Easy like Friday morning.

Not much to report today. My other-half is "not veery wheel" as she says it. That being the case she's upstairs sleeping it off while I was charged with the responsibility of leaving her alone. I took a ride for a couple of hours, nothing special but it was such a relief to get the weight off and just ride my bike again. The scenery here is great. I found a fire-roads but have no idea of the legalities of riding them so I gave in when i found a sign, just in case. Nobody I asked seemed to know either but my impression is that nobody would care one way or another.
We had no luck buying a travel charger to fix her camera so I cut a USB lead and made one using insulating tape and an Iphone adapter. It worked ok and charged her battery enough for a few days. I replaced mine with a very cheap camera which takes pretty poor photos. It will do till I get access to my own bank account, right now I had to leave with an expired bank card so we're running only on the cash we brought which is not ideal.


Universal truths to traveling.
Part 1

Every hotel/motel/hostel will have a bathroom floor made of something impossible to stand up on while wet.

Every road you need to go on will be a one way street blocked against you

Google, maps and GPS will be fine until it really, really matters.

You will come back with half the stuff you went with and the missing stuff will be the stuff you need most. (Camera... tools.... wets....)

If you have it then you won't need it.

The thing you most worry about won't happen but something you never thought of that is far worse probably will.

No amount of preparation can prepare you for something you didn't know you had to prepare for.

Everyone speaks a little bit of English. Just enough to completely misunderstand what the hell you're trying to ask them.

Everyone is an arsehole in a big city.

BMW riders just don't want a conversation with you. Everyone else will be happy to chat.

Taking your partner on the road is a mistake.

You can never carry too much water.

Failure to prepare is preparing to make your life very, very stressful.

You're absolutely right my lord
phase with the BMW drivers ....funnyyyyyyyy

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ADVENTURES LUGGAGE
www.konvoi.ro

The road less traveled

Well she's still not well. I was going to respect her privacy but I figured, what the hell. The reason for this blog is for the people reading it to learn from my mistakes so the fact is, it's her time of the month. She's normally fine with it but maybe a combination of the climate, food and seating position have made this one pretty uncomfortable for her. We were going to camp but we're in a low cost Etap hotel instead and booked into an F1 tomorrow night. Sadly tomorrow is going to be a long day, we're pushing now to Eastern Europe so we're riding from Toulouse to Lyon. Not a big journey but a dull one so a big effort.
Today was a fairly long ride but oh so worth it... From Girona to Toulouse. The GPS and google wanted us to backtrace our steps on the A7 autopista but we both fancied doing something a bit more ambitious. We decided to go inland and cross the Pyrenees a bit further in, almost into Andorra. We didn't know what we were going to find there so we just went to see what would happen. Coming over was great scenery but it was just a motorway so it was all very sanitised. This time we stuck to backroads and it was simply amazing.
We headed off from Girona with a fairly heavy heart. I liked it there and had enjoyed the break. Bareclona was meant to be a rest stop but was awful, really stressful and with her getting ill we took a few days there instead. I'm really glad we did, it's a great little town. Not big enough to get lost in, just easy to find your way about and it had just enough of everything we needed.
We headed out towards Banyola to Olot and onwards from there. It was so nice to get back on the road and even more exciting to be faced with genuinely no idea of what was up ahead. I knew it would be better than the road in, that was all.
The road to Rizolla was ok, nice scenery, lots of farms and fairly easy to navigate. We stopped for directions in Rizolla but it turned out to be Olot and we hadn't got as far as we thought. The mountains were looming large now and I'm poor with heights so it was a slightly anxious time. I know it would have been easy to avoid all this but where's the fun in that?
As we headed in the scenery changed and we started seeing these great little villages and towns with friendly people and great, clean scenery. Everything was so nice, no matter where you looked there was another great view.
We followed a wrong sign and it took us up... and up. The road was narrow, so narrow that two cars would have struggled to pass. At first I had rocks to the side of my lane but on the other side was nothing, no barrier, no boundry, just a drop onto rocks. I was starting to get a little nervous and then the lanes switched sides so the drop was on my side. I ignored it as best I could and focused on the road. That was a good iea in any case as hairpin turns were coming at me like spray off a wet lorry. One lapse of concentration and we were dead. Even she knew it this time and she started clinging on tight. I took a chance to stop at a rare layby on the drop-side of the road and checked a map. I was sure we'd gone wrong. We reconciled to continue in any case but then some push-bikers turned up and confirmed we were on the wrong road so with some relief we turned about and headed down. Now I'm not a nervous guy. I've thrashed an RSV Millie flat-out on a road and took on a gang of a dozen guys once armed only with harsh language but this made me sweat. I'm not good with heights but I'm proud to say I took it like a man but was breathing a sigh of relief when we made it down.
After that we found Rizolla and took a short break. The added benefit of this path was far fewer toll roads so the toll money was spent on chocolate cake and my other half fuelled herself up on that while running about snapping photographs like a thing possessed.
We then headed off. The map was tricky (large scale) and I couldn't make out where the border was but we hadn't made it there yet. Then we started climbing... An ominous sign approached, a yellow BMW GS on my side of the road... he wobbled back to his own side to pass and we carried on. I knew what this meant. We were coming up for a climb into the mountains, nothing else makes a man drive a motorcycle down the wrong lane of a narrow strip. We climbed fast, I watched the signs by the side of the road as they measured off the altitude to around 2km up and the road was still far from the peak of the mountains. I saw a floral tribute to Oliver at the side of the road and briefly imagined our name on one. Then another to David. The hairpins doubled back on themselves and opened out to unimaginably beautiful scenery. There was some traffic about but nothing to stop this being an amazing experience. We couldn't get pics of the really great stuff as there was nowhere to stop but it was an intense experience. We stopped at one pooint and a group of sportsbikes passed us but even they were sticking to the speed limits.
At one point there was horses just wandering around on the lanes as if this wasn't challenging enough. We then passed a field full of them and I knew she wanted pictures so we doubled back. I turned in a small clearing and it was littered with smashed bits of motorcycle screens and fairings where someone had failed to make a turn. Scary stuff to see but everyone up there was behaving and the wind was low so really the danger was mostly perceived. We took our time and I focused on what I was doing. The bike came into her own, the single cylinder engine had braking and torque so the tight corners where under good control. This tight hairpin lane went on for 40 miles! By the end I was just relived to see some flat ground. We pulled into a town, our mid-way destination and we had a coffee. I checked the map and we still had another crossing to get back out of the Pyrenees on the French side! The border was non-existent and signs were vague but tolerable. In France you just keep going until you see a sign that says otherwise. Simple really... until it goes wrong which it frequently does.
The French side was darker, greener and flatter. The road goes round the mountains rather than embracing them. To the French they are an inconvenience, to the Spanish a joy. We followed the directions of a French biker after the signs ran out and he directed us to a long underground tunnel. We had to pay a toll on that but there was nobody about and it occurred to me to just go round the barrier. We didn't but we should have.
Once on the other side we caught the rain or rather it caught us. She put on her wets. Mine are now missing, presumed lost in action. Luckily my gear is meant to be waterproof. The rain hit us hard and slowed our progress significantly. I could feel the belting rain through my armoured gear, each drop registering on my arms and legs. I warned her the bike handled like an excited puppy in the wet with TKC80 tyres so we took it easy. Actually we outran the rain in about 20 mintues and headed into brighter skies. We stopped for a breather and the black clouds began catching us up so we took to the roads again, just keeping ourselves ahead of the rain. We managed to make and hold around 75mph which was quick enough in the wind with the weight we're carrying. We ate the kms pretty fast and were in Toulouse before we knew it. We got caught at another toll gate but we were tired and I just wanted to get there so we sucked down the charges. Toulouse signposts hindered our progress and we saw the same piece of road 5 times but we made it in the end.
Tomorrow will be a dull day, I imagine but we need to make progress. Everything is expensive here so we need to push on.

Universal truth of traveling... supplemental.

Whenever you ask directions, no matter that you're wearing full bike gear, carrying a lid, standing next to a bike, getting off the bike or still on it, people will always ask you, "Are you driving?"

I asked a guy today, the bike in plain view behind me, me fully kitted in bike gear and carrying a lid and he gave me directions to the underground station... Weird...

he probably looked at you and thought your a tramp (bum for the yanks) and needed a dry place to sleep... not really his fault

Cross Country moto... No Challenge

Quite an easy day today. We’re still suffering under the curse of womens issues so instead of a longer drive into Lyon we had a shortened trip into Albi which took roughly an hour. Getting out of Toulouse was pretty straight forward and I was able to follow the signs all the way from one hotel to another. If I’d followed the GPS or google maps I’d probably still be there now...
Anyway, one minor issues was with my front tank. There were marks on the front upper lip where I can only assume the tyre has made contact. I’ve tried to replicate the conditions by jumping it up and down curbs loaded and unloaded and braking as hard as possible but nothing. I’ve marked the front with powder and cannot get the tyre to mark the fresh powder. I can only assume it’s from Barcelona where we braked for our lives behind a scooter, it’s the only full-blooded emergency stop I’ve made. From now on I’ll ride more carefully and keep a close eye on it. When I get back I will look at moving it. I might be able to move it back or down a bit or maybe switch it to mount on the side of the bike (my original idea) so we’ll have a play when i get home. I like the weight where it is but frankly the spot will be fine to mount other heavy gear so nothing is really lost
Ambi is nice. An old town full of French clichés and impressive architecture. The cathedral was open to the public and she went into shutter-bug mode instantly, firing snaps off at everything. We were allowed to just walk in and she observed, quite rightly, “not like England... they want paying for everything...”
We found an old monument bridge and my vertigo oddly flared up. It was only a hundred metres high above water and chances of survival if you were to fall were good. Yesterday chances of survival were less than none but I was fine. I guess irrational fear is not meant to be logical. Nice to know I’m still carrying totally baseless emotional baggage. In any case, I still walked across it and the view was very impressive. People are nice here too. I like France but it’s so damn expensive. Food is now three times the price it was a hundred miles ago. It’s good though, the cooking here is top notch. I want to try a McDonalds at some point to see what they’re like here but we haven’t even seen one.
We had a bit of rain today. The weather forecast says it’s in for tonight and then clears up. Showers by Thursday but we’ll be in another country by then so we’ll see what happens.
My brother has bought a V-strom for touring. He’s coming away with me on the Europe leg of my ride to Asia. It’s going to be a more hard-core trip, we’ll be packing less weight and running cheap. No hotels this time, camping rough. I think it’s the wrong bike, not just for the trip but for him. He tends to get bored with bikes too quickly and I can’t see the Strom getting under his skin and I think he needs to learn to love a bike and keep it long enough to bond with it. I also think that while comfortable it might be a bit too bland and heavy but we’ll see. It’s got more power than i’ve got and his bum won’t be as sore... maybe I’m jealous of that.
I think my bike is perfect for my big trip and the modifications make it just right but there’s other considerations. I use my bike daily at home. I can’t afford to take it off the road for 6 months at a time between trips to prep it. She always needs to be ready. She’ll also be daily used when i arrive in Thailand so I had to consider that too. The only thing I didn’t consider is this Europe trip, 2 up. I didn’t have that in mind when i bought my bike or even when i started the upgrades. The suspension work was just for my own benefit. The upshot is that she’s doing fine but I’m not happy with the extra weight. She’s not designed, built or rebuilt for this. I’m being careful and so far no sign of problems. I wanted the Touratech rear boxes which come with a steel subframe and can handle the weight. The cost was over £1100 and boxes are not ideal off road. My solution was £300. I thought about the 09 rear steel subframe but that was £800 from BMW (I could buy a Honda Dominator for that and just ride it). Again, not worth the cash for the possibility of snapping the subframe which is a slim possibility and I’m already taking precautions against by packing carefully. Power wise... I guess the truth is I could have done with a V-strom. I know there are crazy (American mostly) people on the ADV forum (mostly crazy Americans) who reckon the Strom is a true enduro capable of anything including travelling through time, flying and fighting robot dinosaurs but the truth is that’s a low-slung multi-strada machine with cast wheels that can just about handle some fire-roads. With two up that would have suited me fine. Acutally I looked into possible weight savings of stripping one to the bone and reworking it with better shock and forks but I found the cost prohibitive and still thought the Beemer the better bike (opinion varies).
In any case it’s always exciting to have a new bike on the table so I’m keen to see what he does with it. For my money I’d add HID spotlights straight off, upgrade the horn and look into a sturdier bash-plate. I don’t know much about the suspension but the upgrades I made to mine were well worth the money so I’d look into that. I’d not use plastic boxes, I think they’re too flimsy, especially on unmade roads which we’re planning to use. I’d go with bags and simply bungie them to the racks. Anyway, I’m keen to see what he does.
I find myself looking at the back of bikes now everywhere we go. My partner doesn’t speak English as a first language so sometimes the conversation is a little basic. Being surrounded by foreigners is making me feel even more isolated. I speak a little French but not enough to hold a worthwhile conversation. I find myself hoping to meet some English people, ideally with a bike so we can talk bollocks over a . Maybe that’s why I’m rambling so much in my blogs but hey.... you don’t have to read this crap...

Well we went into town for a wander. I feel like a proper tourist now. I tell you what, it was ok just wandering round snapping pics and mingling. Sunday is death in France. Everything is closed. I speak enough French to get by in a shop but somehow just couldn't get it today. I guess it was a regional accent, I couldn't get a word of it. That said, everyone was so nice about it. Last night we went for a pizza and a girl working there came over and told us in broken English she could help us with the menu. Tonight the waiter did the same. He caught me on the way to the toilet and showed me what things were in the kitchen to help me decide. Honestly, people out here could not be nicer. There were a few arsehole kids knocking about but if you look at them they smile and wander off sheepishly. All front, no real animosity anywhere. What a really lovely little town. So unlike England.
Once I had to go to Birmingham with my regional manager on a conference. We got a bit lost looking for the hotel and crossed in front of a car by accident. This big black car pulled up beside us and the window came down and a massive Indian looking guy leant out. We went into combat mode ready to give some abuse back and the guy just said, "Are you guys lost, can i help?" Such is life in London. We get shit all the time and we learn to expect it and be ready. It's a horrible way to be but it's life. I worked in Cash Converters for a while (those ends don't meet by themselves.) I managed the buying counter in a real scumtown. Fights every single day, usually constant. We were on first name terms with the local police we saw them all so often. I guess you just get so used to this kind of life you don't notice any more. Being out here where life is easy and there's nothing to prove is so refreshing.
We drove into town with no jackets, no gloves, no tube, nothing but our lids. I felt like a total criminal. Again, we just parked anywhere and no problems. Of course we showed due respect and so long as you do there's no problem. You don't cause one for them, they won't cause one for you. Far cry from London where you make a slight deviation from the hopelessly complicated and heavy-handed laws and you get an on-the-spot fine and a good telling-off.
Sorry to brits everywhere... this way is better by far. England is wrong, very wrong and the more I see of the world the more I think so. Travelling by bike obviously has it's own problems but I still prefer it to flying out or backpacking. I'm a biker first, i guess.
Not much else to report that will be relevant or vaguely interesting.
We're staying in an F1 hotel. It's clean but very, very basic. Cheap too, cheaper than a camp site, at least those I can find online. 30 euros and you get a room with a double bed with a bunk over the top. You get a sink but toilet and washrooms are seperate. The door has an entry code but the buttons are in a strange non-logical order. The same code lets you in the building or inside the locking front gate. It's fairly secure and has CCTV and an all night attendant. It is basic but it's decent enough. I would definitely recommend if the time is dragging on and you're tired. Even better if there's 3 of you although if you're biking you could get 2 more on the floors. Nobody cares.
Water pressure is a bit ferocious, the shower is like get pressure washed.
She's feeling better now, more like her old self so we're pushing on to the black forest. Once night in Lyon and then Mulhouse and onwards towards Poland... Hopefully.

Added info...

The bike saw 185 miles before the little yellow warning went on. I filled up at the French border, well she was filled up for me. The girl did a good job, it looked like and took both the main and front tank to the brim. There were som curly, curvy mountain roads, a 75mph blast for 40-50 miles, some getting lost in Toulouse, a gentle 65mph cruise for 60-70 miles today and the rest pottering about in town. That's over 2 days in 28-30 degree heat so some escaped and two up with heavy luggage. I'm impressed, the fuel capacity and economy is bang on. That's delivering a genuine 76.45mpg (uk) overall. I'm happy with that. at that rate the fuel is literally cheaper than the tolls.