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Northabout
  • Mark Holbrook
  • Mark Holbrook

Northabout

Andalucia to Scotland then all things North Leer más
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  • Mark HolbrookNorthaboutViajero

    Vlad the Manipulator

    11 de julio de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Just been to see Vlad the Manipulator at the osteopath in Hull....so given that the advice is stop riding a bloody motorcycle he has diagnosed torn muscle and inflamed tendons. I have been manipulated.....he is a big boy and very strong.....and given exercises not to be ignored. Pain relief to the joint seems to be a no-no 'cos it would stop the healing. Very sore!Leer más

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  • Mark HolbrookNorthaboutViajero

    All that Jazz

    11 de julio de 2023, Inglaterra ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    So after Vlad the Manipulator had done his worst I went to visit my friend Jazz. He is a very clever dog who has learnt .....it seems with not much trouble ....how to teach his humans to respond to simple body gestures by grunting Ahhhs and giving him treats to eat. His humans were very nice to me to and gave me wonderful treats too consisting of broccoli and Stilton soup, the best sausage rolls in the world ham, great bread and a local cheesecake! I couldn't do the roll over and play dead thing 'cos my shoulder hurts too much but it didn't seem to matter.

    Text from Trish:

    A friend from Sanlucar rocked up for lunch, and a pit stop on our garage to put some magic stuff in his tyres. Then there he was gone …. Next stop the ferry to Holland, then onward and upwards ….. travel safe x what an epic journey he is doing.    Leer más

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  • Mark HolbrookNorthaboutViajero

    Entering the Weird

    12 de julio de 2023, Alemania ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    So I can't say I have enjoyed today. The ferry crossing from Hull to Europort was fine but as I got through customs my phone stopped working......and therefore so did my navigation. I did all the tricks....off on, flight mode off on, APN deleted and re-entered, logged on to different networks but nothing. The app still shows 15 GB of data but nothing doing. So a laborious day of stopping at every fuel stop to see if there is a y free wifi so I could download a map. I guessed that Den Haag was in the right direction but when I got there I thought I really could not carry on blind. At the next stop the free wifi was as useless as all the others but a girl took pity on me and let me Hotspot to her phone and so I got a basic route map. Loads of traffic.....loads of jams.....loads of smashed up vehicles. I hate 'filtering' but I know it is legal here and I had to do it if I was to make any headway. Some car drivers though thought it was fun to try and head me off and more than one tried to nudge my panniers as I passed. My basic map was not perfect.....I kept on wondering why my ETA at the hotel was still 45 minutes away when it was only 4 km....turns out I, in my internet deprivation, had managed to pick a hotel on the wrong side of the bloody great river that runs down to Bremen. So I ended up in little Turkey complete with Hookahs on the street tables and very weird telly in the bars.Leer más

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  • Mark HolbrookNorthaboutViajero

    Flekkefjord

    15 de julio de 2023, Noruega ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Well......it is very very wet. Bike hiding under the awning of a storm swept auditorium whilst I am trying to find something warm and cheap to eat

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  • Mark HolbrookNorthaboutViajero

    Retreat to a Hotel

    15 de julio de 2023, Noruega ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Well a fabulous ride from Flekkfjord to Egersund but to be honest with all the water and floods running down the roads and mud I would have been happier with fewer hairpins. If (when) I drop this bike with all the kit loaded on it it will take ages to get it upright again so I was practically walking pace round the 180's. Now in a hotel room which I have trashed by laying the tent and my stuff out to dry.....bought beer....very shocked!Leer más

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  • Mark HolbrookNorthaboutViajero

    Tyssedak

    19 de julio de 2023, Noruega ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    More weird. A huge hydro power 'cathedral' a smelting plant next to an expensive but bit run down hotel the trail head of the Troll's Tongue hike and surrounded by spectacular nature.

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  • Mark HolbrookNorthaboutViajero

    Going to Windward

    24 de julio de 2023, Noruega ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Well what a strange day. The thinking went like this: So it is not all tickety boo. My shoulder hurts and it is pissing with rain and there is still 5000 to get to Nordkapp and back to the latitude of Stavanger. Also I am not likely to come this way again so if I am going to get a shot at this then it is now. So....having seen a little bit of the west coast I thought cross the spine of mountains by going east and then turn north. No doubt the roads will be boring but they might be fast and dry. That explains why I am now where I am but the mountains went on forever! I spent all day really high up.....with snow......very cold and unfortunately wet. Totally different landscape since all of these peaks must have been under the ice....all heavily polished and big boulders dumped everywhere including on the peaks. Many hairpins. Very tired.Leer más

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  • Mark HolbrookNorthaboutViajero

    Ytterhogdal

    25 de julio de 2023, Suecia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    So....tomorrow with any luck I turn North. The ride east today through the Forrest was devoid of anything except lashing rain....I am soaked and very hungry. Now in a boarding house run by a Thai couple and I must be on the right track because: (1) they have metal disks to put under your sidestand to stop your bike falling over in the saturated ground (2) There is a map which has Nordkapp on it on the wall (3) A bloke called Urmad who only speaks Turkish rode up next to me who's only English is 'I go Nordkapp' he is on a 1300 cc KTM and has as much luggage as me.Leer más

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  • Mark HolbrookNorthaboutViajero

    Hammerdal

    26 de julio de 2023, Suecia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Well, you might say, What is special about this place? Well, this is where it got so cold that I stopped between rain showers to unpack the bike to get my thermals out.

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