Saturday August 16, 2008
0715 and a Pit Bull Terrier woke me from my bad night's sleep...big slobbering tongue and sharp paws are not nice that early!
The final 4 miles to Harwich needed to be completed before 0945. At 0915, i arrived here.
The next plan was to catch the 0945 ferry to Shotley Gate to meet Grandad:
And then back to Shotley Gate for a beer:
And the 12:00 ferryback to harwich, the 12:20 bus to Lawford and then home.
Pictures here and here (thanks to Dave for some of these pics and lending me his camera).
Friday August 15, 2008
I never finished this ......due to this and this. So...after almost a year with my ankle almost better, i set of to complete the last 13 miles of the Essex way.
The starting location was Lawford - and after a cup of tea with family Joslin i set off at 17:22 heading for Manningtree:
The final 13 miles went from Manningtree, along the south shore of the river Stour through Ramey and finishing at Harwic. The sun was slowly dropping out of the sky as i set about entertaining myself taking photos.
I re-enacted the 'bale of straw' series:
Also, the 'climb and tree and look a bit gay:
I checked my eyes were there (last time):
This car caught my eye...i may buy it:
The plan was to stop in the Castle Inn in Ramsey for food and beers - about 9 miles.
The next 5 miles were truly wonderful. The Stour is beautiful, even with the tide out i found myself wanting to photograph everything - none of which really came out with such a small camera(and my lack of skill).
At the pub (2030), I was greated by a small welcoming party and the line 'we don't do food':
Andy 
, (big) Adam 
, Chris and Dave.
So, we piled out of the pub and to the back of the Audi for the left overs from Chris and Dave's day at the beach:
Pool was played and beers sunk:
I set off at 00:00 to a lovely spot to camp for the night.
Injury count - Zero.
Wild animal count - none.
Text messages - Lots...i would be well ahead!!!!!!!!
Notes: Andy only live about 1 mile away.
Salcombe 2008 (v2)
Another long weekend in Salcombe....Thursday - a slow ride in the beautiful evening to Whimple and a few beers at the Fountain Inn. The 'Care in the community Glass Collector' turned out to be just a very drunk landlord. Martin the Czech barman who was not happy with his wages and his drunk boss. Jeff and Karen - nice local couple who gave me the low down on Whimple. Most dissapointed i had missed this. 3 young girls (Rachel, Anne-Marie +1) who i believe had never left the village. Being a stranger, i was fresh meat to them...even i am more interesting compared to the drunk landlord!!
Slept at my local 'spot' as rain was very likely.
Friday - up at 0545 to catch the 0700 first ferry from Kingswear to Dartmouth and Alf's. The best cafe in England.
Ride into Salcome:
...meet family Mayhew and first stop is the sweet shop:
Saturday - The Red Arrows display day.....but it rained:
So...they flew past....over in seconds:
Very dissapointing.
Late night card playing:
(i won)
Sunday was a glorious day of hanging out with delightful company:
...then the most intense sailing experience ever...on a Salcombe Yawl. A totally uncontrolable mass of wood and bronze. We cracked the mast before the start, so we lashed it up and put a smaller sail up. Starting 5 minutes late we managed marks 1 an 7 (with only minor additional splintering of the mast). Returning to 1, Patrick (owner, helmsman and my brother in law's father's sister's husband - got that?) asked 'what is that creaking?' I reasured him 'nothing'. Then the forestay broke breaking the mast. Home under the mizzen - all safe and well.
Left Salcombe and arrived home after another intense experience - a 4h blast at 90mph+ on the bike.
A memorable weekend!!!
Mr Mayhew flying past in the laser and 20knots of breeze.
Nieuwpoort 2008
Early start:
Late finish:
With a bit of this:
this:
this:
this:
and this in between:
More pics here
Tour of Europe 2008
Adam, Andy H, Andy M and myself set out on a 10 day tour of the Alps;
July 10 - Colchester to Cuisery, France
July 11 - Cuisery to Bardonecchia, Italy
July 12 - Bardonecchia loop
July 13 - Bardonecchia to La Thuile, France
July 14 - La Thuile to Andermat, Switzerland
July 15 - Andermatt to Bormio, Italy
July 16 - Bormio to Alleghe, Italy
July 17 - Alleghe to Kitzbuhel, Austria
July 18 - Kitzbuhel to Arlon, Belgium
July 19 - Arlon to Colchester
July 19, 2008 - Home
Pictures, then the final 400km home:
On the tunnel for 1520:
Home at:
Day nine
More pictures
Stats:
3061 BMW miles (a BMW mile is about 10% more than a real mile)
271 liters (60 gallons)
51.18 BMWmpg (see above)
£320 of petrol
£300 of hotels
588 photos
July 18, 2008 - Homeward bound
Today was the end of nice roads....here the motorway blast started:
Past a few fast cars on the motorway...stopped at services....general boring stuff.
Out of Austria, into Germany (past Saarloius plant where i use to work) then Luxembourg. Filled up with cheap gas and then into Belgium.
By now it was late...2030 and all the hotels in Arlon were full. We finally found a really posh restaurant/hotel...the car park was full of nice cars. I put on my best smile and they let us stay!!!!
They managed to serve us cheese and salad:
Andy laid an egg:
Adam and i relaxed whilst we waited for his motorcross trousers to be pressed:
Stayed here
Day eight
Day ten
July 17, 2008 - Rain.
We oversleep and leave haeding for Cortina at 10:40. We take coffee in Cortina:
Then head for Kitzbuhel....where the rain starts!!! No pictures in the rain....except when we stop in McDonalds:
Then....when we decide that it will not stop, we pay euro18 each to drive up Grossglockner (Großglockner). It was wet and cold. At the top is a multistroy carpark. We left....once Adam sat a warmed up with his heated jacket on:
More rain...so no pictures until we arrived in Kitzbuhel. Still raining, i was sent off to look for a cheap hotel in the very posh town:
Pension Johanna came up trumps!!
Adam spent time bouncing on the beds:
In town, we had pizza and beers!
Still raining, we walk the town...a spot of shopping and hammering:
BMWs sound like this:
Stayed here.
Day seven
Day nine
July 16, 2008 - The Dolomites
The hotel had a cracking view and balcony:
(the camera lens has two dirty marks on it.....)
Up the Stelvio Pass - unfortunately, the pass was closed on the northen side due to a land slide:
We headed into the Dolomites:
The brakes were taking a pounding:
We stopped to ak directions towards a hotel....the hot police woman was the onyl person we could find!!?!?!:
Adam failed with the police woman, but managed this bird:
We stoped in Alleghe - here:
Before going out, Andy M finally pulled out his travel steam iron!!!
More pizza:
More amerato:
Day six
Day eight
