Swiss Alps 2002

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Friday dawned bright, sunny and warm. Dave and I went down for breakfast as soon as the restaurant opened. It was the usual French fair. Crusty bread, butter, jam and lashings of Hot coffee. After 30 mins Richard and Patto joined us.

We were soon on the road again and didn't stop until we reached Luxembourg were we filled up with cheap gas. Just £5 to fill the RT's tank and that's at motorway prices. Needles to say the filling station was very busy.

Close up of a touring Tmax. Note the colour matched bag on the rear. Due to its relatively small fuel tank it seemed magnetically drawn to filling stations, rather like a dog to lamp posts :-)

The only problem encountered was on the last part of the Brussels ring road. It was mid afternoon and the traffic was horrendous. We had to be booked in with the ferry by 17:30 and time was just slipping away. A local biker tried to show us how to ride between the queued traffic lanes. I didn't need showing but trying to push a R1100Rt though the traffic was no easy task. With shattered nerves we cleared Brussels. I was very glad of the GPS throughout the trip but it was essential now as I couldn't afford to miss a turning or get lost. I was heading for Jcn 8 on the A10 but at Jcn 11 there was a sign for the ferry ports. It looked way to soon to turn off but I thought it was probably a way of avoiding Bruges. We took the turning and followed the signs to the ferry port. The GPS showed us take a torturous route, and if that was the best way to the port I'll eat my hat! Dave's Tmax made a lunged toward another filling station but there just wasn't time to stop.

Amazingly we made it, had it not been for the Brussels traffic it would have been easy. had we tried to do the trip in one day I'm sure we would have missed the ferry.

The bikes were tied down with ridiculously inadequate pieces of nylon rope thrown to us as we rode on. Its a no win situation. Tie the bike well down and the rope could damage the bike. don't bother with the rope and if the ship hits bad weather it falls over...

We were lucky the sea was like a mill pond.

David, Richard & Patto.

Patto & Richard

Last picture: Patto, Martin, Dave & Richard.

The P&O Ferry really was first rate. David and myself tried the evening meal and breakfast the next morning, both were buffet meals. That's the first time I have tried Yorkshire Pudding & Chips together, we both should be dead from over eating :-)

I'll end the story hear as the ride home from the ferry in Hull was nothing. and if you have read this far, well done. Should you be inspired to travel abroad do make sure you are fully covered. That's your E111 (from the post office) Breakdown recovery and holiday insurance. Take it easy and enjoy the ride, its well worth the effort.

Essential reading:

AlpineRoads.com website, for the best motorcycling roads in the Alps!

If you intend visiting the Alps, you must buy this book. It contains more information than you could possible want including recommended routes with maps, places to stay & things to see.

The Alps and Corsica by John Hermann. Whitehorse Press. ISBN 1-884313-12-4

Ebbo (Martin)

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