8th July Day 8

Moved from Hampshire to Kent. Last night in Alresford and away toward the East. Did not make Canterbury due to distraction. The Garmin/Baehr headset, ( the voice in the helmet that says take the next turn to the right about the time it goes past on the right) well she stopped talking. She was not always bad ie slow, but is actually indispensable. A map does not do it. A GPS without words is just dangerous in reality. So after a visit to the BMW dealer I was directed to the new face of bike accessory marketing...online but it was surprising how many people did come to this totally remote shed on an animal park somewhere south of London. But I got sorted at great expense, everything is at great expense. But happy to be on the road again with directions. Still headed for Canterbury but the Motorway has been closed to use as a parking lot for trucks while they wait to go to France. The illegal immigrants storming the Port at Calais where the Chunnel departs is causing chaos. And so is the underground strike in London. That will be just hellish. So I am faced with indecision as to how I get to the Continent or whether to go ? Lets see what happens tomorrow. This picture caught my eye due to the number of chimneys.

7 July Day 7

Bristol at the B and B and then to BMW for a transfer of my money to their account. Did I say that all of everything in the UK is expensive. I did get away from Bristol and did make it to Salisbury where there is a magnificent Cathedral. Bult from stone transported from the Isle of Wight I am led to believe. What an astonishing structure. Just by coincidence the Magna Carta was also on display, but what caught my interest was the children singing but that gave the organist an excuse to let rip and I was overjoyed. Church organ music is just a delight...well for me ! They sure did make some majestic Churches. From the outside Winchester is not nearly is impressive. In fact it is in disguise, must have been designed by a presbyterian ( joke) but the interior is astonishing. Breathtaking. No Organs music however but the 12 person choir was in service and how delightful to hear good singing, mind you the location was in their favour. I felt very fortunate to have experienced both those places. It was then off to find a bed. Ended up in Alrseford, often misspelt as Arlesford. Accounting to the historians it is Alresford until some fellow called Robertson changed it probably by mistake. An old old town.

6th July - Day6 Sunday

Ilfracombe never heard of it but a real Devon seaside village. Got the bike mobile so off to Bristol to find a dealer. Usual thing we are booked up for a month ahead. That is the whole story of England. No vacancies at accommodation, I was lucky to find a B and B. Nice place but $150 for a homestay. The explanation was from two Hotels that tradesmen, contractors, come from all parts of the UK to service the blossoming market in the south particularly London where there is a housing shortage. Whats new ? Government intervention contemplated, it sounds like Australia and NZ ! The ride up the Coast was a delight as I ran ahead of the showers. A day lost really and another one today no doubt. I have to get out of the UK the prices are like NZ what

we pay $5 for costs a pound, but they are about 2.5 to 1 so everything is at least twice the cost. A mechanic at the BMW garage costs $300 NZ an hour.

Day 5 - 5th July

England closes on Sunday. No mechanics no garages nothing so I have had a day off. Will get the bike to Bristol tomorrow all being well, and see what happens from there. May have to do a couple of days walking while she gets a service. So today was rain thunder and lightening and a sunny afternoon while Mr Hamilton won the British Grand Prix. Not much else to do since I look a bit scary as I gave myself a black eye when we stopped unexpectedly. So a compulsory day off really. Not without deserves I suspect as I was thinking 30 hours on the plane, straight on to a train, short sleep then collect pack the bike and head south. Arrive at dark, sleep and then on the road again at 9.30 and arrive at Padstow at 4ish and a good bt restrained night then away again....so perhaps rest day was earned. So tomorrow I will get NZL07 to the mechanic and see how we go from there. One thing for sure it will be unplanned and wonderful.

Day 4 - 4th of July

I had breakfast of kippers. What a start to the day and away up the coast. Not big distances but takes a while with so many narrow lanes that my GPS seems to find. The villages and the towns reeled off and I found myself in the late morning in Ilfracombe. No I had never heard of it either. A very coastal little town with the usual fascinating little streets and alleys and a harbour. They have beautiful harbours with yachts with bilge keels that sit on the harbour floor. No Marinas here. What a delightful little place. Had lunch at a Pub built about 1300 so they say and it looked like it. Nice people as usual. Due to head out to Bath and the gremlin struck. There had been a light going on and off and then everything went off. The bike fell over with me on it so I had to park up book into a hotel and am now waiting to see where to next. Thats about it really. So Ilfracombe got me for a night.

Day 3 again - 3 July

Already falling behind. I see I had day 3 but of course it was day 2. I looked at the date and it said the 3rd but was of course after midnight. So on day two I had got myself to the town on the river south of Torquay. So day 3. Left and headed south. Delightful countryside but a little windy as I went further south. Made Penzance, and what a delight. Stopped for a beer at a pub and yarned to a couple of locals. One was a music producer and had worked with Val Doonican at the BBC and was relating what a nice guy he was and that he had died. So I was directed down the coast where I came across the Mousehole and aptly named. It was tiny, narrow streets and one way traffic. Amazing that they still let cars through it really. And on to the Lands End after getting myself in some very narrow roadways where it was lie in the hedge to let the car pass sort of thing. Lands end was the end. Why would one go there I can not imagine. I am usually against going for the sake of saying "I have been there" and this was one of those. Fortunately I got waved through the 5 Pound fee because I kept riding in and out again and on the way North without stopping. Interesting ride up the coast. Small beautiful villages, and the beauty is in the stone construction and the tidiness of these laces, all well maintained, and probably no wonder. I left the southern hemisphere where the conversation was dominated by house prices. Well guess what, the same in England. Its all about housing and what the Government will do to help home buyers. When all the focus is on one form of investment surely there will be a reaction ? Same as Greece really. They did not get themselves into the hole they are in without a lot of help. Overspending and over borrowing, and probably a whole lot of under contributing. When expectation exceeds contribution the resulting shortfall will ultimately get demanded. So the ride up the Atlantic Coast was pretty good. Small coast villages, and I ended up at Padstow. I met goal one to have a night at Rick Steins. Whoever does his interiors does it without any input from the "Boss". Rick is casual homely and down to earth. He meets people like that and seems at home in that style. His Restaurants are the opposite. They are bloody expensive and I could not help thinking I would rather get fleeced in a woolshed with the wood the smells and the homely feel than milked in a stainless and concrete cowshed, which is what they felt like. ( I have been to two !) BUT the food was just delightful. Lovely enjoyable and worth the investment. So I went to bed early replete and still with a silly grin.

Day 3 - 3 July

First night in UK and a very satisfactory B and B in New Milton amongst the Old People. I say they without distaste because the town is full of rest homes, retirement homes aged care and every other round about way of saying old people. Lots and lots of them. They are everywhere. The unusual thing about small town UK is the main street has shops. Not just phone companies in fact not one, and cafes, they are hard to find. It is odd, People are out shopping it seems. I did go to the Super store, Tesco's to buy a SIM card for 10pounds. I have a number 07 470 604423 and can be called or txt on that. I can't call back using the number but I will get a message. So off to collect the bike and the reality of the limitations of memory. There were things I had forgotten I had and things I thought I had and did not. So as usual far too may clothes, so many, that I will bring back more than I brought up.... So I packed the bike and bade my bike carer Alan thank you and goodbye and off I went on a huge bike loaded with gear most of which I will not use. I forgot the age old wisdom of travellers, throw out half what you packed and put in double the money. So as I was to leave Alan reminded me of the slow leak in the front tyre. It has had a bit of a hard life. Even a flat spot on the rim which is a concern. The good news was that the mechanic got on to it, took it off, could not find a leak so replaced the valve and charged me $40 which in the light of other costs, was reasonable. So after an unexpected delay I left at 4.30 thinking I was in trouble with my agenda. Wrong, after a delightful drive down the A31 and others and numerous delightful small towns and the wonderful English countryside and decent roads with 120km speed limits with few cops pestering motorists to collect fines it was a delight to get lost and find myself at the Dart river, waiting for a ferry. How fantastic. This is the third time having got lost and needed a ferry to escape. Once in Russia, once in France and now in England. It is wonderful being able to really get lost and find a ferry. Dartmouth is a real town in an estuary. Waterfont hotels and boats everywhere and with boats sailors from the USA France and no doubt every other sailing nation. I had not expected to find beach communities with hotels side by side and the beachside atmosphere including changing sheds lined along the waterfront. They must have councils that respect people here because our domineering Councils would have had them removed along with the character and identity of English seaside. The thing that sets the UK apart from either Australia or NZ is mainly the architecture. Well built attractive houses in wood, stone, brick and mixtures, and with roof lines that accommodated thatching (steep pitches which looks good) which is still being used and maintained. Many of them having been built while the occupants of New Zealand were living in grass huts. It creates such charm and character. Even the narrow streets are not a problem. No one parks on main thoroughfares and everyone gets along at a far greater speed than we can achieve, but the drivers seem to be rather more considerate. No horns no shouting no 1 finger salutes and I have not seen an accident or a car that has run off the road, an everyday event where I live. It is only day one but no lowered suspension wrecks hooning round in a life threatening manner (yet) and no aggressive revenue gathering cops (yet at least). So I bypassed Torquay where I had expected to have been and instead happenstance took me into Dartmouth, mainly due to a conversation in a Garage getting fuel. I love the conversations that I seem to stumble into. Away from home (judgementalism) I speak freely with all I meet and it is wonderful. I learn so much. I get humour in unusual places and people generally want to extend friendship enjoy communication and interested in why am I here and what am I doing. The bike attracts interest everywhere. That is one of the things that makes travel so enjoyable. So the number again after the UK prefix is 07 470 604423 Oh yes the flight with Malaysia Airlines was pretty good. It is a long trip to the UK but two legs of 11 and 12 hours is manageable.