Cars and Shopping Trollies.....

Had a theory for a while now that supermarkets are a big factor in the dumbing down of peoples driving abilities....

As they have gotten bigger, and more plentiful, is seems that the conection between the trolley and the car has gotten closer as peoples ability to know, or even care, where there trolley is in relation to anyone or anything else is getting transfered to the road....

In the supermarkets people blindly swing trollies about behind them blocking off isle while, supossibly, looking at an item...... or they blindly charge our of an isle with no consideration for cross traffic...... or just simply stop and natter right across the end of an isle...

And finally in the car park, although most people do put them back in the racks, some just leave them scattered wherever or, even worse, just let them roll away into another car, lamp post or person.....

So that's NO spacial awareness......  NO lateral thinking and NO care or consideration for anyone or anything around them....

Yesterday was an perfect example of this...... (and easily the hundredth time I've seen this happen and the second time involving a police car.......)

The Norwich Rd in Ipswich is quite simple one long queue of traffic, in both directions, for most of the day.....

So I am heading into town..... at 10 miles an hour.... slipping the clutch, as usual, on the Buell....

Spot this Volvo, hundred yards away, coming out of town wanting to turn right and, as usual, no body letting him turn...... 

When the car that's two in front of me simply stops and puts on his right indicator.... just a he,s passed the, already, stopped Volvo.......

Speechless........ where can we go..... where can he go.... who can anyone go..... 

As the driver had had no thought about letting the Volvo turn first and he simply just sat there expecting a gap to suddenly materialise so he could drive on unhindered......

Speechless.....

What the idiot had done though was to pull up alongside a police car........

So..... the nice policeman wound down his window...... Reached across to the other car and tapped on its window........ Which was duly wound down.....

Nice policemans repeatable comment.....        Are you a complete idiot.......

Silence…........

Nice policeman's unrepeatable, and correct, explanation of events …........ (Insert own comments here...) followed by MOVE IT...... NOW....

Silence..,...

The blue lights did a quick spin......

Then he stalled it......

Then the wipers went on..... front and rear....

Then he kangeroed off.....

Laughed..... Nearly fell off the bike........

The nice policeman was still laughing to, when I passed him....

So, guys n gals, don't queue across a junction and please think....

IF I LET SOMEONE OUT MAYBE THEY WILL LET ME OUT..... 
                        (not the other way round)

France with Friends Part Two

After many worried expressions and repeated questions about campsites we arrive in Calais and its warmer..... a lot warmer than the Dover we just left..... Nice....

Me I had switched from my gortex to a mesh jacket, on the ship, with Ric and Neil commenting as usual about my lack of "proper gear" but at the first stop...... off came the heavy, and now hot, leathers.........

Quick Note... Always wear the correct gear when motorcycling but when its hot dehydration can, all to easily, easily catch you out.... Been there and its not funny......

So fuel and water and go over a few rules before we set off again..

One...

You  WILL pull out on the wrong side of the road and its not a case of "if" but always a case of "when"....
You have to be aware that its when you pull out after a stop, petrol station, cafe or nature break......that you are most likely to do it.....

Even after all these years on a clear road I still pull out wrong side occasionally, scary...

Two.....

If you make a wrong turn or miss a roundabout exit wait there as when I realize your gone I will, after a cup of tea....., come back for you.

And most importantly......... Three.......

NEVER EVER ARGUE WITH A FRENCH POLICEMAN.....that just get more expensive the more you say........

Be humble...... Doff your cap... If you are in the wrong ( is speeding) DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES.... Just say, and look, sorry....  Lots cheaper in the long run.... Being marched into jail for the night or to a cash point with the gendarmerie saying  "Money.... Now"  just spoils a holiday.

So we head on into France. The autoroute,s are a great way to get where your going but if you have the time.... take the A roads/ route nationals you see so much more but as we only had a week the autoroute it was... or should have been....

Made a mistake at the double exit for Charles de Gaulle airport which ended up with us flying up this ramp with a sharp left, knee down, turn at the top and we are suddenly......  right alongside the runway..... I mean you could see the faces of people in the windows...... Looking at us....... as there taking off...... You could feel the vibration through the handle bars....... Bit to close for comfort.......

And then we come to this taxi rank/ drop off area but the bit I most remember was that it was one lane in.... Two lane taxi rank with central columns and one lane out.....
I remember it because on the first column were two signs.... Marseilles left and Bordeaux  right..... But..... But.... its single lane out....

My fault for the wrong turn so onto Paris...... Not a problem...... But I had not realized how much Ric, really, did not want to hit Paris...

We were getting nearer and nearer when Ric suddenly cuts across in front of me and heads down an off ramp... Trouble was there was no on ramp at this junction and I had no idea where we  were in relation to anything... We could see the raised autoroute above us but not how to get to it.... And my French is..... Not good.... So asking the way was not going to help

We do a couple of laps, on the cobbles, and then spot a sign for Disneyland so head out..... Nice straight road not so nice traffic lights.... every 10 yards.... Neils GS started sending up smoke signals and had to stop..... so with the bike and Neil both happily smoking away..... and, luckily, my "all France" map had the junction up ahead on it.... in another 5 minutes and we were clear of Paris... Yea....

Heading south again but on a route national the day was passing quickly and thoughts turned to where to stop when, after riding through a very run down grey little village we turned the corner and there was this beautiful bridge over the Lorie..... And the Château Sully Sur Lorie.. Simply stunning....

The campsite ran from the château wall to the river.... Beautiful grassy camping area with a few trees and a sandy shore line....

The shower block was a bit WW2 concrete though.... Functional, but basic.... Very basic.

So...10ft wall.... Big grassy area with 20 tents or so already there, and a couple of landrovers with tents on the roof...

I look up to see where the sun is and work out where to it might rise from in the morning while the other two simply started to pitch their tents out in the middle..... away from anything..... people...... shade..... O...K.....

"You want to camp there" I said and a combined yes came back.... O....K......

All pitched, showered and sorted we walked through the château grounds to the village and found a pizzarea...... Well rural France does shut early....  Bit of food and a couple of 1664,s went down well and its back to the campsite at the end of a very very long day....

Me... I get up nice and early.... sort myself out and sit there in my chair.... with my coffee and brioche/ ham sandwich.....  and waited for the sun to pop up over the château wall..... on this even hotter morning....

Up it pops..... 30 seconds..... and out they both pop...... SO funny.....  and they called ME names........ Dark coloured tents and decent sun shine... not a good mix for a lay in....

Mind you if you are moving on every day it saves you setting the alarm clock..

Perhaps a more mellow day today..... We'll see in part three...