French Duffers 2024

[raesewell]

Well, it's that time of year again. We are staying near the tunnel on Sunday 28th April for a morning crossing on Monday. we are heading for La Louviere Belgium for one night before heading down to Luxembourg for a couple of days and then back through France to Bethune before home. There are four of us this year, there were five but one had to drop out for health reasons.
We don't have Richard this year so photo's might be a bit scarce 

[Phmode]

Hope you have a great time Rae. Currently in Wales with Matt (and Martin on and off) for a little Welsh Wandering and some drone flying, learning how to get it to follow him so we can have some aerial shots of his Old Gits trip this year.

Weather was also on and off yesterday but Sunday and today were good riding days and the drones didn't crash or get eaten by sheep so that was a bonus.

[raesewell]

Thanks Brian. We are taking in 5 countries in 6 days, that's England, Belgium, Luxembourg, crossing briefly into Germany and back through France.

[Phmode]

...where I doubt you'll come across any new/reverted/disputed/confusing/frustrating 20mph equivalent zones you lucky, lucky tykes!

MyRoute App was spot on with most of them but some had obviously slipped through the net. None of them were being policed...or obeyed by anyone other than us.

[chriscanning]

Having just got back from 5 days at Le-Man’s got lucky with the weather.

[black-k1]

I hope you have a great trip. 

[Matt]

Sounds great! Where in Luxembourg will you stay? About 12 years ago I stayed in Vianden, which is right on the east border. Lovely area! Being a newb' I then read "Neuerburg" on the map and thought that was the 'ring. So I had a bit longer to ride to get to the real one later on . Thankfully both were roughly the same heading from Vianden!

[raesewell]

We are staying at a Best Western in Luxembourg city. We are having lunch in Vianden.

[flatfour]

I've stayed in Vianden a few times, there is a hotel on the river that the motorcycle tour companies seem to use with underground parking.

It's a really nice place, with the castle apparently only accessible by cable car. As we took a trip on the cable car at Lake Maggiore that a few months later had a cable let go, I might feel less adventurous in the future though!

We're heading to Deauville on the 12th May for a few days to enjoy French food and do some shopping. Staying at the Ibis, because it offers underground parking.

[raesewell]

We've stayed at that Ibis, it's a steep ramp to the car park. If you get a chance wander down to Trouville it's really nice.

[flatfour]

Rae, it's a very steep ramp to the garage indeed!

Some years ago, my brother (Triumph Tiger, the early one with stripes) and me (Ducati ST2) visited the hotel for the first time and on asking for the garage, were told to ride to the bottom of the slope and press the buzzer on the wall for reception, when they would open the door. Upon reaching the bottom of the slope I pressed the buzzer and there was no response, so I waited and tried again, with the same result.

We realised that one of us would need to dismount and go to reception, however I couldn't either reverse or turn the Ducati, being on tip - toe to reach the floor anyway due to the slope, and my brother was completely stuck with the Tiger, for the same reason. (Note: the steep slope continues up to to the electric doors!). Eventually, I managed to wriggle off the Ducati and left my brother to hold it upright with one hand, whilst balancing the Tiger as well.

When I arrived at reception all was deserted and I eventually found the receptionist in the breakfast room having her coffee break, completely forgetting that she had told us to go the the garage.

After that, one of us would always ride down the slope whilst the other waited at the top, until the door had opened.

[raesewell]

Coming back up that ramp is not easy either.

[flatfour]

Rae, for that our technique has always been to have the other rider (or a pillion, usually my daughter) stand at the top of the slope and, as soon as the door is open they will wave either go or stop. If it's go, a rapid charge up the ramp ensues followed by an equally swift stop at the top to avoid ending up in the road.

On another matter, the main road through Vianden was (so presumably still is) cobblestones, and we've seen many nervous departures from the hotel there, undoubtedly with good reason when it's wet.

[raesewell]

My technique also for dealing with up ramps. I had a particularly difficult exit from an underground hotel car park in Vernon
It was very steep with a sharp left hand turn. I had to take the panniers off and get Melanie to stand at the top and give me the go signal, the last thing I needed was a car coming in as I was leaving.

I have just had a look at Vianden on Google streets and as far as I can tell there are no cobbles on our route.

[Matt]

...
I have just had a look at Vianden on Google streets and as far as I can tell there are no cobbles on our route.

Watch out for a particular fly. When I arrived there about ten years ago and opened my visor whilst trundling down what was then a cobbled street, he flew straight into my eye.