European Tour 2003

France , Germany , Austria , Italy , Slovenia , Croatia , Austria , Hungary , Czech Republic , Germany , Belgium And France

 

Crew: Alan & Julia, Peter & Linda John & Me

 

 

Day 1 Wednesday the 4th of June

 

John and I leave Stroud at 10 a.m. heading for Dover we meet up with Peter and Linda at Membury services on the M4, I don't believe it they are only three minutes late.  We have a fairly uneventful ride from Membury to Dover in the wet, arriving at 1:30 p.m. and collect the tickets from the office Alan and Julia have already gone through check-in, and we meet them in the line. I notice my right boot is covered in oil, but the oil level seems okay and I think it looks worse than it is.The boat leaves Dover 40 minutes late it is due to arrive in France at 5.30pm local time.  So we will not be able to get as far, as we would have liked on the first night.  We discuss the route on the boat and decide to take the most direct route. We set off with a view to stopping in Arras, the weather is dry, nice and hot unfortunately all the hotels in Arras are full so we have to press on, eventually finding a formula 1 hotel in Cambria at about 8 p.m. we go into the room throw off the sweaty kit, shower and off to the Ibis for a meal which is excellent washed down with a huge beer, which comes in a two-handed glass, then retire to bed, shattered, out like a light lots of strange dreams.

 

Total Distance Covered 278 miles

 

Day 2, Thursday 5th of June

 

We all get up at 6am and pack the bikes, then have a Formula 1 breakfast, lovely! on the road by 7:00 a.m. raining slightly and we head for Charlville Mezieres, we stop just on the outskirts of the town at about 9:30 a.m. for a cup of coffee it is now raining persistently. As we head on towards Metz the weather seems to brighten and almost become sunny,  we stop at Briey for lunch at a café we have stopped at several times before, everybody gets out of the wet weather gear don't do it says I.  We have an excellent lunch but as we are finishing it the skies darken, we set off quickly but within 10 minutes the sky absolutely opens up within seconds my boots are full of water and we are all soaked to the skin.  Even if we had stopped straight away and put wets on we would still have got soaked I have never seen rain like it all we can do is press on.  Eventually the rain stops and it actually brightens up to a nice day and dry so after an hour we get reasonably dry (apart from a damp crotch) with the wind. Eventually we cross the border into Germany deciding that we will get somewhere to stop alongside Lake Constance .  We stop at Friedrichshafen at a very expensive hotel €50 a night each for me and John is more than we would normally pay is a pretty little town alongside the lake apparently the lake is bordered buy Germany Austria and Switzerland We have another nice meal & a couple of beers and then bed.

 

Total Distance Covered 680 miles

     

 

Day 3 Friday the 6th of June

 

Wake up early and go for a walk around the town after packing then walk up to the lakeside.  Peter has got up very early and is packed with his kit on the bike ready to go straight after breakfast.  We have a nice breakfast of cold meats bread and boiled eggs and when finished everybody packs there kit gets the bikes ready for the off Peter then decides he wants to unpack his kit off his bike and check out his scottoiler pissing everybody off.  Eventually having done that and got kitted up again he then wants to have a photo shoot by the lakeside.

We eventually get going much later than planned following the road along the lakeside towards Austria eventually into Austria then taking the Autoroute towards Innsbruck we stop on the AutoRoute to wait for Peter who has disappeared out of sight we eventually see him coming but then he pulls in on the side of the AutoRoute about 500 yards before where we are stopped God only knows why eventually he must see is waiting for him and then catches up, about 20 miles before Innsbruck we turn right taking the road up to the Timmoschock pass.  There are motorbikes everywhere Peter seems to have got himself in slow mode making no attempt to keep up.  We pull up into the next garage to fill up and give Pete instructions as to where we are intending to stay in Italy tonight as he cannot seem to keep up on the motorway let alone on twisty roads. We wind up a fantastic twisty road up the mountain to the border point near the top of the pass where we stop and have a beefburger and wait  for Peter, he eventually arrives about 30 minutes later just as we are finishing our beefburgers and about to leave.

  We set off leaving Peter and Linda to get something to eat the road rises slightly higher up into the snow line and over the top of the pass, the next section of the road is absolutely fantastic hairpin after hairpin winding down the mountain to a village at the bottom John and I have a fantastic ride down pulling into a layby at the bottom to look up and see where we have just come down !Wow!

We wait for Alan to catch us up apparently he is under orders from Julia to take it easy. we travel on through Italy to a hotel we have stayed at before called Gasthof Lahner in a lovely spot near Brunico, getting their at about 6.45 p.m. when we get there we realise that we have given Peter and Linda totally duff information so we keep trying him on his phone to let him know the right way unfortunately the signal is not very good and we only get him intermittently anyway we have a meal and a few beers and keep trying to contact him.  Peter eventually arrives at about 9:30 p.m. and the restaurant has closed but they have made  him and Linda a sandwich he's a bit pissed off about directions but it was two years ago when we stayed here before, anyway all is well that ends well, a few more beers then bed.

 

Total Distance Covered 980 miles

 

 

 

Day 4 Saturday the 7th of June

 

We have a leisurely breakfast at 8 am, then pack up the bike and away by 10 a.m. (a bit late) superb roads through Italy scenery fantastic like a typical Swiss meadow (in Italy).  We cross the border into Austria again more of the same nice roads nice scenery then stop for a coffee at 12 a.m, off again heading towards Slovenia . stopping for a light lunch just before the border.

On the road again crossing the border into Slovenia , the border guards seemed reasonably friendly not how you would expect them to be in these parts.  The road we are on follows a river down the valley which seems to wind on down for miles and miles. The road is fantastic scenery is beautiful through this wooded valley we seem to have been going down for 15 miles or so, the roads are all in good order and the country seems not as poor as you would expect.  The standard of driving by the Slovenians leaves a bit to be desired, lunatics come to mind, we travelled through Slovenia stopping at Mirabor and then only a few miles on till we get to the border with Croatia , the whole distance across Slovenia was only 50 miles.The border guard at Croatia not quite so smiley, but still okay, an even shorter dash across Croatia just before we get to the border is a brand new road leading up to the border crossing, three lane wide dual carriageway not a soul on it, much must give it a go a long here next minute I see 138 mph on the clock, better slow up for the border crossing.  Magyar border guards are not so smiley but still okay.Take the road towards Budapest which eventually brings up alongside Lake Balaton which we follow up to Soifok which is where we have accommodation for a week, the traffic into the town is very busy and we appear to have lost Peter again so we pull in to wait for him, engage in the usual bit of banter about keeping up which as usual falls on deaf ears.  We then set off again pulling out past Peter who was decided he can go to sleep on his motorbike and up the first junction we turn off at we realise that we have already lost Peter (I don't believe it) John and I stop to wait for Peter Alan carries on oblivious to the fact that we stopped Peter is nowhere in sight.  After five minutes I take off to catch up with Alan leaving is now in four groups, I cannot find Alan so return to John and tell him to forget Peter let's find Alan he knows where we are staying.  We don't even have an address for where we are staying, eventually we find Alan so we are now back to two groups Alan is asking directions for the timeshare and then just by good luck Peter & Linda appear.

After cruising around the town for about 30 minutes we eventually find the timeshare, then after another half hour trying to book in we eventually get into the apartments, (Alan and Julia in one apartment Peter, Linda, John and I in another) Peter does his usual and grabs the best bedroom while John and I are left with cushions of the settee. Throw the kit on the floor to get some clothes and shower and then to the restaurant to eat (superb goose liver) and a couple of beers before returning to the apartments to sort out sleeping arrangements.The first night's sleep is atrocious and the cushions are a far too hard and lumpy and the temperature is stiflingly hot.

 

Total Distance Covered 1333miles

 

  

Day 5 Sunday the 8th of June

 

John and I get up late have coffee Peter emerges from the bedroom at about 8.30 Linda doesn’t like getting up so Peter tells her it is 10.30 so she ought to get up when she gets up he tells her it is only 8.30 she is not pleased about it. We get a text from Alan “are you up yet”   Alan & Julia come round to ours we decide to walk into town and have a wander around looking for an exchange place, we eventually find one but it does not open till 11am. We find a cafe for coffee and discover that we can pay in euros, by this time the currency exchange place is open so we change some money and wander around the town stopping at a restaurant were we have breakfast/brunch pizza and salad after which walk around a bit more before returning to the resort and lounge around the swimming pool, swim sleep read swim sleep read.  We then go back to the apartment for a shower before an evening meal at the resort restaurant several beers later we go back to the apartment and bed.  Tonight I am going to sleep on the balcony as it was too hot in the room and sleep on blankets with a sheet over me, I will probably get severely bitten by mosquitoes.

 

 

Day 6 Monday the 9th of June

 

Up with the daylight everybody else gets up at 8:30 a.m. not a bad night's sleep really, not bitten, we go down to the supermarket to get some food in for the apartment, we follow the signs for the 24 hour Tesco only to find that it is not open yet eventually we find a Tempost supermarket to stock up with salad, salami, cheese bread and cervesa etc. Then go back to the apartment for breakfast.  After breakfast Alan, Julia, Peter and Linda decide are going to walk into town on a pub crawl, John and I say thanks but no thanks and we have a morning reading and sleeping, mid-afternoon we go down to the pool for a bit of swimming and sunbathing.  At 6 p.m. we go back to the apartment for a shower after which we try and ring Alan but no answer was the stern reply.  We wander into town checking the bars on the way bar number 2 there they are well oiled, we join them for a beer then wander into town to eat they all order Hungarian goulash, nobody believes me when I say it's soup until it appears on the table, excellent meal.  After the meal we wander back to the apartment hot and bothered so decide to have a late-night dip in the pool the water is still very warm, eventually we go back to the room and I write my notes up to date over a couple of beers.

 

 

Day 7 Tuesday the 10th of June

 

John and I have decided to go to Budapest today so we are up at 6:30 a.m. a quick breakfast and off at 7:15 a.m. we arrive in Budapest at 8:30 a.m. very quiet roads up until about 15K. outside of Budapest then madness, the Hungarian drivers lack lane discipline so you have to keep your wits about they just put their indicators on and come across without looking.  The one-way system takes you straight into the centre of Budapest where we look back across the river and see where we want to be.  We manage to get back across the river and up into the old city where we park the bikes and chain up all the kit onto them.  The old city is beautiful in spite of a modern Hilton Hotel smack in the middle of it lots of colourful tiled roofs, ornate spires lots of bronze statues of hunting scenes, Eagles etc cobbled streets abound.  Apparently the Mongols wiped out half the population of Budapest not sure what year so they then built lots of fortresses. We walk down to the river Danube cross on the bridge and walk up to the next bridge passing the Houses of Parliament, we stop for a lunch of cherries and a drink then cross back over on the next bridge, walking back down the other side and going back up to the old city via the funicular railway and back to the bikes, kit up ready for the ride back home.  Firstly we have to do battle with the one-way system we are on the right side of the river to be leaving Budapest but as soon as we hit the road it takes us back into the city we have about three attempts to get out, in the end we have to do a U-turn in the road to get facing the right way and make our escape.  There are lots of broken down Trabants on the side of the road we have 10 miles of busy road with lots of lane jumpers till we get a clear of the traffic and then a pleasant ride home.  We pull into a layby for a quick break only to find a casa there and they want 9 euros for motorway carnet which covers all the motorways in Hungary for 10 days.  Get back to the base and find all the others are asleep so we pop to the supermarket for some provisions for tea, salad, salami, cheese, crisps, bread and beer after tea we go down to the pool for a swim and a couple of beers then bed.

 

Total Distance Covered 1463mls

 

 

Day 8 Wednesday the 11th of June

 

Up at 7 a.m. Peter, Linda, Alan and Julia are going to Budapest on the train so I have a day checking out the oil spray that's coming out of the bike caused by a twisted gasket so take the cover off reseat the gasket and seal it the bike a bit of a clean up.  We then spend a lazy afternoon by the pool usual swim, read, sleep, swim, read, sleep.  Back to the room at 5 p.m. for a quick beer and down to the supermarket to get food for tea salad boiled potatoes and fish not sure what sort of fish, Eclairs for desert, more beer and wine.  After tea we go down to the pool for a swim and a couple more beers somebody tells us there is a bar underneath reception so after swimming check it out, pool table, hand football etc.  Alan and I beat Peter and Linda at pool then at hand football back to the apartment and bed.

 

 

Day 9 Thursday the12th of June

 

Up early at 6 a.m. read and fall asleep, use what we have in the fridge for breakfast just to clear up, we then ride into town for a wander around (so this is where all the nightclubs are) we find somewhere for a beer and goulash soup before returning to the resort for a swim and laze around the pool, Peter and Linda go back to the room, they want to be together.  When we all leave the pool Peter and Linda decide to come down to the pool, I think he just wants to be different.  Back to the room for a shower and a shave and to finish packing ready for the off in the morning.  We go out to a restaurant to eat with the exception of Peter and Linda who say they will catch us up, after the meal we go back to the apartment for an early night, ready for an early start in the morning.  Eventually get to sleep at about 1:30 a.m. and wake at 4 a.m.

 

 

Day 10 Friday the 13th of June

 

Up and ready at 5 a.m. even Peter and Linda and off we go to Vienna, we stop for breakfast and refuel just before the Austrian border and try to get rid of all the forint we have. We arrive in Vienna and find a hotel just outside the centre they have a car park at the rear which they give us directions for, we all drive around there except for Peter who manages to get lost he turns up five minutes later saying he's been driving round in circles trying to find the place.  We get into the rooms have a quick change and cleanup then out for a walkabout in Vienna fantastic architecture walk, walk, walk, walk stop for a coffee and snack walk, walk, walk we find a nice grassy spot in a park and have a snooze.  Alan and Julia Peter and Linda abandoned us while we are asleep John and I wake up and wander around some more eventually arriving back at the hotel at the same time as the others, shower and shave then out for beer and a meal in the hotel restaurant after which we wander around and find the park which has the huge Ferris wheel used in the Harry Lime film The Third Man.  Wander around some more before returning to the hotel for bed.  Peter is revolting about getting up early in the morning says we have plenty of time and we are on holiday.

 

Total Distance Covered 1630mls

 

 

Day 11 Saturday the 14th of June

 

 

Breakfast at 8 a.m. even Peter and Linda on the road by 9 a.m. heading to Prague except for John who is going to Regensburg to see a lady he met in Fiji five years ago.  Peter has got a different head on today he is overtaking at random and keeping up whatever, can't believe it at one point he overtakes all of us.  We stop for a drink just before crossing the Czech border then on into Prague we get into the centre looking for a hotel somebody approaches us giving us details of a hotel prices are reasonable and it's near the centre of the town and has a secure parking, so we go round there all they have is a twin room and a three bedded room so take that.  We shower and change then out for a quick beer after waiting for Peter and Linda, we need to get some cash and Peter is having a cash crisis and he has no way of getting any money so I withdraw 3000 crowns and lend Peter 1000 crowns.  We go down to the centre of town to eat, nice meal and a couple of beers wander around the town centre attractions, very busy lots of English rugby tours and stag nights we eventually head back to the hotel but the hotel bar is closed so we find a small bar just around the corner Peter and Linda are having a domestic so Peter goes to bed and Linda comes for a drink with us saying she is going to get a flight home tomorrow.  The bar is quite rough there is a guy in the corner crying as his boyfriend has just dumped him, we have a couple of beers then to bed will have to wait and see what happens to Peter and Linda tomorrow.

 

Total Distance Covered 1996 mls

 

 

Day 12 Sunday the 15th of June

 

We have a lay in waking naturally at 8 a.m. we have the whole day in Prague we go out for breakfast at about 8:30 a.m. leaving Peter and Linda to their own devices breakfast is a pizza slice and coffee in Tesco's.  We then walk down to the river and over the Charles Bridge and the up the hill to the castle at the top so many lovely old buildings fortunately the sun is only just starting to warm up there is a beautiful church and buildings at the top.  The whole place is swarming with people taking pictures we make our way back down and over the Charles Bridge which is now covered with street traders.  We stop for lunch venison goulash sounded nicer than it was, we then make our way back to the hotel via Wenceslas Square meeting up with Peter and Linda by the hotel, all is calm now, it sounds like they have been following us around Linda has had her purse stolen out of her back they had to spend hours searching for a police station to get an incident number.  We go back into the hotel shower and change before going out for a meal eat in a very old pub with a very butch waitress have a nice meal of rollmop and fish and chips and then wander back to the square and on to the hotel except we seem to be lost, an Irish guy asks us to where we are looking for and gives us directions, he works in Prague organising stag nights any way we eventually get back to hotel and bed.

 

 

Day 13 Monday the 16th of June

 

Back on the road again today away by 8 a.m. Peter cracks the wheel fairing on his bike by leaving the disc lock on.  The weather is very hot already, it takes us about half an hour to get out of Prague we stop for breakfast at about 9:30 a.m. at Plzen have one of the nicest scrambled eggs I have ever had.  We press on, on the motorway Peter is driving slower and slower because his fuel is getting low he would be better staying with us, we get to the services near Nurnberg and meet up with John, Peter arrives 10 minutes later. We have a coffee and snack a quick look the route and decide that if we are going to get to Nurburgring we will have to use motorway so we head towards Heilbronn then Worms we stop for coffee Peter is revolting again saying he's had enough its too far we tell him it's only 60 miles to go (its 150 miles really) so we push on heading for Koblenz and on to Nurburgring, we eventually get there and find a hotel just past the circuit its 9:00pm we settle in the rooms and then down to eat.  We have a slight change of plans for the morning as we will try to get a lap of the circuit in before we leave.  We have a couple of beers then bed.

 

Total Distance Covered 2456 mls

 

 

Day 14 Tuesday the 17th of June

 

Up early for a quick breakfast then down to the circuit to see about doing a lap unfortunately when we get there we find that the circuit is booked for a Porsche test day so we will not be able to go round, so beat a hasty retreat to the hotel to pack and head for somewhere near Calais for the last night and return ferry on Wednesday.  Pack the kit on a bike and get underway heading up to Belgium via Monschau and Eupen we then get on the motorway near Liege and follow that via Namur , Charleroi , Mons to Lille .  We find a cafe in Lille and have a coffee and horseburger after which we ride to the outskirts of Lille and find a Formula One hotel and book in.  Settle in the room, shower and shave etc then wander about the shops before finding somewhere to eat then bed.

 

Total Distance Covered 2705mls

 

 

Day 15 Wednesday the 18th of June

 

Up early in the morning for a wonderful Formula One breakfast and then blast up to Calais for the return ferry the usual run back home and M20, M25 cut through Bracknell M4 to Swindon A419 to Cirencester and Stroud Alan & Julia peal of north on the M25 to Leicester & Peter and Linda stay on the M4 to Bristol.

 

Total Distance Covered 2986mls