Category General
Reims
Packed and ready to go to France. For all our skills as experienced global travellers hah hah!, we had not foreseen that our trip to Paris was on the first day of the British Summer holidays! As we snaked for the second time in the multiple lanes of Eurostar passengers at London St Pancras (we found out we queued too early and had to leave the queue and go to the back again) we had concerns that we would not make our train to Paris. We should not have worried: while the initial organisation was confusing, the processing moved forward at a pace, although my nine and a half year old UK passport again failed to work with the passport reading technology. Have I really aged that much? I guess the technology is saying yes! I do now have a French stamp in my UK passport curtesy of BREXIT, no more whisking through the EU members channel. The French immigration officer was observant and while perusing my passport asked where I lived, probably due to all the South and Central American entry and exit stamps from our first RTW journey.
A short walk between Gare de Nord and Gare de l’Est allowed Anne to indulge in that great French tradition of coffee and a plate of anchovies in olive oil, really? Not my kind of snack but everyone to their own.
After a short delay to replace our broken train, we are off snaking our way out of Paris. While travelling through France by train, I am struck by the dearth of locomotive hauled trains. As we pass rail yards, the occasional tired looking diesel or electric loco, BB and CC classes, sit forlornly amongst the weeds. I missed the demise of the steam locomotive era due to youth, but this must be similar with newer Diesel multiple units (DMUs) and Electrical multiple units (EMUs) replacing locomotive hauled trains. I always enjoyed seeing a locomotive being attached to its rake of coaches in a station and considered it a part of the journey. Another era is passing.
Reims is in the heart of champagne country where we have gone to spend time with our niece Marion. We arrive at 6:30pm and the sun is still high in the sky. We are treated by Marion on arrival to Champagne from the Co-operative where she works.
As we walk to a nearby local favourite restaurant of Marion’s, people are eating, talking and laughing outside, music is playing and it reminds me how much I enjoy the long summer evenings that are absent back in Brisbane. Oh for daylight saving…
Marion facilitated a tour of the countryside finishing where she works for a Champagne co-operative. This Co-operative was founded in the early 1960’s by René Lamblot and other winegrowers from road Janvry who wished to promote champagne produced from the western slopes of the Montagne de Reims. They have successfully done so since that time.
Surrounded by grape vines we enjoy being out in the countryside which seems so quiet and peaceful, which will change as soon as the harvest starts in a few weeks, earlier than usual due to the recent heatwave.
Driving back towards Reims I was surprised to see dilapidated and abandoned motor racing pits on one side of the road and a similar looking grandstand on the other. Had we inadvertently driven onto a race track? In a sense we had. We were on the start finish straight of the Reims-Gueux road circuit that hosted the French Grand Prix during the 1950’s and 1960’s. The circuit had some of the longest straights in Europe in its time.
I noticed that the front of the pits had a long continuous wall separating the track from the mechanics areas. Could this be were the term “Pit wall” came from? Today in modern circuits no such barrier exists. Was it for safety? Anne remembers the racing car makers and petrol brands, long past, from her childhood.
As we try to imagine how it must have been when races were run here, a rumbling behind me makes me turn to see a black Porsche coming up to us. I have to give it a starting flag flourish, and it accelerates away, obviously keeping to the speed limit, and we get a little taste of what must have been. Ah nostalgia.
All too quickly, our time here has past and we are waved off by Marion as we depart Reims. Thank you Marion for your wonderful hospitality, till next time “au revoir”.
As I write this, Anne is furiously adding photos and commentary on facebook which makes me wonder if my tapping away on my ipad to craft this muse is adding any value, apart from having a long term record of our travels. Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook amongst others provide a much faster and more succinct way of communicating. Will the blog eventually fade for use? But for now it is my way of communicating so onward we will go.
– Anthony
The First Week
It was recently drawn to my attention that we should be providing “REGULAR” blogs to keep our loyal follower(s) appraised of our travel activities. I must admit that I have been somewhat remiss in this regard. I guess a combination of lack of practice and some apathy on my part have led to this sorry state of affairs. A case in point is the complete lack of any record of our April/May 2022 visit to Tasmania. In my defence, this visit was to look at the possibility of living in the state and not a normal travel event. Having been suitably chastised in CAPITALS, I have vowed to “do better” in future, as my teachers fervently hoped without any appreciable success, in my school years.
We had planned to visit family and friends in Europe at the end of March 2022 and had booked flights accordingly. A trip around Europe with Streak and Storm was envisaged and I was pouring over maps when an email from Cathay Pacific dropped into my in-box cancelling our flight, courtesy of the Chinese governments approach to limiting the spread of COVID-19 in their country.
This spanner works led to a reappraisal of the timing of our first post COVID-19 trip from Australia and a rescheduled departure via Singapore as the risk of travelling via Hong Kong or China with repeated COVID-19 lockdowns was too high.
Now with a mid July departure, the grand European motorcycle tour was off the table for 2022, but while the primary reason for our visit to Europe is too see family and friends, whom we have not seen in person since 2019, Streak and Storm will, assuming they still want to work with us after this period of abandonment, have a brief outing scheduled in early August.
Our Taxi driver asked “Qantas or Virgin?” assuming we were taking a domestic flight from Brisbane. While domestic air travel numbers have rebounded, there was a two hour gap either side of our flights departure to Singapore. This is due to international travel from Australia only operating at about 35% which made check-in, security and immigration a breeze.
It did seem a little strange to be on such a large plane after more than two and a half years and I did have a little trepidation at what sort of “Gluten Free” meal might be served. Travelling with Coeliac Disease for the first time, what sort of tasteless mush would I be served?
I was however pleasantly surprised. Most of my gluten free meals have been as good as I remember airline food and as an added bonus we get served first. The soups, noodles and other gluten free goodies we had packed in anticipation were not needed.
Our second leg from Singapore to London took us over some of the places that formed part of our first RTW in 2014. As we gazed down at the lights of the towns and cities when had visited, memories came flooding back of people, places and experiences that make travelling such a joy for us.
The approach into London Heathrow in a clear morning gave us a magnificent view of the Thames, north Kent coast and parts of London. As we touched down on Heathrow’s 27L runway, we were back.
Neither my 9 year old British passport or Anne’s new British passport worked on the automatic gates at immigration. Many others had the same problem and since the electronic gates have been around for a number of years, they should work better.
Piles of suitcases abounded as we walked through Terminal 2 to the luggage reclaim area reminding us that there are still a few wrinkles in the travel process to be ironed out. While I waited for our last bag to arrive, a quick look at the location of our newly acquired Apple Airtags showed that the recalcitrant bag was halfway between our arrival gate and the baggage hall. I think the Apple AirTags could prove to be a worthwhile investment at this time given the sometimes chaotic scenes involving bags at airports we all see on television.
Anne’s sister Diane was waiting for us and a joyful reunion took place. We also were able to finally remove our face-masks that had been an almost permanent feature, apart from meat times, for over 30 hours. I can sympathise with those who have to wear them day in and day out as part of their job.
The first couple of days had us recovering from jet-lag and making sure we had not picked up COVID-19 en-route that we could pass on to family members. We visited the outdoor historic dockyard at Chatham, formally HMS Chatham, where we could wander outdoors and be exposed to lots of bright sunlight to aid our bodies’ timezone change.
We were able to experience the UK’s hottest day ever, 40.3 degrees Celsius, on July 19th, warm even by our Brisbane standards and spent a pleasant few days in Canterbury catching up with Anne’s mum, enjoying her hospitality.
While staying at our hotel, the Thomas Ingoldsby in Canterbury, we had noticed that the pictures on the walls were done by local school children based on the Ingoldsby Legends – a collection of myths, legends and ghost stories based in part Kentish folklore written by Richard Harris Barham in the 1830’s under name of Thomas Ingoldsby.
We then noticed “The art beneath your feet” which explained that the carpets in the hotel were based on the illustrations from the books. I liked the fact that a large pub and hotel chain, Wetherspoons, can weave, pun intended, local history into something so unnoticed as carpets.
Our first week is over, what will week 2 bring?
– Anthony
Getting back in the saddle
Well, after an absence of some six months from blogging, it seems that our handful of followers are looking for more. We thank them for their dedication and positive comments. Perhaps a short road trip to get the writing juices flowing again?
Anne has diligently packed the motorbike panniers over the last few days and we are ready for our first road trip in 2022. Little steps and with Easter approaching, we want to be back before the bulk of the holiday makers are out and about. Coffee at Boonah over Cunningham’s Gap and into the Granite Belt as the area is called, known for its fruit, national parks and wine. Yes, we produce wine in Queensland. It’s not all beaches and palm trees.
As we approach Stanthorpe I am struck by the golden colour of the leaves of the deciduous trees. For some reason I always think of April as the start of Autumn but it is in fact March I am reliably informed. Without such trees around us in Manly, I am always about a month out on the seasons’ change each year.
Day 2: My iPhone’s weather app shows cloudy skies all morning but no rain. This is confirmed by the bureau of meteorology’s radar map but unfortunately this is in conflict with the sound of rain on the roof of the mostly waterproof tent. So much for relying on technology. I had used the weather forecasts before we left to determine what we brought with us, and rain gear was noticeably absent! Jeans are not that waterproof but it is what we have.
Water has entered the tent overnight, puddles Anne calls them, but from my side of the tent just wet patches. It is all in the perspective. Seems the waterproofing has not significantly improved since the last trip. This is why from time to time, equipment needs replacing, but I, Anthony, do not like to throw anything out that has given good service which is why we still have tents going back to 1975! I have been reliably informed on this trip that this tent will not be making the next motorcycle trip in Queensland. A replacement needs to be sought and this tent retired and donated as “dry weather only” tent for kids.
Up and off to Stanthorpe in light rain heading for the Commercial Cafe, which we hear does great coffee, to meet up with a lovely couple we met the day before at a petrol/gas station where their young son got to sit on both our motorcycles. We really enjoy meeting locals and get their perspective on life and living. Breakfast at a non-gluten free establishment, in spite of their best efforts, does not treat me kindly later in the day. I will need to be more careful in future.
A clearing sky tempts us to ride the 36 kilometres to Girraween National Park, a place we have loved to visit during our time in Queensland but have not been to for a dozen years or more. A brief rain shower tests our resolve and our jeans’ lack of waterproofing, but we push on and are able to hike partway up the Pyramid, a famous rock formation in the park. It is really good to be out in the country again.
While having dinner, a cup of soup and a biscuit back at the campsite, we meet a group of families from Brisbane who were all originally from Kerala in India but only met when they moved to Australia. They invited us to join them for dinner with a range of mouthwatering curries on offer, but I realised I had to decline because of Coeliac Disease. What future culinary delights will I be denied? Oh well, life goes on with nice dried biscuits.
Our third day is still grey but with the promise of sunshine further west: we are headed for Texas, a small town of 900 people on the banks of the Dumaresq river which also forms the border between Queensland and New South Wales. Anne proposes we go via the Bruxner Highway so south we go, crossing a state border for the first time on our motorbikes in more than two years without fear of quarantine rules being suddenly changed.
The Bruxner highway from Tenterfield to Texas was a joy to ride: undulations, twists and turns great views and little traffic. Stopping at a river crossing, we enjoy a leisurely break on the banks of the Dumaresq river, which had been in flood only days earlier as evidenced by damage to trees and bushes along the riverbank.
The Texas Railway Museum is our third night’s camping spot. Located just outside Texas Queensland, not the US TX, a band of intrepid volunteers are working to restore part of what was a 54km branch line to sleeper by sleeper.
We get to meet Dave, a railway museum volunteer, who comes to check on us after a concerned resident seeing a couple of dangerous looking bikers just ride up to the station and setup camp calls him! We explain that we are expecting Robert and Kelvin to turn up for the week end. Dave shows us around the facilities and it is impressive what they have achieved. Worth a visit if you are in the area.
At Millmerran, we stop for coffee and I am finding that most Gluten free pastries I have eaten so far seem to be a combination of concrete for strength and cardboard for taste. I need to loose my taste memory of tasty flakey pastry. I am starting to think that gluten free pastry will not form part of my ongoing food consumption. Anyone found an edible version?
Our direct route to our overnight destination of Dalby is closed due to the effects of the recent flooding locals inform us. The damage to bridges and other infrastructure will take some time to repair.
The Bunya Mountains is the last stop on this little adventure. The mountains rise from the surrounding plain and are visible from Dalby some 50km away. Crossing the farmland and floodplain crossings as we travel north, the mountains always seem far away. We enjoy seeing deep blue skies finally. As we start to climb, farmland gives way to scattered temperate forest, then, suddenly it seems, we are enveloped by massive bunya and hoop pines touching above our heads as we enter the real forest. The area was heavily logged. We are just too late for the Bunya nut season and can only see the remnants on the forest floor, however not a bad thing since the nuts are the size of small pineapples – being hit by one could be very painful.
While we are still camping, there is a fine restaurant and even finer whiskey/whisky bar with a large section of Scottish and other work. The hearty meal and accompanying drinks are balanced by a couple of brisk walks exploring parts of this unique landscape.
Back via the Exchange Hotel in Kilkoy, a favourite stop of ours on northern motorcycle loops from Brisbane, for a steak lunch and then after six days and 1158km, we are safely back in Manly.
While many of our blog entries are from far flung places, for us anyway, there is much to be seen locally everywhere, So while we are all looking at testing our travel wings, why not start with a local trip first?
– Anthony
PS. Storm has a new front (fully round) wheel and has passed the MOT. Ready for the road later this year.
The road ahead in 2022
April fools day (1st April) was the perfect riding day in SE Queensland, warm, 28 degrees celsius, but with the air feeling cool on our faces as we rode south west towards Boonah for brunch. Once out of the city, the country roads were clear, the landscape so green from the recent floods and the mountains of the Great Dividing range were beckoning in the distance. What could be better? We rounded off the afternoon with a movie at the French film festival, subtitles for me, and as we rode back from the city we realised that this was the first time we had ridden together in Brisbane’s CBD (Central Business District)! Having ridden together on Streak and Storm in city centres as far apart as London, Santiago, Tehran, New York and Bangkok it was a little strange that we had not done so at home, but then we have no reason to ride into our local CBD, we prefer the open road.
Has it really been six months since our fingers skipped across the keyboard of the blog? Sadly yes. I am not sure where the time has gone but it has. We have been riding locally, going to the beach, windsurfing again for the first time in 10 years and I have joined the Brisbane Bayside Steam Railway (BBSR) which offers rides twice a month for big and little kids. I have a lot to learn but everyone is happy to share their knowledge with me.
Over Christmas I reflected that two years ago we were in Hua Hin in Thailand planing to head to Bangkok to meet up with friends Dave and Sky and celebrate the New Year together. Little did we, or most people, know that in a couple of months a pandemic named COVID-19 would be upon us and that we would spend the best part of two years with significant travel restrictions and, for many, endless lockdowns, that fortunately we avoided in Queensland. I felt optimistic about 2022 that the world would start to open up for all of us to travel.
Restrictions in Queensland have fallen away as we moved towards living with the COVID-19 in Australia having abandoned our ‘Fortress’ approach of last two years. Single digit COVID numbers that used to take centre stage on the news every day now seem to be just a footnote even though they number in the thousands daily. The vaccinations seem to have done the trick in reducing hospitalisations and deaths. I am about to get my fourth jab in 10 days or so. I just have to decide which flavour.
We had planned to return to Europe at the end of March but this was scuppered with Hong Kong banning flights from Australia in January due to increased COVID-19 numbers here so Cathay Pacific cancelled our Brisbane to Hong Kong flight. Looking at the options we decided that we would spend the rest of the summer and autumn here. We have rebooked via Singapore in mid July which will allow us to arrive in the summer rather than the end of the northern hemisphere winter.
In December 2021, a final visit to the ophthalmic surgeon allowed me to close off my detached retina saga, leaving me free to start a new medical journey on the 31st of January: Coeliac Disease. Blood tests had both markers tested strongly indicated the diagnosis. I understood that a result below 7 was no Coeliac Disease , mine was over 300! A followup endoscopy and biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. It did explain my lack of energy, due to an iron deficiency, and constant hunger yet weight loss which, along other symptoms of Coeliac Disease, had been affecting me increasingly over the last 12 -18 months.
I tried to find a little wriggle room with our doctor, but sadly there is none. “Gluten Free” is the new black for me. Gone are croissants and baguettes in Paris cafes, Cadbury chocolate fingers with tea and occasional visits to McDonald’s. Don’t tell my cardiac specialist about the last one. Anne is trying to convince me that Single “Malt” Scotch contains gluten, but I think there is an ulterior motive as she eyes our/her Isla Scotch Collection.
It was an interesting 24 hours following diagnosis. After dropping Anne at the Endodontist, lucky her, I entered the Indooroopilly shopping centre and I see this:
I just burst out laughing. Of all the things I could have seen this was the best and yes every food item they sell is gluten free. While Anne suffered in the chair, I perused the health food section at Woolworths and selected a range of gluten free products to try, including chocolate. Anne’s sister very kindly arranged a couple of wonderful gluten free care packages which I have been working my way through. Life goes on, now with renewed energy.
Over a year ago, I proposed to write a retrospective of our first RTW journey from way back in 1982. All the ingredients are there, the cook just needs to step up to the stove and start cooking. This project has languished in part due to my inability to decide how to approach telling from either a historical only or retrospective viewpoint. I now plan to push ahead with a hybrid model so who knows what we will end up with.
Finally the road ahead beckons us and either here or overseas we will tour on motorbikes again this year. Streak and Storm are being serviced and have to pass a UK roadworthy (MOT) and will be waiting for us in July.
The desire to travel and see family and friends is too strong and regardless of COVID we will be out there in 2022. Stay safe and travel well.
– Anthony
2slowspeeds 