Friday, September 9, 2011

Kharkiv Revisited

Let me make it quite clear from the outset, I was not visiting the Ukraine to look for a new wife.

..but this man was.
Provided that you do not mind getting completely lost the Kharkiv metro system gives good value transportation for 5 Grottys.
Spacious communistic era stations
2 rail DC system
Miss Comfort, a typical metro train driver depicted on a recruitment poster - possibly.
Depth of field study
The hotel was on the No.3 tram route, but we went in the wrong direction.
Oh no not another one.
Ukrainian loo
A complicated journey home involving three flights begins
Landing at Vienna
Brussels airport facility - I could have done without the hideous Santa plasma display.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Ronny Goes to Germany

Ronny the BMW F650GS motorcycle is going to live in Germany.  She was bought for Mrs Nikos and will be located on mainland Europe as part of the ever expanding, dispersing and aging Nikos World Motorcycle Fleet.

Ronny posing in front of one of those quintessentially British aviation flops - the de Havilland Trident 3B at my favourite place.  Some twat of a plane spotter parked his Skoda to spoil the scene.

In fact the mission would have at least two extra purposes including bringing back the old heap of a BMW R65 for restoration or burial in England, and filling the car with cheap wine (aka "going on a booze cruise").

 Driving towards the port of Dover - M20 Morning Mist after a dodgy glass or two of Cabernet Sauvignon the evening before at Ashford Travelodge
This is the rig (US style motorcycle touring in comfort and convenience) - Ronny follows me sitting on a Motolug trailer,   Mainland Europe is cut off from England so we catch a Sea France ferry from Dover to Calais (cheapest fare with a trailer).  Here we are at Dover port under the white cliffs.
Luckily the Tomtom urges me not to drive into the sea.  414 miles to go to Wiesbaden.
Leaving Dover port - 23 miles to Calais as the old crow flies.
A decent coffee, and a breakfast pastry at last .
Somewhere in Belgium, Portaloo?
Crossing the Mosel. Better than going near Cologne.
At Wiesbaden - Ronny is rapidly swapped for von Krankenshite for enforced transportation to England
Despite my arrival, the boys are happy.
NOW FOR THE COMESTIBLES.

Mrs N and I cycle to the Rhine and Mrs N treats me.

We carry on a bit and stop at Biebrich for deserts - his.
These look healthy - hers.

Friday, September 2, 2011

In Search of Crocs(tm)

All good things must surely end, and the heatwave lingering over the Eastern Seaboard like the flow from a ceiling fan in a Turkish brothel was not one of them.


We drove to a location New Windsor - I knew that there would be something special waiting for me there:
Unique, large and customised crocs(tm) sent to me by the lovely Lori, rider of a BMW R1200R  and owner of this thoughtful blog

Now homeward bound, we had spent the week with marvelous people generous in their hospitality - you know who you are and Thanks!


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