30 August 2011

Haggis for dinner

Haggis.  Ornery Little Critter. You hardly see them in the wild, and it takes a specially licenced hunter to go and catch them.

The two families that I buy from are the MacSweens and the Halls.

Once caught, skinned and dissected it can be cooked in a microwave, although many afficioados leave them in their skin and boil or better, steam them. Although in their homeland of Scotland, they are often consumed in the form of a sausage either in batter or without, and deep fried. Yum.

They can be served with traditional tatties and neeps, but in this instance it comes with boiled spuds and baked beans.

The Hall's haggis is milder than Mac Sween and some others, far less peppery.

This time it was washed down with Bing rather than Irn Bru or beer and there was no dram either.

20 August 2011

Day 13 - The Last Day

We were up early to escape the ashtray that was and is the Etap Düren West. The idea was to stop at the first services on the motorway and have coffee and maybe a croissant.

We happily sailed past the one at Aachen Ost as there was another signed at 14kms. Sadly we turned on to another autobahn and missed it.

Finally 75 minutes later and after crossing the Netherlands we arrived in Belgium, and after a false stop at a weekday only services (one with no petrol) we arrived at one where we could sit outside in the sun with the wasps and eat!!

As usual the monument to moronic driving and poor planning that is also known as Antwerp arrived in front of us. Solid traffic and lane swapping all make for tense driving.

I was glad of another calming stop before we got stuck again in a huge tailback. No reason to be seen and no information available, but traffic as far as the horizon. My detour via the cobbles of Gent and the N9 might not have saved time but is was certainly more scenic although probably as frustrating. At least we bought lunch and stopped at Jabbeke to eat it.

The last bit of the trip to the port went swimmingly well until we got into the traffic after turning off the A16. After almost an hour and we got to passport control and ticket check-in, only to then be told, after we sat in the burning sun, that Seafrance was running thirty minutes late. We'll see.

We are supposed to be off at 1745, revised to 1815......

Day 12 - Creglingen to Düren

The YHA at Creglingen was relatively cheap for an en-suite twin room. Breakfast was the usual German youth hostel fare; rolls, cheese, ham and salami plus cereal and coffee. The coffee was some of the best all trip and I gorged three cups.

The plan was to spend all day to meander to the Etap at Düren. And we did. The first part was along a bit more of the Romantische Strasse and then across the 'green' routes on the Michelin map towards the Rhein. First stop was Rüdesheim am Rhein. We have been here before, but on a river boat trip not by road. We had lunch. Here I learned that rindwurst is beef. Once again we had sausage and for the first time (and last!) chips.

A walk round the tourist heart wasn't complete without another Käthe Wohlfahrt visit. In Rothenburg our beer was served in lidless steins and it kept it cooler longer, so I was on the lookout for one. In the end it was the afore mentioned shop that had them, and more surprisingly they were cheaper than any I had seen. Photos to follow.

From Rüdesheim I pulled the "I'm a foreigner" trick and exited the car park via the admittedly wide entrance to avoid a one way street going the wring way...

We made our way up the east bank of the river. Claire snapping away with the little Sony at the castles and stuff moving on the river. The Lorelei might have escaped as she was a bit far away and there is purposely no parking on that stretch!!

We stopped further up for a coffee at a riverside imbiß. A weak coffee but a chance to watch the boats go past.

Then the final leg up to Koblenz and the motorway to Düren.

As expected the Etap was no great shakes. It seems that no smoking is alien to the master race. Maybe we should have saved ourselves in WW2 and they would have all smoked themselves to death?

The bathroom stank heavy of cigarettes and lavender on the bedding took the smell away temporarily. Dinner was a Chinese buffet in Düren itself. The place was riddled with dead ends and road works that made it almost impossible to get out once you had mistakenly entered the centre.

The buffet was excellent and made up for the hassles getting there.

18 August 2011

Day 11 - Prague to Creglingen

A largish breakfast to set us up for a day sightseeing in Bavaria. As previously mentioned this came about after the Romantische Straße was featured on "Worlds Greatest Motorcycle Trips".

We escaped from Prague by a route I have never seen before but were soon on the D5 towards Plzen and the border. One stop for petrol as it is about the same price as home than more expensive Germany, and also to use up our coins to buy Kofola and lemon tea!!

After Nürnburg we stopped for a sausage! This time we both had a 30cm bratwürst and fried potatoes rather than chips.

I wanted to get off the motorway sooner rather than later for Dinkelsbühl and as luck would have it the A6 ground to a halt by a junction and we were off! By now we were back in TomTom's hands.

Dinkelsbühl is very nice. Lot's of old buildings and hotels too expensive for our budget. No doubt Henry Wassisname gets rooms paid for him for his programme.

We dawdled about and then set off for Rothenburg ob der Tauber. A walled and pretty much undamaged by wars old town.

We parked and walked in. Eventually we found the centre of the town. A huge square surrounded by beautiful buildings. As I watched some pigeons contortionist tricks to drink from the spouts, Claire spotted the Kathe Wolhfahrt Christmas Bus parked outside the shop and she was off like a rocket, stick and all.  It's a bit like a Christmas IKEA. In one door and then up and down over three floors chock full of decorations, baubles and god only knows what. Claire made several purchases!

From there we went back to the car via a  bierkeller for a refreshing light beer. When it's 1830h and still 29 degrees a light beer is more refreshing than some strong lager!

Once back on the road we rejoined the Romantische Strasse to Creglingen, just across the border and no longer in Bavaria.

The hostel is cool and reasonably quiet. We have a twin with private facilities. We ate in the town. It's pfifferling week, so we had them with Spätzle. Pfifferling are chantarelle mushrooms. All washed down with a beer! Excellent.

Early to bed and early to rise.

Day 10 - Homeward Bound

After consuming so much wine the night before we had quite a late breakfast. Jarek and Tomas joined us to try and eat our way through a mountain of palačinky. Pancakes to us.

We'd packed and loaded the suitcases the day before and I had the Garmin sorted well in advance.

Firstly, after saying our goodbyes, a nostalgic trip to the Gymnázium in Zastávka and then across to where I used to live in Sportovní 481.

The plan was then to visit the Santini designed Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk near Žďár nad Sázavou and then to The Church of Bones (Sedlec Ossuary). We were told by "experts" that neither was worth a stop. Wrong.

Pilgrimage Church of St John of Nepomuk at Zelená Hora
Pilgrimage Church of Saint John of Nepomuk

You can blame Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor for the Sedlec visit. They went there on the "Long Way Round" trip and I harboured the interest to vist.

Both sights are well worth the detour.  The Church of Bones near Kutna Hora is weird rather than frightening. Macabre might suit.

Church of Bones - Kutna Hora
Sedlec Ossuary

Church of Bones - Kutna Hora
Sedlec Ossuary


The Garmin then took us right to the Extol Inn's front door. Once unpacked and showered we had a tram ride into the city. Had a walk around. Saw the clock on the old town hall actually chime the hour, and then unsuccessfully avoided being fleeced for some dinner at one of the stalls. 

The robbing bastards post the prices but it's not a portion price but weight!! The weight needs to be multiplied a few times to get a portion!!!

And then back to the Extol.

Relatively early night to prepare for the longish Day 11..

17 August 2011

Day 9 - Shopping and Wine Tasting

In the first part of the day we went into Brno, ostensibly to do some sightseeing of places I hadn't been for years and that Claire hadn't ever been.

We parked behind the International hotel and walked through to Svobody Nam to see the new clock. I thought it looked like a bullet but apparently is was supposed to commemorate the defeat of a Swedish Army and at 11am a ball drops and it sounds off.


After a few sights were struck off the list of things to see, we ate a slice of Czech pizza before visiting a large shopping centre. I needed new trainers and bought a good pair of Puma in the sale. Result.

Once back at Lilka's we had a quick snack and then off to the wine tastings!! No spitting it out required although we could if necessary.

We drove down to Mikulov and then into the countryside to a vineyard that Jarek already knew about and had already bought wine from. Reisten in Pavlov.

Here we tasted several of their whites, gradually moving from the cheaper wines to a smooth Pinot Gris that recently won a silver medal at a wine festival in France.  The last one we tried was a dessert wine. Very sweet that would go well with fruit.  We bought a measly two bottles and Jarek loaded three half-cases (six in each) into his car. Their website is http://reisten.net/?co=onas&lan=en

From there we headed down in to the village centre and parked outside the town hall, or Obec. In the cellars is the local wine cellar (seller?). It's here all the local small producers can showcase their wines. Unlike Reisten, tasting isn't free, but wine is sold by the glass.  You do not spit out 20kc a time wines.  Wines are priced by the bottle and the glass price is simply a sixth.  Most of the other clientele were cyclists and walkers, stopping in for a glass or two of wine on their travels. If you just wanted to taste, you could have one glass between four (or however many there are!) but we had a glass each of a few different ones to try.  We ended up buying a few.

Luckily, Jarek was the designated driver and we could try as many as we wanted.

Once back in Popuvky we had a sit down and chat about the wines and we then went to bed, ready for the drive home to commence.

16 August 2011

Day 8 - Continued.

After a coffee by the entrance we set off for home, stopping in Křtiny. Here we saw a magnificent church. We stopped to have a look and it is another pilgrimage church.

The legend has it that the Virgin appeared to villagers in the 13th century and of course it became a site for Catholics to visit across time. The current church is by the architect Santini and was built in the mid 18th century. 

Santini has also responsible for another seven or eight similar edifices in Czech and surrounding countries. Tomorrow on the way home we will call into another one at Zdar.

In the evening there was a big shower but we still did the rounds of Lilka's relatives. Everyone is so friendly and greet you like friends. Lovely.

Day 8 - Punkevní jeskyně

The plan today was to visit one of the show caves in the Moravian Karst. This is an area near the small town of Blansko to the north of Brno.

We found that to visit Punkevní jeskyně  that we should have booked three weeks ago! Jarek called a business contact at the caves administration and they sorted out tickets.

We drove up there, stopping for lunch at the hotel attached to the Černá Hora brewery. Claire and I both had gulaš and Lilka a healthier salad! The brewery here was first built back in 13th century. They have become very proficient.

At the caves we took the cable car from the parking level to the entrance area. I have been here before but not into the cave. Lilka collected our tickets and we found they were free. The tour is about 800m of walking through galleries and caves with many stalactites and stalagmites in clusters. I took some photos (a couple here) and some came out okay in the low light.



There is then an electric boat ride through the Punkevny river caves to another single gallery, inaccessible any other way.

After a coffee by the entrance we set off for home, stopping in Brno at a shopping center.

15 August 2011

Day 7 - MotoGP

The focus of the entire trip!

Up early to have breakfast and then walk a few hundred metres up the road from Lilka's house to catch one of the free buses that run between the city centre and the circuit. There's room on the first one and ten minutes later we are following a huge crowd to the viewing area G.

We set up camp at the top of the bank about half way up the hill that sucks the power from the small classes. We are in the braking area for the series of bends that lead into the start and finish complex.

Although I managed only three  laps here before the brakes on my Cavalcade overheated I can't remember any of it now!

We see Moto2 and MotoGP warm-up and then a couple of Ducati's do some warm-ups. These are the pillion ride bikes with Randy Mamola and another rider. All the commentary is in Czech and German so we have no real idea what is going on!

The 125 race is pretty close run all through as is the Moto2. But the MotoGP starts close. Lorenzo leads the three Repsol Hondas, then Pedrosa slips past and then Stoner. The next time round Lorenzo second but only two Repsols. Pedrosa has fallen whilst leading. Gradually Dovisioso and Simoncelli pass Lorenzo and we guess Spies in fifth won't pass his team mate and championship contender. Stoner made the break and was the full length of the hill ahead of the field by the last lap.

The crowd where we are seem quite subdued although there are large groups of fans from all across Europe wearing Rossi yellow or Ducati Rossi red shirts. Rossi pretty distant sixth.

Halfway through the race the crowd started to leave. The path behind us packed as everyone headed for the exit to our left. We decided to sit it out until the Red Bull Rookies race but once we listened to the podium ceremony we packed up the chairs and joined them. A short wait for the bus and a few minutes later we were back at Lilka's. The family were round and we greeted everyone. Claire and Lilka swam in the pool and I watched the Rookies race on TV with Tomas and Jarek.

After dinner we went for a walk around the nearby lake before bed!

Tomorrow we are hoping to go to the caves at  Punkevní jeskyně,

14 August 2011

Day 6 - Local in Brno Okres

A quieter day beckoned but still we crammed some visits into the day. Before lunch a trip out to Bystrc so Lilka could show Claire some garden centres. For me they could be at home except for the pond with large turtles basking in the sun.

Next stop Lidl for more provisions and us to get lunch etc for race day.

After lunch we had a short run to Ostrovačice to visit a former student of Lilka, Jiří,  who is into bikes. He has a small collection of CZ and Jawa motorcycles he is restoring plus a modern and modified Suzuki SV650. We eat and drink.

Near his house is this sign:

Guess whose campsite this is?

Then it was off into Brno to meet old friend Ivan Benda. A couple of hours drinking more beer and visiting the bar where the local SOC meet - the Black Diamond. Heavy metal pub. Only us not in black T-shirts.

Jarek and Lilka picked us up and we had another BBQ in the garden. More beer and a fruit based cocktail for the ladies.

Then to bed ready for an early start for the free buses to the circuit.

12 August 2011

Day 4 - Colditz to Brno Part Two

The final part of the day was the bone shaking run down the D1 to Brno. The junction we needed was closed do we went past to Brno-Bohunice and back along the 602 to Popuvky.

Once we arrived outside the door we were met by Lilka and son Tomas. Shown to our room and then we sat to chat before BBQ dinner.

It was after midnight when we finally went to bed, BBQ and two bottles of wine later...

Day 5 - Moravia

Today we were hoping to have a lie in after a thousand miles in the road, but instead we were up at a reasonable hour for breakfast and then out with Lilka in her Corsa to Lednice Castle. Tomas followed on his CBR 125.

The castle is undergoing major renovation work and this includes painting it like a blancmange in a yellow colour. We had the tour for 150kč and opted to save the 50kč it would have cost for the English speaking tour. The printed explanation in the binder is quite sufficient.

Lednice Castle - Castle facade

We then took a horse and card ride around the park to the minaret. A kind of folly built by the owners in the 1850's.

Lednice Castle - Minaret

The walk back was okay as long as the sun stayed behind the clouds.

Lunch was in a nearby town Vlatice at a Czech restaurant. Luckily Lilka was there as my Czech might not have got us much more than "dva piva".

From there we headed to Mikulov to check out the wine shop. Moravian wine comes in all shapes and sizes and we chose a reisling and a couple of chardonnay's to bring home.

We had a walk around the town and although I have been past on route 52 I have never actually stopped off. The town has some majestic buildings and a large castle. The latter visible for miles around.

Mikulov

Mikulov - Dietrichstein Tomb

Mikulov

Once back at Lilka's we could relax a little and plan Saturday's timetable.

Dinner, wine and then bed!!

Day 4 - Colditz to Brno

This one turned out to be a very long day. After breakfast and then cleaning our room in the Castle we eventually set off about 0915.

Using the Garmin we navigated to the border in good time and bought our motorway vignette. After just a few miles the road ends and there is a big gap to the final section to Prague.

The traffic was heavy with trucks in both directions nose to tail. We stopped for petrol soon after Teplice and found the price was even higher than at home. A litre of unleaded was 35.50kč or £1.54! And we complain!

The Garmin took us into Prague and then out on the D11 towards Hradec Kralové. Here a former student of mine, Rostislav Kříž,  lives and I wanted to call in and see him.

We stopped for lunch at a Motorest that shared its site with a Hummer dealers!!

Rosta lives in a nice house with a massive garden in the outskirts. We had a chat about the old times and then we had to leave.

The ordinary road 37 to the D1 took nearly two hours, passing through every town and village where everyone religiously slowed to 50kph.

The final part of the day was the bone shaking run down the D1 to Brno. The junction we needed was closed do we went past to Brno-Bohunice and back along the 602 to Popůvky.

Once we arrived outside the door we were met by Lilka and son Tomas. Shown to our room and then we sat to chat before BBQ dinner.

It was after midnight when we finally went to bed, BBQ and two bottles of wine later...

10 August 2011

Day 3 - Colditz and Meissen

After our first night in the Colditz YH we went across the outer courtyard to the inner gate. This leads into the older part of the castle and it is where the PoWs were billeted.

We joined the 1030 tour. The guide spoke good English and led us through the history of the castle from the 16th century to present day. All the tourists were English speakers including two blokes about our age on bikes. Good job I had ditched my GS Club shirt for a plain one. Embarrassing being in the car, but it couldn't be helped with Claire's soon to be replaced hip.

We took quite a few pics and some have made it to Facebook and I have uploaded a lot to Flickr

We then had a walk to the town to get supplies for dinner. Eating out goes through money like a hot knife through butter. Bochum was nice but just short of €40 was too much.

We stocked up at Lidl and headed back. We saw the bikers and spookily they were on a GS and a 1250GT Bandit...

Once the shopping was stashed in the room we got the cameras and in the car set off for Meissen. The plan to have a look at some porcelain. In the end we parked and spent time walking around the Alt Stadt. With time for a bockwurst, a pleasure denied us at the Imbiss in Nordhausen the day before.


Post Meissen we returned home to the YH for our dinner and a beer.

Tomorrow is a longer day to get to Lilka's in Popuvky via Rosta's house in Hradec Kralové.

Colditz Castle


 
Colditz Castle, originally uploaded by InvictaMoto.

This is the view from the back of the castle. As prisoners were marched from the station they would have approached across the river bridge on the far corner.


Day 2 - Nordhausen Dora to Colditz

As many of the buildings at Dora have been destroyed and the inmates parade ground turned into a communist arena by the former GDR government, the impact of the inhumanities that took place until it was discovered by the US Army in 1945 is hard to conjure in the mind.

Dora Flickr

From Dora we continued east towards Leipzig and finally to Colditz.

Nothing could prepare the visitor for the sheer size of the castle on a rocky promontory overlooking the town.

Despite sometimes torrential rain with near zero visibility, our arrival was in the evening sunshine. 

The TomTom took us to the main gatehouse that is by the entrance to the German courtyard. Checking in was easy and we then moved the car, humphing all the bags back up the hill from the Castle's own car park was a little harder!

Finally arrived a Colditz Castle.  This is the view from the window in the corridor outside our room.



Dinner was a 40cm pizza car of the Istanbul Pizza House in the town. Be warned. Eat early or not at all!

Tomorrow we have the castle tour and the afternoon to be tourists.

9 August 2011

Day 2 - Bochum to Nordhausen Dora

Up late and fuelled and on the road about 9am.

Had breakfast in the little Cafe Ayer attached to the Aral petrol station near the hotel.

On the way eastwards we went on BS1 right through the centre of Dortmund and past the football ground at Borussia.

Heavy rain on the 44 autobahn reduced speed to about 80kph at times. Stopped at the services for a coffee.

Next stop Nordhausen where we had hoped to find an imbiss kiosk and get a sausage (bratwurst or bockwurst I wasn't fussy) but could we find any traditional imbiss stalls? Could we buggery.

In the end we had to make do with a lunch of noodles from a Vietnamese stall!  Not the same Germany!

8 August 2011

Day 1 - Home to Bochum

Up bright and early for the 0815 ferry Dover to Calais. One small and significant problem.

Our neighbour that was due to take the keys and feed the cat was nowhere to be seen. It was too early to contact Seafrance or even our other neighbour. In the we loaded the car and set off about 9am.

Our second neighbour was happy to do it and we always feed her cat when she is away.

Sadly as we missed our sailing we have incurred a £19 surcharge on the ferry and a three hour later ferry.

Once off the ferry we were soon on the way eastwards.

The planned route via Gent, Antwerp, Eindhoven and Venlo, then across into Germany and a northern route into the Ruhr for our first overnight stop in Bochum.

The TomTom took us right to the hotel front door. With stops for a snack soup lunch in Belgium and a coffee break in Netherlands we took about five hours Calais to hotel. not bad considering we stuck to about 70mph most of the way and the various roadworks between Antwerp and the Eindhoven turn on the motorway destined for Liege/Luik.

Dinner was in a reconstructed old pub in Bochum - Fieges Stammhaus. Potato soup and schnitzel. The first of many I expect. Good local beer too.

Tomorrow east again to Nordhausen-Dora and Colditz.

6 August 2011

Kirin Ichiban 5% ABV.



Kirin Ichiban 5% ABV., originally uploaded by InvictaMoto.
Drunk cold very refreshing.

3 August 2011

CZ11 - Packing etc

A few days left before we go. I've been through all the paperwork to make sure that it is all printed and in the right date order in a plastic wallet.  This is turn will be kept in a bag and locked away or in a safe place in the car.

Packing.  We have one suitcase each. One small suitcase each. Unlike the BMW, the car allows us to have two equally small suitcases. The BMW allows Claire to have the much larger pannier and me the smaller one. 

Claire's CC, originally uploaded by InvictaMoto.

As well as the suitcases that must fit under the "topless" screen, there is a warning triangle.  I have one that was given away to us when we took delivery of the company FIAT Panda cars that some colleagues and I had on the car lease scheme back in about 1983.  When you got one why pay £14.99 in Halford's for one half the size that looks as robust as a Twix wrapper?

Some customer cars even came with an awning that fitted in the back to make the Panda into a sort of camper car.  Employee scheme cars didn't get that and they sold them through the old Fiat Motor Sales shop on the Great West Road. 

Also vying for space in the boot are two folding chairs, that will be essential on race day, and a Peugeot Care pack.  The latter contains all manner of things like a fire extinguisher and hi-viz jackets.  I have my own and that will travel inside the passenger compartment. There may be enough space for the inevitable "extra" bag to contain a variety of Claire's footwear.

Inside the cabin I have planned for a single (note to Claire!) Touratech bag to act as the overnight bag.  This saves the also inevitable flurry of boot opening and messing about at every stop. Additionally, there will be space for the Acer notebook (for email and Garmin routes) and a bag that contains the cables and bits that we'll need to power the assortment of phones, cameras and satnavs for the journey. That ought to leave the front clear for us to sit in comfort.  Famous last words?

Over the weekend it will be tyre, water, washer bottle and oil checks and top ups where necessary.  Then off for the Seafrance experience on Monday morning.