Fair Weather Bikers

I slept very well and woke up feeling much better. The ferry docked at 8am, but as we had decided to skip breakfast we didn't get up until after 7am. I had a shower and got my gear together, then joined Nig on the deck to watch us dock. It was another lovely day, so our good weather luck held to the end.

The ferry docked and after a brief wait for passport control, we were off the ferry. We parked up for a final photo - the only person I could see around us was a couple of police officers in a car watching everybody get off the boat, so I wondered up and asked if one of them would mind taking a photo. They were reluctant at first but once she'd decided to do it the nice police lady was very helpful.

We rode out of Hull and pulled into a petrol station to fill up; said our good-byes and went our separate ways.

My ride home was quite swift and Nig told me later his was also; neither of us could wait to get home!

This was an amazing trip - so much better than I could have expected. The bikes were perfect, the route was fantastic, the weather was good to us, and our accommodation was all good. We both took the right kit, very little was not needed and we didn't want for anything.

A few of things definitely stood out:

• Spain is ace. My favourite biking country by far. Good scenery, fantastic roads, and they are nearly empty. I will definitely be going back - soon.
  
  
• France is ace. This really surprised me. The roads and scenery in the south of France are amazing. The people are even mostly friendly - though you have to watch their driving! Again I will definitely be going back.
  
  
• Switzerland is rubbish. Unless you are on a mountain pass, which are too busy anyway, the road network is horrible, and they seem to hate motorcyclists. I'm in no hurry to return here.
  
  
• Touring with a GPS is ace. It takes so much stress out of the journey. It doesn't matter if you take a wrong turn, run low on petrol, or decide to change your plans completely. The GPS will be there to lend a hand. As the navigator I didn't need to look at every rode sign and every junction, I knew when I had a turning coming up. This enabled me to enjoy the ride so much more. I don't think I'll tour without a GPS again. Me and Nig have even talked of going halfs on a proper motorcycle one.
  
  
• Soft pillows are ace. We both got a plush pillow from Go Outdoors. Little things like having a soft pillow to rest your head at the end of the day really make a big difference.
  
  
• Pyjamas are also ace. One of my last minute decisions was to buy some pyjamas, and I'm so glad I did. I haven't worn pyjamas for years but I don't think I'll tour without them again! They are good in hot and cold weather and essential should you ever need to run to the toilet every 15 minutes!