It’s time to hit the road again, and yesterday went exceptionally well. The 490 miles from Glasgow to Folkstone was boring and I hated it. By the time I got down to Kent I was completely fed up with UK motorways and the way that drivers just sit in any lane and ignore everyone around them. The four lane motorways are the worst as everyone just sits in a space like they do in the USA. I ended up playing motorway Tetris a few times with people sitting in any lane while driving less than the speed limit. No lane discipline at all, and its so frustrating. Anyway…
I got down to Ashford in Kent with a bum like a baboon because I’ve not been spending much time in the saddle of late. It’ll take a week or two before my bum gets used to long days in the saddle. I camped at Dunn’s farm (https://dunnstreetfarm.co.uk/) which was £10 for the night and was only 20 minutes away from the Le Shuttle terminal. Lots of space, quiet and good ablutions.
After a leisurely breakfast I packed up and was on the road a little before 10. I was on the 1045 shuttle and the check-in was easy. You just enter your booking number on a keypad at the first barrier and you’re in. Next is border control and I only had to wait about five minutes to get stamped into France. The longest wait was to get onto the train, which was about 20 minutes. I booked my ticket the evening before and it only cost £69 for the single journey.
The journey to Calais only took 35 minutes, and I had a carriage all to myself. The unloading in Calais was great. You just ride off and a few minutes later you’re on the open road. I decided to take my inner out of my riding jacket while I was on Le Shuttle, but regretted that once I got off the train as it was sunny but cool. There is a petrol station as you exit the terminal so I stopped to put the inner back into my jacket again.
Heading south east, I went through Lille and then Mons, heading for Bastogne. The day was all about making miles, and I was glad to be back on European roads where people drive properly on the motorways. Meaning, they use the overtaking lane to overtake and not sit there like they’re on a sightseeing tour, a la UK. After one stop for fuel, another stop to remove the inner jacket again (as it was about 23 degrees) I made two further stops to give my bum a rest. I made it to my destination in northern Luxembourg about 7pm after around 400kms of riding. 250 miles in old money…
Camping Moulin de Bourcheid. I found a beautiful campsite near the village of Bourscheid. The campsite is beautiful. Situated in a deep green valley covered on both sides with trees, there is a river running through the middle of the campsite. Looking down the valley there is a small bridge, a weir and in the distance on the ridge line you can see the nearby castle. There is a small shop/bar, and if you want fresh bread they even have their own app to order bread for the following morning. Mine’s a fresh baguette, s’il vous plaît… The toilets and showers are superb, and the cost is 14eu a night.
The most surprising thing is that even though I am in a heavily forested and hilly part of the world, I can get 5g on my phone. I can hardly get 1g back home in Scotland. The campsite is next to a river and surrounded by greenery, and the air is very mild. Even with the occasional passing car, it’s also very quiet with a beautiful view up and down the valley. The toilets and showers are also really nice. Exceptional, to be honest.
So, where am I heading..? Good question and one that I really don’t know the answer to. I love making things up as I go along. I spent years working to a timetable, and now I love working against it. I’m heading to the Ardennes for a few days, then over to Frankfurt to see my daughter. After that I’m heading into Italy, which is when I’ll make another decision…
Today I’m off to explore the local area as there are two castles I want to see. And I really do love a good castle…
