DANNY'S EUROPEAN ROAD TRIP
It seemed like a good idea at the time 1800 miles in 10 days on a scooter (well it’s a GTV 250 but it says Vespa on the front) with a few mates, we had a few line up changes due to unforeseen police action regarding crop cultivation but that’s an entirely different story and not mine to tell. So the final line up was Me (Danny Gemini sc) Rick Marshall riding a Vespa GTS 300, Andy (Muddy) Mudd riding a Honda VFR400 and last but certainly not least everyones favourite builder back from Oz for a limited time only, one Duane (Bradford St George) Colley, hanging grimly to the handlebars of his ¼ ton 1420cc Harley Davidson Fatboy, which prior to this trip he had only ridden for 20 miles (in 1 mile stints never leaving 1st gear)
The route –
15.5.09 – Leeds to Hull 68 miles
16.5.09 – Europoort to Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) 433 miles (ouch)
17.5.09 – Freiburg to Desenzano del Garda (Italy) 321 miles
18.5.09 –
19.5.09 – two days spent bumming around Lake Garda
20.5.09 – Desenzano to Bregenz (Austria) 261 miles
21.5.09 - Bregenz to Bad Herrenalb (Germany) 178 miles
22.5.09 Bad Herrenalb to Bastogne (Belgium) 231 miles
23.5.09 Bastogne – Ypres – Oostende 223 miles
24.5.09 Oostende – Diksmuide –Zeebrugge 88 miles
25.5.09 Hull to Leeds 68 miles
The route –
15.5.09 – Leeds to Hull 68 miles
16.5.09 – Europoort to Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) 433 miles (ouch)
17.5.09 – Freiburg to Desenzano del Garda (Italy) 321 miles
18.5.09 –
19.5.09 – two days spent bumming around Lake Garda
20.5.09 – Desenzano to Bregenz (Austria) 261 miles
21.5.09 - Bregenz to Bad Herrenalb (Germany) 178 miles
22.5.09 Bad Herrenalb to Bastogne (Belgium) 231 miles
23.5.09 Bastogne – Ypres – Oostende 223 miles
24.5.09 Oostende – Diksmuide –Zeebrugge 88 miles
25.5.09 Hull to Leeds 68 miles
We set off from Leeds in the pissing rain, by the time we had got to Hull we were soaked, but soon cheered up when we boarded the ferry and hit the bar. Next day was the ‘Big Grueller’ 433 bum numbing miles till we hit our first hotel. As we stopped to refuel (5 times) we lingered longer and longer reluctant to carry on, this was all forgotten as soon as we were sinking ice cold lager and stuffing our faces with steak and chips in the hotels beer garden under a cloudless sky. We discovered that Duane is the most unprepared human being on the planet, he had turned up for this trip in borrowed leather pants, a borrowed full face helmet (he doesn’t own one!) and borrowed original Harley Davidson Genuine Leather saddle bags, which turned out to look good on the bike but were in fact of no real use, as they don’t actually carry much. Those of you who do know Duane will know he spent much time cajoling us into caarying stuff for him. I had a brilliant system for travelling light, I’d gone to Matalan, bought cheap T shirts , socks and skidders, and each night binned the worn items, so my bag got lighter each day and stooped it from smelling of mucky washing. Next day we were up early, into breakfast where we nicked food for the day ahead (this saved us lots of dosh ), we then loaded the bikes and headed off into Switzerland, through the San Gotthard road tunnel ( at 10.5 miles, currently the longest road tunnel in the world) and out the other side down into Italy and onto Lake Garda – here my missus and Ricks girlfriend flew out to meet us for a couple of days. We did the touristy thing visiting lakeside towns and even heading off on the train to Verona for a peek at the Roman Arena there.
On the Wednesday it was time to start heading home, so we said ‘bye’ to the lasses and headed up the San Bernadino Pass towards Austria and Lake Constance. We arrived in Bregenz in good time and took advantage of the many bars dotted along the lakeside.
The next day we headed into the Black Forest in Germany and stopped in a picturesque town called Bad Herrenalb. It was here we encountered a bit of animosity towards us as English – it was a strange place anyway (you could hear duelling banjo music, I swear)
It was also the only time on our trip it rained since leaving Blighty and three of us got Gatso’d ( the krauts don’t paint their speed cameras yellow or warn you with well placed signs) anyway I’m still waiting for the ticket to come through.
The next day we headed into the Black Forest in Germany and stopped in a picturesque town called Bad Herrenalb. It was here we encountered a bit of animosity towards us as English – it was a strange place anyway (you could hear duelling banjo music, I swear)
It was also the only time on our trip it rained since leaving Blighty and three of us got Gatso’d ( the krauts don’t paint their speed cameras yellow or warn you with well placed signs) anyway I’m still waiting for the ticket to come through.
Onto Bastogne, which is a town a bit like Otley (but without the fighting) in the Ardennes in Belgium. Bastogne was the centre of the Battle of the Bulge in WWII, where the yanks were surrounded for a couple of weeks by crack SS troops, needless to say the townspeople have a lot of time for the Americans and there is a monument dedicated to the fallen in the shape of a five pointed star and also a museum with lots of artifacts from both sides, in the town square theres a Sherman tank and lots of bars. Another thing about Belgian bars is there is no NO Smoking ban, which is strange cos you get used to being able to breath in English pubs, but in Belgium it was just like the old days, our eyes were stinging all night and our clothes stunk like dog-ends, quality – not.
So the trip was nearing its end and we headed for Oostende and met up with a raiding party of the Gemini, so we spent the next night bar hopping and catching up with the lads. Next day we all rode out to Diksmuide to look at the WWI memorial and museum there and then headed off to Zeebrugge and the ferry back to Hull.
It was in Zeebrugge we got one of the biggest laughs of the entire trip, the 30+ members of the Gemini were denied access to the ferry because of their ‘boisterous’ behaviour on their outbound sailing – so we sat in the bar all smug whilst they had to beg to be let on. Eventually the Captain agreed to board them, but they had to surrender their passports as a guarantee of their good behaviour – and honestly I know the Gemini’s reputation proceeds them but you have never seen so many well behaved little sailors, bless ‘em.
Next day it was back on English soil and a quick blast along the M62 and home.
So the trip was nearing its end and we headed for Oostende and met up with a raiding party of the Gemini, so we spent the next night bar hopping and catching up with the lads. Next day we all rode out to Diksmuide to look at the WWI memorial and museum there and then headed off to Zeebrugge and the ferry back to Hull.
It was in Zeebrugge we got one of the biggest laughs of the entire trip, the 30+ members of the Gemini were denied access to the ferry because of their ‘boisterous’ behaviour on their outbound sailing – so we sat in the bar all smug whilst they had to beg to be let on. Eventually the Captain agreed to board them, but they had to surrender their passports as a guarantee of their good behaviour – and honestly I know the Gemini’s reputation proceeds them but you have never seen so many well behaved little sailors, bless ‘em.
Next day it was back on English soil and a quick blast along the M62 and home.