The Diary

Days 1-10 Days 11-20 Days 21-39 Days 40-48 Days 52-59 Days 60-69

The final few days before we set off...

Thursday 10 April 2008 - Now there is nothing more we can do except panic. The last few weeks have been spent thinking about what we need to take with us and trying to get the timing right for servicing the bikes, changing the tyres, changing the seats, yes we are getting old now and decided to treat ourselves to some very comfortable seats, etc etc. Also we have been making sure that all the day to day running of our lives has been put on hold while we are away.

The bike to bike communications that Tecstar have kindly provided were fitted a couple of weeks ago by Tom Martin of LeMass Automotive (www.lemass.co.uk) we tested them on our trip to London to put the bikes into the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall. Yes folks the RAC kindly hosted our bikes for the final week in their Rotunda, that’s one way of having safe parking and since we were there very very early in the morning we also didn’t have a congestion charge to pay (not that you pay it for bikes … yet!).

The bikes panniers are looking very small and we are trying to get all the essential equipment we need into them as well as luxuries like clothes and food.

We are spent the night before we go at the Royal Automobile Club accompanied by friends and family and then at 10:00 we did our final checks on the bikes, waved goodbye to our many, many fans (all two of them) before we headed off toward Dover to catch the train across the channel meeting some biking friends on the way to make sure we go.

Friday 11 April 2008 - Well the bikes were still there in London and as we entered the RAC they were being admired by passing members.

A very pleasant evening was spent with hospitality flowing and nerves kicking in. It is really happening, after all this time we were ready for the off. Up early the next morning to move the bikes out of the RAC and to fit everything on to them without the bikes falling over before we'd left.

We had been receiving texts and phone calls wishing us luck, too many to mention but thank you to everyone for your good wishes.

Saturday 12 April 2008 - Up early to move the bikes out of the RAC, packed them, everything went on! We parked the bikes outside the club whilst we had breakfast and said our goodbyes and the good citizens of Westminster left us a present in the form of two parking tickets! Thank you so much.

We nearly left on time, there is always a last minute technical hitch , in this case a comms problem but all was OK and we set off with two outriders and some very puzzled looking tourists wondering what was going on, especially as we had a film crew with us. We met up with two more friends and they all ensured that we actually left the country.

Day 1 - 12 April

We left RAC Pall Mall London and found our way onto the A2 then A20 and escorted by Chris and Stevie Pain who rode to the Sidcup-by-Pass where we met Stephen and Mark Drawbridge who joined the convoy and made sure that we got to the Channel Tunnel and didn’t change our minds and go home.

We met up with another biker en route to France and then it was off into Belgium and Veurne was the first stop for food where Chicken and Chips were enjoyed at restaurant in the towns market square. We were almost deafened by the bells from four churches that surround the square, but the chips were fantastic, and made up for it.

On into Holland. It was flat, flat and flat, with a rather an organic smell at this time of year. The houses do not appear to have any views, except for the dykes. Our first overnight stop was at the Carlton Square Hotel in Harrlem, where the staff were helpful and gave us 2 double rooms for the same price as one. We enjoyed the whiskey bar in the hotel and we ate at a local Indian restaurant which was recommended by visiting a BA crew. Day One over and Four Countries down.

Day 2 - 13th April

It’s flat, flat, flat and flat again. Into Germany, we caught the ferry to Bremerhaven and pushed on North to Cuxhaven where we stayed at the Stadt Hotel Cuxhaven, sharing a twin room. The Hotel had it’s own Mexican Restaurant which had to be sampled and wasn’t bad at all. However, we were the only customers and it was evident that the staff were itching to go home, so we had an early night as well.

Day 3 - 14th April

A Tour of Cuxhaven looking for an i pod charger started the day. While Kevin was in the Benning electrical shop, Andy got talking to a couple of locals who were admiring the bikes and looking at all the luggage. Shopping sorted we set off for Wischhafen and caught another ferry to Gluckstadt, where lunch was taken again in the towns square. Pushing on North we stopped off for the most amazing ice creams in Hasum. Crossing the border our first Danish town was Tolder where we picked up the Route 25 for Kolding where Night 3 was spent in a rather tired hotel called Saxildhus. The staff were very helpful and let us park the Bikes in their yard at the rear of the hotel where they would be safe. A great restaurant was recommended “Hereford Beefstouw” so we had to eat there just to make Andy feel at Home.

Day 4 - 15th April

It was all right for Andy, HE had a good night’s sleep. I, on the other hand, spent the night being entertained by an enormous “flock”(?) of pigeons, who had set up home on the balcony of my bedroom. I say “balcony”, but it was more like a repository for all the pigeon s**t in Denmark. Several birds had taken it in turns to “serenade” me all night, and the “live, marathon sex show” that they put on for my personal entertainment was only interrupted by my attempting to pounce on one of them at 0300hrs!!! Purely as a last resort in trying to get some kip, I assure you!

It must be said, we left Kolding with some sense of relief, although I will always remember the jeweller who, miraculously, managed to completely service and repair my watch in less than an hour. The same job, in London, would take six weeks!

Sally Sat. Nav. Tried hard to persuade us to aim for a three-hour Ferry ride in the north of Denmark, but we fought against her, and followed the bridges, until finally capitulating, and taking the ferry from Helsingor to Helsingborg.

The evening run up to Halmstad, where we were to stop for the night, was almost perfect, with the late sun descending slowly to our west, sending amber and then orange shimmers across the calm sea. The roads lent themselves to opening the throttle, and the long, sweeping bends made me feel sure that they had been designed by a kindred spirit.

What could have been better, except to find ourselves in the perfect location for the night? Which, I assure you, we did! Bikers everywhere, take note! If you should ever find yourselves drifting off the M25 out of sheer, mind-numbing boredom, and suddenly realise that you’ve taken the Tunnel to Calais, don’t follow the crowd by turning right, but grit your teeth through Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark (3 days only!), and spend the first real night in Halmstad, care of Tore Kjellgren and Eva Snygg, who run Hovgards(no Harry Potter link) Bed and Breakfast, and are fellow bikers. We arrived in their secluded, peaceful and idyllic converted farm, to be greeted by them both, Carlsbergs in hand, and to experience the finest hospitality that either of us have known in years! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!

The morning run, along the beach, was only eclipsed by that of the Gulf of Mexico, in Naples, Florida, but really set us up for the day, pushing North, into the “wilderness”.

Day 5 - 16th April

Following the Route 26 North from Halmstad, we were now on roads that were made for Bikers. Long flowing curves, Undulations in the ground, and wide enough for safe and steady progression past the convoys of lorries. The countryside reminded both of us of Scotland. Pine forests, Large deer fences, and the ditches along side the road. We had lunch at a restaurant which in the summer, was obviously used by the visitors who come to the area for the scenery. Attached to what appeared to be a holiday home village, where there were facilities for campers and caravaners, The restaurant provided and excellent lunch with a splendid view similar to Lake Vyrnwy in Wales. (if you have never been there, it’s worth a visit).

Pushing on North our planned stop was to be Kristinehamn, but having stopped, we looked at a couple of hotels and didn’t fancy them as they appeared to be run down and reminded Kevin of Kolding and his pigeons. Kevin even tried to flag down a local police car, but the Police decided that it was not time to answer silly questions, and just drove off. (Maybe it was doughnut time). It was decided that we would push on and try the next town North, Stofors. On the map it looked big enough and you would think that we would find a Hotel there. Turning into the town from the main road, it looked deserted. Lots of houses, a few shops, Lots of factories, but little in the way of activities. Stopping at what looked like the local community centre, Kevin enquired about food and a hotel. The answer was totally negative and it appeared obvious that hospitality wasn’t a strong point. Just as we were leaving the Town, a sign for “Stofors Hotel” directed us off the road. We decided to give it a go. Inside our hosts were again super and it was plain that we had again fallen on our feet. After a lovely evening meal and chatting with our hosts they said that the evening meal and drinks were to be complimentary, this was their contribution to our sponsorship. The distance for the day turned out to be 288 miles, which staggered both of us, as we both estimated about 230. Needless to say we slept well during the night.

Day 6 - 17th April

We woke to another morning of wind free (outside, at least!), blue skies, with a sense of anticipation and excitement. The breakfast proved to be superb, with everything from fresh croissants that could have been from the Champs Elysees in Paris, to the finest smoked salmon and caviar. And all this “on the house”. Our hosts, who happened to be “following the dream” in their own way, were from Holland (perhaps they needed some scenery in their lives), and the sign above the reception captured it for all of us, forging an invisible bond that will last forever - “Dream it; Wish it; Live it” - we were certainly meant to have stopped here!

The route from Stofors to Salen was, in biking terms, almost pefect. The first 20 miles yielded no more than half a dozen cars, either way, and the long, sweeping bends, accompanied by Skynard’s Free Bird on my I-Pod, put me truly “in the zone”.

Arriving In Salen was a truly surreal experience. The 15 miles of approach became progressively colder, and the residual snow became greater with every turn in the road. Our arrival into Salen was greeted with open-mouthed disbelief from the ski-hardened “die-hards”, and I would have loved to have filmed their expressions as we rode through six foot high banks of snow on either side of the road.

The hotel was, in now expected Swedish tradition, very welcoming, and we were ensconced in our rooms, with the bikes standing sentinel outside the entrance, in no time. Ski hire was swift and efficient, and the bar beckoned, even serving a fine single malt. Our “internationally diverse” range of cuisine continued to cover the globe, as we enjoyed a Thai buffet in Sweden. This, however, was hot on the heels of Indian in Holland, Mexican in Germany, English in Denmark and Dutch in Sweden the previous night!

Believe it or not, we hit the slopes tomorrow, dressed in our biking gear………… ……………………

Day 7 - 18th April

Woke early, to the first grey day of the trip. But this didn’t last long, with the sun burning through the cloud by lunchtime.

Andy and I, being technological dinosaurs, are having terrible trouble in editing and dealing with the film footage and stills that need to be sent to the UK, and this seems to be the most troublesome aspect of the trip so far. Instead of “hitting the slopes” with the first lift, we found ourselves stuck away in Andy’s bedroom, fighting with un-sendable e-mails! I’m sure that, before our return to the UK, we’ll be IT specialists!

The skiing, whilst not particularly demanding (one long mountain, umpteen “up-and-down” runs!) was exactly what was needed, allowing us to “break free” and exercise the muscles that were lying idle whilst riding the bikes. As the sun broke through the cloud and the blue skies emerged, we stopped at a typical Swedish restaurant on the mountain, and enjoyed some hearty fare.

A few more energetic runs, and we reluctantly admitted that the fun was over, deciding to return to the rooms to pack and attack, with renewed vigour, the challenge of technology!

Day 8 - 19 April (Salen - Sundsvall) - Miles covered: 309

After our 24 hour break at Salen, we took to the road about 1020hrs and again headed north, our destination being Sundsvall on the East Coast of Sweden. Sylvia the receptionist from the Bugelhof Hotel where we had “rested”, booked a room for us at the Best Western Hotel, Sundsvall, ready for our arrival. We followed the winding roads towards Tannas where we planned lunch and the further north we went, the deeper the snow at the roadside was getting. The roads however were clear except for the occasional patch of gravel and pothole which tested our reactions and handling. The morning stop for fuel at Sama allowed us to change batteries in our Bike to Bike Radios, as the signal was beginning to fade. Lunch at Tannas was a strange affair as all the other guests at the restaurant arrived on skidoos, the food was again excellent and set us up for the afternoon’s ride.

The mileage is beginning to mount up now and as the road conditions are becoming more testing the tyres supplied by “On Yer Bike” at Aylesbury, are holding out just fine and appear to be the right tools for the job, we really can‘t thank them for their sponsorship, www.onyerbike.net

An afternoon stop for fuel in Ange almost ended in disaster as just after Kevin filled his tank and passed the nozzle to me, the Area suffered a power cut and I had thoughts of emptying our emergency fuel cans from our bikes into my tank and seeing how far we could get with it before we had to stop. However just when I was about to undo the securing straps the power came back on and we were saved. We continued on and arrived at Sundsvall about 1800hrs and after the evenings admin, went and ate at the local O’Leary’s Sports Bar.

Day 9 - 20 April (Sundsvall - Lulea) - Miles covered: 334

An early departure from Sundsvall had us opening the throttles on the E4 by 0845hrs as we again headed North. Following the east coast, the weather, once again, favoured us with sunshine and blue skies, although the temperature became progressively colder, the further north we headed. The scenery, in places, was breathtaking, redolent of a snowy version of the Pacific West Coast in America, or the drive from Vancouver to Whistler, but replacing Bears with Moose and Caribou!

Lunch was, to say the least, a strange affair, with a stop in an “out of the way” village near to the road, where we were offered “kebabs” or hamburgers. On such a journey, it is very difficult to keep to any sort of healthy diet - that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! During the afternoon, we decided to test the range of our tanks, by analysing our true fuel consumption, and discovered a very reasonable 8miles per litre, which will allow us to gauge our stops more efficiently.

Progressively, I have been finding that the clutch on my bike has been slipping somewhat, and we have decided to call in at the next available BMW garage for advice, before things become a serious problem. Perhaps this is an example of our different riding styles, as Andy’s bike has covered a total of 3,000 miles more than mine, and he hasn’t experienced any such problems! I shall, perhaps, take a leaf out of his book!(?)

Our ultimate arrival in Lulea had us finding the hotel very easily, with underground secure parking and a very comfortable ambience. Needless to say, in the absence of anything remotely traditional in the way of cuisine available, we shall be continuing the “international” trend to our meals, by sampling northern Swedish Chinese cuisine tonight!

We are both quite excited about tomorrow, as we shall not only leave Sweden for Finland, but will also hit the furthest North of the entire trip, by entering THE ARCTIC CIRCLE!!!

Day 10 - 21 April (Lulea - Ranua) - Miles covered: 253

A surprisingly comprehensive breakfast (including PORRIDGE, albeit salted!) started our day, with the weather again being kind to us. We used the hotel internet to locate suitable accommodation in Finland, and headed out of Lulea by 1045hrs.

The first part of the journey took us along the coast, but we were soon turning inland, heading north towards the Arctic Circle. Our target was a town called “Pello”, which would be the furthest north that our entire trip would take us. Before that, however, there was the small matter of crossing the Arctic Circle.

As we were nearing the circle, we saw a signpost, indicating the “Arctic Circle Restaurant” and information centre, so we naturally assumed that we had arrived. It turned out that the place was closed, and a cleaner told us to “come back in May”. A detailed study of our GPS co-ordinates showed us that, indeed, we were some 3km short of the circle itself, so we continued on, just as the snow started to fall, and the temperature, which had been progressively dropping, started to send a chill through our heavy-duty gear.

Further up the road, in a town called Juoksengi, we came across the actual crossing point of the Arctic Circle, and we stopped for the obligatory photo-opp. It appears that the line actually moves all the time, up to a total of 180km over “more than just a few years” (20,000!!), but we are pretty certain that, by continuing up to Pello, we definitely went into the Arctic Circle. On the route to Pello, we were privileged to spot Reindeer, Musk oxen and Moose, in an ever increasingly hostile and barren “wasteland” that has to have been the back-drop for many sinister and dramatic films!

Lunch gave us the opportunity to sample Finnish fare, which proved to be unsurprising, but wholesome and incredibly reasonable. The Finns seem to be very hospitable, as their Swedish neighbours - perhaps it’s because they have to stop themselves going mad amongst the endless trees, snow and frozen lakes!

Our final pitch into Ranua for the night was what true riding is all about. The winding road, pitted and broken in so many places from the heavy logging transporters, made us concentrate on the “job in hand”, nursing our overladen and top-heavy steeds into the small town, just as the snow started to fall again. This part of Finland happens to be in the next time zone, so we found that an “invisible” hour had passed, without our being aware!

We find ourselves the only guests in the hotel, but have been checked-in, managed, watered and fed, by the only employee of the place, who, I am sure, would take great pleasure in “tucking us in”, given the chance. We shall both sleep soundly (and securely!) tonight, before the gradual push south towards our appointment with the Russian Border Police…