. We had begun the day doing several tight hairpin bends up and up and I felt I could do better. But it was my front tyre as I discovered when we stopped. It was rather low and pumped it up.
Again all was very scenic. Followed the Tarn again plus other rivers, roads were gloriously traffic free. The Tarn river was very peaceful… We are 5 bikes as Ratty and Cathy are back at base with his bike. We are pretty equal as we occasionally change places on the road. I was at the back mostly. …out of choice. Two are pretty busy on the brakes and one I call Mr Brakes. Engine braking is best..smoother and safer but requires much gear changing..some are too lazy. We did many bends again and universally were pretty tired by the time we reached home at 7 pm. Ratty and Cathy were there. Ratty’s bike is fixed…it was wet electrics.
Wed 25th Sept
This is a day off the bikes. Small lie in…then an hour after breakfast we are off in a taxi to a local village……? It has a keep tower which we climb up to but it is shut. I then head off to buy chain oil from a bike shop I spotted. My can has decided not to squirt/work. Chain needs oil. The day is dry…,!..and we eat outside for lunch. Back at the house I check my bike out. Tyre has not gone down and I oil the chain. Then a massage lady comes and I have a massage. Pleasant I suppose!! I am not really in to massages…
It sounds like tomorrow is going to be pretty wet again.
Thurs 26th Sept
Indeed, it is pouring with rain. We have discussions at breakfast…some are not keen to do anything! In the end it is decided that some of us will go by car to see the Chateau des Millandes which once was owned by a famous black singer/dancer called Josephine Baker. She is also famous for adopting 12 children. We leave at 11am…4 of us with Jo driving. It is still raining heavily…Good decision. We wander around the chateau and have lunch in the cafe. It rains all day and we can but hope for tomorrow. We think rain in the morning…
Some very french views….
Fri 27th Sept
It is raining again…but not seriously. We are encouraged… Camilla, Jo’s wife, comes with us today. Cathy and Ratty do not. They are the ones on Harleys and Ratty is worried his electrics will fail in the wet again. I am told to be at the back behind Camilla. I suggest Mr Brakes goes directly behind Jo as he might thus keep up. Camilla is on an Indian bike. It looks a bit like a bare Harley and with some after market exhausts made the most stupendous noise! Off she roared with me following.
The crops in the fields look sad. Both sunflowers and sorghum are needing to be harvested but due to the rain this week nothing was happening. They have also started the grape harvest and not much going on there either. The sun does appear at times and it rains lightly at times. We head to Beynac etc Cazenac for coffee/tea stop. Lovely Château overlooking the Dordogne River. On we go to Monpazier for lunch. This has lovely old buildings on a square. Fortified town with much town wall still intact. I have a huge duck salad which was more than I usually have for lunch. We launch the drone to take a quick photo of the square. Shop in hat shop…Jo buys 2 hats. I shop in fossil shop for little ammonites for grandchildren..
Lovely Monpazier with its interesting shops.
Then it is one more teashop in another town , Monflanquin, with a medieval square. There I manage to drop my bike doing a u turn but failing on some gravel. Camilla then also does a similar thing! Hopeless girls! We pass another couple of chateaux including Biron. Back home to our last nights meal together as it is departure time tomorrow. Much praising by Jo of our group…the best he has had and us of his hospitality etc.
Sat 28th Sept
I set off at 10am. Its obvious that they want us all to leave not too late. They all wave me off….I will hopefully encourage the others. Some are taking more holiday days. I think it was only me motorbiking straight back. Ratty and Cathy were flying from Toulouse. Their bikes going back in a van with Jo’s and Camilla’s. Cathy lives in Loddon, Norfolk and Jo and Camilla also in Norfolk at Burgh Apton. Ratty in Tooting Beck, London.
here we all are and the sun shines !
Total distance to Caen was about 700 miles. So today I try and take a direct route on small roads. I find some lovely ones. Vines dot the hill sides and Sorghum gives way to maize. Still have some sad, black, ready to harvest sunflowers. It is not raining and was sunny but clouds build up and I feel I must get my picnic in while there is still sun. Food has been bought along with olive oil and salami for home. I book an hotel on booking . com in Poitiers. It rains on me for 5 mins before I reach there! It has been remarkably cold all day..from 13c to max at 16c.
Hotel is not what I wanted but does. It turns out to be one of those modern formula 1 types. But it does the job and I get a takeaway from round the corner from an Asian spot.
Sun 29th Sept
Not raining but threatens…off I go at 10.30am. No rush as I have till 10.30pm tonight to reach Caen. By choosing Google’s slowest way I find some lovely empty roads. The only damper on the day is the cold and lack of sun . It is 12c and only rises to 14c as I reach Caen. I picnic and have to move on as it starts to drip rain. I just manage to avoid putting on waterproofs.
Wasting time I head into Alencon and find an open cafe. Long cup of tea in a busy cafe. Then on to Caen where in the centre I have a small glass of wine. Then on to the port…Ouistreham. I know there is a cafe there and restaurant. I eat a good meal there . Lots of Brits about to catch the ferry. On to the port at about 9.30pm. There I find a massive bunch of Harleys…32 of them in one group ! Four bmws and me..They make noise as we finally load. They loaded us last which was not good. The weather is cold, very windy and again it nearly rained. On the ferry coming out we were loaded first…
Mon 30th Sept
The weather is expected to be raining and no warmer as I get woken at 6.15am. Set off and it is miserable. Motorway spray, jams on the A3 particularly. 4 hours to get home..all in the rain. Only stop for petrol..