On the Road Again!

Way back in the spring we went to a free travel show at the Dover Ferry Terminal and as usual entered loads of competitions to win cruises and holidays.  In the end we did get a lucky, a free night at the Youth Hostel in Boulogne sur Mer. Over the last thirty or more years I have stayed at loads of hostels in mainland UK and across in Europe. Most have been really good and some average but none have been a let-down. In some places, they are really cheaper alternatives to hotels but you have to choose well. Also at the show was a small stand from Douai (pron. Doo-eye) in the Nord region of France. Although we had forgotten the leaflets and what they had to offer, we decided to go and have a look. The run down from the Shuttle was pretty good and the Insignia cruised along without a hiccup. Douai though has little to offer! The tourist office furnished us with a map and we saw there were two trails and so we chose the shortest one, estimated at an hour, plus we had a qu...

Vimy Ridge Doh!  How many times have I been on Eurotunnel? Answer? Lots! So I must have misread the original instructions and I booked the train for 0850. Actually, a little later than my usual crossings. To maximise time over "on the otherside" I usually like the earlier 0820 crossing. The joining instructions arrived in the email from Jack, the RAT leader for this jaunt. It's supposed to be 0815 to depart the fuel stop on the motorway by J11, then to check in way before 0850 and then the 0920 train! Oops. I might go a bit earlier still and get some brekkie Frogside and then be ready when they come past. Once I have downed a pain chocolat and a coffee..... In reality I'll miss them pass and have to get a move on to catch them up at the toll ticket collection booth at Ardres.  As it is France I'll wear the Schuberth with it's very law abiding reflective stickers in place. I don't need the TomTom. The plan is A26 to J6 then the huge cemetery at Notre Dame d...

Canadian Memorial - Vimy Ridge , originally uploaded by Invicta Moto . I was a bit slow writing up this trip but I have it on my Everytrail and Flickr pages. UPDATE - Since this was written, like many good ideas and free internet sites Everytrail has gone tits up. All the work that people put in lost.  At least the site owners probably got a pay off to  f*ck off.

After a leisurely breakfast the plan was to go into the town for a look around, then to Vimy and Lille for lunch. As we were very leisurely things changed. Firstly as we left the parking the barrier came down so quick I got left behind as the others shot off. The guy in the control box opened it for me! In town there wasn't much to see on a Sunday morning, and after a walk around to look for a chocolate shop we had a coffee and changed the plan. Still Vimy Ridge but Cassel for lunch rather than Lille. So we set off on Plan B. Betsy was still playing up so it was me to lead again - b*llocks. Despite the criticism of the day before - okay, I did go through a red light, but in mitigation it was as I was on the outside of an old t*sser in a car and saw the pedestrian light go green and shot off. No one got hurt - I led us out of the town, via a petrol station and then on the direct route to the Canadian Monument. I don't accept the criticism that I don't give way at roundabouts...

After a leisurely breakfast the plan was to go into the town for a look around, then to Vimy and Lille for lunch. As we were very leisurely things changed. Firstly as we left the parking the barrier came down so quick I got left behind as the others shot off. The guy in the control box opened it for me! In town there wasn't much to see on a Sunday morning, and after a walk around to look for a chocolate shop we had a coffee and changed the plan. Still Vimy Ridge but Cassel for lunch rather than Lille. So we set off on Plan B. Betsy was still playing up so it was me to lead again - b*llocks. Despite the criticism of the day before - okay, I did go through a red light, but in mitigation it was as I was on the outside of an old t*sser in a car and saw the pedestrian light go green and shot off. No one got hurt - I led us out of the town, via a petrol station and then on the direct route to the Canadian Monument. I don't accept the criticism that I don't give way at roundabouts...

Probably, for the first time ever we arrived with plenty of time to spare at the Shuttle terminal at Cheriton! But, sadly, the recently introduced "self check-in" was defeating the hordes car drivers that were unable to stretch their arms far enough to reach the touch-screens and who had parked too close to get their doors open to get out and do it. It doesn't seem like rocket science to use the stats off the booking system to know the peaks and troughs of travel and to make sure that they have humans working at those times. In the end we made it around to the terminal building where Nigel & Jane (Triumph Sprint) and Simon & Denise (Blackbird) were waiting. For once we managed to avoid the security check and went straight through to the queues to get on the train. In the end, due to some problem that was never defined, the 0828 train was full despite around fifty cars and us with the right letter still waiting in the queue, so we got "priority" on the 08...

Probably, for the first time ever we arrived with plenty of time to spare at the Shuttle terminal at Cheriton! But, sadly, the recently introduced "self check-in" was defeating the hordes car drivers that were unable to stretch their arms far enough to reach the touch-screens and who had parked too close to get their doors open to get out and do it. It doesn't seem like rocket science to use the stats off the booking system to know the peaks and troughs of travel and to make sure that they have humans working at those times. In the end we made it around to the terminal building where Nigel & Jane (Triumph Sprint) and Simon & Denise (Blackbird) were waiting. For once we managed to avoid the security check and went straight through to the queues to get on the train. In the end, due to some problem that was never defined, the 0828 train was full despite around fifty cars and us with the right letter still waiting in the queue, so we got "priority" on the 08...

"What a difference a day makes, Twenty-four little hours Brought the sun and the flowers Where there used to be rain..." And none truer than in the world of trying to arrange visits for a bike club run to France. No sooner do we add a place to visit, than we get word that they can't do it at the time we arranged and the timer they can do it is inconvenient. So it has to be scratched. So, no distillery on this trip.

We've added another place to the trip, on the outward run to Arras we have now added a distillery to the route. The place is in Houille not far from Eperlecques and just off the N43 to the north of St Omer. More details from http://www.genievredehoulle.com/uk/visite.html but you are suggested to have your own French translator, so we'll have to hope that Claire can cope with the lingo for us! There is a film in English anyway and we really only want to have a free taste! No one can argue there's no class on our trips! Also planned an off motorway journey using N43 and D937 and this takes us past Notre Dame de Lorette, one of the French "bête noires" from WW1.

Nigel's idea is to do this... Looks good to me. Now all I have to do is find the emails that confirm the hotel and the Shuttle! Getting to Arras at a reasonable time so how about once we get out of Coquelles head down the D roads to St Omer for coffee and waffles, or whatever. Then straight to Arras, so that we have time to look round the town before meeting up for a beer and some nosh. (75 miles roughly) Fill up with fuel on Saturday when we arrive so that Sunday morning we can head off to the Canadian memorial near Vimy, then on to Lille for lunch. After lunch a steady ride back across country stopping at Cassels for a breather and more coffee, before getting to the shuttle around 17:00 (100 miles ish)

The telephone number for this event - 07092 263119 - now under Nigel's control!

UPDATE Parking at the hotel is in a public car-park nearby, and these are generally underground and manned 24 hours. There is a heroically large price to park that is for cars. On the day we can check if it is possible to "manage" entry and exit to maximise each €8 space.

UPDATE It seems that the Mercure hotel is full for the weekend, but as of today, the IBIS still has space and is nearby. There are other hotels in the city centre that could be checked.

Another trip we are organising, the same bunch as the "Edward III and Henry V" trip. Two day trip (with one overnight) to historic Arras and the surrounding Vimy region will provide opportunities for relaxing with a coffee at a pavement cafe, touring some of the local sites of interest and some socialising on the Saturday evening. At least one new member will be along for the ride and possibly a couple of other new faces. We plan to stay at the Mercure Atria Hotel in Arras centre, which has a special deal on at present of £46.00 per night, room only. The hotel also claims ‘public indoor parking’ whatever that means, but at least it is indoors where the bikes should be reasonably safe, not that Arras is a hotbed of bike theft, as far as I know. Booking through http://www.hotelclub.com/ gets a slightly cheaper rate inc. breakfast. Departure would be on the 08:28 shuttle on Saturday, 9 September with a return to suit individuals but, probably around 19:00 on the Sunday. Updates...

The original plan for Easter was to spend the day in Belgium with the GS Club UK at the GS weekend at Kasterlee. As it was only a week after coming back from the US, I had to cancel those plans. But the bike needed a 20000km service before the Czech Trip... and so I decided to see about a service in France and use the ferry ticket for that instead. I searched on the BMW France site for a dealership in the north of France. Purely to see if it was cheaper than in the UK. In the end I booked in to Europ' Touring in Arras. In France both 6000 miles and 12000 miles services are about 40% cheaper than the UK. Even with the cost of a cheap crossing over or under the channel it would be cheaper. And as I was less than happy at the standard of the service done at SPC at 6000 miles, plus the place was in the middle of nowhere and had no loan bike on offer (to me at least!) despite buying the GS from them! SO, a dealership in a town had to be better. Patrice, the owner, lent us a Scarver 650 ...

The original plan for Easter was to spend the day in Belgium with the GS Club UK at the GS weekend at Kasterlee. As it was only a week after coming back from the US, I had to cancel those plans. But the bike needed a 20000km service before the Czech Trip... and so I decided to see about a service in France and use the ferry ticket for that instead. I searched on the BMW France site for a dealership in the north of France. Purely to see if it was cheaper than in the UK. In the end I booked in to Europ' Touring in Arras. In France both 6000 miles and 12000 miles services are about 40% cheaper than the UK. Even with the cost of a cheap crossing over or under the channel it would be cheaper. And as I was less than happy at the standard of the service done at SPC at 6000 miles, plus the place was in the middle of nowhere and had no loan bike on offer (to me least!) despite buying the GS from them! So, a dealership in a town had to be better. Patri...