Eifel/Luxembourg 2023

[Bungleaio]

20 hours ago, smallfrowne said:

That rat bast*rd. Does that mean I should be prepping the 400. Hmmmm

Make sure you service the seat lock. It gets a lot more use than the manufacturer ever intended and I'd hate to see it fail.

[Gerontious]

3 hours ago, Bungleaio said:

Make sure you service the seat lock. It gets a lot more use than the manufacturer ever intended and I'd hate to see it fail.

apparently any problem can be fixed with nothing more than a margarine lid. Plus some fruity language due to abandonment and missing out on schnitzel.

 

omg it’s almost Tuesday and we cross on Sunday - too exciting for words. Been a while… last time I was there on my lonesome while paranoia ruled and Covid was rampaging. But… I managed to find a new castle in the next valley. Ham castle and not a slice of cheese to be seen.

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Gerontious

[Bungleaio]

Sunday is ages away. I cross tomorrow night!

[Gerontious]

6 hours ago, Bungleaio said:

Sunday is ages away. I cross tomorrow night!

 

You do realise that nobody is going to talk to you. FOR THE WHOLE WEEK!!

 

In other rather more important news. Got my euros today. probably more than I need but booze. BOOZE. coffee cake and more BOOZE.

Im down to just one unopened bottle of Asbach so I need to stock up as a matter of urgency.

And its normal for the duty free at the tunnel to have hard to find single malts on sale irresistible. (obviously)

Weather looks largely positive this far ahead. risk of showers on two of the days, so not a deal breaker. Though this might change.

 

 

The Luxembourg background is wet because its raining today. which is fine by me as Im not there (today)

 

Just one more shift. Thursday night.

[Pie man]

I'm hoping you guys will add some pictures on your travels of towns/places and of course local patisserie. 

[Bungleaio]

3 hours ago, Gerontious said:

 

You do realise that nobody is going to talk to you. FOR THE WHOLE WEEK!!

 

In other rather more important news. Got my euros today. probably more than I need but booze. BOOZE. coffee cake and more BOOZE.

Im down to just one unopened bottle of Asbach so I need to stock up as a matter of urgency.

And its normal for the duty free at the tunnel to have hard to find single malts on sale irresistible. (obviously)

Weather looks largely positive this far ahead. risk of showers on two of the days, so not a deal breaker. Though this might change.

 

 

The Luxembourg background is wet because its raining today. which is fine by me as Im not there (today)

 

Just one more shift. Thursday night.

Ha Im sure you'll at least say hello

 

Rather than booze I will be on the hunt for mayonnaise. I found some particularly nice stuff from Luxembourg last year so I will be nipping into a supermarket one day. I'll be getting some from the Netherlands and Belgium before we meet up and I'll get some from France on the way home. 

[bonio]

4 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Weather looks largely positive this far ahead. risk of showers on two of the days, so not a deal breaker. Though this might change.

 

 

Looks even better on wetter.de: warm, and dry

 

[Bungleaio]

It begins, @Stu can you do the honours with my photos again please or would you like me to hold off posting until I'm home?

 

 

[Stu]

@Bungleaio nah get them posted! We have @rennie @Bender and @Tiggie who need to keep themselves in a job

[billy sugger]

Jut use your phone/camera upside down

[Gerontious]

I prefer it like that. True adventure… kangaroos bouncing in the background - imagine!!

[bonio]

Sticky tyres, man. Like it.

[bonio]

Hey matey @Bungleaio, give us a few tips on how to keep a brick weave drive free of moss and weeds. Yours is a masterpiece in tidiness.

Done my last work of the week. Just got the garden to dig over before I set off.  

[Bender]

5 minutes ago, bonio said:

Hey matey @Bungleaio, give us a few tips on how to keep a brick weave drive free of moss and weeds. Yours is a masterpiece in tidiness.

Done my last work of the week. Just got the garden to dig over before I set off.  

The trick is to keep the drive upside down.

[Bungleaio]

11 minutes ago, bonio said:

Hey matey @Bungleaio, give us a few tips on how to keep a brick weave drive free of moss and weeds. Yours is a masterpiece in tidiness.

Done my last work of the week. Just got the garden to dig over before I set off.  

Regular raking and weed killer is the only way, we've tried special sand etc and it just grows back sadly. 

[Bungleaio]

The bike is strapped down but I don't really know what I'm doing so fingers crossed its still stood up in the morning. 

 

Time for a couple of beers.

 

[bonio]

Lucky the beer came the right way up. I'd have been unhappy with it sloshing out over my keyboard.

[Gerontious]

20 minutes ago, bonio said:

Lucky the beer came the right way up. I'd have been unhappy with it sloshing out over my keyboard.

 

I feel so lucky to be using the tunnel. gladly they do not sell Heineken on the train. snoddy is likely to fall to the floor and start foaming at the mouth due to the horror. 

Edited August 30, 2023 by Gerontious

[smallfrowne]

Nice work Bungers. 

 

Bonio I'm also set to go, apart from some garden work finishing off the soakaway. I've been told I started it in May. 

 

Needed some help to get it done:

 

Just need to find my passport and some money I think, then I'm sorted. 

[Gerontious]

New tyres tomorrow and oil the chain when I get back from that. do some packing and complete that on Saturday morning once the doggie has disappeared on his hols. I usually leave home about 2pm. first stop being Watford Gap for a leg stretch. then South Mimms. same again. Over the Dartford and on to Ashford. Call in at the Sainsbury to brim the tank - ready for Sunday. Then back over to the Hotel. Get set up. changed into normal clothes and wander round to the Beefeater and see who's there.

 

Ive not bothered to book a table this time. with there just being the 4 of us - it won't be a problem and we can always go somewhere else. (for a change)

 

Alarm set for 6am. pack the bike and ride it round to the Mcdonalds for coffee and a bite to eat.

 

And we need to be on our way to tunnel check-in at 8. so long as it all goes smoothly we should be riding off the train at 10:55 local lime.

 

Then the usual relaxed ride. two 40 mile legs. which will have us just inside Belgium. then 65 miles to our lunch stop at SPY. after that its just 18 miles  and we are off the motorway and onto the N4 dual carriageway south. 22 miles on the Dual carriageway and then.. at last onto normal roads. First stop the Northampton at La Roche-en-Ardennes. The N888. a lovely stretch of road. leading to the Tank.

 

 

After which it's all good. across Luxembourg and on to the Hotel.

 

Weather says sunshine and warm all the way. hoorah!!

[bonio]

I've got just 10 more lavender bushes to destroy, and a rose bush to plant before I can start the repointing. 

Could do with the loan of your little helper, mate. Will need a holiday by the time I finish today.

Edited August 31, 2023 by bonio
can't spell

[Bungleaio]

I really like the ferry option, its great to travel when asleep but I enjoy cruising so it suits me. If it was dover to calias then I'd chose the tunnel every time though. 

 

Weather today has been spot on and I'm currently sat on a sunny terrace of a self serve pub, they have 100 beers to chose from. There was some threatening clouds but I told them to do one and they did. 

 

Today's ride has been a random meandering 180km of sometimes straight but often sweepy bends on dykes. I'm still getting used to the new tiger, it had done less than 600 miles up until last weekend but I prefer it to the GS. 

 

 

 

[bonio]

oops. pressed the button before thinking: wrong order.

Edited August 31, 2023 by bonio

[smallfrowne]

1 hour ago, bonio said:

I've got just 10 more lavender bushes to destroy, and a rose bush to plant before I can start the repointing. 

Could do with the loan of your little helper, mate. Will need a holiday by the time I finish today.

He's working through my backlog at the minute, sorry. Bath grout next. And you've booked on to the wrong package if you wanted to relax. 

[Gerontious]

Goes without saying. Nights (like Lucille) have messed my mind up and I got my days wrong. At the dealership waiting to get tyres fitted and I’ve now been awake for over 20 hours. Which is quite stunning even by my bizarre standards. I even managed to arrive 10 minutes early.

 

 

fortunately… they have half decent coffee. Black with an extra double espresso.

 

 

to make matters worserer I’ve got to try and stay awake so I can swing back into day mode and sleep tonight. So I can sleep tomorrow night so 

 

dealership has a secret bike, shrouded in black cloth, that (apparently) nobody is allowed to see. It’s on the showroom floor with all the 23 models. I’m ever so curious.

 

 

 

Just had a wander round and looked at the demonstrators lined up. Oddly every single one if them (where it’s an option) is DCT. No manuals at all!! Weird.

 

Edited September 1, 2023 by Gerontious