• Rest Day: Hisa Brdo

    July 25, 2022 in Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Today has been wonderful!

    After a lazy morning relaxing at Hisa Brdo, Roger, Louise and Uros came with us for a ride over to Bled where we spent the afternoon swimming in the lake to escape the heat and eating at a ladies small restaurant called Monica. It was great fun and Louise was great fun to ride behind on her Street Triple 765.

    Lake Bled was astonishingly beauty and very clear and warm, making a swimming a complete pleasure. The setting was like something from a film! Unfortunately, a large team of fire service and police were searching for a man who had been missing for over 3 hours.

    Monica’s was also wonderful and we got to see her black kitchen and listen to her accordion 🪗 there were a lot of jokes after about our similarities in appearance 😅😂.

    The ride back got us in at just after 8pm and we carried on the evening drinking a few beers and grabbing a relatively early night.

    HIGHLIGHTS - riding with Roger and Louise, Bled and it’s beautiful scenery and swimming
    LOW POINTS - none
    ROADS - 403, 909
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  • Dolenjski Toplice to Hisa Brdo

    July 24, 2022 in Slovenia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Quick one today as we left the delicious Dolenjski Toplice hotel with air con and headed to Louise and Roger’s guest house called Hisa Brdo (House on the Hill) near Grahovo ob Baci on the edge of the Slovenians Alps.

    It was a hot day that started out with a lot of rain, but we arrived nice and early and spent the evening laughing, talking and drinking with Louise and Roger before heading to bed nice and early. There place is wonderful and absolutely stunning! Looking forward to spending time with them tomorrow.

    HIGHLIGHTS - meeting Roger and Louise, the beautiful roads
    LOW POINT - feeling too hot!
    ROADS - 214, 106, 212, 408, 210, 102
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  • Traisen to Dolenjske Toplice

    July 22, 2022 in Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    I’m tipsy! Had a brilliant ride today (a whopping 400km) over the border from Austria. Our wonderful campsite host, Norbert suggested a well ridden motorbike rode with a fantastic cafe in the middle (Kalte Kuchl Alpengasthof). It was incredible! Beautiful sweeping bends, stunning alpine scenery and ribbons of perfect tarmac. It was brilliant to see some other riders too, including a new Speed Triple RS and a newer Street Triple.

    We then spent the hottest part of the day at a shopping mall to buy some essentials and escape the heat before hitting Slovenia, once we’d bought our vignette. We decided to put some miles down on the Slovenian highways but then ended up on some incredible curvaceous (ohh la la) roads up through the hills of Slovenia. I think we have fallen in love with Slovenia and we’ve only been here a day. It was the golden hour with the sun just setting, the cool evening air coming down the mountains and it was perfection.

    We ended the evening at our hotel bar with a few beers in a warm evening, looking forward to air conditioning and a nice bed.

    HIGHLIGHTS - riding through Slovenia at sunset, the wonderful mountain pass in Austria
    LOW POINTS - putting our ridding gear back on after the mall
    ROADS - Innerhalbach, route 21 and 20 (Austria), 423, 424, 672 (Slovenia)
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  • Vodni Nadrz Lipno to Traisen

    July 21, 2022 in Austria ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Another short trip today (just 250km) but we’ve hit another country! We’re now in Austria in a beautiful campsite on the edge of the mountains. It was hot again today so didn’t make get so far and had to stop a few times but it’s wonderful to get a taste of the alps. We rode along the Danube, which is wide and lazy, before hitting some smaller twister roads and then heading south in search of higher altitudes and a respite from the heat.

    A rest night tonight, showers, good food, lovely people and a brilliant alcoholic drink that you can only get in this part of Austria. Luckily the owner said he can ship the homemade syrup home with us if we need!

    HIGHLIGHTS - lovely people of Austria, beautiful campsite
    LOW POINTS - the heat (again), breakfast
    ROADS - Klingenbergstaße, Naarntalstaße, route 3 along the Danube
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  • Petrovice to Vodni Nadrz Lipno

    July 20, 2022 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Only 140km today again, it was very hot and sticky but we missed the worst of the heat stopping at a wonderful house caked the State Chateau Hlubokà which was incredible. We learnt a lot about the Schwarzenberg family over the years and how they lost 80% of their wealth and influence in 1947 when the communism became the leading political influence. Unfortunately, they never regained the property which is why it is still a ‘State Chateau’.

    We even made a little makeshift Shelter from the heat!! After a break from the heat we headed south again for a lake and hopefully a cool down.

    The campsite was a little ramshackle but I got to go for a swim in the lake and walk around the local area for a bit of a relax. It was a good end to the day.

    The Czech Republic is a hidden gem for biking with beautiful views, wonderful roads and even some mountain twisties in the south. I will remember listening to Einaudi riding through tranquil woodlands and neglected villages. Followed by ostentatious brightly coloured houses like icing decorations on a giant cake! It’s unique and has a contrary identity, confused by relics of old wealth and the harsh reality of communism

    HIGHLIGHTS - State Chateau Hlubokà
    LOW POINTS - the heat!
    ROADS - 105, 1472
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  • Struppen to Petrovice

    July 19, 2022 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Snuggled up in a little hotel room in Petrovice, Czech Republic, keeping out of the 37’c heat. Although we didn’t make it to Prague (due to the soaring temperatures) we have seen a wonderful side to the Czech Republic, with incredibly friendly and hospitable people, beautiful countryside and delicious food (and beer of course). We rode about 210km or 130mikes but the weather was so stifling it was good to reach our destination early (15.30ish). We met a lovely lady at lunchtime who had lived in Buckinghamshire for a time and had friends in Prague who have travelled all over. The people at the brilliant little restaurant below yes we’re also lovely and helped us keep the bikes secure over night.

    Looking forward to reaching Austria tomorrow and maybe doing a bit of exploring. Until then I’m going to sleep well in a slightly cooler room than my tent yesterday!

    HIGHLIGHTS - listening to Einaudi whilst riding through the Czech countryside, meeting lovely people
    LOW POINTS - traffic lights turning red in built up area and 37’c heat
    ROADS - 116, 118
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  • Rest Day: Struppen

    July 17, 2022 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Well that didn’t go to plan! We started the day with a little bit of admin and washing, before heading over the border to the Czech Republic to see the bikers cave or Pekelne Doly. The ride over there was about 1.5hrs through some beautiful, alpine style villages and views, many along the river Elbe. The cave itself, however, was a dark, crowded and uninviting place. It was an amazing spectacle to see bikes being ridden around a cave but it didn’t feel welcoming. I had been feeling a little off all morning after losing my infinity bracelet, which I felt was my lucky charm, but either way, the place got my hackles up a little, so we didn’t stay long.

    On the way back out of the country Vex and I had a bit of a bump, ok we crashed, very slowly. Someone rolled back into us on a slight hill and broke the front mudguard. It was nothing spectacular (thank god) and we’re both absolutely fine, I was just a little shaken up. After dealing with the driver and exchanging details, I tested her brakes, front suspension and ‘tracking’, all of which felt perfect and rode her slowly back to the campsite, where I promptly had a snooze. Luckily, the day finished off nicely with a lovely walk around the local area and a lovely sunset.

    The plan for tomorrow has now has to alter so she can be checked over and we can hopefully walk some of the Saxon Switzerland that we missed today. Then back into an uninviting Czech Republic.

    HIGHLIGHTS - walk through the beautiful surroundings at sunset, getting some washing done
    LOW POINTS - crashing
    ROADS - none of note
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  • Havelberg to Struppen

    July 16, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    A long one today but we’ve had good energy levels and managed to do 300km after leaving at about 11.30. Haven’t touched a single autobahn on the way down through Germany either! We carried on following the Elbe river down on Woodys route part 2 and are now just 30 mins from the Czech border 😝

    There are some wonderful towns and cities in Germany if you stay off the main roads, two wonderful ones today have been Tangermunde, where we stopped for lunch, with lovely old churches and beautiful buildings and Dresden, a city full of culture and picturesque streets. I would love to revisit it again one day.

    Now snuggled up in my toasty sleeping bag, looking forward to exploring Little Switzerland and the Bikers Cave tomorrow!

    HIGHLIGHT - long ride that we didn’t think we’d manage, lunch in Tangermunde
    LOW POINT - panicking that we hadn’t booked a campsite at 8.10pm
    ROADS - 189, 107, 172
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  • Copenhagen to Hamburg to Havelberg

    July 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Just 200km today and another 300km yesterday, but two cities in as many days!

    Although most of Europe is experiencing a huge heatwave, we were unfortunately chased out of Copenhagen by our beloved cloud, which we have lovingly called Brian. It seems Brian has followed us from Norway.

    So we hit the main roads heading to Rødbyhavn to catch the ferry to Germany. It’s takes just 45 minutes and although some say it’s chaotic, we thought it was very efficient! Drive on fast, drive off faster! Once in Germany, Brian returned so we ditched our plan to camp and headed for Hamburg and a Bunk-a-Biker called Florian (Woody). It was a happy decision and we spent a wonderful evening chatting about his many road trips, music, food, plants and other things. I had also asked if I could change my brake pads in his very well equipped garage, but realised this wasn’t needed just yet. This morning he fed us local breads and pastries and so much coffee I was in heaven. He was a truly wonderful host and I very much hope we can stay connected in the future.

    Since this morning, we have been following our newly named Woody Route, heading towards the Czech Republic and following the Elbe river down towards Dresden. The roads were beautiful with tree lined sweeping curves and lush woodlands. As we were feeling a little tired today, we bailed on the route early and found a lovely campsite with the aim of getting out early tomorrow to cover the remaining 330km to the border!

    HIGHLIGHT - meeting the wonderful Woody and spending hours chatting, the beautiful tree lined roads
    LOW POINT - feeling tired whilst riding never works!
    KEY ROADS - 195
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  • Rest Day: Copenhagen

    July 13, 2022 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    A well earned rest day in Copenhagen today, a chance to rest our bums, wear our ‘normal’ clothes and get our tourist nerd on. We made the most of it with a lie in before grabbing the metro into the centre of the city.

    First job was to get some admin done; Chez needed some new black trousers and I needed to send some stuff home ready for the hotter weather in the south. That done we hit the tourist spots: coffee and smaugbread thingie at The Coffee Collective, a walk up The Round Tower, hiding in the shade of The Botanical Garden and 16,000 steps of mooching around the various streets.

    Not a restful day per say but fun nonetheless and nice to be off the bike for a change. We both got back to the Airbnb at about 5.30 and promptly fell asleep! It’s now 9.30 and I’m looking forward to getting my new book out and falling asleep again. We’re heading into Germany tomorrow via a ferry, new day, new country, new adventure!

    HIGHLIGHTS - Botanical Gardens, lying in the shade
    LOW POINTS - feeling hot, sticky and pretty tired
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  • Asa to Copenhagen

    July 12, 2022 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Kinda admin today and getting a few miles under our belts, only 300km or 200miles but we changed country and are now back in Denmark. Crossing the bridge cost a whopping £28 each but it was pretty epic so we’ll let them off. I had a shuffle around of packing this morning before leaving the campsite, which was good and I think I may even send some things home tomorrow. Once on the road we headed south along boring highways to reach a Triumph garage near Copenhagen to buy Vex some rear brake pads (job for tomorrow). We plan on a rest day tomorrow to explore Copenhagen and have a day off the bikes, maybe even do some washing! So tonight we have a lovely little Airbnb close to the city centre where are bikes are nice and safe and we and comfy and toasty (Chez got a bit cold last night!). Not much else for today really but we’re still pooped so I’m off to sleep!

    HIGHLIGHT - coming back into Denmark and meeting the lovely people of Steven MC Triumph Dealership
    LOW POINT - more motorway miles
    ROADS - none of note (E47)
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  • Fredrikstad to Asa

    July 11, 2022 in Sweden ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Hot chocolate in hand and canvas (plastic) overhead, the perfect way to write this diary. We are now in Sweden, having ridden just 300km or 190miles. It’s incredibly beautiful here, although not as majestic as Norway, it feels as little more peaceful perhaps. We had a fabulous day with Merete and Storm again today, riding the twisty biking roads towards Sweden and then stopping at the Elgåfossen waterfall that straddles the border. Once across, we headed to Fjällbacka for an ice cream and to say our final goodbyes as we headed south and they returned north. Fjällbacka was an incredibly scenic coastal village with archetypal houses, coastline and even Swedes!

    Now we are at a beach side camp site in Asa, heading to Copenhagen tomorrow. It has been sad to leave Norway but today has been brilliant and I’m beginning to appreciate the extent of this trip! Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Croatia here we come!!

    HIGHLIGHT - riding out of Norway with Merete and Storm, the lovely waterfall
    LOW POINT - long motorway miles
    ROADS - 220
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  • Rest Day: Fredrikstad

    July 10, 2022 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    What a fantastic day!!?? I think we must have ridden 400km or 250miles around the local area and up to Lillestrom but we are staying with Marete and her family again so it was for fun as a ride out with them.

    Merete is a complete badass and after only one year of riding has a new Ducati 950 Supersport. She got into riding because her son, Storm, wanted to learn and she thought she would too. She’s a very good rider for someone who hasn’t been riding for so long. Her son, however, is in another league and should definitely do more track riding. He is one of the fastest riders I have ever followed, which is crazy considering he is just 17 and still has to wear a learner vest when he’s riding his bigger 600cc Yamaha. He also needs a responsible adult with over 5years on their license to ride behind him (if you can keep up). This was down to me for part of the day! If he got caught speeding, then I would get the ticket. I learnt this just before he wheelied out of the petrol station 😅🫣 following him was quite a lesson and a lot of fun! Later Marete then let me ride her new Ducati with only 4,500 miles on it 😍🤩 amazing but not my cup of tea.

    We have just finished the day with a BBQ and some wine before bed. I’m exhausted and very happy!!

    HIGHLIGHT - too many to mention, the whole day was brilliant
    LOW POINT - nothing
    ROADS - 114(!), 115, 120, 22, 21, 124
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  • Rauland to Fredrikstad

    July 9, 2022 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    A quick dash today just 270km (170miles) to Fredrikstad to stay with Merete and her family. We’re there now and I need to write this diary now before I get too drunk. It’s lovely here, they have fed us a BBQ and now we’re relaxing inside with beer, wine and crisps. When we stopped at Drammen, I bought some new boots which was fantastic! They were just £200 rather than £270. We didn’t do a lot of beautiful roads mainly motorways but it was good to warm up and we had our first ice cream! We’ll dash down through Sweden tomorrow and start heading south.

    HIGHLIGHTS - New boot day and meeting the lovely people at Monsterbike in Dremen
    LOW POINTS - knowing that we’re on the way out of Norway
    ROADS - E134
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  • Hol to Rauland

    July 8, 2022 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    I guess today was a final goodbye to western Norway as we begin our journey out to Oslo and then down towards Sweden and Denmark. It was a wonderful goodbye, with the weather finally turning out sunny (or at least not rainy!). Our aim was to visit some final fjords and waterfalls before getting onto the E365 west to our Airbnb for tonight at Rauland.

    We had a late start after packing up our bags after our day of organising yesterday and set off to Vorringfossen waterfall, not just for the epic view but also code and some lunch. Neither disappointed, two cappuccinos, a chicken focaccia and and apple cake ☺️😋 then the most out of this world view of the waterfall and fjord beyond. I even attempted to get my drone out but not sure how good the footage is!

    It was wonderful to spend the day back with Chez after a solo ride yesterday, these places are better shared. We still had some 4 hours left to reach our Airbnb so we hit the road in search of more views, more coffee and some petrol. Ringoy, was a wonderful little village on the edge of the fjord as was Tyssedal.

    Our final waterfall was Latefossen, another epic but not quite on the scale of Vorringfossen. We met some other bikers and finally got our stickers for Norway before hitting the road once more for bed. Annoyingly, even with all my planning, we managed to hit the same traffic over the mountain that we had two days previously and although the weather was much better, it was tiresome to wait so long on the same patch of tarmac. When we finally reached Rauland, we were both tired and slightly achy. Time for sleep!

    HIGHLIGHTS - Vorringfossen waterfall cake, focaccia and coffee, riding with Chez again
    LOW POINTS - repeat of the mountain traffic
    ROADS - Route 7, 13
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  • Rest Day: Aurlandsfjord

    July 7, 2022 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Today was the perfect remedy to yesterdays nightmare. We woke up with the sun shining and the wind a little chilly (of course). Chez needed a rest day so I went off on a solo adventure in search of sunny fjords and beautiful views.

    From our base camp near Hol, I travelled north west to the beautiful Aurlandsfjord and the Stegastein or lookout point. I put on some lovely music, wrapped myself up warm (just in case) and hit route 50. It was glorious, I haven’t felt so light hearted and joyful for a long time. It’s pointless to say that the views were incredible! Firstly I climbed up to the snow capped peaks past icy lakes and wind blown tundra before descending through tunnels and hairpins to the sheltered base of Aurlandsfjord, where the gentle breezy was warm and inviting.

    After riding up to the lookout, which was of course full of tourists I headed to the local cafe bakery for a hot cappuccino and a chocolate donut. I shared both with the local baby birds. On the way back, I embraced the cold and stopped for a break on the top of the mountain pass, a chance to appreciate the cold and desolation of these majestic passes! A perfect day to unfortunately end our time in Norway, with heavy rain for the next two weeks, we are bailing to southern warm climes. Adios Norway, you have been spectacular!

    HIGHLIGHTS - Aurlandsfjord (of course)
    LOW POINTS - knowing we are leaving Norway
    ROADS - Route 50
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  • Dalen to Hol

    July 6, 2022 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    What a fudging nightmare of a day!! We rode 4 hours in the rain to our accommodation which is essentially a shed with some beds in it 🥶😩

    On the upside we are further north now so will do some washing and then start heading back south in search of sunshine. Norway has beaten us, it must have been close to 0’c on the mountains today and hasn’t stopped raining. We have two days of dry weather tomorrow and Friday and then we’re outta here in search of sun!

    HIGHLIGHTS - lovely relaxing morning with Johnny in his glorious house and hot chocolate in Rjukan
    LOW POINTS - 4 hours riding in the horrific cold rain, realising that Norway has beaten us
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  • Brusand to Kallvikvegan to Dalen

    July 5, 2022 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Just over 400km or 250 miles for the last two days. The mission for today was a run for the sun and we succeeded but after a challenging ride over a mountain pass.

    Yesterdays weather was crazy bad as we tried to continue our journey north through the fjords along the coast. The views were beautiful, but mostly obscured by low hanging clouds and we had started to spend a small fortune on Airbnb. I learnt that the rain was getting stuck on the fjords and going no further so we decided to bail this morning and head inland.

    I can’t express how amazing the passes and roads have been, I just hope that I can show them in recordings and the videos that Chez is creating. Needless to say there was a lot and they were incredible! Our last pass of the day included snow, wide open panoramas and randomly some traffic caused by major tunnel works. We are now snuggled in an Airbnb library in the home of Johnny, I wonderful funny Norwegian who accidentally listed his house on Airbnb! Our gain!

    HIGHLIGHTS - the epic roads (of course) finding the sunshine, Johnny and the view from our room
    LOW POINTS - numb fingers and toes, traffic jam on the top of a mountain
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  • Rest Day: Brusand

    July 3, 2022 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    We decided to stay put and take the bikes for a blast without the luggage and it was a great decision! The weather was temperamental but dramatic with big rolling clouds, brilliant sunshine and vicious rain storms. It accentuated the already majestic scenery to an incredible level!

    We had a long lie on this morning, listening to the birds and the wind, relaxing in the knowledge that we had no where to be. Eventually we paddled off in search of fuel and adventures. Our destination was Lysebotn, an monumental fjord with 27 hairpin bends descending to the bottom. The pass was tactical and challenging but the road to get there felt like riding through the land of the Gods! I can’t put into words how amazing it was. Rocky plumes floating above the world in a sea of lakes.

    It was also a day of meeting other bikers and locals. At a local cafe we met a little girl and her grandmother who talked animatedly about the girls mum who set up a motorbiking store for women. Then later at the cafe above the fjord, we met some Swedish bikers travelling for a week. There were lots of bikes and bikers, finally. After 6hrs of riding we are snuggled back up in our cabin, waiting for tomorrow!

    HIGHLIGHT - the road of the Gods, the epic weather, the people and the views. Everything! I didn’t even mind getting wet
    LOW POINT - none
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  • Flauenskjold to Brusand

    July 2, 2022 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 17 °C

    We are finally in Norway! The roads have become sweeping and the views are stunning! We left Hans after some breakfast at about 8.00 this morning and booted it to the ferry, which we were slightly late for. The ferry took 2 hours and we arrived in Kristiansand at 12.15 just as the sun started to shine. The scenery changed straight away and we were eager to get onto the twisty roads and take in the breathtaking views. We rode for about 6-7hrs this afternoon and it was easy to do with so much to see, I’m not sure what to say other than this place is motorbiking navana. We’re at a little Airbnb on the coast now as the rain is due to come in later tonight and so camping would have been a bad idea.

    HIGHLIGHTS - finally in Norway enjoying the epic roads
    LOW POINTS - racing for the ferry
    ROADS - 454, 461, Fv44
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  • Vorupor to Flauenskjold

    July 1, 2022 in Denmark ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    A teeny tiny 150km or 90miles today but it has been grey and raining so I think it’s ok. Last night Chez and I had a bit of a time of it trying to figure out when and how to reach Norway whilst saving money and staying dry. In the end we messaged Hans, a wonderful guy close to the ferry in Denmark who is part of Bunk-a-biker and offered to let us stay. We’re at his family’s beautiful home now, watching the sky darken and listening to the birds as they settle down for bed. It’s just what we needed after a day of uncertainty yesterday and getting soggy today. It has still been a good day, eating yummy food, spending time editing footage, seeing the stark beauty of Denmark and laughing about how wet we were.

    HIGHLIGHTS - meeting Hans and his family and lying in bed after a long day and drinking lovely coffee
    LOW POINTS - driving past a pretty horrendous car crash, it changes your perspective a little
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  • Tonder to Vorupor

    June 30, 2022 in Denmark ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Not a huge journey today just travelled 300km (190miles) closer to the ferry in Hirtshals ready for our departure to Norway. No more motorways just some lovely back roads around Denmark, many of which were straight and slow, perfect to enjoy the surrounding countryside. We stopped in a place called Hvide Sande on the coast with wide open beaches and a little fishing port, wonderful for a spot of lunch and a coffee before hitting the road again to reach our campsite next to the sea!

    HIGHLIGHT - wonderful beaches, lovely weather and beautiful food, a walk on the beach listening to the waves
    LOW POINTS - trying to plan the coming days to avoid the inbound rain and save money whilst getting the ferry
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  • Bremen to Tonder

    June 29, 2022 in Denmark ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Not a lot has happened today really, other than many motorway miles with more crazy German drivers 😅. We covered just 320km (200miles) but had decided we deserved a more relaxing evening and a chance to have a shower, chill in a nice space and do our video for YouTube. So we arrived at our final destination for the day at just 4.45 and I’m now lying on the bed waiting for the shower, bliss! Especially considering how much we both smell… Chez just came out of the shower and said she feels like shes shed pounds of dirty! 🤣

    HIGHLIGHT - a lush Airbnb all to ourselves where we can get clean and organised and Chezs cute glasses and helmet face!
    LOW POINT - driving around Hamburg, stressful!
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  • Monster to Bremen

    June 28, 2022 in Germany ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    A long day today; approximately 450km or 280miles and I think we’re both now pretty tired. We set off from Harry and Dickies after a wonderful sleep and quite a long lie in with Donna and Lola, their dogs snuggled in with us. Dickie left us some breakfast before going for her daily walk on the beach so we packed up our bikes, ate some bread and cheese and drank some coffee in the sunshine before hitting the road.

    Our first stop was Giethoorn in Holland where I sat and had more coffee with apple cake, listening to the wind in the leaves and the sun heating our backs. Then onward for many more motorway miles to reach Germany and our final destination just outside Bremen where we accidentally tried to join a naturist campsite and then found a quiet place next to a lake. We’re both pretty shattered now so looking forward to sleep! I’m also glad to say that my eye is feeling better, I removed a large amount of fluff from it this morning so I hope that has fixed it. Now my shoulder aches instead!

    HIGHLIGHTS - changing from Dutch highways with a speed limit of 100km/h to the German autobahn’s where the “crazy cunts” go as fast as the want, often well over 180km/h; quite a shock!
    LOW POINTS - feeling tired, hungry and thirsty when we finally reached the campsite at 7.30pm and then realising we needed to go to the shop to buy some food
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  • Hook of Holland to Monster

    June 27, 2022 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    “How many miles did you travel on your first day?” People would ask. “Oh, about 15km!” … but we have a reason. Of all the days to have a problem with your eye, today is the day! I woke up this morning with tiny spots of blood on my pillow and my eye irritated (it still hurts as I write this 😔) but we’ll get to that soon. We got off the ferry at 8am and were immediately integrated by a border guard, thanks Brexit. He asked where we were going, how long for and whether we had a return journey. We seemed to clear his questions and traveled to see Ted and Harry in Monster for some coffee.

    Ted has covid but it was lovely to see Harry, Jim, Beau, Ed and even Pete dropped by! As the day wore on my eye became more painful until Harry suggested we go to the pharmacy and then later the doctor. They were excellent and prescribed me some eye meds to help soothe it and stop an infection. By the time we were done it was too late to ride and my eye was still sore so Harry and Dickie very kindly offered for us to stay at theirs for the night. We gratefully accepted and had a lovely evening exploring little Dutch villages, having dinner on the beach and walking along the shore.

    What a lovely day! Now we are finally in bed and looking forward to tomorrow! Hopefully the eye will be held!

    HIGHLIGHTS- a wonderful dinner and evening with Dickie and Harry
    LOW POINTS - thinking I might have an eye infection and having a sore eye
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  • Cambridge to Hook of Holland

    June 26, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today is the day! The first day on our mega Europe Trip, it’s all very surreal today and nothing has sunk in but it’s fantastic to be riding together again after many of months of not seeing each other.

    We’re on the ferry now, all snuggled up in our bunk beds, Chez is on bottom bunk and I’m on the top. The weather has been kind for our first day, not too hot and not too cold. After saying a big goodbye to Mama and Papa Chez and Dunphy, we hit the A roads to Harwich, 2 hours of fighting strong head winds and squaring off tyres on endless duel carriage ways.

    Once at Harwich we found a pub with some lovely locals, a cozy place where it felt as though everyone knew each other. With our heavily laden bikes parked outside we had a quick drink before heading to the ferry.

    Here’s to the beginning of our travels!

    HIGHLIGHTS - a man from the local pub bowing at us after we told him that we would be travelling for 4 months, we made his night.
    LOW POINTS - long A road duel carriageways with gusty winds
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