My trip to the UK

[Pedro]

We left feeling a little sad, all three family members enjoyed our stay and would have had us over for longer, mostly Sofia as they really missed her. It's so good to have friends missing you like that.

We were to ride over to another couple´s home to stay with them two nights, but first a stop over John Whatkins's house. John was one of Sofia's bosses when she moved to the UK and she loves him dearly. He's now retired, we popped by his house and chatted for a while with him and his lovely wife. Then they took us out for lunch at their favourite pub, a Golf GTI is a proper fast car in Portugal, but that's what this older lady drives, I smiled as she pulled strongly out of every stop light. That lunch was the best pub lunch in the trip so far, a proper countryside pub with great food. I didn't ruin the mood with taking pictures of food but had the plowman's for a typical thing, it was very nice. John put me to shame and put down an impressive fish and chips.

One thing I had been noticing over the previous meals in restaurants and pubs is that although food in restaurants is overall quite expensive, people order it and then send back a big part of it. This is something that doesn't happen often in Portugal so I noticed it. Maybe because me and Sofia were the youngest people in this pub at the time, but I noticed everyone on our table cleaned their plates, and looked around to see other tables did the same. 

A nice place, if you're in the neighborhood go and try The Swan On The Green, near Maidstone.

 

After that delightful lunch and a little afternoon chat sharing stories from driving fast in the old days, and life overall, I think John was getting a little tired and we also had some ways to go before our destination for the night. A rain storm was coming in and we might be facing it, our destination for the night was Lee on the Solent, and rain was forecasted. We were stubborn at first, mainly I was stubborn and insisted on good luck with the weather so set off on jeans and dry weather stuff, but on the motorway with a long way to go we could see the rain starting to fall a few meters in front. The sky in front of us was dark as night, so under Sofia's protests against our unlawful behavior we did stop under a bridge to put on rain overall. I put my boot covers, plastic pants and winter gloves, and decided to try my jacket for rain as I never did before. As we rode off from under the bridge a heavy storm hit us instantly, it lasted a while, the kind of rain that I think challenges most rainproof gear. Traffic was suddenly very slow with frequent flooded spots on the motorway so we weren't able to maintain a steady pace. Eventually Waze warned me for floods and traffic and advised to get out of the motorway, which I did and it turned out for the best. We rode the last 40 or 50km on small country roads that were still clear and smooth traffic, as we were going over the last hill before Lee on the Solent, already well in the dark I noticed that the A3 was packed full of stopped cars as far as I could see. 

We made it to James and Diane's safe and sound, Sofia fully went from the waist down, my jacket failed and I started getting wet from the sleeves up and onto the torso, I did enjoy the ride though as it wasn't cold. It was cool to finally see proper rain on UK roads. They were proper stars and had dinner in the oven waiting for us, so after a warm shower I enjoyed English cider as a refreshment, and then sat down for a lovely comforting dinner, the day couldn't have ended better.

The next day the weather was a little better in the morning, we went for a short stroll on the seaside close to home.

 

It quickly turned though, and suddenly it didn't look as nice. We were to go out to meet Tim and Barbara for lunch, another one of Sofia's friends, a very special one since he was instrumental in pushing Sofia to start her small vet practice in Portugal. I was stubborn again and set off to dry my jacket with it open, closing a wet jacket on dry clothes isn't fun.  A little into the A3 and it starts pouring down as I'm answering a call from a client, said client is also a biker and proceeded to laugh as I told him he wasn't really catching me in the most fun of moments. We stopped, I suited up and made it there sort of dryish.

Tim and his lovely wife are stars, we got along very well since they share all my main interests, I loved talking track cars and the Nurburgring with him for hours, all while throwing balls as far as I could for the tireless Jack Russell to fetch, with every throw he just kept asking for more. Eventually he started getting tired so delegated on the furry one to fetch the ball and then give it to him so he could then deliver it back to me, I loved playing with that little dude!

 

Back on the bikes, this time we were wearing our plastic stuff to come back home, those 40 or 50 miles on the A3 was the only distance I rode in the UK where people drove in a similar fashion to Portugal, maybe even faster as several cars were maintaining a steady 130/140kmh, it was refreshing and we used that to make sure we got back home in time to go out to dinner early, and also avoiding the rain to come. Dinner was had at a turkish place, mostly bbq things, I liked it a lot as a lot of these ethnic stuff is not really common in Portugal.

The next day, we were riding off and this was our last stay with friends. The next couple of days would be the last of our UK trip, but some of the most enjoyable.

[Pedro]

10 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

I'm just too disgusted to comment Bob 

nice baps there 

[Pedro]

19 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

Absolutely fantastic photos @Pedro and It's great to hear your observations about our country(s)    It looks like you fitted quite a lot in and saw a lot of the good stuff, although I can assure you there is much more to see (Swansea excepted of course )

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.

[Sir Fallsalot]

9 minutes ago, Pedro said:

nice baps there 

So do you prefer your bacon cooked or raw now LOL

[boboneleg]

9 minutes ago, Pedro said:

nice baps there 

The sausage baps with the caramalised onion are nice

[Clive]

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

I have met a one dude from Yorkshire previous to this trip, met him several times in Germany, and he's a very nice man. For some reason I expected people from up there to feel friendlier than the south, but that was not the case.

We are from the next county to Yorkshire, and they hate anyone from Nottinghamshire ( Nottinghamshire miners worked through the miners strike) who they consider to be a Scab (a strike breaker) even if the guy was a bus driver he is still a Nottinghamshire Scab.

 

[Pedro]

Just now, Sir Fallsalot said:

So do you prefer your bacon cooked or raw now LOL

It's not bacon!

You come over and have a nice smoked prosciutto sandwich in proper bread, along with a nice cold beer, and then we'll discuss merits on both.

[Sir Fallsalot]

1 minute ago, Pedro said:

It's not bacon!

You come over and have a nice smoked prosciutto sandwich in proper bread, along with a nice cold beer, and then we'll discuss merits on both.

They do a version of it in the supermarkets here and i do have it in work sometimes for dinner, it's a bit alien to me but i don't dislike it.

[Pedro]

 

1 minute ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

They do a version of it in the supermarkets here 

[Sir Fallsalot]

Just now, Pedro said:

 

Without tasting what you have there i can't make a direct comparison hence the "They do a version of it in the supermarkets here" comment 

[Sofia]

40 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

Look at this @Sir Fallsalot , they went to Baffle Haus and didn't even tell us

 

 

What you say @Sofia  ??

 

 

I apologise profusely... 

[Pedro]

Tell you what, @Sir Fallsalot, if you´re having it with coffee I will prefer your bacon baps than our ham sandwiches. It oddly works with a hot beverage.

[Pedro]

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.

 

[Clive]

Place names....weird pronunciation.....the village that you passed by on the Chatsworth Estate is named Edensor, which is pronounced Enza.....why is it  so?....bugger knows.  

[Pedro]

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.

[XTreme]

Best report we've ever had here Pedro! MOTY for you I'd say.

I'd love to do something like that (not to Britain obviously) .......but Northern Europe instead!

[Pedro]

5 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Best report we've ever had here Pedro! MOTY for you I'd say.

I'd love to do something like that (not to Britain obviously) .......but Northern Europe instead!

I'm honestly jonesing for Morocco, dry and dusty, and also with cheap meals and petrol ...

[Clive]

@Pedro & @Sofia..... 

Thank you both for the report and photos.......brilliant!

[XTreme]

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

I'm honestly jonesing for Morocco, dry and dusty, and also with cheap meals and petrol ...

And Gammon free as well!

[Buckster]

3 hours ago, Pedro said:

I'm honestly jonesing for Morocco, dry and dusty, and also with cheap meals and petrol ...

We know what you are jonesing for.

[Sofia]

5 hours ago, Pedro said:

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.

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! 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

55 minutes ago, Sofia said:

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! 

There are some great statements and some utter bollox in that post but I suppose whatever opinions you've formed you're free to have so enjoy. 

Just for example the extreme control you refer to is our law against 'entrapment' they are legally obliged to tell you where the cameras are, even the police are obliged to release where they'll be with their mobile speed traps, this is more freedom than in other countries, no nasty surprise points or fines unless you speed without taking heed. The only place I have been caught out speeding is in Spain with their hidden cameras.

Unlike many other countries, where you are unaware you're being checked upon, no nasty surprise points arrive in the post, in the UK they must by law let you know before you hit a trap or camera, people generally know they've stupidly been through a camera.

See the pic below for a part of my trip from the Pyrenees' very soon. It's a camera hell on that route, not that you'll get any sort of warning while there unless you use the correct GPS.

From what I can see, you did a great job on the guiding, some refining needed maybe but overall looked like you did a lovely job. 

 

ps seasickness pills need to be taken an hour before boarding, after you feel sick it's just not going to have the same effect. 

 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

Honestly @Pedro that's one of the best ride reports I've ever read, so engaging, with some entertaining observations and lovely photos.

We may have never seen eye to eye in the past but I'd seriously consider you for the MOTY based on that. 

[Sir Fallsalot]

1 hour ago, Sofia said:

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! 

I have to agree with @Slowlycatchymonkey i know not of the extreme control you speak of, i do what i want when i want for example i past the Baffle Haus you visited today in my works van doing over 80 mph if anything it's more out of control here with CCTV footage to prove it 

[Sir Fallsalot]

5 hours ago, XTreme said:

And Gammon free as well!

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