Christmas Spectacular

Tomkin's trying the new festive toilet for size!

Have a good one everybody!

Motorrad-Tagestouren mit Cheesecake

Whilst spending time in the ferry queue at Venice I spotted a Wiesbaden * motorcycle with a particularly ergonomic fuel cock and engeaged the owner with small talk.  Anyhow, one thing lead to quite a few others, and during October we met up and went for a ride in the Taunus hills.  Unfortunately I don't quite remember where we went as Greg, likes to do U turns!

At Greg's workshop he is a ξυλουργός and a Triumph
φανατικός.

Where have all the fuel cocks gone?  Long time passing! de Havilland Triumph Trident.

Leaving Biebrich we head for the hills following  Greg's Triumph Trident

Some time later following 3 U turns  we manage to find a parking at Feldberg, a beauty spot high in the Taunus adorned with radiation. 

  

..

I don't think that the local trees survive the radiation blast from

...this array of transmitting aerials!

Hanky-panky in the rough

 As this place was a veritable zoo we moved on to a Schloss for Kaffee und Kuchen

Convenient helmet park

Unfortunately the camera gave up the ghost at this stage but here is a very nice looking example of a toffee apple cheecake.

 Some weeks later the weather remains brilliant and so we performed a Rhine visit.

A forlorn site as winter approaches. Fewer bikes remain at my parking area.

The ride to Bennos Truck Stop proved a challenge as the road was closed in part but we made it in the end to Kaub

 

Bennos is not busy for a Sunday.

Mr Benno detecting my English demeanour directs me by the tannoy system to the "gents"   -"second door on ze left und prez zee button"

Mrs N kits up by the majestic Rhine

And so to hibernation.


*advantage to
German registration system where home town is clearly evident

To be a Scooterist

My large over powering transcontinental BMW motorcycle has celebrated my recent birthday by treating me to an annual service payout event. The partially unforseen consequence of this has been that I was lent a scooter whilst the service people wiped around the oil filler plug and prepared a huge bill.

Here we are  - a spanking new state of the Kymco art BMW C600GT in pomegranate blue.

Knees rammed up hard against the joy stick redolent of  me in a Blanik glider.

Convenience in motion - a porta potty is provided - BMW think of everything then charge you for it.  The lid is heated by the way.

One blob or two: there are 2 heat settings.

I found out what that red button was for - ejector seat.

 Plus points:  It goes well with a twist of the wrist.

Minus point: Impossible to steer with knees rammed up against the handlebars.

Is it worth £10,000? Not really.

Lovely Boating Weather

Well, it was so last September in the Aegean sea. ****LISTEN****

The NW team took to the high seas and only conked out twice or so.

Typical local boats.

This is where my boat has remained for three years or so.

We dumped it here in the harbour.

I raise the Royal Ensign... then we begin sea trials.

Cutting a wedge through the Aegean, we head for a secluded cove for skinny dipping -;)

Mission a COMPLETE SUCCESS

On the way home, Mrs N receives a driving lesson!

The fuel cock/cheesecake story is coming soon.....

Mainly Cats

A big feature of our annual holiday stay in Mrs Nikos Hellenic Towers (a.k.a. The Eagles Nest) is that any visiting cat is given food.  Such is the life at Pussy Paradise that the word soon gets round and whole families of cats pitch up.

Here are Mr and Mrs Ginger el Greco.  They soon brought this Summer's progeny for supervised free grub.

I did question the morality of feeding the cats when so many Greeks claim to be in poverty - Mrs N's view is at least the cats do something useful in keeping the rodents away.


In other news:

Fearing a tsunami in the Naplion region, ταχύς the tortoise makes for high ground.

Leaf poses next to a leaf.

In the next installment I may tell you how the examination of a fuel cock in Venice lead to cheesecake in the Taunus mountians.

Day 2 -Things Naughtical

So far on blogoshere world timeline we have not arrived at our summer holiday destination.  I'm sorry about that but my PC has been playing up and only logging me in on a temporary basis. This appears to be a feature of Windows 7 but eventually I found out where my files had been hidden.

Here is one of many shots of Venice leaving on a car ferry to Greece: 

Pink balloons give us a send off and remind us how good it is to be healthy

This unusually named tug helped us manouver through the lagoon channel 

Under glorious alto cirrus we head for the open Adriatic.

 The Kriti 2 car ferry was  state of the art when built in Japan in 1979 (and operated by the Shit-Nipponkai Ferry company until 1995) and provided many amenities and activities provided for the 36 hour juddering and shaking voyage South.

1. Plastic chairs too uncomfortable to sit on for more than 5 minutes.

2. Camping deck

3. Empty swimming pool and 2 funnels painted with "ANEK" logos.

4. Spectacular lower deck hanky-panky to watch whilst eating souvlaki

5. Unprecedented view from my open air bedroom

6. On demand video entertainment (subject to bringing it yourself)

7. A Greek Orthodox chapel dedicated to my name Saint is located on the mezzanine deck next to the duty free shop.

8. The route may be studied to detect any discernible progress on the navigator's PC.

Eventually we arrive in Greek waters and the crew deem it safe to raise the old Royal ensign.

In the next episode Mr Slater's Parrot 5 comes good after 3 years up a mountain.

SCOOP!

The 2013 BMW R1200GS WATERCOOLED has been spotted at a secret location near the NW Worldwide headquarters (32 Windsor Gardens. West Droitwich, Nr. Benghazi, Albanian Republic).
This evolutionary update to the ever popular world beating motorcycle is sure to cost a lot and create nauseous hype and frenzy on Kevin's forum.

Pseudo-random neo-Archaeologistical Survey in Artifact-Rich Landscape of European Motorway Service Stations: Not Middle Neolithic Examples of Merit from Arkadia, Greece - they come in next post if you are lucky.

The research vehicle is loaded with sample and specimen containers before we embark on the overnight run to the Via Egnatia maritime feed = Mrs N is loading her car with my junk before we set off towards Venice on our holidays

There appears to be life near Alemanni, the Germaic tribe who inhabited the area around Stuttgart are running a retail outlet = I need to stop for a pee and buy a mobile phone charger because I forgot to pack it..

A lavish banquet awaits = this stale sandwich and concrete tart cost €50

Modeled on the Colliseum the feeding area is surrounded by votive offerings: the place is full of useless tat.

On offer - music boxes from every muse

Tablets of aural mass destruction from every corner of the civilised world and America

Salivating cuddly toys

Booze???

precious minerals

A clay pig called Nico

A clay pig called "Bob"

Tribal motifs

Not a mobile phone charger in sight

A group of HD charioteers arrive seeking solace

Departing scene taken from the stretcher

Somewhere in Austria at 03:00 my bladder gives out again

Somewhere after the Brenner Pass I wake up.

The Radio data system picks up local transmissions

Navigation is by the seat of my pants....

...as the 2 GPSs and the cuddly turtle disagree constantly where to go next

What joy - another retail outlet but this time in  Italy

Pasta

more pasta

Cheese

??

Sausage

Scene at 09:30 - 25 coach loads of plebs who departed at 09:00 from Milan making their Sunday excursion to the motorway service area where I am in desparate need of a coffee...

..so we picked up this ghastly stuff from the fuel station vending machine!

We are now in the car Ferry Line at Venice - just behind an elephant trooping act

Or are they German campers?

The chief Archaeologist.

Wonderful Citroen DS

and again from the front

Someone appears to be taking a pee just behind the Triumph with a fuel cock

Here we go - the only Ferry company that serves virgin Cretan olive oil for breakfast.

That was day 1.  We arrived in Greece 36 hours later.