Wk 17 – And We’re Done

Mon 5th to Wed 7th September
Felixstowe to London and Home

Mon 5th – Harwich Ferry to Felixstowe – 60k

It was a pleasant crossing from the Hook of Holland to Harwich and an easy final ride of this fantastic journey.
A final bridge, the Orwell Bridge, opened in 1982 to carry the A14 over the River Orwell. It’s actually more impressive than the pic gives it credit.

So to Ipswich where we found a DIY carwash and gave a grubby BMW F900XR a well deserved scrub before stopping on the waterfront for breakfast.

Then to Cargo Services at Felixstowe where we prepared the bike for its return to Australia

As you can see from the above pic we rode 12,627klms. We did this in 69 ride days with 40 lay days – with another 9 lay days prior to collecting the bike which was late. We used just under 600 litres of fuel, mostly 91 E5 or E10 because that’s what was available. At around A$3 a litre that was something like A$1750 for the whole trip and we’re certainly not complaining about that. Nor could we complain at a consumption rate of nearly 22klm per litre, that’s darn good for a bike that was loaded to the max on mostly back roads. I figure we did no more than 500klm on freeways, if that.
We slept in 71 different beds – that’s a lot believe me.
We had our fair share of rain, especially in the first 6 weeks – only 2 totally dry days – also some in Spain and across France and Belgium towards the end. That’s in contrast to our 2016 trip where we had only 2 days of rain. The thing about wet weather riding for us is that here in Australia we don’t have to do too much of that stuff, not because we’re soft but because it’s basically dry most of the time, so having to don wets is unusual and a bit of an annoyance. However we certainly got used to it, but I can say the novelty has certainly worn off. 😒

We left the bike and caught the train to London town and our digs near Marble Arch. The bike was supposed to be home by now but you guessed it. Hopefully by the end of November.

Tue 6th – London Sightseeing – 11k

I planned a walking tour of ‘stuff to see’ which looked pleasant enough – 7kms, easy peasy, except it was miles wasn’t it, which was a decent walk in the end.

Marble Arch and Hyde Park

These guys practising their drills.

Through Knightsbridge to Harrods where we indulged in the worlds most expensive coffee and almond croissant. Something like A$56, I kid you not. That’s nuts, we could have bought the silver service for that.

Wellington’s Arch and the Australian and New Zealand war memorials which always bring me undone.

Down Constitution Hill to Buckingham Palace and surrounds. This was only 3 days before the Queen’s passing.

Then Birdcage Walk (yes seriously) to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and London Eye.

Along Victoria Embankment past a number of war memorials. Turn left, Whitehall, the Horse Guard and New Scotland Yard. There’s a heap to see around here.

Trafalgar Square and Nelson’s Column, Her (or is it His now) Majesty’s Theatre where we had a coffee, then Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street.

New Bond Street, past a couple of heroes sitting on a park bench, then on to Selfridges where we did some final shopping.
Then a brisk walk home to beat a torrential downpour – just.

Wednesday 7th September and we’re up early to walk to the station and catch a train to Heathrow for a midday flight to Melbourne via Perth.
For an extra 10 quid we caught a cab all the way and enjoyed an old Londoner’s take on 2022.
The flight home was uneventful until we arrived to a Melbourne Winter and 2 months later it’s still raining.

And that was it.
I cannot express how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to do this trip – for the third time. If you’ve never done it you should, if you’ve done it once why haven’t you done it twice?
I’m thinking the answer to that is because you never did it on a motorcycle the first time, it is truly the very best way to travel. Sure, it may be wet occasionally, and cold or hot, and just a little dangerous and precarious but my goodness it is exhilarating as you’re so totally embedded in the environment, culture and land you’re travelling through. I don’t do Zen, but I certainly get it.

Neither can I thank Norma enough, she was and is absolutely magnificent. You see I get to wake up pretty much everyday and go for a ride, I love it. Norma, on the other hand, gets to wake up pretty much everyday with the prospect of possibly clambering into her panda wear and then enduring the indignity of trying to throw her leg over a top case that seems to be getting higher everyday, then to cling on while her crazy husband finds the twistiest, highest, roughest route to our next destination which just may be the cheapest room in town that has an ensuite.

Does she love it? I don’t know, but she informs me she has a plan for the next one 🤣😘