been ...... done ...... got the t-shirt
After the months of precise planning to the finest detail, the day for the trip was finally upon us! (translation, after a last minute panic, we slept in, threw stuff at the bikes, and it stayed where it stuck!)
Wednesday morning (21/06) up, showered and ready to go. Davie is almost an hour away so I'm off about 09:45.
As ever, the Edinburgh ring road passes as quickly as a week in the jail and by 10:30-ish I'm outside Davie's trying to park near the kerb so I can try and get off without too much fuss.
The panzer is a big heavy bike. But today it's like an aircraft carrier with all the gear on and it's about to get even bigger. I've got a 32" inside leg and need to step over the saddle to get on and off with all this @@@@e that's stuck on the tail.
And we've yet to strap the tent on
The banter begins, and we're both in high spirits even though it's a tad windy.
First stop, Kasper's catering at Straiton for a fine brekkie bap before we're off! Champion it is too. Funnily enough, I end up paying as Davie has only got Euros (who would've thought he would've played that old chestnut so soon).
It's raining a bit now, and the wind is @@@@ing murder.
We take the A697 down to Coldstream where we need to stop for Davie's nicotine intake and fuel.
We meet some good guys here from various places in central Scotland also taking the same ferry as us. Some banter is exchanged, and we agree to meet up for a half shandy aboard the ferry.
Off again and the weather is looking up ..... except for that @@@@ing wind! We're getting blown allover the place, but we're keeping the speeds sensible and the miles pass relatively painlessly.
Before too long we're parked at the Newcastle ferry terminal.
Davie plays his favourite trick (Euros only) and I end up paying for his lunch and the coffee's.
By the time we get back to the bikes the check-in has started and we've gone from 1st to last in the queue - no worries, we're all going on the same boat anyway.
Loading is slow, but incident free - no kerbs to park alongside this time though, and it's tough getting off the panzer when you're getting packed tightly.
A shower and a change of clothes later and we're at the bar aboard the M.V. King of Scandinavia.
Things start to go mildly wrong from this point.
The first pint passes easily, a bit too easily .... quickly followed by another 3. Then we're off for a great meal in the Blue Riband restaurant. where the first bottle of red passes easily, a bit too easily quickly followed by another 2 :beer:
Just a wee bit tipsy now.
So, off to the night club!
Davie makes a defining statement of the trip "we won't stay up too late, 2 or 3am will be enough, nothing too daft"
By 2am everybody is scared to come to the bar. Me and Davie are talking to everyone as they try and order a drink.
Eventually, Davie goes for a wee wander on the beer scooter and soon after we're being woken up by the nice lady telling us we're about to dock!
Not good
uke:
The satnav leads us efficiently along the most boring roads in the world (super smooth and mostly motorway) until we eventually find Assen and our home for the next few days.
We pitch camp at one of the many temporary campsites that spring up for the Dutch TT. This ones got secure bike parking, new showers and an marquee.
Our support crew arrive in their 8.2 metre Burstner 748-2 motor home and out springs the rest of the team with cases of beer and food!
We're still pretty jaded from the night on the ferry and the night passes quickly - it's not long, though, before I'm chucking a set of ear plugs in as the square heads are bouncing bikes off the rev limiter on the surrounding campsites.
There's only so many times you can get excited about hearing a zxcbrgixxa getting it's nuts thrashed at 5am in the morning.
Didn't make it to Thursday practise.
'kin 'ell I've typed a load of @@@@e so far!
So, on Friday we're up, showered, fed and start the 30 minute walk to the Cathedral of Speed.
On the way we pass a few strange sights, but it's all in good fun.
Assen looks magnificent.
The place has recently undergone a major face lift that saw around 1 mile taken from the overall lap length.
The stands are clean, appear very modern, there's lots of toilets, beer vans, burger vans and shopping stalls.
And the totty is great!
Suns out now and things are heating up too.
It's not long before the big boys are out there and they really make this gorgeous circuit look tiny - if you've not seen these things in the flesh and experienced the noise and the absolute speed of the @@@@ers then you really do need to go see them sharpish - this is the last year of the 990cc monsters!
We sit at the old loop at the north end of the circuit. It's not long before we're buying the beers in double rounds to save running back and forward to the beer van.
I find that I can log onto DuN with me phone and make a wee post, ahem
The riders are amazing, we're convinced that Hopkins is getting his elbow down lap after lap! Don't try it when you're doing your roundabout surfing!!
This @@@@e is really flowing out now, if you've made it this far do you realise you're missing the France v Spain match?
Friday night is our night out in Assen town itself.
After another shower and change we're soon getting out of the taxi that takes us to the town centre.
Holy @@@@
There's a few people here!
And a few beers too :thumbs:
All too soon and it's Saturday morning and we're dragging ourselves to the circuit again.
As usual, we've overslept. In the process, missed the 125's and the 250's :comp2:
After some unarmed combat we finally take our seats and await the main event - it's what we came for after all.
We're seated at the chicane immediately before the start finish straight. We can see the bikes standing up on their nose scrubbing off the speed flung over one side and the other - all too quickly they disappear up the long start/finish straight and are out of sight.
We're right there when Hayden and Edwards have the incident on the last lap
Saturday night is spent at the campsite having a few beers, the support crew are snottered :booze:
By the time we get up on Sunday morning the support crew have already left - they're on a totally different ferry and we won't see them again.
Tent down, packed up, bikes loaded, gear up and we're on our way to Amsterdam - we've got a bit spare time to kill and Davie wanted to do some "sight seeing"
As ever, Davie doesn't like the satnav - he's getting electricity in next week and I'm sure the council might put a roof on his shack next - but faithfully it leads us right through the various roads straight to the centre of Amsterdam - it's a great looking place and worth a visit in its own right.
Amazingly, we're just parking the bikes up when we're greeted by Chris and Sue (from the Hizzy run) from Carlisle and their mate Jeff - it is a small world after all!
A sandwich and a drink at the town square and all too soon we're gearing up and heading off to Ijmuiden to get in the Queue for the ferry.
It's raining now, heavy at some parts as well.
Lots of UK number plates now too.
Before too long we're all queued up and ready to board the M.V. Queen of Scandinavia.
Croaky, you've really got no life if you've managed to read this far!
It's starting to sink in now, this trip is nearly at an end - it's the first time I've turned my bike wheels in Europe and I've enjoyed it.
Getting aboard the ferry has the sphincter twitching - it's been @@@@ing down. Everything is wet including the car deck and the loading ramp
They've also taken a lot more bikes this trip so we're being loaded onto one of the upper car decks which involves riding up a steeper metal ramp and bumping over a rubber joint.
The poor fella in front of me nearly does it - he spins his back tyre coming over the rubber joint and the back kinda half spins around. He's lucky today though, he catches it and a crew man helps him hold it up - lucky fella!
Soon enough, we're in the sports bar watching the england match.
It's the last night of the trip. I've had a great time and Davie is a great tour buddy who is always up for a giggle. Good on ya mate!
Another early night for me, even though the Polish totty is fkn outstanding on the boat
But needs must, we're docking at 09:00 and I want a clear head for the final leg of the tour.
All too soon, we're back at Davie's. The trip is over.
We never got lost, brokedown, ran out of petrol, fell out, got arrested, robbed or imprisoned.
If you've read all this pish, then sort yourself out ffs!
Brno next year - who's @@@@ing coming then?
