BootsnAll Travel Blogs

Tucker and I left home on the bikes – in rain – and headed down Oxford way, to meet up with Big (sic) Al. From there it was an uneventful (but now dry) onward journey to Portsmouth and a bar meal before heading on the overnighter to Le Havre.
Being one of the first on board, we managed to get great reclining seats and sleeping space, so all tucked into sleeping bags (and Al in his very ghey blindfold) to sleep.

Next Morning, we set off on the wrong side of the road thru some lovely picturesque villages and towns until we reached Pegasus Bridge where we stopped at the very famous cafe for breakfast of coffee and croissants 🙂
After a little sightseeing, we headed onwards until we reaached our new base of Bayeux – which turned into a lovely old town with fab cathedral and narrow streets.
The campsite (municipal) was also great – nice sites with good ablutions and an Aldi and MacD across the street.

After pitching camp, we headed to the seaside and Arromanche where we found a lovely little town with enormous concrete relics of the Mulberry Harbour, littering the beach and which had such a pivotal role in the D-Day invasion

The next few days were spent visiting so many of the D-Dy beaches, memorials and cemeteries – very atmospheric, interesting AND fun!
Our last full day together was spent at the fabulous island of Mont St. Michel, with its amazing cathedral, shops and winding streets – and of course coffee shops 😉
On the way there we had stopped at William the Conqueror’s home town – and discovered that until he changed his name, he was known as William the Bastard!!
That night we had a great meal in yet another great little restaurant in Bayeux (we ate sooo well for the whole trip -including snails and Creme Brulee …tho not at the same time)
Next day we headed to Utah beach and memorial before saying farewell to Al who had to return home for the W word. Tucker and I returned to Bayeux via some more fortifications that had only recently been rediscovered (I also let Tuck ride my bike as I knew he would be bored on the Panzer by now)
Next day and I had done some research and found a real Panzer to go and visit (all we had seen so far were US or GB tanks) so we headed south by 100km or so and eventually found it 🙂 got a nice photo of Tuck on his Panzer in front of a very similar (in terms of looks and performance) 1940’s version. We then headed back to Bayeux and visited the Tapestry museum and the British War Cemetery (not as grand as the US Omaha site, but also very atmospheric)
We packed and took our leave from Bayeux next day and headed south on some very non-touristy route roads down to Le Mans
MOTOGP!!! we arrived at Le Mans Bleu camping on Thursday afternoon – thinking we were going to be early …apparently not! …the campsite was already a scene from Armageddon with bikes banging ff the rev limiter, wheelies everywhere and general mayhem and carnage ensuing! We got in and made camp in a patch of grass, completely shocked by the noise and goings on ….some nice new bikes arrived next to us and Tuck spoke the immortal line ” well, they’ll not be revving the bikes” ….just after dark that night, they too stood chatting amogst themselves while holding the bikes on the rev limiter and flicking the kill switch to get flames out of the zorst!!….absolutely crazy!
speaking of which there was a group of bikers on site wh were VERY professional in their set up: one guy (at least) would sit burning up a tyre till it popped at which point someone would give him another bike while the previous one had a new tyre fitted to start all over again! ….and these bikes had home made exhaust cans of various designs, but mainly megaphone type with the open end being a foot wide, no silencer, but with a little funnel attched to the top of the ‘phone …. this was to allow oil to be dripped in, while the engine sits on teh rev limiter, producing 10ft long flames out the back!!
sheer unadulterated carnage!!!!! and with bikes wheelying around and accidents requiring a constant stream of ambulances into the place!


We had a great time walking around and taking in the atmosphere – tho Tuck was a little worried about his bike disappearing. I got up on the first morning at about 6 and walked off to find a coffee stall …there was no queue there, but the BEER stall next door had a HUGE queue – one guy actually tipped over and fell unconscious in it!
We had a night in Le Mans, taking the Metro there and back (and getting in some trouble for not using the tickets properly 😉 ) nice cathedral and streets andd a beer in the town square
By now the rain had appeared so the racing was a bit of a damp affair, though we had found a good viewing point, so sat there for race day along with some french guys we had met up with in the campsite. All the races were great, but the best part was Rossi overtaking Stoner on the bend in front of us to the delight of the fans too 🙂

We left straight after the race and headed north on the peage – which were free to bikers for the day!!! and eventually arrived at Boulogne where we fell exhausted into a cheap hotel /tuck new and then had a burger and beer before hitting the sack
Unfortunately the next morning – the ONLY morning we had to be up early as we had the Chunnel booked – we slept in! … A dash along the coast got us there in time for the next one, with no penalties, so that was ok. Safely on board, Tuck changed his number plate back to a proper sized version, then we disembarked, stopped for brekkie at a services then headed north and home.
A very fabulous trip 🙂

Just back from Israel and its time for the annual Scots Memorial ride in memory of Has2 – a fallen ninja rider.
Tucker and I rode down to Middleton in Teesdale for coffee and to meet up with the suthern softies riding up from doon sooth.
they eventually arrived after we’d feasted on bacon sarnies and fresh coffee…..JUST as the rain arrived too.
We had a fairly brisk ride thru to Alston and then up to Hartside. Unfortunately we were a couple of riders short when we got there!: Gaz (bless ‘im) had run out of fuel! ….and the exhaust on Emma’s (Shezza) bike had separated into its component parts! An easy fix for both and after another coffee and lunch, we set off North past Kielder, and Bonchester bridge, to Hawick for a petrol stop, then Selkirk and the dreaded A7 up to Edinburgh.
At Edinburgh we lost a couple of riders at traffic control lights etc. but eventually – in the rain – we all managed to meet up at Davy/Grumpy and Chyrel’s house in Leith.
A goodly old night out in town that night with a smashing meal (mmmm blackpudding starter) and a bizarre cross-dressing local and it was ime to fall asleep in a chair somewhere 😉
Next morning, Chyrel produced one of her amazing breakfasts and after watching – and waiting for – Big Al to clean his rear wheel….. we set off to Stirling services to meet everyone else.
The weather was perfect and was so good to meet up with Jarse, Glenmac, Alzo, Davy and to meet Gayle.
next we were all off to the Green Welly, where we parked up in a layby and waited for nothing in particular to happen……thats when I noticed my fork seal was leaking again! …2nd one this year!!! hey ho.
Off to Oban next, for chips and for Glenmac to feed the seagulls. Tucker and I set off fairly sharply from here and rode alone to the petrol station at Glencoe. Eventually everyone arrived and after saying farewell to the masses, some of the english contingent set off further north to Eilan Donan castle. A fab and very quick ride got us there in double quick time (that road is sooo grippy) and after a petrol stop and a gander at teh castle, we headed off again north to Ullapool – our destination for the night.
Some of us were a little later than others to Ullapool 😉 but we all got there safely…complete with broken luggage rail, destroyed tyre, lost bag cover etc. etc.
Me and Tucker were in a hotel whilst most others were in the hostel and a couple were in a B&B
We had a nice evening – though I had to cut it short to sleep again 🙁 then a good sleep and great brekkie and we all met up again. I decided to hang around for a day or so, whilst the majority were heading to Inverness and then down the Lecht road to Edinburgh to stay at Grumpy’s again …one fella had to ride straight home with the canvas showing thru his tyre!
I headed thru to Lochinver and then north again to Durness right on the north coast, before having to head back to Scoura for petrol. Then a slow almost walking pace ride down some single track thru awesome scenery back to the main road back into Ullapool – great day ….fab roads…and lush coffee!
Next day I as up with the larks and had a walk around the harbour, before waiting for the petrol station to open at 7:30 and heading down to Grantown on Spey, where I HAD to stop for coffee and a hot sandwich – I was sooo cold on the bike, I hadnt put my jacket on over my leathers and paid the price dearly …. shivering uncontrollably inside the cafe.
After warming up, it was south on the Lecht road past the ski resorts – incredible road…very fast and very scenic too. I stopped at Breamar for coffee and had a chat with a lady on an SV. Then further south till I turned off for Dunkeld, where I sat at teh side of the river after dining on chicken salad and coffee.
West from there, thru Milton, Aberfeldy adn then along Loch Tay to Killin, where I found a great hotel with B&B for £43 !! … a couple of beers and a chilli later and it was time to rest up till the morning.
I decided to ride thru Dunblane next day to see what I could remember from staying there in 1985 (?) ..not a lot was the answer! ..I was thru it before I recognised anywhere!, then thru Stirling and into Edinburgh for petrol, then down the A68 towards home.
AS I crossed into England at Carter Bar, I came up on a caravan and a couple of cars …one of which looked a little suspicious – an unmarked, white Volvo. yep, the Rozzers. End of ride…I thought.
But not quite! ..at a suitably clear point in the road, the Volvo sped off. hmmm I thought …if an unmarlked car displaying “driver under training” can do that, then so can I! ..so I followed…..for the next 60 miles or so to Ponteland, we travelled at a minimum of 95mph – with the copper occasionally going over the ton (I decided discretion was the better part of valour and stayed <100mph 😉 ) was a great ride! …never thought I would sit behind a copper at those speeds!! 🙂