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The last night in the little pub was a nice way to say goodbye to the UK, people were as nice as they could be, great sense of humor, good happy vibe inside, great food, all the right things and that made us happy. Riding from there to Plymouth was but a 20 or 30 minute ride, we had plenty of time and took a little detour, rode through lovely little valleys and past hidden streams, entering Plymouth through residential streets. Stopped at a pet shop to buy a pair of toys for the puppies waiting at home and just like that we were in the Port. We were asked to be there at 12:00 or sooner, and we were the first bikes to arrive at little past. Nobody in sight and only a couple of cars there, this was going to be a long wait. Check in eventually opened and by 12:50 we were in the proper port, still no boat in sight and quite an empty parking lot, I struggle to find a reason they try to make people arrive early if it's just to sit around for hours. A very interesting group of bikes showed up, a BSA4, an old BSA and a new BSA, first time I saw one of the new ones in person. They look alright. I found it funny that the new one had canvas luggage while the old one had a plastic top case By 14:00 it looked like a boat full of bikes in the parking lot Eventually we did board, and being one of the first bikes on board, we made it to the cabin in time for a quick shower and then a walk around the ferry while cars were still driving in. We did have a little sunshine on the port, but the winds were picking up substantially when we were leaving, the sea looked sloppy and Sofia, 2 pills into her sea sickness management wasn't looking too happy. The rugby was on, Scotland vs Toga? I don't really know anything about rugby but it gave me an excuse for a couple of pints. Sofia retreated to the cabin, as laying down helps with the sickness. After a while I felt guilty and joined her, outside it was looking very different to the blue skies and sea we had sailing here, the wind was really very strong and I had to hold onto my phone with both hands to take a picture. By dinner time we did brave it to the restaurant, I went and picked a couple of salads and a couple of pieces of bread, it was a little bit of a challenge to carry that tray without bumping into stuff, the boat was rocking a fair bit. Sofia quickly regretted her visit to the upper decks and ran to the cabin to throw up, leaving me with a vast amount of salad. Again, the one with the burrata is the only edible thing in this boat apart from the breakfast croissants, there had to be an advantage of sailing on a french company and it surely wasn't the friendliness of most of the staff. While I'm eating, a huge amount of plates crashes in the kitchen, two or three people tumble and drop their dinner plates, and people were all walking crooked. Back in the cabin, I hear the announcement that outer decks are to be closed until the morning in Spain, I can't go outside and look at a stormy sea in the dark of night, judging by the way that cabin rocked through most of the night I don't think I would want to either. In the morning all was better, we were up and about, breakfast was consumed, everyone feeling better and relaxed. We had clear blue skies in Spain, and it was supposed to be warm too. The boat started unloading cars at 14:00 Portugal and UK time, and that took forever, then they signaled for bikes to go, it was only by 14:40 that this mayhem was going on: In chaotic situations like that I usually take it calmly and let the chaos dissipate instead of joining in, having been the first ones to go in my bike was parked at the corner the farthest away from the ramp outwards, we were amongst the few last ones to leave the boat. Exiting the port was another long task, but at least here they had 4 people checking passports. I was a little miffed they didn't have a clearer path for EU passports though. Out of port we were straight onto a gas station to fuel up, a little chat to acclimatize to being on land and we were off. I had booked a little room in a small rural home next to the restaurant we both had dinner in when leaving Portugal. The plan was to make it there on that same day, enjoy dinner back in the homeland and then ride to my parents' home through smaller country roads the next day. This meant jumping on the motorway and cruise down with just one break, which we did. Bugs were all in force, bikes and helmets got pelted with them, here I'm waiting with an already low sun for Sofia to return from cleaning her visor. 19:30 and we're exiting the motorway to the last 30 or 40km to our destination, nice roads there, for the first time ever I felt like going a little fast at night time, I didn't as Sofia was having visibility issues, plus a deer had just showed himself as we were moving off after taking the picture above. Home for the night, in rural Tras os Montes: We were tired but happy, the room we were staying in was like what you would have if you went to visit your portuguese grandmother in the countryside, a very comfy bed with heavy blankets and a simple but cozy house. I loved it. Dinner was magnificent, a simple coal grilled beef chop, salad, fries (a portion for a family of 4), and their special treat to me was their vegetable rice, with sweet Tras os Montes cabbage, it was what I wanted for coming back home. Total including wine and a 7up, and coffees, 25€. It isn't, but it felt cheap after Britain. I was very happy: We only had a 2 minute walk to bed, should have been more as it was a lovely night. Next morning, we get up earlyish and make way home, my mom's 71st birthday was the next day and Sofia wanted to spend some time with her before going home, so we were to arrive today. Not many pictures were taken, although the northern Portugal scenery did call for it. Better grip than it looks: We were enthusiastic about using a little bit of an A road to cover 50 or 60km and thus gain some time, the deserted road with nothing but the odd car, the absence of speed camera warnings (they do hide them here, to trap you!!) after the control in the UK, and we might have been a little too fast through there. Arriving home after riding most of the Douro valley, I ignore a closed road sign only to find a road closed for construction ahead, usually they forget about these signs. We were turning back but the guys in charge of the works eagered us use the gravel footpath circling the construction. It was a bit of a tight squeeze for the GS but all went well, they did that out of just wanting to help and not worrying too much about regulations and stuff, it was a stark contrast, maybe somewhere in the middle we would be able to find an adequate balance. This concludes my report about our trip to the UK, it was a culture shock for me in many ways, but a culture shock that I did enjoy. You grow when you see how other people live, I think I did as just this morning I was listening to traffic outside and people beeping horns while stuck in a minor 10 car traffic jam, and wondering if they couldn't be more patient, like the brits when they cope with such stuff.

We left James and Diane's home heading to Beaulieu as an entry to the New Forrest but also to stop by the museum. First, why is Beaulieu pronounced buelly? Why is Torquay pronounced torquey? Makes no sense, it's like you're trying to mess with my brain. Getting to New Forrest and I see horses everywhere. Nobody told me there would this magical woods with horses roaming around, why do you keep this to yourself? I just stopped the bike and stood there for a while, horses just couldn't give a crap about my presence and that is very cool! After a while, I started acting like an adult again so we got to the museum. It's inside an estate with a rich family history of adventurers and of significance to the WW2 since there was where the final stages of training to the sabotage and under cover agents sent to France took place. They had a very interesting exhibit and it feels like the people writing Allo Allo visited the exact same museum as the characters are the same, with the british guys that lived under the old lady's bed, or the woman that said "listen to me, I shall say this only once". All of them real people. We were there for cars and motorcycles, His "secretary", I love it! Class: A very special Norton, direct drive with no clutch or gears Love the brakes: Great, to mix of the Ducati with the Royal Enfield. As we were contemplating exactly that, and looking at the throttle grip all torn to shit by Troy Bayliss after a single race, an older gentleman came over to talk about the bikes and explain certain curiosities. He is fan of Ducatis and has met Bayliss a few times. After a little talking he opens up to his own road racing career that took him all over Europe racing an RGV500. Me, I love that he owns a few bikes including the RGV and still takes his Ducati 998 around on sunday rides sometimes. The real highlight to this museum visit: He is the one that recommended we should visit the Sammy Miller museum, we hadn't remembered but it quickly made it to next morning's priority. I enjoyed looking around the house and the property, pretty place. A few minutes on the road and I get distracted with more horses, this one having a good scratch against a bin. Quick stop in Burley for mailing a postcard to my mum, that hasn't arrived yet, and we were suddenly in 50 years ago: the young girl at the store was super nice, old ladies buying meat and having a laugh with each other, a eccentric looking farmed dude came over to us to talk about our bikes and to ask where we were from, all of it made such a strong pleasant impression. I noticed a café and decided where to go for breakfast the next day before the next museum visit. I never visited as many museums in my life! There's no way I can not stop for this: Overnight was at Lyndhurst, we checked into a nice hotel and went to have a walk around town searching for a place to eat. It was a great evening in a very nice little town, I was surprised at the amount of traffic at rush hour though, but it soon disappeared. Dinner was in an equally nice restaurant, I decided on a fancy take on a British classic, can't go away without a beef and ale pie. I enjoyed it very much. Sofia quickly pointed out that this dough isn't the proper one, I conceded but it tasted very nice. Walking back to the hotel, and it's starting to get chilly out, maybe Autumn is finally arriving. We have a nice quiet night again, and get ready for our last full day in the UK. Morning sees us packing the bikes in sunny weather, we are to have a short ride for breakfast in Burley, then another short ride out of the New Forrest and into the Sammy Miller Museum, and then after taking a few fast roads over to Dartmoor to find a place to sleep not too far from Plymouth, the ferry people had sent a message asking for people to arrive early as it'll be a busy boarding. Lovely forrest, what a cool place it is, I'm surprised I never heard of it but considering all the animals around the speed limits aren't that high so maybe it doesn't attract motorcycles. Breakfast was gorgeous, sautéed mushrooms with a nicely poached egg on toast. Burley is a cool place. We arrive at Sammy Miller Museum and I ask that we do it with a stylish pose: Sammy's daily trials bikes, he's 90 and rides a minimum of 15 minutes a day in the woods nearby to not lose practice. Inside, it's a very special place for old bikes. There's plain old bikes, really old bikes, old race bikes, a trials section as that's what he was famous for, a lot of them restaured by themselves, and also a few very very special bikes. I selected and deleted all poor pictures, and now have just 149 pictures of the few hours spent there, I'll post quite less to make the thing viewable. The ladies models, with the step through frames. Two WW1 dispatch motorcycles: Over there, in the blue overalls you see Sammy Miller giving Allen Millyard a private tour. What a cool thing, the Moto Guzzi V8 Serious stuff now! Sofia, kindly invited to grab the handlebars of the AJS the won the first world championship in 1949. Me not expecting to see another TV icon: Pretty sure that Made in England sticker wasn't there in 1929, though. One of the three BMWs present, I think the sticker was the only way it was getting displayed Out of nowhere comes this small puppy with a toy and wants to play, turns out he's running away from people that want to not let him be himself, we have fun for a while before his responsible human (he's Sammy Miller's dog) comes to take him and he runs away to find another person to play with. I'll stop, but really, you should go as you can easily spend the best part of a day inside. We rode off and onto Dartmoor. Went on main roads to make progress and beat the sunset there, only stopping more to enjoy the pretty area near our destination. The River Dart And then some amazingly pretty views over hills. Proper road, this: Again, I had to stop, this time for Dartmoor poneys: This was about to be the last interesting bits of riding in the UK, and I think it was very memorable. The last two days, here and in New Forrest had been really great. We had booked a room in a pub, I wanted the nice homey small town pub, and that's what we had. A quick shower and a walk around the village. Room was not big, the mess I made makes it look even smaller, but the beds were very comfy and we would sleep very well. When we came back inside it was starting to rain outside, poor bikes! I had a great time in this place, lovely friendly people running the place, all of them. The next day the nice man in charge of breakfast suggested I should try the proper breakfast, it's included in the price so I couldn't say no. This was not a trip in which I lost weight. The front door doesn't look like much, but if I'm ever in Plymouth again that's where I'll be staying. The forecast was for the weather to improve, so even though it was drizzling I rode to Plymouth not wearing rain stuff. It was the correct choice, style matters! A quick ride and we're there and wait for the ferry. Tomorrow it's the final installment.

Just a weeny bit tired of being surrounded by nice people doing and saying good stuff all the time so I thought I'd visit here with moany whingers for a bit of fun. Not that a boomer would recognise that

Had to pop up to the garage so took a quick snap.

Submit your pictures for September BOTM here, please. Due to the short notice I'll run this thread until tomorrow night at 21:00 UK time and then voting will be done until the 01st October 21:00 UK Time. Submit more than one picture if you want, for the vote I will only consider the last one you post in this thread of your bike, taken in September. @Marcel, @Skippy, @MooN, @XTreme, @Buckster, @boboneleg, carrying on from Buckster I can consider the pictures he picked, below, if you prefer you are welcome to submit any others maybe not on a patio being washed? Lets all just get along...

No, why would i flounce when i know that staying here will annoy the fuck out of everyone

Thank you for a super good report!! And for being top travel companion, super patiente and calm inspite of my anxiety and repeated sea sickness!! You have made a few new friends on this trip and for sure we are both very sorry to have missed the forum members we also wanted to meet. Must go back with better planning!! I returned with extreme emotions, from sadness for the state of affairs in the new version of Britain, but also with a heart full of love from the people that have always understood me the best and accepted me the most. And I dont just mean my wonderful friends, I mean the People from Britain. I return also with a new apreciation for Portugal and the freedom we still enjoy here, where the chaos I so struggle with, is now the protection against the extreme control Britain is under. Rules are important, but they should never be used for harassment or oppression. Britain is the land of fearless explorers, by land, sea, and air!! The paradise of motorsport and bike sheds full of character and quirkiness, now taken over by nanny-state/woke and being killed off by fear, excess hipsterism and, frankly, intolerance, which was never my experience while living there. As a girl, I always felt free to be and do whatever, as a biker even more so. Fortunately, there is the Isle of Man and the Sammy Miller museum and a few old geezers still being rebels like they were in the 50s and 60s, role models to follow when the government oppresses its people in a way that is simply shocking. Only a stupid Man doesn't feel fear, but fear is the biggest killer, not speed!!! We never feel more alive than when the possibility of death is imminent, something that bikes are very good at giving us!! Will always be in love with England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, The Channel Isles, The IoM... all of it, because love never dies, it just changes and now you need love more then ever to come out of the age of successive beligerante governments that cared only about their big fat bank accounts then the People that make Britain. We are here for you as always!

Since I've been "toe-less" for 10 yrs now, I've become a complete advocate for Salomon....the fit is impeccable. The Quicklace feature is a game changer.... These last me @ least a year....& I've already got 2 more new pairs in reserve.....I shouldn't have to buy any more boots/shoes for the rest of my life! & they're great for riding the Mongoose mtn. bike with....

Got to, to keep me heart going.

So my i phone has always recorded photos in jpeg format but today the twats at Apple changed it without telling me . The photos I took today have all been recorded in HEIC format , so I just had a to download a converter to change them to jpeg. Why don't these twats just leave things alone .............

Can’t you get a discount because you don’t ride it?

Thanks for your thoughts. I take the tablets as prescribed, w hours before boarding.

@Pedro i like the way you are excited to see the horses roaming freely, its quite common near me so i don't take it in as you did and just ride by but i do remember being like that the first time i saw them

My weekend was today, Last minute pass so I got out on the Donkey to see how my back would fare ................

Got some artwork in the shot and some Mini Cooper wheels … effort and planning .

I've been meaning to say something for a wyll now...I knew letting a Harley rider run amuck on this botm special was a mistake....site has become a flaming homosexual bike forum...I've had to stop posting since Buck got the gig...I'm getting all sorts of private messages from weirdos....asking like do I wear chaps how big is my cock is....anyway you can look into that Pete?....it has to be a gay ass Harley club from the U.K.

.........which means it's time for some van action!

I'll be washing the bike, and maybe going over to Porto and give Emerson Fitipaldi a hand shake, because that's how I roll.

Look away now Pete

The Moutain!

I like this one with the horses.

That never stopped Pete before

@Six30, you´re welcome to join in, with a picture from September Maybe try and win it, just to mess with the tantrum boy.

@Saul, @Sofia, @Clive, @Renegade, get in. @Sir Fallsalot, how about rejoining? Clean slate and all.

@Pedro & @Sofia..... Thank you both for the report and photos.......brilliant!

I apologise profusely...

My Haglofs are pretty much done and leaking like a sieve so it’s time to get some new ones. Not against replacing like with like as these have lasted over a year but just wondering if the hive mind has any knowledge to share? The Haglofs were a bitch to break in.

Read that but it's was a waste of time cos it's not needed wot with it being built like a gun

Gives him a chance to go out by himself and see the views… I mean the menus, on restaurants…

Point of order here! As I understand it, you're buggering off touring when you get back over here, leaving Mr Slowly to make his own way down. And then when he gets to Salobreña the poor bloke has got to fend for himself with no woman to cook his fucking grub! WTF? That's a dereliction of your wifely duties in my book......what you say @Six30?

My youngest's 21st birthday so I'll be rolling down to Mugshots for a little bit of the secret library and some fine steak. You press a buzzer on a lamp post in the centre of Brizzle and get let into a tiny library shop front with a secret shelf/door. They appear from thin air and take you to their lovely hidden speakeasy. After some fine mixology you move two doors down to the restaurant where they take steak seriously. Looking forward to it. I found the worse pic of my son in his primary school rain coat with a tiny tiny rain hood that fitted no-one ever which I've had made into a stamp to adorn everything he touches. He looks proper mad.

Is she pissed again?

Salomon are the only brand I've ever found comfortable. I second that suggestion.

You don't read anything do you he had that for breakfast

That's the pair of you told then, who's next to feel the wrath of Slowly

By the way I didn't enter my bike ....someone did...figured I'd give someone else a chance..

I agree, the problem is everywhere in Cornwall is uphill. Thought about a lectric assist jobbie, but I would rather save the money and walk. Plus there are some stunning walks pretty much right outside my front door. Silly not to.

When I get my Hernia done I'm supposed to do some exercise shit like that. A bicycle sounds easier though......and less impact on the knees as I understand it.

Walking?

Donkey

This weekend I mostly be doing...er.....er... nothing. I am planting spring bulb (having a tea break now) in the front garden now.......thought I had finished ☺ but DPD guy has just delivered a box of 50 bulbs that wife never told me she had ordered...

Ban the idle cunt.

26 pounds is 11kg. My 2015 R1200GS Adventure is supposed to be 260kg with fuel, a 2021 R1250GS Adventure is supposed to be 268kg with fuel, so basically they added 8kg with adding clever valve wizardry. They now go through all that effort and revolution to drop 11kg, and that includes a lithium battery that by itself saves a good 2 or 3kg? In effect their revolution makes the ultra light new bike similar in weight to my bike, and ditching a steel rear frame for a pressed sheet one? I see a revolution in profit margins, that what I see

One of my singing groups, Lankelly Shout, has a 1st year birthday party tonight. Tomorrow night I have a concert with Mevagissey Choir in Newquay. May get out on the bike on Sunday.

I trust there is a lot more to see, but I couldn't ride around for 2 months. The last two days, which I'll post next were quite nice too. I am commenting on your country but not as an overt criticism, I did enjoy most of the culture shock and looking at the differences. Twats and rude people you can get in most countries, that wasn't the norm and I did come back with friends I didn't have before going. I am genuinely sorry I didn't get to meet a few people from this forum, but there just wasn't enough time and I wanted to tag along with Sofia, to me the main point of this trip was to see the UK through her point of view, if it wasn't for her I would have spent September hard at work.

I'm just too disgusted to comment Bob