So this was the 11 month trip of our nearby European neighbours
Our best year yet we feel and so much nicer for the addition of our trailer and scooter
How did we manage before?
An early morning ferry crossing from Dunkerque and a leisurely drive northwards sees us back in Blighty and settled on a nice CL near Stowmarket
Our nearest neighbour 'Cyril' makes a regular appearance each evening gathering those all important nuts
We are here en route to Dethick to see Emilja & Richard and make the acquaintance of their new addition to their family, Lola
Its fair to say that Lola has it sorted
A rescue dog with a superb temperament and seven years old
We take in Bury St Edmunds and its lovely central park one day, enjoying our stop over in a nice part of the country
Strolls around the town and a memorable initiation for Richard to the pitfalls of dog ownership in a town (two bags worth & outside Macdonald's eating area)
Yes its fun isn't it!
Next day we go beach walking at Aldburgh and Lola has the 'parents' trained quite well with the 'tennis ball thrown in the sea routine'
We had a great four days catching up with Emilja & Richard and will see them again when we pass back through in a couple of months
So here's a random bike picture, namely Fozz
Taken in France a week ago when we hatched the idea of trading him in for another scooter
Poor Fozz, he's done everything we've asked of him and more…
He's taken us in to the Euro big cities with ease and whizzed up the hills in Bavaria. Done the shopping, the laundry and took us out of an evening in to some lovely villages for an apero…
BUT….
A 125 can't do that long term and its not fair on him really is it, carting us two around all the time
SO….
The plan is hatched and his photo is sent to Wigan Yamaha where Howard, the keen salesman, is very happy of course to give hime a new home ultimately and sell us a new Tmax Scooter
A quick glance would say they are similar bikes but that's about it as 'Max' (Easy name that wasn't it!) is a bit bigger physically but has a 530cc engine bolted to the frame like a standard motorcycle
This puts it in a different league scooter-wise as all the info I can get tells me it rides like a 'bike' and handles 'two up' with ease
There will be many occasions in the future when I will hark back to this day and the odo reading...
This is full tilt on a continental road and obviously not me..
But Numpty here replicated it (not the lean angle) when I rode the first half mile from the CL near Wigan down narrow twisty lanes on the WRONG side of the road, just like I'd done on Fozz for most of the last year
To say I was shaken when I discovered the full horror of what was happening would be an understatement but that's how easily its done I'm afraid (one life gone)
Having scrubbed the tyres a little I go back for Nina and we trundle to the local pub where we have surely the largest pie offerings ever. Tasty yes, but actually far too much food
Back 'Home' in Dethick and we settle in to a new routine in a beautiful part of the UK it has to be said
Deb sends us this shot of her raiding the thread shop as there's a sale on and Nina is on the case immediately hoping that she's not missed the bargains
Squinting in the rare Brit sunshine we beat a path for the Mick & Deb's place and that much anticipated catch up
Mick makes the huge mistake of proudly showing me his beer stock
Ok my beauties, do we start from the top, the middle, or the bottom?
All made by Mick, with his own label, and I have to say after trying a pale ale, excellent tasty beverage
The stuff of impending headaches me feels….
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