Wednesday 30 July 2008

Best fish & chip cafe in Wales

Thanks Donna and Danny for the best fish and chips we've had.
Enochs Fish & Chips
146 Conwy Road
Llandudno Junction
North WalesLL31 9DU

Photos of Scotland trip

Colleen soaking up the Heeeland sun!
When bikers die, they don't go to heaven - they go to the Scottish Highlands to play!
Signpost at John O'Groats
Our country estate ;)
William Wallace Memorial
Edinburgh Castle
Michael and Sandy
More Heeeelands
Rob Roy's Grave
Stirling Castle
Isle of Skye
All loaded up
Bridge over the water to Skye
The Loch of Scotland (notice the shape - looks like Scotland)
Finally made it from Lands End to John O'Groats
The Heeeelands
More Heeeelands
One of the Lochs on the way to Skye

Trip to Scotland

18-19 July 2008 – Left North Wales and travelled to the Lakes District and stayed the night in Windemere – rained all day! Next morning was raining and very windy and be headed north, bypassing Glasgow and headed to Lock Lomond. Into the heeelands and some great winding roads and fantastic scenery. On to Loch Ness to find nessy; Urquart Castle, the Commando Memorial and Fort William.
By Monday 21 July the weather fined up, sunny and warm with lots of blue sky; more great roads as we wound our way up the east coast to John O’Groats where we camped for the night.
We then headed west along the north coast of Scotland on some verrry narrow and winding roads; through some more amazing countryside. More great camping sites along the way till we came down the west coast and headed towards the Isle of Skye.
Spent a day on Skye and camped the night. Then headed back to the highlands and Glencoe where we camped again besides a nice little river. We then headed towards Edinburgh and splurged out spending the night in the Mecure Hotel in the centre of town. On the way to Edinburgh we stopped at the William Wallace memorial and also Rob Roy McGregor’s grave.
Got on the turps with two mad Scotsmen (Mikey and Gerry) in a little pub in Edinburgh and woke up with headaches!
Nearly forgot about the piper (Sandy) we met on the way to Glencoe. He played Waltzing Matilda on the pipes for us (got it on video) – nearly as mad as Billy Connolly – and I think he could have taught Billy a few more swear words!
After Edinburgh we headed to the Yorkshire Dales – nothing but incredibly winding roads with lots of bikes with guys with their knees on the ground! Camped in the Dales the night then headed back to Mum’s in North Wales.

Commando Memorial

Urquart Castle

Our camping spot at John O'Groats

Tuesday 29 July 2008

Back at Mum's

We've been to The Lakes District; through Scotland to John O'Groats; across the top through the highlands; the Isle of Skye; and the Dales. We're back at Mum's till next week getting ready for the trip home.
Will update with photos in the next couple of days . . .

Wednesday 16 July 2008

Photos of North Wales

' Llanfair PG' for short - the longest named railway station in the world!
Michael and his Mum
Penmaenmawr taken from the Great Orm
Hard to see - but a dozen or more wind turbines a few kilometers off the coast, just standing in the middle of the sea!

Tuesday 15 July 2008

More photos

The Matterhorn
French/Australian 1st WW memorial at Villiers
Land's End
Glastonbury Tor

We're in Wales

After leaving Plymouth we travelled down the coast to Cornwall and Lands End, then headed north to Glastonbury where we stayed in the pub in the centre of town for a couple of days. Climbed the Tor (puff, puff).


View from Glastonbury Tor.


The Tor.

We then headed north crossing into South Wales near Cardiff and then through the Snowdonia National Park.
The Welsh countryside
Michael in Wales
Welsh sheep with tails!
We're currently in Colwyn Bay with Michael's Mum and Derek for the rest of the week. Going back to Penmaenmawr (where Michael spent his first 8 years before coming to Australia) later this week to try and find anyone that knows him!
We'll be leaving for Scotland next Friday for a week to get to John O'Groates (and another sticker for the panniers)!

Catch-Up photos

Lands End - the start to John O'Groats.
Broken 'Bessie'.
Couldn't resist it (Burley, in the New Forest area of Sussex).

The 'beach' at Bognor Regis!!!!!

Thursday 10 July 2008

All fixed

Bikes fixed thanks to the guys at Ocean BMW in Plymouth - the rain shorted out a relay in the fuel pump. Getting new shoes tomorrow morning after the rain has passed - hate riding in the wet on new rubber - like skating on ice!
Should be on our way late tomorrow morning - heading towards Land's End for a sticker for the panniers - thn eventually we'll get to John O Groates for another.
Photos later when we can get a proper computer - not the tv in the hotel room!!!

Wednesday 9 July 2008

Broken down!

We're in Plymouth.The bike wouldn't start this morning after riding to Torquay yesterday in the torrential rain. Got the insurance company to get us a tow and brought us to the BM dealer in Plymouth. They'll look at the bike tomorrow, but said it looks like water got into the injectors and something has blown!!! Hopefully they can fix it tomorrow; which is going to be a very wet day according to the latest weather forcast; flood warnings etc. So we're hunkered down in the local Ibis Hotel for a couple of days to wait until the bike is fixed (and the weather clears).
We'll continue on our journey on Thursday morning (everything being equal!).

Sunday 6 July 2008

Back in the UK

Got wet travelling across France. Caught the ferry to Dover yesterday and headed west. Weather has turned nasty again and it's raining and blowing a gale. Not good riding down the road at a 45 degree angle against the wind!
We wimped out this morning and decided the hunker down in a B&B for another night to let the weather pass. Going to head towards Cornwall and Land's End tomorrow, then north towards Wales to see the family. (Mum: should be there in probably 4 or 5 days).

Tuesday 1 July 2008

From Nice to somewhere!

We're leaving Nice tomorrow and heading northwest to try and dodge some nasty weather that is coming this way. We're heading cross country towards Le Mans then north; bypassing Paris for the coast.

Photos from Corsica and Nice

Strapping the bike to the side of the ferry
Corsica coast
Colleen in 30 degree heat in Nice
Beach at Nice

Photos from Italy

Antonio and Michael
Volterra
Laura and Colleen
Coast of Corsica