Hard to believe but since we completed our mammoth tour of the American Rockies in September 2022, we have managed precisely one (ONE!) night away with all three of us in the saddle. One or other of us has been indisposed ever since. In summer 2023 Rob and I managed a 12 day trip to Scotland, and Eric and I managed a short tour of Wales in the autumn but without Rob.
So to say that 2023 was our most barren year for a while would be an understatement. But we have great plans for 2024 and nothing will stop us!
We have managed a short 4 day trip to Wales and back in the early spring. We even called in to see Edward Elgar, just outside Worcester. It was shut - typical of our current run of luck!
But the big one is upon us! Through northern Europe to the Baltic States and back through Scandinavia.
And on the plus side Eric is now the proud owner of a nearly new Triumph Tiger 900 GT. And very nice it looks too, although he has broken the unwritten rule that we only ride black motorbikes. A couple of thousand miles on the clock, still in warranty, and low seat that means there is a fair chance that he won't keel over at each junction or petrol station. They don’t even make these any more (there clearly aren’t enough shortarsed riders out there to make it worthwhile), so the boy has done well to pick one up at a bargain price for a bike that is virtually new. And that ancient Yammy was going to let him down at some point, even if it is premium Japanese engineering.
Rob, not to be outdone has gone and bought an almost identical bike (except it is black, good boy) and I am left with the oldest one of the team. Not happy! And they will both have cruise control, and will doubtless remind me of the fact at every opportunity. I will just have to lead all the time and vary the speed so much they can’t use it!
So here we are, it is almost mid June 2024, over 18 months since our United States odyssey, but we are raring to go.
There have been several planning meetings, which mostly consist of poring over maps, and drinking too much, leading with almost comical inevitability to plans that are either impractical, impossible or both. But that never stop us. Eventually we get up the next morning and look again and decide on something slightly more workable. We have already rebooked a ferry from Estonia to Sweden twice I think.
And so on 10 June, we are off. Heading for the giddy delights of Harwich first, a good old ‘Spoons pub bagged for our first night of nonsense (when we will actually look at a map seriously), and plan our route from Hook of Holland, through the Netherlands and on to Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and back through Scandinavia. What could possibly go wrong?!
Eric has of course lined up any number of ruined buildings, which may or may not be on any sort of sensible route. Our language skills will of course see us fluent in everything from Welsh, through Irish, to Australian, which will be a fat lot of use in Poland and beyond. But will we care? Not a bit of it. The open road is beckoning and it is too long since we have been away for an extended period. If all goes approximately to plan, we represent ourselves to Stena ferries in Rotterdam about 3 weeks later and with something like three thousand miles or so behind us we will have had many a laugh, and seen some amazing places.
And so here is my beloved Honda, ready to go... (even if it is oldest bike on the tour)
Wish us luck! Next update should be somewhere on the other side of the North Sea. (I will remember to take the disc lock off)
Comments