Not Spain & Portugal! Part 2

So we were coming to the end of our not Spain trip in Wales before heading down to Cornwall.

Devils Bridge Waterfalls

We wanted to go back to Devils Bridge (we had stopped there earlier in the week but it was so busy we decided to leave it for another day). The weather was not looking good but we set off with the intention of playing it by ear.

As we were riding it started to rain and we got as far as Llandridod Wells it started to rain really heavily so we decided to seek shelter in a cafe for a late breakfast and a few cups of coffee whilst waiting for the rain to ease.

We set off again and although the roads were wet it was still a good ride and the scenery along the way is lovely.

Devils Bridge: Three Bridges

Having arrived at Devil’s Bridge and parked up, it started to rain again so we took shelter in the pub and had another coffee (and, I’m not sure how it happened, but a slice of gin and blueberry cheesecake with ice cream appeared with my coffee and it would have been very rude to turn it away so I had to eat it!)

When the rain had eased we paid the entrance fee and took a walk along the nature trail, waterfalls and three bridges. It was a lovely walk but there are a lot, and I mean a lot, of very uneven steps (I believe the lady on the entrance said about 700 steps) but we just took our time and enjoyed the views and scenery as we went along.

The Bay Tree Vintage Cafe

By the time we had finished the walk it was raining again so we decided to go back to the cottage and chill in the summer house with a beer but stopping on the way via the quirky tea shop in Welshpool, The Bay Tree Vintage Tea Room, for a gorgeous slice of Snickers cake and a rather large pot of tea. I am so going to have to diet when I get home and I haven’t been to Cornwall yet – eek!

The following morning we were riding down to Sennen in Cornwall which is basically Lands End, some 320 miles! We set off at 7 am and it was really, really cold. We only rode for 60 miles before we stopped for a coffee to warm ourselves up a bit and it worked really well because we didn’t then stop again until services on the M4 when we needed fuel and we grabbed another coffee here too and got on our way again.

By the time we got to Okehampton my bottom was absolutely killing me! We parked the bikes and just walked up and down for a bit to get some feeling back in our legs and for the pain in my bum to subside! We found a pub and had a long lunch and a cuppa or two!

Penzance

The final stop was at Penzance where we fuelled up and had a drink before the final jaunt to Sennen. We arrived about 3 o’clock, parked and unloaded the bikes, made a cuppa and then chilled for the rest of the day. I slept well that night I can tell you. That was a lot of riding in one day but it was good riding. Although it was cold, the roads were dry and it wasn’t raining.

Sunday we did no riding at all, just walked along the coastal path to Lands End and then back into Sennen for coffee and cake (that surprised you didn’t it!) A nice chill day was just what we needed after the ride yesterday!

The following morning was a misty start to the day but it had cleared by 9 o’clock so we rode along the coastal rode into St Ives. This was a very twisty and at points narrow road but it was very scenic and way better than riding along the main road. We wound our way to the harbour car park in St Ives and sat on the harbour wall in the sunshine eating a pasty and drinking coffee. What a perfect way to spend your day – biking, eating and drinking coffee!

Marazion #JamFirst

After lunch we rode to Marazion. We were hoping the tide would be out so we could walk over to St Michael’s Mount but it was most definitely in so we found a lovely little tea shop and had afternoon tea and most enjoyable it was too #JamFirst

After wondering around Marazion for a while it started to rain so we hopped back on the bikes and rode back home for a beer and to dry out!

Lands End

The next day the sun was shining and it was lovely blue skies so we rode the bikes to Lands End to have our photo taken at the famous sign post. It’s so beautiful at Lands End, the views are amazing and there are a few things to see and do too.

After having our photo taken and as it was such a lovely day, we rode to Porthcurno and had a wander down to the beech followed by a coffee in the Telegraph Museum cafe (okay, it may have been two coffees); then rode to Penwith beach (no coffee here); then to Lamorna Cove which was absolutely stunning and we sat and ate a late lunch overlooking the cove; then off to Penzance where we parked up and had a wander around (and coffee) and then on the way back we stopped in Newlyn for an ice cream. Absolutely no cake was consumed at all today!

The end of our holiday had arrived :-(

Lamorna Cove

Unfortunately the day we were riding home there was heavy rain and winds forecast. I was hoping like mad that they would have got the forecast wrong but for once it was spot on. We set off early in our waterproofs and only got as far as Penzance before stopping for a coffee and to psyche ourselves up for the ride ahead.

I can honestly say I never ridden in such strong winds before and I can honestly say I never want to again. It was horrendous especially going over the moors where you are so exposed. The spray from the traffic was not nice at all and I was constantly wiping my visor to gain some visibility from the rain.

I was not enjoying the ride at all. My waterproofs, as it it turned out, are not waterproof and I was soaked to the skin. My gloves were not waterproof (I had mistakenly gone away in my summer gloves) so my hands were not only wet but they were cold too.

Marazion

We stopped at services a few times for fuel, coffee and a warm up and left a little puddle of water where we had been standing each time. Going for a pee was fun too as everything was just so wet and trying to pull up wet leathers is not fun I can tell you. It’s just ewww!

Eventually we made it home, 350 odd miles in heavy wind and rain. Not a pleasant journey but we did it, the bikes were brilliant and we made it home safe. I lit the fire and literally sat in front of it all night trying to warm myself up.

What an absolutely fabulous trip. We found some great biking roads, ate lots, drank a bit and had a great time. Bikes, great mates, great food, great time – perfect :-)

BK

Devils Bridge Falls

Sennen Cove View

Lands End

Telegraph Museum

Thank you for reading my post, I hope you enjoyed it. Please subscribe by email, just enter your email on the right.

If you could please share my blog that would be great - thank you.

Germany Part 2 – Great Roads, Great Biking, Great Mates

The second half of our holiday started with a drizzly to start to the morning so we just headed into the town to explore locally with the idea if it got worse we wouldn’t have far to get back or if it dried up we could go for a ride. In Triberg itself, are Triberg Falls which is one of the highest waterfalls in Germany with a descent of 163m and is a landmark in the Black Forest region. We decided to park at the top and walk down. Now, it was very pretty, I can’t deny that but the further we walked down I just kept thinking to myself we’ve got to walk back up to the top!

We eventually reached the bottom (yes the bottom! Oooh ‘eck the walk back up was going to take some doing) and got ourselves a well earned coffee and cake (I reasoned to myself that I definitely needed cake as I needed the energy boost to get back up the hill :-) ) 









We had a wonder round Triberg which is famous for it’s cuckoo clocks and then started the ascent back up the waterfall! OMG it was such a loooong way up. By the time we were half way up I had lost my love for how pretty it all was and by the time we got to the top I never wanted to see another waterfall again!!!

After recovering for a while and catching our breath, the drizzle had dried up so we hopped back on the bikes and headed off. We got to a ‘T’ junction and was not sure which way to go as we were not heading anywhere in particular so plumped for turning right. Good decision. 


Another fantastic winding road which lead down to Haslach which is a really picturesque village with many old historic buildings. Having wondered round the buildings and village for a while we found a restaurant and sat outside in the sun to have a late lunch. I love this biking lark.

The following morning was raining so we headed to a Rodelbahn toboggan run in Gutach to see if it was as good as it looked in the pics. If you’re a kid or a non motorbike person who isn’t used to getting their adrenaline kicks from riding a bike then it was good but for me, personally, I would have liked it to have been a lot longer and a lot faster but then I have always been a bit of an adrenaline junkie. Worth checking out though if you’re ever in the area.


The rain was getting heavier by lunchtime so we decided to head back to the apartment and walk (yes, I know!) into the town following a footpath down the mountain. We found a pub, had a long leisurely lunch (that walk had made us build up an appetite) and had a beer or two and watched some football that was on the TV. Very late afternoon we headed back stopping at the supermarket on the way for supplies. It was definitely a lot further going back, I am sure of it.

The following day the sun was shining so we were up, dressed and ready to head off by nine as we wanted to make up for lost riding time the day before. We decided to head for Meersburg which was some 115km away. We followed the B500 which we’d read before we came was ‘the road’ to check out if we were this way. It was good, don’t get me wrong, long fast sweeping bends, great road surface, not many cars etc. but I’ve got to say, some of the other roads we’d stumbled across earlier in the week were just as good, if not better. Still, it would have been rude not to have checked it out :-)

In Meersburg we found this pub which had a Harley Davidson engine as beer pumps and sat in a prominent position on the bar so you could see it up close. I thought it was really cool but then I like old engine or garage parts turned into something like that, for example, the coffee table in my lounge is a Rover V8 engine that I blew up racing many years ago and one of my lamps is an old blow torch.

On the way back we got back onto my now favourite road, the B33, and went into Elzach for an ice cream/coffee stop. I figured I needed to come here quite a few more times in order to give a full and informed review of the ice cream menu – I could see a change of career coming on, official ice cream tester – mmmmm, I could definitely handle that :-)

I couldn’t believe it, today was our last day before heading back to France. The week had flown by, I was not ready to go back home yet. The guys asked where I would like to go on the last day and I said I really wanted to ride up the B33 and eat lots of ice cream. So we did. I better point out here that this road is some 30/35km long and I think we went up and down it three times (with an ice cream stop or two in between) before heading back to the apartment the really, really long way round.

After packing and tidying up, we lit the fire pit and fired up the BBQ for our last evening. I was really going to miss this, such a relaxed chilled way to spend the evening after riding all day. Great mates, great roads, great holiday.

We set off early next morning and headed for Courtisols which was where our overnight stay was in France. The sat nav took us through Strasbourg. OMG how can five, reasonably intelligent, adults get so totally and utterly lost in one place. We ended up going through the middle of town three times. 

We pulled over, counted to ten, and had a look at the map (when I say we, I mean the guys did, I don’t have a sat nav, I just follow. I have complete and utter faith that at least one of them will get me to where I need to be – and they do).

We headed back out of the town, John was in front, followed by Stephen, me, Giles and Graham. Well, John went left on the motorway and Stephen went right (we later found out Stephen’s sat nav was telling him right onto the motorway). I’m like, what the heck!!! Which way do I go???? I went right, as did the other guys and we stopped at the next petrol station and waited for John to find us. He eventually did after several phone calls. We carried back on. I am never, ever going to Strasbourg again. That was too stressful!

We made it to Courtisols in one group and were definitely in need of a beer after that ride. Showers, chill and dinner.

We went for a walk around Cortisols to find somewhere for dinner. There was one place open, a pizzeria. Now hindsight is a wonderful thing. If you’re in a pizzeria, assume the pizzas are their speciality and go for pizza. We however, went for spaghetti bolognese. Bad choice. 

It was literally mince and onion on a bed of pasta. No sauce, no seasoning, no other veggies. Just mince and onion. As there was nowhere else to eat and we were hungry we ate it. Lesson learnt.

Another early start after a great breakfast heading towards the tunnel. We were making good time until Graham (up front) came off the motorway a junction too early and could we get back on? No. There were roadworks which meant we couldn’t get back on. In the end we ended up going on a detour eventually getting back onto the motorway. We made it to the tunnel but had just missed our train. We got on the next one though so it wasn’t too bad.

A fabulous holiday. I would never have said Germany was a holiday destination but it was a really interesting and scenic place to visit and the roads for biking were fantastic. Definitely on my ‘got to go back to’ list.

Until next time ………….

BK

Thank you for reading my post, I hope you enjoyed it. If you would like to subscribe by email, please enter your email on the right.

If you would like to share my blog that would be great - thank you.

Germany Part 1 – Great Roads, Great Biking, Great Mates

Oooo it’s an early start – 4 o’clock! That literally is the middle of the night! I was awake before the alarm went off though, excited to be going away on the bike. There were five of us heading to Germany for 8 days including an overnight stay in France on the way down and again on the way back.

We met at a lay by just off the M25 at stupid o’clock in the morning and headed towards the tunnel. I know we started off on the M25 and, if I recall, we came off there at some point and joined another motorway, they pretty much all look the same. It’s not much fun riding on a motorway and we normally avoid them if we can but when you have miles to munch and a train to catch, needs must.

Having made good time, we stopped at a petrol station about five miles from the tunnel to fill our tanks up so we could get a few miles under our belts in France before having to stop and fill up. We also managed a quick coffee and headed for the tunnel. Having checked in and gone through passport control, we queued in readiness to get on the train.

Now for those of you who have gone on the tunnel before, for me anyway, it is always a touch and go moment actually riding onto the train as you have to ride at an angle onto the train and it is, I’m guessing, aluminium and therefore slippery. I am always fearful that I am going to make a complete ass of myself and come off the bike. Phew! This time I made it on okay and kept my dignity.

Once we got off the other side we headed towards Verdun which was where our overnight stop was. Now we normally have our fuel stops when the person with the smallest tank needs filling up. 

Stephen’s bike can go a maximum of 120 miles but to err on the side of caution he likes to fill up around 100 miles just in case there’s no petrol stations for a few miles. We find when touring that this works really well because after 100 miles your bottom is definitely in need of a pit stop. 

We’re not in any particular rush to get to where we’re going so a nice steady ride with plenty of coffee (and pee) stops is perfect.

We made good time and arrived at our hotel in Verdun about 4 ‘ish which allowed us time to shower and have a bit of R&R before heading off for a walk to find somewhere for dinner. Verdun is a lovely village, very picturesque. We stumbled across a lovely little restaurant with a seating area out the back in a lovely garden. Perfect.

My French, it would appear, definitely needs working on as I asked what was in the vegetarian lasagne (they didn’t have the meat version) and I thought I understood what the lady said. It would seem I did not. I should explain at this point that I cannot eat fish. Any type. Fish doesn’t like me. Well you can guess, the vegetarian lasagne arrived and it had salmon in it. Salmon! Who puts any type of fish in a vegetarian lasagne. Needless to say I could not eat it and ordered a pizza which seemed the safest option. John, on the other hand, was quite pleased as he ended up with two dinners!

After a hearty brekkie the following morning, we set off heading for Triberg in the Black Forest where we had rented an apartment for a week. Now the scenery in France is lovely (from what you can see of it whilst riding and concentrating on the road ahead) but when we crossed the Rhine into Germany, the scenery changed completely and was really beautiful. 

The style of the houses were different and most of them were impeccably kept – very neat outside and nicely painted and there were lots of little religious shrines along the roads which I couldn’t remember seeing any of in France.

After several pit stops and a very long lunch, we arrived in Triberg late afternoon and stopped at a supermarket for supplies and most importantly, dinner and beer for that evening. We followed the sat nav to our apartment which was, literally, half way up a mountain in the middle of nowhere. We followed a long winding road higher and higher, turned off onto a dirt track and arrived at our apartment. Wow! The views were stunning and it was so quiet and peaceful. We were greeted by the owner and shown to our apartment. R&R followed by showers followed by beer. Ahhh perfect.

After chilling for a while, we went outside and got the BBQ going, lit the fire pit and settled in for an evening of eating and a few beers. Perfect end to a long day of riding.

The following morning was relaxed with a leisurely breakfast and a chat about where and what we fancied doing that day and ideas of what we fancied doing over the few days that we were there. We don’t tend to plan too much beforehand as it very much depends on the weather but we check out on the internet before we go places to visit etc. so we have a general idea and options for both wet weather and riding weather. 

I know everyone has their own ideas of what they want to do on their holidays and how much riding they consider as ‘doable’ and luckily we are a like minded bunch and it works really well. When you find great mates that you can go on holiday with, it’s brilliant.

It is, at the end of the day, supposed to be a holiday and we don’t want to be covering hundreds of miles each day and getting back to the apartment knackered. We like to ride somewhere, have a walk around and a coffee, ride somewhere, have a walk around and lunch, ride somewhere, have a walk around coffee – you can see where I’m going with this. If there is anywhere specific one of us wants to go, then we go. For us as a group, it’s perfect.

We didn’t get out ‘til late morning the first day so we headed to Freiburg, which was only about 60km away to find somewhere for lunch. After lunch and a walk around we headed off for a ride, nowhere in particular, we came off the B294 and onto the B33 to see where we ended up. 

As it turned out the B33 was a brilliant road with lovely sweeping bends and a pretty much near perfect road surface which ended up in this little village called Elzach which had an amazing ice cream/coffee shop. I wondered if we would be able to come via this place every day. I had a feeling my leathers were going to be a lot tighter on me by the time I went home after this holiday!

We stopped at the supermarket on our way back for dinner and beer and set about the BBQ upon our return. Sitting round the fire pit late into the evening eating, drinking and chatting was fast becoming a favourite way to end the day for me.

The following day we headed to Lake Constance, some 120km away. Wow, what a beautiful place. We found a cafe overlooking the lake and watched the world go by for a while. A steam train pulled into the nearby station and a couple of the guys went off to have a look at it more closely. I, meanwhile, considered my view from the cafe perfectly adequate and ordered another coffee.

Back on the bikes, we followed the road around the lake and stopped at Hagnau am Bodensee where John decided he would go for a swim in the lake. He had come prepared with a towel and budgie smugglers! I was quite content with just removing my jacket and sitting on the bank watching. Certainly no wet feet (or anything else) for me.

In Part 2 next week follow the rest of the trip where we visited Triberg Falls, Rodelbahn toboggan run and found a Harley Davidson engine being used as
beer pump in a bar ……….

BK

Thank you for reading my post, I hope you enjoyed it. If you would like to subscribe by email, please enter your email on the right.

If you would like to share my blog that would be great - thank you.