We were awake normal time, though I had a little lay in, whilst Grizzly got his gear together and went out to pack his bike. We didn't have far to go, so I didn't feel we had to rush. This was the last day of the tour :-(
We filled up on the staples of the continental brekkie and set off towards the Vimy memorial, about 6 miles up the road. Once again tomtom took us a completely different way to that I had seen when planning the route. Tomtom also threw us, me mainly, a last day curved ball too or should I say curved road. With no sound guidance I'm constantly looking down at the way the roads bend and deciding which turns I need to make. As we came along this particular road, tomtom is showing me straight ahead, on the main road. Well, that's what I thought. In actual fact, the main road curved almost 90 degrees right, whilst our route was left (straight ahead) up a side road. So, I go sailing straight up the side road, only realising as the white line curved round underneath me, what I had done. Luckily, very luckily, there was nothing coming the opposite way on the main road, else Sprint and I would have surely parted company! Thanks tomtom! As we stopped at the Vimy memorial, Grizzly was quick to point out what I had done, though I think it caught him out a bit too. All's well that ends well though. No harm done.
Like the Memorial to the Missing, the Vimy memorial is huge. This is the Canadian memorial and once again it is covered with thousands of names. It is brilliant white stone, beautifully carved and very well designed. We took the usual photos and then drove a little way back down to the visitor centre, to check out some trenches. This seemed to be the place to come if you like jogging, as there were a number of older ladies and gents, 'running' along the roadside.
The visitor centre was closed, we were that early but we had a quick walk through the trenches. Much of the surrounding area has been left as it was, so the woodland is pock marked with shell crater after shell crater and one is respectfully asked not to walk in them.
We remounted, our next destination, La Coupole, a German V2 rocket bunker, now a historical exhibition and 3D planetarium. Our fuel stop today was at the end of the day, back in Calais, so it was a straight ride through. En route we had to make a slight detour, as our road was blocked but eventually, after zigzagging through some back streets, we found the main road again. It was probably about 11:00 by the time we arrived at La Coupole. A visit could take 2.5 hours, so we worked back from our train time, deciding we had to leave, latest 14:00. In the end we left around 13:00.
I must admit to being a little disappointed. After walking through some tunnels and exhibits, you take a lift up into the dome of the bunker, to the two main exhibit areas. One side is about the war in general, the other about the development of the rockets, V1 and V2 and beyond. I didn't feel it was clear when coming out of the lift which way one should go around the place, nor was the wifi headset really much cop. Even so, it was interesting.
We were blessed with the weather again. It was once again scorching hot. We didn't have far to go though to Calais, so we set off to cover the last 50 minutes or so. We got to Calais and fuelled up first. To Grizzly's relief there was a manned kiosk, so he could pay cash. Then we went across the road to the Auchan supermarket, to buy some sweeties. Grizzly was getting some for grand children and friends kids, me for the children at work!
Purchase made, we went across to MacDonalds one last time for a drink, and a chicken wrap, in Grizzly's case. And then it was time to make our way to the tunnel. We were a bit early but that meant we could get an earlier train, though only 15 minutes earlier.
As I stopped at UK border control, a nice smiley blonde lady (unusual I know, for border agency staff) told me I'd have to take my helmet off. "it's not a pretty sight" I said. As I took it off, she said, "oh, yes, put it back on"! I said to her she could have flattered me a bit, to which she replied, that she'd seen a lot worse. I suppose that was good enough, best I was going to get anyway.
We got on the train and were loaded with 2 other bikes. An Irish couple and a guy on a Harley Road King. We spent most for the journey chatting with him. Both had a fair way further than us to go and as we came off the train, they both shot off and left us. 50 minutes later, we were outside my home and unpacking all the gear from the bikes. That was it, my tour was complete.
I'd set out on 6th July in peeing rain and returned on 24th in scorching sunshine. In that time I had covered 2,851.3 miles and ridden through 6 countries. It had been a blast but it wasn't over yet. We still had the end of tour dinner, which turned out to be takeaway Chinese from the village and Grizzly still has to make his way back home, via Leigh Delamere services on the M4. After the Chinese , which was washed down by another 3 beers (71 in total), we had a quick scan through some of my pictures. There are over 650 though, so they shall have to wait for another time. You've seen a smattering of them throughout the blog but I still need to get them (a selection) loaded up to Flickr, so I'm not done yet.
Cath came round for the Chinese and stayed over, so it is her turn to suffer my snoring. Tomorrow, she'll be off to work and I am working from home, just as soon as Grizzly hits the road.
We filled up on the staples of the continental brekkie and set off towards the Vimy memorial, about 6 miles up the road. Once again tomtom took us a completely different way to that I had seen when planning the route. Tomtom also threw us, me mainly, a last day curved ball too or should I say curved road. With no sound guidance I'm constantly looking down at the way the roads bend and deciding which turns I need to make. As we came along this particular road, tomtom is showing me straight ahead, on the main road. Well, that's what I thought. In actual fact, the main road curved almost 90 degrees right, whilst our route was left (straight ahead) up a side road. So, I go sailing straight up the side road, only realising as the white line curved round underneath me, what I had done. Luckily, very luckily, there was nothing coming the opposite way on the main road, else Sprint and I would have surely parted company! Thanks tomtom! As we stopped at the Vimy memorial, Grizzly was quick to point out what I had done, though I think it caught him out a bit too. All's well that ends well though. No harm done.
Like the Memorial to the Missing, the Vimy memorial is huge. This is the Canadian memorial and once again it is covered with thousands of names. It is brilliant white stone, beautifully carved and very well designed. We took the usual photos and then drove a little way back down to the visitor centre, to check out some trenches. This seemed to be the place to come if you like jogging, as there were a number of older ladies and gents, 'running' along the roadside.
 |
| Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial |
We remounted, our next destination, La Coupole, a German V2 rocket bunker, now a historical exhibition and 3D planetarium. Our fuel stop today was at the end of the day, back in Calais, so it was a straight ride through. En route we had to make a slight detour, as our road was blocked but eventually, after zigzagging through some back streets, we found the main road again. It was probably about 11:00 by the time we arrived at La Coupole. A visit could take 2.5 hours, so we worked back from our train time, deciding we had to leave, latest 14:00. In the end we left around 13:00.
I must admit to being a little disappointed. After walking through some tunnels and exhibits, you take a lift up into the dome of the bunker, to the two main exhibit areas. One side is about the war in general, the other about the development of the rockets, V1 and V2 and beyond. I didn't feel it was clear when coming out of the lift which way one should go around the place, nor was the wifi headset really much cop. Even so, it was interesting.
 |
| V1 Flying Bomb, The Doodlebug! |
Purchase made, we went across to MacDonalds one last time for a drink, and a chicken wrap, in Grizzly's case. And then it was time to make our way to the tunnel. We were a bit early but that meant we could get an earlier train, though only 15 minutes earlier.
As I stopped at UK border control, a nice smiley blonde lady (unusual I know, for border agency staff) told me I'd have to take my helmet off. "it's not a pretty sight" I said. As I took it off, she said, "oh, yes, put it back on"! I said to her she could have flattered me a bit, to which she replied, that she'd seen a lot worse. I suppose that was good enough, best I was going to get anyway.
We got on the train and were loaded with 2 other bikes. An Irish couple and a guy on a Harley Road King. We spent most for the journey chatting with him. Both had a fair way further than us to go and as we came off the train, they both shot off and left us. 50 minutes later, we were outside my home and unpacking all the gear from the bikes. That was it, my tour was complete.
I'd set out on 6th July in peeing rain and returned on 24th in scorching sunshine. In that time I had covered 2,851.3 miles and ridden through 6 countries. It had been a blast but it wasn't over yet. We still had the end of tour dinner, which turned out to be takeaway Chinese from the village and Grizzly still has to make his way back home, via Leigh Delamere services on the M4. After the Chinese , which was washed down by another 3 beers (71 in total), we had a quick scan through some of my pictures. There are over 650 though, so they shall have to wait for another time. You've seen a smattering of them throughout the blog but I still need to get them (a selection) loaded up to Flickr, so I'm not done yet.
Cath came round for the Chinese and stayed over, so it is her turn to suffer my snoring. Tomorrow, she'll be off to work and I am working from home, just as soon as Grizzly hits the road.
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