Day 1 to the Ferry and onwards

---

4:50am DC woke before his alarm for 5:00am and ANTON the guide stud dog we have hates me as After my shower put my motorcycle jeans, and slumped back int his bed.

It's grey gloomy dawn 7degrees C yuk, roll on Spanish sunshine.

Received text from Goode 5:10am hoping all the team are awake and playing music like the dam busters theme, Neil texted him back with

"Thought we were going tomorrow" it's a worry!!

Then the trip starts with senior moments !!

1, Ken rides halfway to Kenilworth start location, but checking his breast pocket at the "gibbet hill" traffic lights realises he has left his wallet at home. About turn and catch up.

2, DC loads his top box dresses for the off and the bike won't start, calls goode to get him with his bike and jumps leads to the rescue, but gets bike going after removing the seats to access the battery. Gremlin in the works

ride off at 6:00am as planned its freezing and put the heated grips on the BMW GS as we slip onto the Kenilworth bypass, formation has changed Neil now no2 so much for planning.

70 cold miles on down the A34 Through Oxford in the morning rush hour traffic we miss the mac Donald entrance and nearly go back north up the A34, bugger we are all frozen.

Coffee and porridge we become human again, spirits high we set off the Portsmouth ferry terminal, only 45 mins away but commuter traffic is bad and Neil no 2 rider in the convoy misses the M3 motorway slip road and ken follows him, DC follows goode and they wait on the hard shoulder hoping a cop car doesn't pull them.

They appear, these senior moments !!

Ferry terminal at Portsmouth looms into view and we warm up again with a courtado coffee, at costa shop in the terminal, bikes lined up to board the ferry. Walking back to the bikes we have a Luftwaffe convention with another 4 BMW bikes in the line up plus a triumph bus rambler heading for morocco.

Now on board somewhere off the coast off France fingers crossed we don't get motion sickness but all have taken sea legs tablets.

---