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Trip Start May 08, 2009

Trip End Aug 2009

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Flag of France Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
Thursday, August 6, 2009

After bumbling along across northern France, we had time to call in to Epernay in the heart of the Champagne region for a little sight-seeing. Tim & Pete were still a day behind and we hoped to meet up in Calais in a day or so.

A tour of the House of Moet & Chandon was great fun and we both emerged many euro's lighter but looking forward to the bubbly when we got home...

A lovely auberge just south of Calais gave us a comfortable night and a good meal and it was off to the port in the morning to meet the bikes. We were there in plenty of time, having agreed to catch the 12.25 crossing and the bikes joined us in plenty of time. Off we went into the port and through the customs and into the ferry queue where the bikes rode straight past Baz and myself and boarded a waiting earlier ferry which promptly sailed leaving us waiting, again

Cheers!

! Our thanks for waiting 16 hours in Calais for the bikes! Ah well, goodbye to Tim and Pete and a sudden end to the "team" travels.

An event-free crossing to Dover in the sunshine and an emotional reunion for Baz with his parents on the dockside. What a lovely couple they are and I hope to see them again if I get down to see Baz in Dorset, which will be in the not too distant future.

So that's it! Almost 16 thousand miles, 23 different countries. So much to take in, three months not nearly enough time to appreciate the different cultures and sights. The Land Rover had a few problems, nothing that couldn't be fixed on the trail within an hour or so. The 1200 GS bikes were pretty much trouble-free with Pete's bike having a weeping oil seal that was easily fixed once the part was shipped out. No other problems at all. The 1150 GS's were a different animal, with a huge list of problems leading to Baz's bike being towed almost half the way back. Tim's didn't escape either with a cracked frame and a rear shock that had to finish the trip with just glue holding it on!

I will try to get the other guys to add some post-trip comments and pictures but don't hold your breath

Final wait.

! When I get home I will hopefully get time to look carefully through the posts and edit/add as more memories are shaken loose and hopefully add a few more pics, so keep an eye out on the blog for "recently updated" posts.

Thanks to you all out there for the support and your interest.

I wonder where next...........

What could possibly go wrong?

Cheers, Rick.

Calais hotels Slideshow