Popeye goes to Europe

[Newtsalad]

Absolutely. Work to live. Not live to work.
We're a long time dead.

[Popeye]

This seems to be the entire opposite of the way of thinking in Japan. I tell this to many people here. they really do live to work and many when they do eventually retire find that they don't know what to do with their life. Very sad. The system is changing but very slowly.
I also think that we should never be afraid to ask. I once asked for a six week break from work because I had the opportunity to travel overland across Russia to attend a rally in South Korea. A Camping rally, not motorcycle rally. All the way there for free. All I had to do was pay for my flight home. My employer gave me the six weeks off and wished me well. So remember, Don't ask. Don't get. My students here are now adopting this policy.

[CeeGee]

Subscribed.

[Popeye]

The outfit left the port of Nagoya,

about 110 miles south of Shizuoka where I live. They estimated that ETA of my crates should be about the 15th May. Six weeks from leaving home.



I flew into Heathrow on the 14th May and camped the night at Chertsey. The next morning I took a short bus ride, a shorter walk and I reached the premises of James Cargo.

http://www.jamescargo.com/

My crates had arrived, paperwork sorted, all I had to do was build the outfit back up again. No problem I had done this many times. Access to free coffee all day and and a small food van provided lunch, I Split the crates open and methodically put everything back together. I had no gas but Charlie Boorman had drained a few litres out of his tank the last time he was here and I was given that. Key in, switch on, zilch. Battery was as flat as a pancake. I put the battery on charge, gave it an hour, more coffee, tried again and bingo, away we went back to Chertsey.
I stayed in Chertsey for a week to get myself organized and do a little touring. I had six weeks before the girls were due to arrive so the term laid back had a whole new meaning for me.
I traversed across England and Wales during the next weeks. I saw the Magna Carta monument at Runymeade,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runnymede#Magna_Carta_Memorial

I rode north via Barnsley to collect a few tyres and then to visit my family in Lancashire and several places that made me feel at home for a brief spell. I visited Devon and attended a sidecar rally. On to Oxford via Stonehenge, then another sidecar rally in the Fen district. I also ran across to Wales for an MZ bash at Carrog. Highly recommended.



Ready for the road.



My view at Chertsey.



Up to Salterforth. Only to find that my friend, the owner had passed away.



The Anchor Inn at Salterforth by the Leeds and Liverpool canal. Well worth a visit.



Life still goes on.



Top'O'Slate at Rawtenstall. I believe the night view is very good. Reminiscent of a UFO.



Wonderful.





At Clitheroe.



On it's way to an Austin Seven meeting.



At Moreton in Marsh.



But I was fine. The tarp is really handy.



Early arrival at the Devon Rally.



Contented campers.



Nice site. Biker friendly.



Over rated and full of Penguins.




Oxford.





Never Lonely.



On the road to Wales.

MZ Rally

[aliengravy]

How did you find all that sunny weather in England?

[Popeye]

More or less I had good weather all the time during this trip. It only turned to rain halfway around Ireland and also on arriving Scotland. We saw on the news that Europe was pretty bleak but we fared very well. Anyway I have never stayed at home because of the weather. It's always better on t'other side of th'ill.

[Boo]

Great stuff Popeye...

The Anchor Inn at Salterforth by the Leeds and Liverpool canal. Well worth a visit.

...gives me a great idea for part of a route for our next Lancashire run, taking in the Barrowford end of Foulridge Tunnel (all Cubbers love historic civil engineering!!), then over the top way including the ford and a bit of the disused railway, for a quick pint at the Anchor. Did you ever look down the cellar? The old ground level before the canal was built. Amazing place full of stalactites.

Top'O'Slate at Rawtenstall. I believe the night view is very good. Reminiscent of a UFO.

I was born not 'alf a mile from here!
Some night views of the panopticon sculpture here... http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=panopticon+rossendale&m=text and general views of the area here... http://www.flickr.com/groups/rossendale/pool/

At Clitheroe.

..aaahhh, the Mini ice cream van at the castle. Lovely memories... it's been there as long as I can remember!

[Popeye]

I lived in Salterforth for about 15 years. many a happy night at the Anchor. Thanks for the embellishments. I try not to put to much info on the page in the hopes that subscribers will search further as something interests them.

[Popeye]

The 10 days prior to going to Wales was a little unnerving for me. On the day I was departing Oxford to attend the sidecar rally near March I awoke as normal, the birds were singing and the sun had already begun to remove the dew from my tent. As I attempted to stand, nay, kneel up in my small confined space I crashed down onto the floor. I was oblivious of everything around me. I was conscious but had no idea what had happened to me. Over the next 20 minutes or so I slowly brought myself to my feet, got dressed and ventured out of my tent. I felt fine but still had no idea why the world seemed to appear to have stopped revolving. Whilst it may seem rash by most people's standards, I had a shower, breakfast and packed up the bike. I made it over to the rally site, checked in, (at least now I was with friends) and asked where is the nearest Hospital. I went into the Outpatients department and asked to see a doctor. I told this nice lady doctor what had happened. She asked if I had made any flights lately. Bloody stupid question. I had just told them where I live and shown my passport. Anyway she diagnosed hard wax in my ear. Hmmm, sounds logical. Gave me some drops and said come back in a week. I told her I intended being in Wales at that time. No worries she said, go into a clinic in Wales.
This I did and my ears were syringed. End of problem or so I thought. But everytime I lay down horizontally or if I stood up quickly I felt dizzy. So for the next 18 weeks or so I persevered with this condition. Once I was vertically I was OK. I had no intentions of sleeping whilst riding so no problem. I got checked out at another clinic in Holland and he diagnosed nothing serious. But it was very worrying for me. Anyway on returning home to Japan they found small stones in my ear caused by a build up of calcium. Prescribed several exercises and wonderful, back to A1 again. It did put a damper on the trip but not that much.



Carrog

[Popeye]

Carrog is just a few miles east of Corwen. It boasts its own railway station,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrog_railway_station

and is a popular venue for the yearly MZ Rally. It was good to attend and see faces that I hadn't seen for some years and soak in some of the camaraderie that a biker can enjoy in the UK.






Views around Carrog







Views at Llangollen including the viaduct. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navigable_aqueduct

I attended two more rallies before I went south to Heathrow to pick the girls up. One of these was at Ripley. organized by Horizons Unlimited.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/meetings/UK2008

These rallies are not to be missed and are frequently booked up in advance. Many riders are just posing with their lookalike BMW Gs models. a few stickers, very expensive panniers sets and mingle with the hard core of riders. But it is definitely a learning curve for the inexperienced.
The other was another sidecar rally again located in the fen district.





No two sidecars are alike.



This picture I took en route from Wales. It is at Teversall, not far from Mansfield. Twas a sad day for the mining industry.

Norway