Chateaux de Amboise

A few pics of the chateaux and views of Amboise.
Next to the chateaux is the last house Leonardo di Vinci lived in before he died, it has been made into a really interesting museum and has great gardens.
Off to Tours now to get Della's 1000km's service.

Until next time, Bonjournee Vic, Rob and Della xxx

Beautiful Amboise, the Loire Valley

From the Best Western to the best B&B. Our hosts Gloria and Bob from America have renovated this beautiful house with some great antiques and paintings, you feel as if you have stepped back in time but with the mod cons. Breakfast was a feast and it was difficult to tear ourselves away to go sightseeing. Amboise is a delightful village dominated by its chateaux and just a pleasure to stroll through.
Definitely worth visiting if you are in the vicinity. Chateaux pics to follow.

Next stop Laval

Della holding up well under the pressure of cargo on board! The Urbano Tocarno panniers with their fluro and water proof covers are serving us well,would highly recommend them.

Laval was a 3 night stop over and really lavished it up at the Best Western :)-
It was the Best Western called Hotel de Paris - very flash indeed!

A very pretty town, fairly quiet and easy to get around. We tried our first French pastries at Laval, oh my God, and now I have another addiction, will definitely need side car on bike if we continue like this!!

Farewell to our gite in Megrit, France

We spent a lovely week tucked away on a farm in Brittany. Weather was great although cold at nights but the log fire warmed us along with the vino and cognac. Our hosts, Liz and Adrian with were pommies from Newcastle but have lived in France for 10 years now - there's is the big house!

Our closest major village was Dinan, pics to follow.

Jersey and France

If you are coming to the continent from the UK and you have a mobile phone on the 3 network throw it overboard on the ferry and start again when you get here. They are bloody next to useless cannot buy add ons, text cost between 2 and 5 pounds and when you finally get through to their call centre they promise everything will be OK and you guessed it, it ain't. That's better. Now the trip.

That was Rob's rant for the day but with every reason. To say the least it has been frustrating with 3 but if that's the worst that can happen, you end up in an Internet cafe or bar like we are now and use their wifi! Anyway, those who know me well, know I like to start on a positive, so here goes.

Our journey from Dartford, UK to Bognor Regis and Portsmouth on the coast were trouble free and Della and us get on well together. She runs smoothly and seems to be coping with the weight!! Think what you like!! We had a fab meal at Bognor in The Navigator pub on the seafront - staff brilliant and food very yummy. Across the Channel to Jersey and our B&B at St Aubin, The Harbour View (which you can see in pics, Rob sitting outside our room) is massively recommended. Kelly who owns and runs it, is gorgeous and it was a delight to be there. It was 5+ star accommodation with lots of deluxe treats in your room, it was a haven! It was equivalent to staying at the Hilton B&B style. We miss you Kelly!!!

From there are ferry trip took us to St Malo on the coast of Brittany where we disembarked and travelled to our farm cottage Les Landes near Dinan, pics to follow next blog update although you can see Rob lighting the cottage fire. It is rustic, rural and wonderful and Liz and Adrian who own it are wonderful hosts. It has been log fires, red wine and cognac most nights :)-

Until next time, Au Revoir

Day 1 in Scooter Life!

Della makes her appearance in fine style. We finally picked her up from BMG Scooters at Upper Richmond Road, Putney on Tuesday this week and rode her back to Dartford for our last night with our dear friends Kieron and Cheryl. We waved goodbye Wednesday morning and here she is loaded up with all our worldly goods for the next year.

She cruised to Bognor Regis, our first night stopover and then onto Portsmouth on the south coast of England. We've had a lovely relaxing day here at Portsmouth and we depart by ferry tomorrow morning to Jersey in the Channel Islands. We will stay in Jersey for 3 nights and then another ferry to St Marlo in France where our next adventures start, can't wait!!

For those that are wondering our Vespa is named Della after her model name of Via Della Moda GTV300. She is a beauty!!!

The weather continues to be kind to us but we are well equipped for a change with our great Tucano Urbano jackets and our brilliant Tucano Urbano panniers which are great for extra storage and also waterproof. They hold so much more than we expected so way more room for shoe purchases, yeah!!!

Until our next update, cheers.

Beautiful Brugge

Had a great time in beautiful Brugge - amazing chocolate, delicious beer and perfect weather, couldn't ask for more!

Finally received the full UK bike license so will head off on Wednesday, collect our scooter (Della) tomorrow, all systems go!!

Cheers,