Germany to Calais 

I think the reason I have started to hate cities as much as I do is that I can’t get the GPS’ auto-route function to work.  I can set up a route with way points and maps on the computer but when I transfer this information to the Garmin GPS MAP76 I keep getting the message that there are no roads close enough to calculate the route.  The result is that it is just too difficult to get into a city, find places and get out again.  As a result we are considering changing our itinerary and not going to Vienna, Amsterdam and a few other cities that we had wanted to see.

We returned to Schornback, Germany to see Heiner and Susanne at Heidenwag Gespannbau, the people who built our bike and were welcomed with open arms—big hugs for both Janet and I and then Heiner moved the bike into his workshop to begin the inspection and service.  We did have a few minutes to talk about our plans, where we would go next, small repairs or adjustments to be made, etc.  The right directional light was fixed, replacement support brackets for the ones that broke in Morocco, a replacement lid for the left saddlebag and before long all was back in great shape.

While we were working on the bike, a Helmut of Heiner and Susanne came by the shop to see Janet and give her, her first lesson on riding a sidecar motorcycle.  Everyone felt that if anything should happen to me, Janet should know how to drive the bike—really, a good idea.

Before they left, talked about driving a sidecar and right-hand turns; something that has always been a bit of a concern.  It turns out that Helmut is something of an expert in sidecar riding and has been teaching riding techniques for many, many years.  I got a chance to understand some of the physics of three wheels.  We talked about why sidecars have that funny front suspension (Earls Fork) at the wheel and not the standard front forks, how to prevent the sidecar lifting in a right turn and why left turns can be even more dangerous—altogether a very productive time for me.

It was now time for Janet’s lesson and they rode off to a parking lot where she could get a chance to ride.  For obvious reasons I decided to stay away from the lesson.  I knew that my presence was not needed and there was absolutely nothing positive I could add.  However, after about an hour Susanne suggested we check on Janet’s progress.  I grabbed the cameras and off we went.

The report was that Janet did fine and wherever possible, I should look for large, open parking lots where she could practice.  But the bottom line was that if an emergency did occur, she could drive me to where I could get help.  Honestly, I don’t plan to get into that position but it’s nice to know that Janet can handle the bike.

 Heiner owns a section of a hillside only a few minutes from his home and it was suggested that we go to their small tool shed (that’s what it is supposed to be but it is really a very small cabin where a table and a few chairs are stored for relaxing afternoons) for dinner.

The bikes were packed and we headed up the hill, through cherry orchards and small vineyards.  We passed through a tiny village and finally turned off onto a small dirt road that revealed a magnificent view of the valley below.  In time two other couples joined us and we shared good food, good wine, good beer, good fellowship and the best, homemade German apple cake we have ever tasted.

The petals from the cherry tree rained down on us as if we were in a fantasy snowstorm.  The sun and gentle breezes carried away, at least for the moment, the tiredness that had accumulated after being on the road for so long.  But we had to leave, I needed to get to Munich and visit Touratech to get my GPS straightened away.

I had, based on the advice of a friend in Beijing, purchased both the Touratech QV 4 GPS software for the computer and Pathway software for my Treo 650 telephone.  However, I could not activate either of the packages and that had been a source of irritation for the last ten months.

We found the Touratech South office in Munich and I guess I marched in with a bit of an attitude.  “I have three problems, first, the QV 4 software has never been activated because something is wrong with the information Touratech sent me; second, the Pathway software won’t unlock; finally, my Garmin won’t work on auto-routing.  Can you help?”  I forgot to say ‘Hello’!

There were two guys there, Phil and Marcus.  “Of course we’ll help.  Lets look at Pathway first.”  It seems that I had named the phone ‘Jack’ and Touratech had the name as Treo 650.  With a couple of keystrokes, the name was changed, the license keys entered and the software was functioning.  I guess I was functioning a bit better as well because now we were all talking like friends.

With a couple of calls to the main office of Touratech and some computer magic, the QV 4 software was functioning well.  It is amazing what happens when someone knows the ins and outs of computers and their product, things start to work.  Then I asked, “Can you help me with the Garmin, I know that it isn’t your product or your problem but it has been so frustrating trying to make auto-routing work.  “Sure, we’ll take a look at it.”  It turns out that I had bought the wrong European maps.  What I needed was the ‘City Select’ software that supported auto-routing.  What I had didn’t support it.  “Do you have the software here?”  “No, it will be in on Friday.”  I decided to wait.

We needed to find a hotel and Marcus went on line and then called several hotels in the area.  With a couple of false starts we finally managed to secure lodging for the night.  Marcus had told us about the largest beer garden in Munich and invited us to visit it with him and his wife.  Janet and I had no idea what we were in for.  The beer garden, mostly outside, can seat 18,000 people.  Even on a mid April day whit most tables empty, they still needed several small trucks to collect the 1 liter, empty beer glasses.  Marcus’ wife showed up with lots of food (yes, it’s ok to bring your own food to this place).  Phil and his wife came along with several other friends.

I had to go to ADAC, the company that provided us with the Carnet.  Once returned, I would be refunded the 5,000 Euro deposit that I had posted ensuring that I wouldn’t sell the bike in some foreign country.  Marcus had agreed to ride to ADAC with me.  However, when I arrived he said he was too busy to go but that he had programmed a GPS that I could take that would lead me directly to the office and back.  What a joy.  Every turn showed up on the large screen leading me to my destination.  Once there, I selected ‘Home” as the new destination and returned with equal ease.  This is the way a GPS is supposed to work.  This is the way my MAP 76CS will work when I get the new City Navigator software on Friday.

We had time to spare now and could do a little looking around.  Our hotel was in Dachau, the site of the Dachau concentration camp. The camp was established in 1933 and, before the end of the war, over 160,000 slave laborers (Jews, along with Roma (Gypsies), homosexuals, Communists, Slavs, and others judged undesirable) were imprisoned had been confined there under appalling conditions. For those who could not work as the SS required, they were killed.  Dachau was also a medical research center for the German Schutzstaffel (Defense Corps), or SS, where experiments were carried out on over 3500 prisoners.

Many years ago I became a student of the Second World War and had read everything I could find.  I knew about the concentration camps, knew what happened there, saw pictures of the atrocities that were committed.  I thought I would be immune to the place.  I took the camera and tripod with the intent of recording my impressions of something I thought I knew so well.  When I stood in front of the gate that all prisoners walked through when foirst entering Dachau all my intellectual preparation was shot to hell.  Maybe it was because for the first time what I had read became real.  I was there.  I could hear the voices and see the violence.  I could feel the horror.  I took a few shots but neither my head nor heart was in it. 

We returned to Touratech on Friday and waited for the DHL delivery.  Unfortunately, Touratech is like a candy store for bikers.  We finally were able to get a copy of the Long Way Round, the filmed odyssey of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman.  We also bought two Pacsafes, stainless steel mesh security bags for personal items we couldn’t secure either in or on the bike, then two sets of ROC straps for holding accumulated stuff on the bike.

Janet and I have had a chance to visit many dealers of motorcycle equipment and I have to say that Touratech South has got to stand out as a top shop.  We went in with problems that weren’t technically theirs.  They could have said, “Ah, that problem has to be handled at the corporate office.”  Or, they could have said, “Oh, that isn’t our product or software, so sorry we can’t help.”  But Marcus’ philosophy is that if you help a customer, he will come back again and again.  In our case, he helped us because we needed help and he could offer it.  I’m only sorry that he is in Munich and I’m not, it would become my favorite place to hang out and spend all my extra cash.

With the new Garmin City Navigator loaded on the notebook, our route to Heiner’s shop installed we were off.  I needed a new switch on the clutch and a new saddle bag with a flat top for the right side of the bike and they would be ready when we arrived.

Back in Schornback getting the bike set up with the new switch and saddlebag was a simple matter.  A final dinner with some of the nicest people in the world and we were off again to Amsterdam.

Even with the GPS Amsterdam proved a bit disappointing and terribly expensive.  We decided to just press on and by the afternoon Janet was failing.  I had noticed her increasing reluctance to ride.  Rather than to go to Calais, we took the ferry from Dunherque to Dover and rode to Battle in search of my friend Keith but with no luck.  The only word was that the lady we talked with remembered that he had passed away some years ago.  Not what I wanted to hear. 

As expensive as the Continent was, England seemed more expensive.  Every little village and hamlet has a castle, monastery or some such attraction and as such hotels start at about $150 per night and B & Bs are about $100 a night. 

Then my GPS started to turn off at odd times, like in the middle of a roundabout and I would loose the route.  I knew that Garmin Europe was located in Romsey, not too far away.  We would head there hoping to find accommodations and get the unit fixed.  I had gone to the internet and found the address and put it into the GPS and off we went.  The problem is that when we arrived, we couldn’t find Garmin so using my trusty quad band phone I called.

Sure enough, they had moved but failed to update their website.  The young lady that answered the call was of no help at all.  “Sorry, we don’t do repairs here.”  I knew that was wrong so I started to ask questions as politely as I know how.  Still no luck.  Finally she put me on hold and several minutes later told me that the unit I had wasn’t designed for motorbikes but if I tied a rubber band around the batteries, it should solve the problem.  I guess the fact that I have a Touratech mount and the unit runs of juice from the bike and not the battery doesn’t count.

I plan to stop in Kansas City for BBQ and Garmin’s main headquarters is in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, not too far away.  I do plan on letting Garmin know that I am coming and I would like to talk with someone there about our trip and the service level of their European operation.

From Romsey we decided to head off to Wales and what a great decision that was.  Still horribly expensive and almost worth the cost but the weather was great and the riding terrific.

But there is another issue.  Janet is really tired and I’m getting a little concerned.  It has been a long ride and a half months and the strain is really starting to show.  We have taken extra days and ridden shorter distances but the strain still shows.  Janet and I talked this morning and she said that she was not about to quit.  I told her that there was a difference between quitting and taking a break.  She is considering what I said.  There is also the element of money at stake here.  Everything is so very expensive (you know about hotels, cigarettes are $13.00+/pack, gas is $7.57/gal and food is exorbitant).  We have even considered just bailing out of the UK and heading to the US.

Honestly there are a couple of places that I would like to visit.  One is Roslin Chapel, one of the special sites referenced in Holy Blood, Holy Grail and reputed to be the final resting place of the Holy Grai

The other is the Lagavulin Distillery which is situated in a small bay near the south coast of Islay, Lagavulin stands near the ruins of Dunyveg Castle. From here 1,000 Islaymen set sail to fight alongside Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn in 1314, and in this bay the Macdonalds maintained their power base as Lords of the Isles until finally driven out by the Campbells three centuries later.

Lagavulin legitimately claims to be one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland. Distilling on the site is thought to date from as early as 1742. In the late 1700s it is believed that there were up to ten illicit stills operating in the district. By the 1830s only two distilleries remained in the bay. In 1837 these distilleries amalgamated to form Lagavulin. At this stage the distillery was under the ownership of the Graham brothers and James Logan Mackie

One bottle of 16 year old Lagavulin—about 49 British Pounds or $100!

And Dennis told me the distillery had burned down and that’s why he wasn’t able to get a bottle for us to sip!

But even these two sites may have to go by the wayside, that will depend on Janet and our next discussion.

Until then…