A Full Irish

I know I've mentioned it before but this is so good, it deserves a second airing.

So, we get to eurotunnel, I go through the check-in and then walk back  in case Knutr needs my help, as I was the one who booked the tickets. He seems to be doing OK until the machine says it doesn't recognise the booking, I try the code again, Still not accepted.  Speaking to the lady over the speaker it becomes clear that the paperwork Knutr has brought with him, is that from last year and he's entering a code from 2016! Luckily the lady can locate the correct booking and we are able to proceed. I had to explain to her that he is Irish! You'll never see a better example of that in action, I bet ;-)

Apart from that the day was pretty unremarkable. It rained pretty much on and off all day, save for the time we spent in Holland and about the last sixty miles in Germany. We arrived at our hotel in Senden about 17:45 local time. It is located adjacent to a service area, so our evening meal was over there. I had a pork snitzel, Knutr a big burger. Those, obviously, were washed down with a couple if Bitburger beers, Both agreed the meal was pretty good and reasonable value at €16 (£14) per head.

As I write, the Confederations Cup Final is on, with Germany leading Chile, 1-0. Knutr has drifted off and is snoring away.

We are already fuelled up ready for the first stint tomorrow, so once we're packed up and fed we can just hit the road. Our final destination is Kolding, in Denmark.

Expect to see some Odinn's logs along the way.

3 more sleeps

This will be my last post, before we actually throw our legs over the bikes on Sunday morning. I can almost taste it now and the excitement, after so many months, years even, of planning and preparation, is at an extremely high level.

Considering I have just 2 full days, one of them a work day, to get all my stuff sorted and packed, I have done very little. I've printed off my packing list and ticked a few things off but, I am far from being ready. Hey, at least I got some bacon in for our brekkie on Sunday!

Grizzly (Knutr for this trip), will be on his way tomorrow morning. He'll catch the ferry from Wexford to Pembroke, then make his way to the Leigh Delamere services on the M4, where his bed for the night awaits at the Travelodge. Saturday, he'll make his way to my place.

The tour will start in the evening, with the customary pre tour meal, washed down with a few beers, just to get us in the mood. Given the cost of beer in Norway, we might not be getting many down our necks over the next few weeks.

Weather for Sunday in Chatham looks reasonable, though at the time we'll be leaving, there is the highest chance of rain. I'm hoping we'll escape that this time round. There's nothing quite so bad as starting out on a 4,000 mile trip in your waterproofs! It looks even worse for Folkestone, where we'll be boarding Eurotunnel but these things can change. My fingers will be crossed, anyway. Our destination, Senden, near Munster in Northern Germany, looks to be better than the other day when I looked, now showing sun and over 20 degrees. It would have to go some to be worse than the last time we rode into Germany in 2014. The song, Wishing I was Lucky, might give you a clue to what it was like!

That's it for now then. I'll try to update as often as I can (wifi allowing) to keep you all up to speed with the events that unfold each day, so don't forget to check in each day or sign up for email updates.

Till Sunday.

Odinn