My European motorbike odyssey

Rode from Port Saint Avertin to Caen for an overnight stay and then was going to stop overnight, near Amiens, to have a look at the WW1 Battlefields/Museums (Pozieres, Fromelles etc.). The hotel I picked was a disaster,in what looked to be the seedy/dangerous side of town, so I moved on (120 odd kms) to Nampont (the Hotel's english name translation is "poplar" (as in the tree). Well I gussed as in tree, because it can't of been "popular. Wasn't seedy but wasn't fair even for the price (I got desperate as it was getting late) and I didn't pay a lot!!!. Ordinary food, internet best described as non-existent and less than comfortable room I'm pretty sure someone had a dog in the room, or maybe, like me, another smelly biker. Just as well I stpped off at Honfleur along the way - fantastic port town). Have look at the pic - according to Sarah I must be getting good at asking random people to take my pic, and none have runaway with my phone yet.

Am staying at Wasquehal (only 10kms from the Belgian border). Went to Fromelles to visit the Australian WW1 memorial/cemetary. Not much more to say than sobering, a lot of very brave young men, many just 19 and 20 years old - makes you think. 5,553 Australians died, went missing or were injured in an assault ladting only 24 hours.

To something lighter - managed to wash my jeans and jocks today with even getting off the bike. It poured for a while and naked bikes don't do a great job of keep water away. But the good part is it fined up and they dried in about 10 minutes. Not because it got sunny (it did), but I took a wrong turn and ended up on a very fast toll way. Not much choice but to sit on the speed limit of 130kph. But, it was actually the wind from BMWs, Audis and Mercs (even VW Golfs) passing me at about 165 (even though the speed limit is 130 kph) that did it!!!! Have only been honked once for being on the wrong side of the road, and at least was in the safety a shopping car park.

Again, Cya for nowEn savoir plus