Through the Ardennes and Home

This is my last day I thought this morning, so make it count. No mile munching but just find a quality route home and where better to do it than in the Ardennes. This hilly forested area spans the border between France and Belgium and is a maze of twisty roads which are a magnet for bikers. I set off with no route other than to follow the river Meuse north from Verdun. I passed Sedan and then left the Meuse to follow the Semois at Bouillon and then went for a proper wander along forest roads for about an hour before emerging in a clearing to see this view.

I headed back to the Meuse and followed the gorge to Dinant and Namur. Dinant is a very pretty town and will be the base for future exploring of this whole area in due course. Up till now, I was congratulating myself on a very good last day indeed. I had to use the side of tire more than the middle which is always a good thing.







I kept stopping at the 'friteries' (chips are the belgian national dish I think) and was disappointed time and again. Either the machine was broken, the oil not hot enough or some other excuse. Eventually I had to settle for this as I was starving. He called it 'Boudin Blanc' which should be 'white pudding' which I love. Actually, it was more like a german Bratwurst but without the meat content. It filled the hole but that's the best that can be said for it.


I completely screwed up the return ferry. I stopped in a McDonalds at Calais to buy the ticket online. Job done I headed for the ferryport only to discover I had booked the wrong direction i.e. Dover-Calais....I missed that little detail on my mobile phone screen. Idiot...and would they change the ticket for free? Would they hell. Another 10 quid to get through the barrier. Stingy bastards P&O....Snotty letter of complaint to customer service is in order.

So that's it, 44 days, 21 countries (22 if you count Leichtenstein) and about about 17,000km later, was it worth it? Yes, I will remember this trip forever. The highlight was eastern Turkey and Georgia for sure and the lowlight? I am struggling to think of any to be honest….even when times were a little uncomfortable, it was still a bit of an adventure. The only mechanical problem I had was the final drive seal and one blown headlight bulb. Apart from that, the bike is sweet and a nut. She has done 50,000 miles now and deserves a bit of TLC. Every few days I have a nice warm feeling for her and give her a pat as if it was horse. I am getting sentimental in my old age.

What would I do differently? 1) Bring better maps 2) Bring more 'Rough Guides' (on a kindle) 3) Bring travel wash (shampoo is not that good) 4) Take more days off 5) Say yes more often 6) learn Russian if you are going to the Caucuses.

What Next? I am certainly not going to sit on the bike again for a while, that's for sure. My arse is broken. Though I did have an idea today that the silk road might be a good trip…..some day.
The Route
View Balkan Trip Day 44 Ardennes to Blighty in a larger map