Flying Suitcase

Hong Kong layover

2008-07-24T22:44:00.007+10:00

Back in Hong Kong.
I spent 3 days here
on the way back home.
It was hot and humid!
I spent most of the time
in my air conditioned hotel
room!

Get your chicks here
and cross the street to
the hourly hotel.

Very convenient.

An interesting art
object at the Hong Kong
Museum of art.

And so, we say goodbye
to Hong Kong, and hello
to Sydney.

Last days in London

2008-07-24T22:31:00.006+10:00

Some blokes I saw
on the tube.

Another tube traveller.

A movie poster I
saw on the tube.
The 'Public Eye' was
produced by my
step sister many
years ago.

Earls Court.
I stayed here until
I sold the bike.

Then home to Sydney.

Notting Hill Carnival

2008-07-24T21:45:00.010+10:00

I met some people in
London who invited me
to the Notting Hill Carnival.

A chap named Ben and
a couple of girls from
the Czech Republic.

Lots of people.
The carnival is the
second largest in
the world, after Rio.

The snake man.

Bloody kids and their
bloody graffiti!

There were some messy
ladies there that day.

Who's photographing
who here?

A colourful kid
in the parade.

The carnival is led by members
of the Caribbean population
of London.

I hope you girls are
not drinking alcohol!

What? Us?

I got caught up in a rave!
Couldn't move for people!

"I spend all that time in
the gym and these chicks
still won't talk to me!
Bloody women!"

Hey baby!
Where'd you get
those legs?

London again

2008-07-23T22:13:00.002+10:00

My bike parked in
front of the Ritz.

In front of Harrod's.

The Tardis!
The Doctor keeps
it in Earl's Court.

A motorcycle rally
passing through
Trafalgar Square.

Bollywood comes to
Trafalgar Square!

People abseiling
down the set.

I stopped at a pub
near Chinatown for
a few Belgian beers
and met some people.

A guy named Ben and
a couple of Czech girls.
They invited me to the
Notting Hill Carnival.

Canterbury

2008-07-23T21:38:00.001+10:00

My bike at the youth
hostel in Canterbury.
I just had it washed
by 5 Lithuanians!
Ready to sell.

Canterbury cathedral.

A pub in Canterbury.
The guy is smoking a
cigarette through a hole
in his lower lip.

A young French-Greek
girl I befriended at the
backpackers hostel.
She had recently returned
from India.

She slept in the tent
to save money.
I think she was in
love with a Canadian
girl she travelled with
in India.

A couple of truck
drivers stop for
a bit of a chat.

Dover

2008-07-23T21:34:00.000+10:00

The white cliffs of Dover.
Don't see any blue birds.

The port of Dover, with
Dover castle on the hill.

Calais

2008-07-23T21:26:00.001+10:00

The town hall in Calais.
A rather impressive one.

A car that was in the
Gum Ball rally.
An annual race that
uses public roads and
is usually controversial.

The ferry that is to
take me back to Dover.

Boulogne sur Mer

2008-07-23T21:24:00.001+10:00

The beach at Boulogne sur Mer.
A last swim and sunbake
before England.

Back in France

2008-07-23T20:52:00.001+10:00

On the road again
on a beautiful sunny
day in France.

Montreuil is a charming
little town south of
Boulogne sur Mer.
I spent my last night
here before going to
Calais and then back
to England.

The town goes back
to Roman times.
The ramparts were
built about the 9th
century.
Here we see an ancient
tennis court.

Part of the ramparts.
Victor Hugo used Montreuil
as the setting for his
novel 'Les Miserables'.

Brugge

2008-07-23T20:22:00.004+10:00

On my way back from
Amsterdam I took a
wrong turn and ended
up in Brugge.

Another happy accident.

A trash and treasure market.

For all your
teddy bear needs.

A cafe where I had lunch.
I thought the waitress
was kinda cute.

A nice scene with swans.

The Basilica of the Holy Blood
that claims to have a bit of
Christ's blood brought over
during the first Crusade.

A life size replica of the
Terminator skeleton.
Seen in a model and
games shop.

The park benches all
have a dragon motif.

A water mill of
some kind.

One of four large
windmills on the
edge of the town.

A colourful bistro.

I was 'de man' when in
Brugge!
Glad they appreciated
me so much.

Peak hour traffic
in Brugge.

The was a free concert one
night by Balkan Beat Box.
They had some Bulgarian
women singers.
It was pretty good.

A vintage car show.
The rain was kind
enough to go away.

A beautiful Packard.

Time to leave Brugge.

Amsterdam

2008-07-23T19:42:00.000+10:00

In Dunkerque I decided
that I really didn't want
to go back to England
just yet, so I thought;

why not Amsterdam?

A traffic accident
on a canal.
Two of these boats
had just collided.

A favourite cafe
of mine.
All the barmaids
were blond.

The red light district.

A leisurely cruise
on the canal.

The Bulldog.
The first coffee shop
to sell dope.

Inside the Excalibur
bar in the red light
district.

When space is at a
premium, small
cars are the way to go.

The queue waiting to
get in to the Anne Frank
Museum.
I gave it a miss.

A cafe where I had
lunch.

A good looking blond
on a pink bike.
Is she smiling because
I'm taking a photo?

A scooter rider gets
nailed by a car.

The canal where
Spencer Tunick took
a photo of a bunch
of nude women.

Dieppe - Dunkerque

2008-07-23T17:59:00.002+10:00

More rain on the way?

The beach at Dieppe.
Late afternoon.
The youth hostel here
was closed, like boarded
up, so I got a cheap hotel.

I arrived just in time
for a free concert!

The first half of the
concert was awful.
Some of the contestants
from the French version
of American Idol.
The second half though,
was very good.

Dunkerque

An extremely ugly
building in Dunkerque.
An entertainment
centre.

The beach where all
those soldiers were
evacuated.

A memorial to the
evacuation in 1940.

Rouen

2008-07-23T17:33:00.001+10:00

I didn't plan on spending
too much time in Rouen,
but when I tried to leave
I got stuck in the most
godawful peak hour
traffic jam!

I got sick of sitting in
traffic and turned around
and went back into town.
I thought I'd wait it out.

On reflection, I wish
I'd spent more time
there. It looks like
an interesting city.
This place is explained
by the next photo.

A plaque in English?
How un-French!

One of the said
carvings depicting
death.

A shop selling some
rather nice, and rather
expensive, reproductions.

An interesting
looking shop front.

Normandy

2008-07-23T17:06:00.001+10:00

A reconstructed church
in Normandy that was
destroyed during WW II.

A photo taken in 1944.

Omaha Beach today.
Hard to imagine what
it was like in 1944.

One of many old
German gun
emplacements.

Looking out over
the English Channel.

A machine gun
bunker.

This street probably
looks the same now
as it did in 1944.

Remains of pontoons
used to construct the
Mulberry B Harbour used
during D-Day, 1944.
It's at Arromanches.
Mulberry A was at Omaha
Beach but was destroyed
by a storm.

Arromanches.
I found a shop that sold WW II
memorabilia and I bought 3
magazines printed by the
Germans during their
occupation of France.

Bayeux

2008-07-23T16:47:00.001+10:00

A seller of Corsican
meat products in
Bayeux.

The typical French car.
The 2CV.

There was a large group
of English teenage girls
at the hostel I stayed at.
One of them stubbed her
toe and got upset when
I had the insensitivity
to take a photo!

They have a street
market on weekends
with live music.

The cathedral in
Bayeux.

A diorama in the
museum showing
a castle being built.

A bit of the Bayeux
Tapestry. The French
are proud of this because
it celebrates one of the
few times they beat
the English.
It's 70 metres long,
you know?

Mont St. Michel

2008-07-23T16:25:00.003+10:00

Mont St. Michel, or the
Mount of Saint Michael.
It looks good from a
distance, but in summer
and school holidays it
gets very crowded.

A closer look.

I got a bit annoyed
after a while and
sought some solitude.
Bloody tourists!
Oh wait, I was one too.

The parking lot.
See all the camper vans?
Ugh!

I turn the tables on
some Japanese tourists.
I think they appreciated
the irony.

St. Malo

2008-07-23T16:00:00.003+10:00

Saint Malo is known
for being the home of
the infamous Corsairs,
or pirates.

The walled city of
Saint Malo was almost
completely destroyed
in 1944 by American
forces.

It was alternately
sunny and rainy
when I was there.

An old Peugeot I saw
in the town.

Some cafe signs.

Jacques Cartier, who sailed
the Saint Lawrence River and
visited the sites of Quebec
and Montreal -

- and is thus credited
as the discoverer of
Canada, lived in and
sailed from Saint-Malo.

Dinan

2008-07-22T10:17:00.001+10:00

This was typical when
I was travelling around
the French countryside.
Towns that were nearly
deserted.

A cute little cafe.
It was closed.
Probably lunch time.
Everything closes
for lunch in France.

The youth hostel I
stayed at in Dinan,
with a family of cyclists.
They each had more
gear for a 2 week trip
than I had for 5 months!

The road leading
to the youth hostel.

A popular bikers
cafe in Dinan.

The old town in
Dinan is very
picturesque.

Most of the buildings
date from the 13th
and 14th centuries.

An interesting
looking shop.

Some cute French
kids with some cute
French school teachers.

The waterfront.

A school where you
can learn to ride a
GP boat and a GP bike.
Hmmm . . . .

Quimper

2008-07-22T10:07:00.001+10:00

The people of Bretagne
or Brittany don't regard
themselves as French,
but more Celtic.
Here a bagpipe band
puts in some practice.

A WW II vehicle.

Another bagpipe
band practicing.
I only stopped
in Quimper because
I needed a toilet
break and a ciggy.
Another happy accident.

The cathedral with
food stalls and people
dancing.

Lorient

2008-07-22T09:45:00.002+10:00

Feeling hungry?
How about a pique nique?

Just a short walk from
the youth hostel they
were holding a world
championship
triathlon.

There were a few
Aussies competing.

The harbour.
The big building
is an old WW II
German submarine
base, now a museum.

A submarine on display.
At first I was a bit
wary about taking
photos. I thought
I might be arrested.
Then I realised what
it was. Duh!

Boat skeletons
at low tide.

Josselin

2008-07-22T09:27:00.000+10:00

The chateau at Josselin.
Originally made of
wood ca. 1000 A.D.
it was almost destroyed
twice but fully restored
in the 19th Century.

In more recent times
Queen Elizabeth, the
Queen Mother has
stayed there.

The old town with
souvenir shops.

Get your chateau
tickets here.

A Harley parked
in front of a real
estate agent.

Magic riding

2008-07-22T08:40:00.001+10:00

The end of a magic
day of riding in the
Plélan le Grand.
The area is a forest
with twisty roads
and beautiful scenery.

It was about 8 pm so I
I stopped here for dinner.
I had escargot and beef
brochettes, creme broulet
and a house red.
Very nice!
My dinner was cooked
on the open fire.

This place is the
Restaurant Les Forges
de Paimpont.
How did I remember
that? I didn't.
I found it on the
internet.

Vitré

2008-07-22T08:31:00.000+10:00

The town hall in
Vitré, Brittany.

The sign says:
to old Vitré.

On old building
facade in Vitré.

Sainte-Suzanne

2008-07-22T07:59:00.000+10:00

The fortress town of
Sainte-Suzanne.

With a motorbike in
France you can park
just about anywhere
you like, and the front
of the mayor's office
is as good a place as any.

The view from the
top of the hill.

A nice walk around
the fortress walls.
The chateau was
closed for repairs,
so I didn't see it.

The town.
Not many people
around.

A colourful
souvenir shop.

Orleans

2008-07-22T07:33:00.013+10:00

When you're riding
around France and
it looks like rain,
there are places
you can go where
it's dry. Nice of them.

A merry go round
in the centre of Orleans.
Place du Martroi.

A statue of Joan of Arc,
the Maid of Orleans.

_________________________________________________________________________

Le Mans.

The impressive
cathedral in Le Mans.
I took this photo while
stopped at traffic lights.

The old town in Le Mans.
The Cite Plantangenet.
I didn't stay long here,
just long enough to eat
and have a look around.

Old alcoves probably
once used by traders,
now with flowers.

A musical instrument shop.

I had the old town
all to myself.
It was after 8 pm
and everyone was
at home, cooking
I guess . . .

. . . or doing whatever
French people do at night.
Ahem . . .

Loire Valley

2008-07-21T15:24:00.000+10:00

A storm that chased
me all the way to the
Loire Valley.
It was very fast and
I could barely outrun it.

The rain caught up
to me by the time
I got to Saumur.

I stopped for coffee
and after about half
an hour the sun came
out and all was right
with the world again.

This was my first
Loire Valley castle.
Château de Saumur
dates from the 10th cent.

I'm told that this castle
inspired Walt Disney.

The castle at Langeais
is right in the middle
of town. This one was
built between 1465
and 1469.
Try doing that today!

They had tapestries
for sale. This one was
about 600 euros.

One of the bedrooms.

Chateau d'Amboise
is an imposing sight
as you ride along
the river.

In 1429 Joan of Arc
passed through the town
on her way to defeat the
English at Orleans.

The Loire river
as seen from the
ramparts.

Leonardo da Vinci
is buried in this
small chapel of
Saint-Hubert.

As a guest of the King,
Leonardo da Vinci came
to Château Amboise in
December 1515.
He died in 1519.

One of the bedrooms.

The chateau at Blois.

Not surprisingly,
Blois was also
having a music
festival.

The cathedral as
seen through the
window of my
hotel room.

The house of
magic, with some
dragons poking
their heads out.

A detail of the
entrance to the
chateau.

Nantes

2008-07-21T15:02:00.004+10:00

In Nantes town.
The homeless guy
sitting on the step
was smoking a bong!

What on earth is
that, I hear you say?

Why, it's a mechanical
elephant, of course.

Nantes is famous for
the Machines de l'Ile.

You can ride on it
if you so desire.

The elephant goes for
a walk each day along
the river and into town.
It's 12 metres high.

They have other
strange creatures
on display.
An angler fish.

A giant squid.

A killer prawn?
These things all
move and you
can ride them.

On the road again

2008-07-21T14:45:00.000+10:00

A cigarette break
along the way.

Traffic on these
country roads
is horrendous!

Yummm! Chocolate!
Belgian chocolate!
Double yummm!

A badger.
He's not dead.
He's just resting.

Saintes

2008-07-21T14:33:00.001+10:00

Saintes is on the
Charente River and
was a Roman town
from about 20 B.C.

This Roman ruin
used to be the
entrance to a bridge
over the river.

Most towns I visited
in France were having
a music festival, and
Saintes was on exception.

At night there was
a rock concert, which
consisted of drums
and fireworks.

Sand dune

2008-07-21T14:20:00.000+10:00

The highest sand
dune in Europe.
Also one of the
tackiest tourist
attractions in
France.

Biarritz

2008-07-21T14:10:00.000+10:00

The beach at Biarritz.
I didn't swim at this
beach. I just perved
at all the girls.

Some people don't
like Biarritz, but I
liked it.

I had a swim at this
beach with the house
perched on a rock.

The Pyrenees

2008-07-21T13:33:00.001+10:00

Three Austrian BMW
riders I met on the way
to the Pyrenees.
The one in red is a
woman.

The beginning of
the Pyrenees.
Lots of nice twisty
roads.

The mountains
here go almost
straight up.

A random chateau
along the way.

The town of Lourdes
which gets about
5 million tourists
each year.

The grotto where
pilgrims go to drink
the water in the hope
it will cure any ailments
they may have.

One of about 270
hotels in Lourdes.
The only other place
with more hotels is
Paris.

There are hundreds
of shops like these
selling all sorts of
religious souvenirs.

On the road again
with beautiful
weather and scenery.

The town of
Cauterets.
A ski resort in
the winter.

I took the cable car
up the valley.

I don't what the
point of these is.
Do you keep things
in your underpants?

Carcassonne

2008-07-21T11:38:00.001+10:00

A typical sight in the
French countryside
is a tree lined road
coming into town.

Carcassonne.
A composite of two
photos showing the
old city in its entirety.

Carcassonne is an
ancient fortified
city that was in
ruins until it was
completely restored
in 1853.

The main entrance.
I stayed in the youth
hostel in the centre
of the old city.

In 1849 the then French
government wanted to
demolish the old city,
but there was such a
public outcry that they
thought better of it.

Carcassonne is now a
UNESCO world heritage
site.

An upmarket hotel
in the old city.
Really nice inside.
Too expensive for me.

A colourful shop
selling biscuits.
Did you know that
'biscuit' comes from
old French 'bescuit'
meaning twice cooked?
You do now.

Three cute little
girls who smiled
for the camera.

Barcelona

2008-07-21T11:09:00.006+10:00

A quick side trip to
Barcelona seemed like
a good idea.
A good looking blonde
I saw on the way to
Barcelona.

Riding into Barcelona
I followed the towers
of the Gaudi cathedral.
Didn't really need a map.

I arrived in the
early evening, so
I thought I'd have
dinner here.
I had pizza.

I stayed in a cheap
hotel in Las Ramblas.
It was very crowded
because of summer
college holidays.

Thousands of college
kids all looking to
get laid or drunk,
or both.

A pair of fruity ladies.

I went inside the
cathedral to have
a look and got stuck
for half an hour when
they started the service.
It was all in Spanish.

The waterfront.
Barcelona underwent
a lot of renovation
for the Olympics.

Did I get laid in
Las Ramblas?
No, but a lot of
women asked me.
They were prostitutes
though.

Sète

2008-07-21T09:33:00.001+10:00

A space age looking
control tower on the
way to Sète.

Sète is a port town
with canals.

A late afternoon photo.

A car selling
fridge magnets.

Arles

2008-07-21T09:19:00.000+10:00

Arles is a town noted for its
collosseum and the fact that
Vincent van Gogh liked to
paint here.

The collosseum,
or Roman circus.

Once an important
city of the Roman
empire, it had a
canal link to the sea.

A monument to
Vincent van Gogh.

Les Baux de Provence

2008-07-21T08:56:00.001+10:00

A seller of garlic in
St. Remy de Provence.

Les Baux de Provence
is a medieval fort
dating back to the
middle of the 1oth century.

Apparently bauxite
was discovered here
and was named after
the town.

They have stocks for
unruly children.
Very sensible.

A replica of a
trebuchet.
The guy was about
to shoot off a large
white ball.

A replica catapult.
I made a model
years ago that is
almost exactly like
this.

The countryside
around Les Baux de
Provence.
Mostly citrus orchards.

I do guided safaris
of the local area.
Don't expect any
elephants.

Fontaine de Vaucluse

2008-07-21T08:48:00.000+10:00

The youth hostel at
Fontaine de Vaucluse.

The river here comes
out of the ground and is
the source of the Sorgue river.

This place is nice
during the week.
I imagine it would
be pretty crowded
on the weekend.

Avignon

2008-07-21T08:11:00.000+10:00

This is the facade
of a supermarket
in Avignon.

France was having
a nationwide music
festival, and this is
a recital in the town
hall.

The citadel in Avignon
which was once the seat
of the papacy.

The French like their
sidewalk cafes.
Very civilised.

Pont d'Avignon.
A bridge to nowhere.

Part of the fortified
wall around the city.

Gorge du Verdon

2008-07-21T08:01:00.001+10:00

The beautiful Gorge
du Verdon just north
of Frejus.

I took the road along
the southern side of
the gorge, and then
back along the floor
of the valley.

Nice roads for bikers.

The lake at the
end of the gorge.

Frejus

2008-07-21T07:17:00.002+10:00

One of the bars I used
to frequent in Frejus.

There are some Roman
ruins around Frejus.
This is the colosseum.
They also have some
bits of an aqueduct.

Some of the people I
met at the youth hostel
in Frejus.
I was going to leave
after 3 days, but this
blonde on an old BMW
turned up.

Kate was riding an old
R6O she named Bob.
She didn't name it after me.
Just coincidence.

Kate and her bike.
She is also an Aussie
and she also had no
home or job.
Just like me.

Kate and I went on
a couple of rides
together.
This ride was to
Grasse, famous
for perfume.

We went shopping and
bought some perfume
and antiques.
After Frejus, Kate and I
parted ways.
She went east to Italy,
and I went west.

The Côte d'Azur

2008-07-21T06:55:00.000+10:00

Some luxury yachts
in the harbour at
Saint- Tropez.

Saint-Tropez may be
a playground for the
rich and famous, but
the town itself is a
bit of a dump.

An elaborate door
that is actually
the entrance to
a wine shop.

The beach at Nice.
No sand.

The scenery on the
way to Monte Carlo.

Another photo to
prove I was there.
This is on the high
road to Monaco.

This is the low road.
The Côte d'Azur is
all very nice, but it's
crowded and there
is a lot of traffic.

Monte Carlo.
I tried to ride the
Grand Prix circuit
but I was stopped
by a cop and told
that I was a bad boy.

The sarf of France

2008-07-21T06:35:00.000+10:00

A decorated building
on the way to Marseilles.

The outskirts of
Marseilles.
As I don't like big
cities, I gave it a
miss and just took
the freeway that
cuts through it.

The scenery on
the way to Cassis.

I was told by a
fellow biker that
Cassis was a charming
little fishing village.
I found it to be a bit of
a tourist trap.

Maybe it was because
I came on the weekend.
The youth hostel here
is miles out of town
and down a 3Km goat
track!

Savines le Lac

2008-07-21T06:20:00.000+10:00

I saw this bike on
the way. It's actually
bolted on to the wall.
I don't know why.
Practical joke, maybe?

Savines le Lac.
A beautiful lake
district in the region
Provence-Alpes-Côte
d'Azur.

Another photo to
prove that I was
there and didn't
just nick the photos
from the internet.

A restaurant with
a view. I had dinner
here. It gets dark
late in the summer.

This is at the
youth hostel
in Savines le Lac.

Le Deux Alps

2008-07-21T05:52:00.000+10:00

A strange looking
tower on the way
to the Alps.

Le Deux Alps is
between Grenoble
and Briançon.

It's a ski resort
in the winter.

Pretty spectacular,
huh?

There were quite
a few other bikers
out as it was the
weekend.

The weather was
typical for most of
my stay in France.

Leaving the Alps
now and heading
for Savines le Lac.
A great road for
biking.

Annecy

2008-07-21T05:23:00.001+10:00

A beautiful city on
Lake Annecy just
south of Geneva.

You can hire one of
these nice replica
speed boats and go
for a spin on the lake.

One of many
canals in the city.

The city has many
canalside bars and
cafes where you can
watch the passing
parade.

This was apparently
a medieval prison.

I wanted to stay at
the youth hostel
here, but it was full.
I was lucky to find
a hotel near the park
for 70 Euros.

I arrived here in the
middle of the Annecy
animated film festival.
It rained just before
a rock concert was
about to start and
they cancelled it.
The concert, that is.

On the road

2008-07-21T05:07:00.003+10:00

I put in a morning
of fast riding and
underestimated
my fuel capacity.
I ran out of petrol!
The first car to come
along gave me a ride
to a petrol station.

The ugliest church
in France in a place
called Dole.

Louis Pasteur was
born in Dole.

A town on the
way to a brief
visit to Switzerland.

The Swiss border.
Although it's not part
of the EU, I didn't
have to stop at
passport control.

Some boats on
Lake Geneva.
I didn't want to
spend too much
time here as my
insurance wasn't
valid in Switzerland.

The water fountain,
or Jet d'eau.

Paris Catacombs

2008-07-21T04:42:00.000+10:00

The Paris catacombs,
or l'Ossuaire Municipal.
A cool place to go when
Paris is hot.

This cemetery covers a part
of Paris' former mines near
the Left Bank Place
Denfert-Rochereau.

Most of Paris' larger
churches once had
their own cemeteries,
but city growth and
generations of dead
began to overwhelm
them.

When you leave
they search your
bags for souvenirs.

Musée d'Orsay

2008-07-20T11:43:00.000+10:00

A nice green elephant
out the front of the
Musée d'Orsay.

The museum used to
be a train station.

A painting I stole from
the museum.
It's by Claude Monet.

Out and about

2008-07-20T11:27:00.000+10:00

I was in Paris for
6 days, but I only
rode on Sunday.
Less traffic.

It was relatively
easy riding around
Paris on Sunday.
Probably better
than Sydney.

The Pere laChase
cemetery in Paris.
Some famous people
are buried here.

One of them being
Jim Morrison from
The Doors.

Another being Chopin.

Yet another being
Oscar Wilde.
The monument is
covered in kisses.

Stuck in a traffic jam
near Notre Dame.
Still, the view is
pretty nice.

The Louvre

2008-07-20T10:54:00.003+10:00

A visit to Paris would
not be complete without
a trip to the Louvre.
Here are some ancient
Egyptian statues, probably
stolen by Napoleon.

Seated scribe.
Ca 2500 B.C.
I like ancient Egyptian art.

An art installation
in case you want to
know the time.
All the clocks work.

A funny mirror.
That's me in the middle.

The private quarters of
Napoleon, when the
Louvre was a palace.

The famous glass pyramid.
If you have read "The Da Vinci
Code", this would ring a bell.

An interesting statue.
Notice the swastikas
on the arms.

Paris

2008-07-20T10:15:00.003+10:00

The prospect of riding
into Paris was somewhat
daunting for me.
I don't usually like riding
in large, crowded cities.
I stopped here to ask a
fellow biker for directions.

The Place de la Republic.
I stayed at the youth
hostel here. This is the
roundabout with about
6 lanes of traffic going
off in about 6 different
directions.

Notre Dame cathedral
and the Seine.

I decided to go on a
sightseeing cruise.

The Eiffel Tower.
When the Paris Expo
was over, they nearly
pulled the tower down.
Lucky they decided to
keep it.

The Louvre.
Formerly a palace.

A police blitz on
scooter riders.
I should think so too!
Parisian scooter riders
are crazy!

I was in St. Michel and
there was a commotion
and police making their
way down to the river.
Someone reported a
body in the Seine.
It turned out to be a balloon.

Idiots !

The Art Nouveau Metro
station in St. Michel.
The place was full of
bloody tourists !

Basilique du Sacre
Coeur de Montmatre.

Parking my bike
was usually easy
in Paris. Here I am
near Notre Dame.

Vernon - Giverny

2008-07-20T09:57:00.001+10:00

Vernon is a few clicks
from Giverny, where
Claude Monet lived
and worked.

Some very old
buildings in Vernon.

Giverny.
The pond where Monet
painted his water lily
scenes.

All this land is part
of Monet's home.

Monet's house.
It was hot when
I was there, and
crowded.

Monet's kitchen.
If you're looking
for decorating
ideas, you might
try this scheme.

An old WW II Jeep
that happened to
be passing by.

Dead phone booth

2008-07-20T09:44:00.003+10:00

I was waiting for the bike
shop in Chantilly to open
to get some new tyres,
and I saw a truck back
into this phone booth
and completely
destroy it.

Amiens

2008-07-20T09:36:00.001+10:00

The Notre Dame cathedral
at Amiens.
It is the tallest in France.

Part of the inside.
Very impressive.

I only stopped in Amiens
for a rest, then I saw
the cathedral. They
were cleaning it.

Batterie Todt

2008-07-19T18:12:00.000+10:00

An old German WW II
gun battery near
Boulogne sur Mer.

The battery is a museum
with all manner of stuff.

Some old bikes.

A big gun that the
Germans fired across
the channel.

Some info about
the big gun.

Take zat, you English
svinehunds !

A German helmet used
as an ash tray.

A chart showing the
number of bloody big
shells they fired.

Boulogne sur Mer

2008-07-19T17:57:00.000+10:00

I got straight out of
Calais and headed for
Boulogne sur Mer.
I had my first French
beer here, well, actually
it was a Belgian beer.

I stayed at the youth
hostel near the train
station. This is a
motorcycle accident
out front. The girl
pillion is being
attended to.

A gendarme looks
over the broken bike.

A timely reminder
to be careful.

The first chateau I saw
in France.

Off to France

2008-07-19T17:34:00.000+10:00

On the Chunnel train
heading for Calais.
It took 35 minutes
and cost about a quid
a minute.

Last bit of England before France

2008-07-19T17:22:00.000+10:00

I typical English beach.
You gotta feel sorry
for those poor Poms!
This is near Folkestone.

A sign.

An old gun emplacement
to guard against Napoleon.

Morgan Museum

2008-07-19T17:02:00.000+10:00

Another accidental
find was the Falstaff
antique shop and
Morgan museum
in Rolvenden.

The classic red Morgan
three wheeler.
I have a model of this.

A Hobart bike.

A motorised kids toy.

More Morgans.
I think they had
about 11.

More stuff than
you can poke a
stick at!

One more Morgan.

Bath

2008-07-19T16:07:00.002+10:00

It was raining when I
arrived in Bath.
It was cold too.
I stopped at this pub
for lunch and to dry out.

The entrance to the
Roman baths.

The River Avon,
which runs through
the centre of Bath.

A building with
bullet holes left
over from WW II
when the Luftwaffe
bombed Bath in 1942.

The cathedral square.

The Roman baths were
originally a shrine of the
Celts dedicated to the
goddess Sulis.

The Romans first started
building around the springs
around the 2nd century A.D.

After the Roman withdrawal
in the first decade of the
5th century, the baths
fell into disrepair.

The buildings around
the baths today were
built in Victorian times.

A spillway on the river.

I stayed at the YMCA
and they put on a play
involving women and
water. It was part of
the Bath Arts Festival.

An "arty" photo I took
in the Star Inn.

The smallest pub in Bath.
The Coeur de Lyon.

On the way

2008-07-19T16:00:00.000+10:00

I think I took this
in Hereford.

My hotel room
in Hereford.
Hereford is famous
for cows. I went to
a pub the night I was
there, and judging by
the women, I can
see why.

Stokesay Castle

2008-07-19T15:32:00.000+10:00

Stokesay Castle.
Shropshire.
Again, something I
came across by accident.

It's on the border
between England and Wales.
It was built around the
13th century.

You can visit the
web site here :

In the 19th century the
castle was sympathetically
restored and preserved.

When I arrived in the
late afternoon they
were just packing up
after having a display
of old weapons and
farm impliments.

Back in England

2008-07-19T15:19:00.002+10:00

Some river barges I
came across by accident.
I came across a lot of
things by accident.
Part of the fun of
travelling.

There were a lot
of barges and I
think they were
having a festival.

The English equivalent
of our grey nomads.
A nice way to travel
around the country.

Some statues in Chester.
Today's politicians
should take note
of the words.
"The profit of the
earth is for all" and
"The king himself
is served by the field".

New Lanark

2008-07-19T15:00:00.000+10:00

New Lanark was a mill
town built over 200
years ago. It is now
a World Heritage site.

It was ahead of its time
because the manager,
Robert Owen, gave his
workers benefits
and living standards
that no one else did.

The workers were
provided with decent
housing, fair wages,
free health care and
education for the
children.

A typical house.
They had the first
nursery school in
the world.

The village shop.
There is a youth
hostel in the village
and I stayed there.

Leaving Scotland

2008-07-19T14:40:00.001+10:00

A new BMW is saw on
the way back south.

I took some more photos
of Eilean Donan Castle
because I thought I'd
lost the others .
This time it was raining.

The town of Glencoe,
which was the site of
a massacre in 1692.

The scenic road that
leads to the youth hostel
at Glencoe.

This was where I first
entered the highlands.
This time it was cold
and wet.

Isle of Skye

2008-07-19T14:13:00.002+10:00

Some Harley riding
bikers from Lithuania.
Their motto is "weak of will".

A brewery and
distillery that has
over 200 different
varieties of scotch.

The weather on Skye
was cold, wet and windy.

A village called Uig
on the north end
of Skye.

The view from the
kitchen of the youth
hostel at Uig.

The front yard
of the hostel.
It was very windy.

An old farmhouse.
Abandoned, I think.

On the road

2008-07-19T13:52:00.002+10:00

On the road in
Scotland with
some nice roads.
I saw some motorcycle
cops on this road,
followed by 2 other
plain clothes, and
plain bike cops.
Sneaky!

A picturesque bay.

Eilean Donan Castle.

Partially destroyed in
a Jacobite uprising in
1719, Eilean Donan lay
in ruins for the best
part of 200 years.

In 1911 the castle was
restored to its former glory
and was re-opened in 1932.

The main hall
of the castle.
Photography inside
the castle is not allowed,
but that never stopped me.

Inverlochy Castle

2008-07-19T13:38:00.001+10:00

Inverlochy Castle
near Fort William.

Scotland

2008-07-19T12:42:00.001+10:00

The famous village
of Gretna Green,
where couples would
elope from England
to get married.

A lake somewhere
on the way to the
Scottish Highlands.

Some spectacular
scenery in the
Highlands.

Some snow on the peaks.

Ben Nevis, the
highest mountain
in Britain at
1,344 metres above
sea level.

Loch Ness, with
a bit of a tilt.
I hope the water
doesn't spill out.

The Loch Ness monster.
Not very big.
A bit disappointing.

A random castle
along the way.

On the road with
snow capped
mountains.

Lake District part 2

2008-07-19T11:44:00.002+10:00

The village of Grasmere,
where William Wordsworth
is buried.

The grave of
William Wordsworth.

Some cows and
a randy bull.
People climb all
around the hills here.

Typical countryside
around Ullswater.
It was about to rain
for three days.

A nice old ferry
on Ullswater.
It was once steam
powered but
was converted
to diesel in the 30s.

The White Lion
hotel near Glenridding.

The bar of the
White Lion.

A kid who befriended
me at the youth hostel.

The view from the
back of the hostel.

The Lake District

2008-07-19T10:46:00.004+10:00

One of the prettiest places
in England, except when
it's raining.
Well, it's still pretty nice.

The youth hostel I
stayed at in Ambleside.

The view from my
bedroom window.

Some dark and
gloomy weather
rolling in.

A view from up on high.

One of a few nice
old pubs I found.

Some of the roads
around the Lake
District that make
riding a pleasure.

The Struggle was so
named because it was
a struggle for the old
horse drawn carriages.

The Struggle as seen
from Kirkstone Pass.

The Kirkstone Pass Inn.
Built in 1496.
It is supposed to
be haunted.

Inside the inn.
It was cold and
windy outside.

Some nice old
wooden boats
that you can hire.

A late afternoon shot.

Leaving Wales

2008-07-19T10:37:00.004+10:00

The castle at Caernarfon.

On the road somewhere.

A typical country
road in England.
This is near Clun,
in Shropshire.

A pub I just had
to get a photo of.
This is in Aston on
Clun.

Beddgelert

2008-07-19T10:05:00.001+10:00

Beddgelert is a small town
that was named after a dog.
This is an art gallery with
the Welsh dragon.

A nice park on the way
to the grave of the dog
after which the town
was named.

This is the dog's grave . . .

. . . and the gravestone.

Some Welsh sheep.

Snowdonia

2008-07-19T09:41:00.003+10:00

On the way to Snowdonia.
A bit cool and overcast.
That's a ruined castle on
the right.

It was cold and wet on this
day. I stopped at the pub at
Pen-y-pass to warm up and
get dry by the open fire.
The boots are from the
Hillary climbing team, who
practiced here before their
assault on Mt. Everest.
Some of the staff here were
Australians. We're everywhere!

This is one of the youth
hostels in Snowdonia,
although I didn't stay in
this one.

Some of the countryside.
Nice, huh?

A slate mine.
Wales is famous for slate.

When the sun came out
the riding and scenery
were pretty nice.

A farm house in a nice valley.

Anglesey

2008-07-19T09:33:00.001+10:00

The White Lion hotel
on Anglesey where a
relative of mine, my
father's uncle I think,
used to sing for drinks.

The town in Wales with the
world's longest name.

And here is what it means.

Menai Bridge

2008-07-19T08:51:00.004+10:00

Menai Bridge, which
crosses over to the
Isle of Anglesey.

The old church of
St Tysilio on Church Island
and the cemetery near the
Menai Bridge.
My great grandfather
is buried here.

My father gave me the
task of finding my great
grandfather's grave.
It took about 3 hours,
but I found it.
His name is William H Williams.

A somewhat disturbing find
in the old cemetery.
My own grave!

Wales again

2008-07-19T08:34:00.000+10:00

Back in Wales.
This is the castle
at Colwyn Bay in
North Wales.

The waterfront at
Colwyn Bay.

The smallest house
in Britain.

The house has just 2
rooms. A kitchen downstairs
and a bedroom upstairs.

Chester

2008-07-19T08:10:00.002+10:00

Most of the buildings
here are from the
Victorian era, although
they are modelled on
the Jacobean half-timber
style.

A tourist bus in Chester.
Chester was an old Roman
garrison town and there
are still some ruins about.

The Roman park in town
with an example of under-
floor heating. Those Romans
were pretty sophisticated
when they weren't raping
and pillaging.

Here we see some Roman
soldiers who march about
town looking for trouble
makers.

An artist's impression
of old Chester when it
was a garrison town.

You see the strangest things

2007-05-26T21:47:00.002+10:00

A pub in Wales I passed

on the way from Llangollen

to Chester.

It's pronounced Clangoclen,

by the way.

Wales

2007-05-26T21:38:00.003+10:00

My first impression of
Wales after crossing
the border.

I stopped in the town of
Llangollen for a beer
and a chat with some
other BMW riders.

The scenery changed
quite noticeably from
the English countryside.

I wanted to stay at
the hostel here, but
it only takes group
bookings.

William Shakespeare

2007-05-26T21:27:00.003+10:00

The birthplace of Bill the Bard
in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The plaque showing the
authenticity of the claim
to be Bill's birth place.

Me verifying that I was there.

The church where Bill
and his wife, Anne,
are buried.

Old people's home

2007-05-26T21:21:00.003+10:00

An old home for old people
in Stratford upon Avon.

Pretty village

2007-05-26T21:15:00.001+10:00

The prettiest village in
England, or something
like that.
It was very pretty, but
I found it a bit touristy.
I prefer villages to be less
pretentious.

There was not much to
see other than along the
river banks.

Notice the absence of
power poles.

The oldest inn in England

2007-05-26T21:04:00.002+10:00

The oldest inn in England
that I again found by accident.
It's in a lovely little village
called Stow-on-the-Wold.
Of course I had a drink here.
They dated the timber with
carbon dating.

I stayed in the youth hostel
here. Apparently the town
is really crowded in August.

The old stocks in the
village square.

A nice old car.

Blenheim Palace

2007-05-26T20:55:00.003+10:00

Blenheim Palace, where
Winston Churchill was born.
I didn't know it was on the
way to where I was going.

Another happy accident.
I did the complete tour.

You're not allowed to take
photos inside the palace,
but I snuck in a few.

Me sitting outside in the
palace grounds.

Part of the grounds
of Blenheim Palace.

Oxford statue

2007-05-26T20:52:00.001+10:00

A statue in the street in Oxford.
Or is it?

Oxford campus

2007-05-26T20:50:00.002+10:00

A view of one of the many
campuses at Oxford.
I think they have over 40
learning institutions.

Oxford Buskers

2007-05-26T20:47:00.001+10:00

Some Oxford buskers playing
South American music with a
backing tape.
They were pretty good.

Irish Pub

2007-05-26T20:12:00.002+10:00

Here I am having a pint of
Guinness at an Irish pub
in Oxford. I passed this
pub a few times on my way
in to town.
You see I'm wearing the
Ulysses T-shirt. Not many
people have asked what
it means.

Oxford Museum

2007-05-26T20:09:00.002+10:00

I visited the Oxford museum of
natural history because I like
dinosaurs. They have a few
nice ones here. They also have
an upstairs section so jam-packed
with artifacts you'd need a week
to see them all.

A velociraptor.

Canterbury

2007-05-26T20:07:00.002+10:00

I spent quite a bit of
time in Canterbury,
on three separate
occasions.

This is outside the
theatre in Canterbury.
Interesting, huh?
It's not painted,
just rusty.

Some building slippage.
I think the door is a
deliberate exaggeration.

Margate

2007-05-26T20:04:00.002+10:00

A stop in Margate on the coast
where I met a few other bikers.
This a BMW trike-car thing.
There was also a nice MV Agusta.

A nice old bike.

A sandwich in Sandwich

2007-05-26T19:59:00.002+10:00

One must have a sandwich
when visiting Sandwich.
It's the law!

Dover Castle

2007-05-03T20:57:00.004+10:00

A stay in Dover wouldn't
be complete without a
visit to the castle.
This is one of the main
halls where they are
getting ready for the
arrival of King Henry VIII.

Here is me sitting on
the royal bog.
Henry VIII would have
sat on the same place.
Ah, isn't history wonderful?

One of the rooms that
would probably be for
a lady in waiting, or
a bedroom.

Dover Museum

2007-05-03T20:53:00.005+10:00

The museum at Dover
was very interesting.

They have this Roman
elephant diorama.

They also have a boat that
was dug up from the sea
that was built around 1550 BC.
I think it's the oldest wooden
boat in existence.

This is a model ship
made out of bone.

Battle!

2007-05-03T20:46:00.002+10:00

The site of the Battle of Hastings

at a town named Battle.
This is the hillside where it all
started in 1066.
The abbey and trees weren't
there at the time.
The English army was
massed on the hill, with
the Normans below.

The abbey was built by the

Norman victors, who felt

guilty I guess for all the

bloodshed.

Part of the Abbey.

Stonehenge

2007-05-03T20:42:00.004+10:00

Stonehenge on the
Salisbury Plain.
Here is me looking
a bit windswept.
I was hoping it
would be damp and
gloomy to add some
atmosphere, but it
was sunny.

The structure is dated
around 3100 B.C.
It's quite close to
the highway.

Fruit! Get your old fruit!

2007-05-03T20:38:00.002+10:00

A fruit shop in Salisbury
dated 1268.
I don't think it's been a
fruit shop for that long,
although with a name like
Nuggs, you never know.

Sorry, Pandora's Box is closed.

Wait, I thought it couldn't be
closed once it's opened?

Salisbury

2007-05-03T20:29:00.002+10:00

A pub in Salisbury.

The New Inn.

I think it is regarded as
new if it was built after 1300.

Oy! You old fart!
You can't park there!
It's motorcycles only!

A diorama of the
construction of
Salisbury Cathedral.