Just back from a trip around Northern France, Belgium, Holland, 12 days 1560 miles later 2 up fully loaded and my trusty 88000 mile Fazer 600 didn't miss a beat even when pushed fully loaded on a few Motorways.
Took in Mont St Michel, Beach in Granville, (watching a 12 metre high tide come in was interesting) the Musee Somme 1916 in Albert, wild traffic and blocked roads due to accidents in Belgium (glad I was on the bike, even rode down the wrong way down a slip road when everything was stopped dead due to a second accident on the detour route
) and finally made it to our goal, an Andre Rieu concert in Maastricht.
Left my camera in the Hotel when we left for the concert
Yes, Belgium does have the worst signage and road system in europe, but once you know it then it is not an issue.
No sat nav used just a map in the tank bag, but did resort to the GPs in my phone to get out of Mons in Belgium after being there for over an hour when 4 exit routes were blocked due to accidents. Saw later in the news it took 4 hours to clear the accidents and another hour to clear the traffic back log.
Only rain we got was the crappy drizzle/fog from Cardiff to Carnew when heading for the 2:45am ferry home from in Pembroke,(sorry Fraser, but thought better of calling to your house after midnight
) which added half an hour to the journey time from Dover. The trip was Cork, Rosslare, Cherburg, Ducey (4 nights), Albert (2 nights), Valkenburg (4 Nights), Calais, Dover, Pembroke, Rosslare, Cork.
Need to spend more time in Albert to visit the memorials, Museum took nearly 3 hours to walk around. A very emotional experience and we will be returning for the 100 year anniversary. Even more emotional for my wife whose Grandfather died in Salonica just 4 months before the war ended.
Pictures are:
the bunch of flowers for my wife Ellen
Before and after the war pictures of the village of Poziers taken in the museum
The concertin full swing
and
finally my trusty steed and Ellen after our 660 mile return journey in 24 hours.