Ireland to Netherlands, 22-27 June 2013

Posted on Friday, 28-June-2013 by Chris Desmond

Loaded my bike up in a drizzle for the short ride to the ferry terminal from Belfast to Cairnryan in Scotland, booked online for $80, as usual everything went smoothly with the crossing rode onto the ferry at 1045 and off again at 1350, chatted to a couple of riders one 74 years old returning from touring Ireland.

Rode from Cairnryan to Edinburg and arrived in pouring rain to visit friends for a couple of days then rode from Edinburg to Harwich, 9 hours in fine and cold weather.

Harwich, UK to Hook of Holland is an overnight ferry cost $185 booked online, boarded at 2100 along with a whole heap of riders all going to Assen for the MotoGP, very nice cabin and restaurants etc and off the boat at 0800, had my passport stamped again as arriving in the EU, couple of hours later got to Veghel in the South of the Netherlands.

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Ireland, Belfast 20-21 June 2013

Posted on Friday, 21-June-2013 by Chris Desmond

Belfast where the Titanic was built and they have a big and very modern Titanic museum very well done. This was a prosperous city until the “Troubles” began, it is still a work in progress, 14 peace walls divide various neighbourhoods. The battles are now fought with flags and murals. The police still drive around in their armoured vehicles.

It is clean and organised and has a very good Metro bus system with frequent buses and a 3.20 pounds all day ticket, a single fare is 1.90 pounds. Look out for the Hop on-off bus companies there are a number of them and the one I chose (Allen’s) had only one bus that took 2 hours to do a circuit which meant that if you got off the bus at a stop it would only be back in 2 hours.

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Ireland, Giant’s Causeway, 19 June 2013

Posted on Thursday, 20-June-2013 by Chris Desmond

I rode from Dublin over the back roads to the Giant’s Causeway on the coast of Northern Ireland which is part of the UK though there was no indication nor were there any signs of any kind when crossing the border, the currency is now back to pounds and the speed limit signs are in miles not kilometers.

Many villages and towns later 241km and 3:45hrs I arrived. They were 3 parking attendants and bikes were parked at the front so I could take all my gear off and leave it with the bike and not have to worry, very well organised, guided tour then I wandered around, after 2 hours I was back on my bike. Weather wise this was the best day blue skies all day, it was 21.5c when I arrived in Belfast unbelievable hahaha.

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Ireland, Dublin, 15-18 June 2013

Posted on Tuesday, 18-June-2013 by Chris Desmond

The first thing you notice about the city is the lack of high rise buildings, many tourists some with American accents which I haven’t heard since Manila though the majority sound like East Europeans. Many of the businesses are run by East Europeans as well, strange when you are expecting to hear an Irish accent hahaha.

Tourism is big and well organised, the people are helpful, courteous and efficient and they have a brochure or map for every activity. There are a number of very good museums and admission is free.

Tip – If you go on the Trinity College tour which includes entry to view the Book of Kells do it at 4pm when you can walk straight in, in the morning the queue is a mile long and all to peer over someones shoulder at a book under glass, totally underwhelming.

With President Obama attending the G8 meeting in Northern Ireland, his wife and kids decided to visit Dublin, so for three days the roads around their hotel which is in the heart of town were surrounded with barricades and it was on the Hop on-off bus route which took an extra half an hour or more to do the loop around the city.

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Ireland, Rosslare & Waterford, 14 June 2013

Posted on Saturday, 15-June-2013 by Chris Desmond

Cardiff to Fishguard Port ride was cold, wet and windy, this is a small port, no immigration or customs, just check in and ride to the gate and wait, again no need to get off my bike. Cold wind blowing with the odd shower. Cost $75 booked online and 3.5 hrs to Rosslare Port in Ireland, big boat shops, restaurants and bars and even a free movie, The Life of Pi.

Rode off the boat in rain, dripping by the time I got to the hotel in Rosslare. The sun came out for a while the next morning but cold 9.5c on the way to Waterford to check out the Waterford Crystal Factory, very interesting and then on to Dublin.

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United Kingdom, Cardiff, 13 June 2013

Posted on Friday, 14-June-2013 by Chris Desmond

The ride from Hastings to Cardiff was cold (13c), wet and windy, I took the back roads which made it a lot easier and I got to see some very small towns and villages. The freeway is nasty, the spray from trucks and other traffic makes it very difficult to see anything.

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United Kingdom, Hastings, 5-12 June 2013

Posted on Thursday, 13-June-2013 by Chris Desmond

I rode from Veghel through Belgium to Calais in France and caught the ferry to Dover in the UK.

The ferry takes 1.5 hours and costs $40, book online and there is no need to print your ticket. Immigration asked me to take my helmet off asked a few questions and stamped my passport with a 6 month visa, next check-in to P&O Ferries and ride to the gate, the whole process is streamlined and very efficient and I did not even have to get off my bike. The ferry port is huge with car and truck ferries running day and night and there is the tunnel as well where you ride onto a train and ride off at the other end, it takes 35min and costs a bit more. From Dover I rode to Hastings where I spent a few days with a friend and visited a few others. I also visited a few bike shops, it is possible to buy a bike in the UK as long as I have a local address which could be a friend’s, all I have to do is arrange my own insurance.

The weather so far has been un-seasonally cold and wet much to the locals disappointment but I am getting used to it hahaha.

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United Kingdom, British Beer

Posted on Wednesday, 12-June-2013 by Chris Desmond

This gallery contains 22 photos.

I have never seen such a huge variety of micro brewery beers, ales and stouts, every pub seems to have its own concoction. Cheers

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Netherlands, Veghel, 19 May – 4 June 2013

Posted on Wednesday, 5-June-2013 by Chris Desmond

I arrived here with the intention of buying a motorcycle and using it to travel in Europe for a year or two but soon found out that only residents can own a motor vehicle in the Netherlands. After some discussion with the bike shop I finished up hiring a new BMW F700 GS with comprehensive insurance and breakdown cover for 4 months, June to September for 2,500 euro. They took a few days to find panniers, top box and a windscreen, there is a shortage at BMW, finally got going on the 5th of June. In the meantime I caught up with friends, sampled the local brews, ordered some bits and pieces and went on a few short rides to become familiar with the bike.

The guy to see about a bike is Wiecher Joosse at http://www.motoportveldhoven.nl/

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Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan, 16-22 February 2013

Posted on Saturday, 23-February-2013 by Chris Desmond

 Small airport, Visa on Arrival BND20 ($16) for a 2 week visa, there is a money changer at the airport, most hotels offer a free airport pickup but you have to email them in advance, a taxi will cost you around $30, BND12 departure tax.

Not a lot to do in in this place, warm and very humid, no alcohol and all the other prohibitions that go with a Muslim state, you can walk around the city in 30 minutes or less.

There is the a big mosque, a park with some very steep trails, a museum and the water village where apparently half the population lives complete with schools, police stations etc all connected by walkways. You can get a one hour private boat tour of the water village for BND10.

The museum is small and well organised, entry is free, no photos and it is air-conditioned, taxi to the museum is BND10 or take the bus for BND1 from the city or a 5km walk.

Weekends are plastic bag free, every family receives BND1000 per month from the state, education and medical are free, petrol, water and power are subsidised according to the boat driver.

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