Getting the Bike in Antwerp

" Now, where did I put that BMW from Canada? Was it here? Or did I put it over here?"


It is hard to imagine just how complex this port is in Antwerp. There are facilities to unload hundreds of container ships daily. These pictures are typical of about 5 miles of yards serving the shipping needs for Europe through Antwerp. Happily, the Beemer arrived in Gosselin's warehouse in great shape and I was out the door after all the formalities were looked after and the bags packed. I headed up to the Netherlands and northern Germany before doubling back through northern Germany, Flanders region and on to the Normandy coast.

The roads were terrific, the bike was handling perfectly and the drivers were..... well.. driving European style....3" off your bumper and impatient to get past you regardless of what speed you were doing.



If you ever want a wonderful getaway place to kick back and relax, I found a beauty! The town is called de Haan in the Flemish area of northern Belgium. What a picturesque town and what great facilities! The community is right on the English Channel and apparently has one of the best climates in all of Europe. Moderate in summer and warm in winter. When I was driving through the town, streets were lined with fragrant flowers, sculptures and lots of green-space. Many of the buildings were timber-frame type with open patios etc. The roads going into and out of the town followed the coastline (ideal for motorcycles) and lined with honeysuckle bushes. The smells were really fantastic!


Then took off down the French coastline into Normandy area staying well clear of the major highways and bi-ways. You see a different world when you get away from all the trucks that crowd the European highways. Stopped in several of the villages and towns and loaded up on café and local snackies (subordniate mission is to try every bit of candy/sausage/bread and occasionally, beer every chance I get).


I met up with a bunch of old bikers in northern France. They were from an antique BSA club in London and were heading back after a ralley in the Netherlands. A couple of the guys were heading to Dunkerque (Dunkirk) in France and crossing to Dover on the ferry. So I tagged along and caught the midnight ship arriving in Dover at 0230 hrs. You can see one of the old Beezers (A-65 Thunderbolt I think) tied down in the hold of the ship beside my bike. What a great sound these old Brit bikes make! Driving behind them with the exhaust gasses these old generate is another story. Technology has sure changed.
Anway, I asked for directions to get around London and I must have got 5 different sets of directions from 5 different guys. No consensus, but a warning that London is a nightmare because of road construction and detours. Got off the ferry at 0230 hrs in the morning, in a driving rain storm, surrounded by dozens of lorries and headed to London. The next 6 hours were brutal!