"Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...

[Flintlock]

Enjoying this - many thanks for sharing

[TravisGill]

Day 4 continued...

Along our trip, we accidentally stumbled across this great restaurant when Chantil noticed some long canal boats floating near a stone bridge.


Honeystreet Mill Café was a perfect place to enjoy brunch.


Just some of the finely decorated artwork around the restaurant.


Chantil enjoying a hot coco.


We shared this heavenly tasting carrot cake. Well done Honeystreet Mill Café!


Alton Barnes White Horse is approximately 180 feet high, 160 feet long, and was cut in 1812.


Launched the drone to grab a closer look. During winter solstices locals outline the geoglyph with candles and even hosted a lantern parade in honor of the horse’s 200th birthday.


Before landing, I also captured this image of England’s south-east countryside. A beautiful day!


Passing a horse-drawn carriage of gypsy travelers. I prefer my carriage to have more than 1 horsepower. Our 47hp seems about right!


These stones are part of the largest megalithic stone circle in the world, located near Avebury in Wiltshire. Unlike Stonehenge, people can get right up to them and enjoy them. I wonder what the main reason was for placing them? Still a mystery but there are some theories.


Although we plan to see a few things along our route each day, it is often the unplanned things that capture our attention...


...like these wooden benches designed after iconic British WWII fighter and bomber planes of the Royal Air Force (RAF).


Or a tiled mural just tucked away behind an obscure wall…


…that remembers a history of WWII that this region provided to the war effort.


It wasn’t too long, and we were passing through toll booths and crossing into new country. Great news, motorcycles don’t have to pay to toll!


Crossing the Severn River via the, apply named, Severn Bridge. Welcome to Wales!

We continued onward to Puzzle Wood where we enjoyed a hike through some JR Tolkien inspired forest. This is a unique and enchanting place, located in the beautiful and historic Forest of Dean.


The grounds have colorful and interesting flowers.


I lucked out with this picture. The fly just stayed there posing for the picture!


Gotta’ wonder how these sunflowers grow without sun. I kid, of course there is sun in the UK.


A tiny donkey posed for the camera at the kids petting zoo.


Taking time to smell (or at least capture) the flowers.


Into the enchanted forest! A forest of adventure and fairy tales!


We explore the outer trails which included about a mile of meandering pathways, with its fantastic tree and rock formations.

[
There are 14-acres of ancient woodland. It has an atmosphere unlike any other woods we’ve visited.


In an enchanted forest? Then why not eat one of my favorite candies - HARIBO Smurfs?!


The forest is pretty large considering that much of the surrounding area is flat farmland.

We ended up spending almost two hours at Puzzle Wood. It was definitely worth the visit and admission of £7.00 ($9.00) per person.
It was now time to make our way south to Cardiff. We arrived after 6PM so we didn’t get to go inside the castle but we did get to see a giant T-Rex !


The side entrance into Cardiff Castle. Locked up tight and I didn't bring my army to storm the entrance.


It seems Welsh is also spoken here. In Wales, go figure?


Ducks swim in the moat around the castle.


A GIANT T-REX!! Not something I imagined we would be seeing today! The maintenance crew was taking down what looked like a food court event with life-sized statues of dinosaurs. RAAWWWRRR!!


The octagon gothic-inspired tower stands 75-feet high and was completed in 1439.


The Cardiff Castle 150-foot high clock tower was built in 1868.




Many statues guard castle entrances. One of the most popular is the noble lion…


…but what about an AARDVARK?...


…or this bear full of personality?


Perhaps it’s his energetic orange eyes.


Can you guess what country we’re in? Any flag with a red dragon on it has got to be a wicked cool country!

After some pizza in Cardiff, we continued north where we finished the day at Grawen Caravan & Camping Park.

Tomorrow we’ll continue north through Wales and then catch the ferry to Ireland. At least that was our initial plan. Murphy has a different idea in store…

[TravisGill]

Day 5 - Tuesday, 28 Aug:

We woke up, broke camp, and were on the road by 7:40AM. It was not more than 1 mile down the road when Chantil’s mule overheat light came on. Shucks!


High temp light. The crazy thing is that we don’t have any other indications of overheating. Could it just be a failed sensor?

We pulled over in a quite parking area and went over options. Our model of motorcycle has a history of coolant pump drive shaft problems. Was it our time? Unfortunately, we don’t have this part with us. We called around from 08:40-09:10 and finally found a part that could be in Liverpool by tomorrow morning!
Now how to get to Liverpool and back? It’s three hours away making a parts trip at least six hours of riding - a whole day lost ! Perhaps we can let Chantil’s bike cool and try to get us both there or at least closer to Liverpool?


Only 210 km of riding today as we make a straight shot to Liverpool to the BMW Motorrad dealership.


As we passed through Brecon Beacons National Park the view was too good not to capture the beauty via the drone.


Even though we didn’t stop much, the roads offered plenty of great scenery.


During our first fueling stop we ran into James and Laurence who recommended Greggs restaurant chains. Nice guys! In fact, everyone we came in contact with, here in Wales, has been really super nice. Anyone else feel this way about Wales?


Funny hay bales on the side of the road. When I first saw them, I thought they read “We support Terrorism!” Thankfully not.

Riding to Liverpool together turned out to be a good plan because we got more than half way before the light came on again. We stopped to grab a quick bite while waiting for Chantil’s mule to cool down.


I ordered lemonade and this Sprite tasting beverage showed up in a glass. Is this the UK version of lemonade?


Enjoying the open road.


Part of the fun of a new country is trying different food items. Oaty Bites! Little biscuits full of good fun!

We arrived at the BMW dealer about an hour before it closed. They were all wonderfully nice people who did their best to accommodate us.

Gary and Harry at the BMW dealership. Both super helpful and very generous with their time.


Ted, one of the mechanics, was also incredibly nice. He is also a motorcycle traveler and has ridden from Europe to South Africa via the east side of Africa: http://www.touringted.com/

We left Chantil’s mule in their care and then rode two-up to the hotel nearby. We enjoyed some good Mexican food at a nearby restaurant and then made plans for the next day.

If all goes well, we’ll have Chantil’s mule back and be on our way to Ireland before the end of the day tomorrow...

[boboneleg]

I'm glad you had time to visit Avebury, much better than Stonehenge imo. Stonehenge is just an overpriced ripoff.

[TravisGill]

I'm glad you had time to visit Avebury, much better than Stonehenge imo. Stonehenge is just an overpriced ripoff.

Me too. We didn't stop at Avebury as long as I would have liked. I would have spent more time there and less at Stonehenge if I were to do it again.

[TravisGill]

Day 6 - Wed, 29 Aug:


Today’s route: 270 km with a bit of sightseeing around Liverpool and then to the port in Hollyhead where we boarded a ferry to Dublin, Ireland.

We decided to make the best of this minor delay and try to see some interesting things in the Liverpool area, so we both hopped on my mule and rode two-up.


No wonder Chantil wanted her own motorcycle almost immediately after I bought one! Just look at the view taken up by my fat head!!


The morning was cloudy but dry…


… until we reached this section named “Scotland Road”. Is this a sign of things to come once we reach Scotland in a week?


We arrived early enough at Crosby Beach in Liverpool that it was just Chantil, me, and...


...100 cast iron figures facing towards the sea. Each one labeled with their own number.


The 100 human figures are a modern sculpture called Another Place by Sir Anthony Gormley. The figures are modeled after the artist’s own body.




Another Place was first exhibited on the beach of Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1997 followed by Stavanger in Norway and De Panne in Belgium.


As you walk further out to sea the figures take on a very different look...


...because the sea starts to create its own version of the statues.




Even the statues furthest from the ocean are sculpted by the harsh wind and blowing sea spray.


Chilling out with Sir Antony Gormley.

As far as art goes, this is one of the more interesting pieces because it covers such a large area and allows the viewer to draw their own conclusion on the meaning. What does Another Place mean to you?


One of my favorite vehicles is the Land Rover Defender. The UK has its share of them. I would love to find a decent one to bring back to the USA.


An advantage of a motorcycle here is that many tolls are free. Thumbs up!


We then rode over to the area that inspired the Beatle’s song Strawberry Fields Forever.


There used to be a Salvation Army here that housed a children orphanage.


John Lennon grew up near here and one of his childhood treats was the garden party that took place each summer - on the grounds of Strawberry Field.

We returned to Chester BMW Motorrad to pick up Chantil’s mule. They confirmed the high coolant temperature switch was bad but didn’t have the part until next week. We asked them how much we owed, and they gladly said “Nothing, we didn’t fix anything. Enjoy the rest of your trip!” Admittedly, I felt they should have received at least some payment for the labor of troubleshoot the sensor, but they refused. I hope that I can repay their kindness by putting the good word out to the world – Go to Chester BMW Mottorrad, their service department is excellent and their customer service is awesome! Repeat… Go to Chester BMW Mottorrad, their service department is excellent and their customer service is awesome!!


It’s shaping up to be a beautiful day!

Next stop Denbigh Castle…

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Very interesting...those BMs look good in red.

Land Rover has ceased production of the Defender...values in the UK are going up and there are some very rough ones around (mid-Wales is where old Land Rovers go to die).

A thought...the French police had Defenders doing the security for the Channel Tunnel. I suspect they will want rid of them post-Brexit in favour of an EU product. They will obviously have the steering wheel on the correct side for the USA. The only problem I can see is whether you'd be allowed to import them given the lack of an airbag and their propensity to demolish any other vehicle that gets in their way. That's what did for them as a production vehicle BTW...they didn't pass crash tests. Ironic, isn't it?

[TravisGill]

Day 6 Continues...


Denbigh Castle sits on a hill overlooking the small market town of Denbigh. Small Welsh town = very narrow streets.


Denbigh Castle is part of a fortifications built to control the lordship of Denbigh after the conquest of Wales by King Edward I in 1282.


After being raided and burned through multiple wars all that stands today in the ruins.


Personally, l like exploring ruins more than a finished caste.


The ticket area and small cafe also has some dress-up clothing for children like me. Here I am looking tough in a plastic helmet for kids!


Incorporating a modern cafe into the ruins seemed well designed and provided a chance to raise money in order to preserve the grounds for future generations.


The large central well is about 40 feet deep.


Chantil enjoying the view and the sunny day.


The Welsh flag flies proudly overhead the ruins.




On our way out, we had to take this adorable picture of two sisters having fun.


Overall, a great break from riding and definitely worth the £4.00 access fee.

After the castle, we made a quick pit-stop to this unique place:


The village known as Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!! Try and pronounce that in Welsh!?! The name means "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the fierce whirlpool of St Tysilio of the red cave" in Welsh!!! Crazy!

After passing through the town’s name I’ll never be able to pronounce in my lifetime, we bagan the process of boarding the ferry to Ireland.


My mules boarding pass to Ireland !


Passing the long line of trucks waiting to board the ferry with goods for Irish merchants.


Our two mules were the only motorcycles on the ferry.


Boarding the ferry to a new country!


All strapped down for the 2 hour, 15 minute journey.




We rode the HSC Jonathan Swift, a fast ferry that was built by Austal Ships in Australia.


The Holyhead Breakwater Lighthouse was our last view of the UK.


There were not that many people aboard; one of the advantages of traveling at the tail end of summer.


On our way to a new country! Ireland !


Time to put away the Queen’s money until we return to Northern Ireland. Ireland had endorsed the Euro since 2002. We will also have to switch our GPS units from mph to kph.


Poolbeg Lighthouse in Dublin Bay was built in 1768 and marked our arrival to Ireland!


We arrived in Dublin and made our way through town. I can’t imagine how people navigated on a motorcycle before the age of GPS. Dublin would have been very difficult with all of its one way and narrow streets.

It was well after dark when we arrived at the campsite, so we quietly set up camp and then drifted off to a well-deserved sleep.

Tomorrow will be our first full day in Ireland! Perhaps, with a little bit of Irish luck we may have a surprise in store…

[boboneleg]

Day 6 Continues...


Denbigh Castle sits on a hill overlooking the small market town of Denbigh. Small English town = very narrow streets.

Ooops, better change that bit of text before anyone takes notice

[zimtim]

Day 6 Continues...


Denbigh Castle sits on a hill overlooking the small market town of Denbigh. Small English town = very narrow streets.

Ooops, better change that bit of text before anyone takes notice

I did notice that had too re-read it to make sure then did a Google search of Denbigh, and the first thing that comes up is the asylum, so Travis could plead temporary insanity