'Round the World with an Italian Supermodel

Mutt1979 said:

I am away until the 24th, anytime after that I could help if you are planning to come over this way, South - South/East UK, Norwich/coast. Not sure I can provide the bed (just a camp bed?), but certainly facilities, a meal, beer, company and a garage?

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I should be back in England in April, but it's unlikely I'll be on the East coast. Food, drink, company and a garage sound great, though!

Scotland didn't feel too much different than London. Still wet, still cold, and still surprised when any vehicle comes hauling ass around the corner on the wrong side of the road.





Made it to Edinburgh. Got into the city and couldn't find any hotels for less than $200 a night. And Airbnb led me to nothing. It was raining and had been a long day. For a bit I was thinking perhaps I should find a field adjacent to a college or a cemetery and set up a tent.



Hmmm....


But I ended up finding one room left at a particularly unflattering hotel. Wasn't exactly disgusting or anything, but I was truly surprised when I went up to the room and didn't have to put the bed sheets on myself. Stylin!

It began pouring before I checked into the 1-room-available-for-less-than-$1900-a-night. In order to get that special code I had to make a reservation online. In order to make a reservation online I had to take out my laptop. Took off all my sopping wet gear (because 2 minutes in wet raingear in a 72 degree lobby turns sauna-hot in about the same amount of time) and then had to connect to wifi using a guest pass. That required putting all my gear back on so I could move closer to where the router was. The passcode didn't work, so I had to put all my gear back on and stand in line to get a new one (after a busload of Korean tourists materialized). This nonsense went on for quite some time---all because the front desk was powerless to make a reservation. Fun times.

After I was finally in, I headed out to find FOOD, (because guess how much I'd eaten that day...).













Guess I wasn't really that hungry because I sure took a lot of pictures on my way into 'town'.





I realized when I took an alley down a dead end street, that I was walking the way I rode. Even when I had a purpose, an impending need, I still couldn't bother with not being distracted.

All the restaurants were packed. Instead of waiting 45 minutes to an hour for Indian or Sushi, I found a run-down convenience store and ate a banana and a box of crackers, which were both washed down by an expensive can of Guinness. They say that travel is glamorous in retrospect. Only sometimes not.

What no Hagis?

AntiHero said:

I should be back in England in April, but it's unlikely I'll be on the East coast. Food, drink, company and a garage sound great, though!

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I don't know how much it could screw up your plans but why not try to make it to the Isle of Man for the TT


Practice and Race Schedule - Isle of Man TT Official Website

Getting a last minute bike booking on the boat could be the only dodge. You would got on as a foot passenger if you could not get the bike on board. Secure garage in the Northwest if you need it. As the crow flies I'm about 50 miles from the IoM just a bit of water in the way

Dennis; Edinburgh is my home town - I went to University there and lived there, so if you need any information, or help, let me know.

My Sister and her husband live there and he knows more about the city than anyone I know. If you want some friendly company, or a couch to crash on, they would be more than happy to put you up for a night or two.

P.S. Some of the best riding roads in the World are up in the Highlands of Scotland; sheer, unadulterated fabulous roads.

centeroff said:

What no Hagis?

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Oh I ate that monstrosity on the road during my Coast to Coast. Looked like a giant eyeball. Tasted worse.

Mr C: missed last year, will probably miss this one, too. By the end of May I'll be in Eastern Europe (I think). Not happy about missing it, but I can't hang out in the UK for long.

80shilling: outstanding. Unfortunately my body is in a different location than it was when I took these pics....hoping to get back up to N. Scotland in a month or so, but it all depends on the weather.

W17 said:

Is that what I said ? Nice spin

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William Wallace?

Awoke in Edinburgh to this view and no flea bites. Was a good morning.







Had a ferry to catch, a storm to outrun and lots of miles to cover. Still managed to take the long way out of Edinburgh and got a few good shots in as well.



On the way to Glasgow I hit the worst conditions I've ridden through. I'll just leave it at that.

But made it to Glasgow alive.



Bike made it, too:


The weather while riding from Edinburgh to Glasgow was, shall we say, indifferent to my presence. Wasn't nearly as cold as Hurricane Sandy, but the winds.....man. Phenomenal.





(This was the forecast pic. News that eve had clocked winds at 88mph. Incredible.)

Don't know what cemetery this was, but I have to go back.



Still looks so wrong being on the left side of the road!


In Idaho trampolines are in people's yards. In Scotland....


(Anyone know what the significance of crucifying a cross onto a tree is (Look closely.))?



And, of course, couldn't make it through a country without being welcomed by some local representatives:





And finally, a cinder sun sets over the Atlantic.

Amazing photo and analytical documentation of your rides, as always!

Everything is so ... wet

Yes, HotIce, everything is. The roads police themselves. I don't think I've ever driven at or under the speed limit anywhere as often as I have in the UK. Water = the silent policeman.

Made it just in time for the Ferry Crossing. Wish I was on my way to the Isle of Man, but there was 1 ferry a week, from what I recall. Plus, no TT.



Some Ferries (like the one from FR to ENG) put you and your bike in with cars. These ones rely on you to keep the bike upright (or a center stand). But due to the length of this crossing--and often tumultuous seas--tie downs are a necessity.



I experienced more luxury in the 2 hours of this Ferry Crossing than I could remember. I'd paid the extra ~9 euros to get into the section that had free food and drink, knowing that even if they just served oatmeal, I'd still get my 9 Euros worth.



No doubt, the 'witnesses' nearby were revolted by the quantity of olives, crackers and cookies I ate. Pig American Biker!



Waiting to disembark. Can't imagine what a Ferry was like in the 70s with cars spewing hundreds of cubic feet of carbon monoxide every 2 seconds.



And then, just like that: Belfast, N. Ireland.

Make sure to visit Blarney and kiss the stone, you never know it could take your eloquence to an even higher level.

Belfast. So I booked a place (err, kind of last minute), that didn't have a garage, but did have a cement block that you could lock .... to. Course, I didn't have anything other than a disk lock, so perhaps staying at a place that installed a cement block just to lock a motorcycle to was probably a good indicator of two things: 1) the location required it and 2) see number 1.

I couldn't check in until 8pm., so I had a few hours to blow and just rode around. Definitely felt like a dead city. Not in a bad way, but in a Detroit kind of way. Except for the fact that there were no houses demolished by neglect, no graffiti and instead of large groups of young males blockading streets, about the only people I saw were women and girls. Was kind of strange, too. I must have seen at least 8 groups of females of various age groups. My first thought was, 'shouldn't they be at home cooking right now?' I keed, I keed. But no, seriously....shouldn't they have been?

Just strange. Usually you see a mother and daughter and granddaughter walking, or couples who avoid eye contact with each other pushing a regretful stroller (seen this a lot in England--what, are condoms illegal?). But to see groups of women and girls strolling together is odd, especially since I didn't see any girl scout cookies.

I cruised over to the place I was staying at early. On the way:



Bad ass. I felt a hell of a lot safer. And no, that's not sarcasm. Politest, most law abiding groups of citizens I've ever run across were at gun shows. Seeing what basically amounted to an armed militia being glorified was a good thing. Texas, sorry, you've just been one-upped.



Makes me wish I'd stowed away on a 747 and flown to N. Ireland in the 80s. Cannot imagine.

After doing a drive-by by my home for the night I rode for another hour or two. It got pretty dark--seems like the city isn't fond of street lights. I meandered around, got some gas, and otherwise just got completely lost. When I reached an area of the city that felt no longer city-like, I'd double back and head perpendicular to my previous direction of travel. The streets were just so vacant. Flickering televisions blinked from partially curtained windows, chimneys belched smoke, cars passed in the rain, but I was, for the most part, alone.

I turned down a one-way street, went to make a right and saw a giant 'Escape from NY' style steel wall that blockaded the street. Out of the corner of my eye on my left....holy ..... I thought those groups of girls were strange, but this....I still can't figure it out. And it'll probably sound a bit like someone describing this scene from the Shining:



Yeah, it's scary when you see it, but can you imagine Stanley Kubrick explaining this....'hey guys, I had this frightening vision. A little kid is riding his big wheel in a hotel, turns a corner and sees two sisters standing in the hallway. And let me tell you, it's ....... frightening.' How can you even describe it? I imagine we're deprived of a lot of super cool/scary scenes just because no one buys into some idiotic description of it.

Well, anyhow, that's what's happening here in Belfast to me. One way street behind, blockcaded, bomb-proof 20' high perimiter fence on the right. And a fenced off field of some sort on my left....not that I really know because all my attention was focused on the eerie and strange sight on my right (after I made the turn). An entire block was peppered with small groups of 20-30-something hooded dudes, all in groups of 2-3, separated by 6-10' of space. It was definitely a gang of some sort, all perhaps following a law that prevents groups of more than 3 from congregating in a single group?

So imagine that....modern day IRA hanging out on an abandoned street. Whatever business they were doing was interrupted by some ....... from California on a Ducati. None seemed fans. I got the sense that I was an opportunity. I sped up.

And then I was stuck. I couldn't escape. It was like some ...... up level of Castle Wolfenstein. I couldn't find an exit....all streets seemed to want to dump me back onto that darkened, dead end-to-a-one-way road.

Like Detroit, I learned you have ONE shot. The first time you ride by no one expects you and they all kind of just stand there and stare. As soon as you pass, the talk begins. "Naw man, I should have jacked that ............, what's he doing here on our street anyways," etc. etc....all fine and good, until you ride by AGAIN. And now not only did everyone have time to think about what they SHOULD have done to your sorry ass, they also now would be ....... in front of their posse if they DIDN'T do what they just said they should have done. Lesson #452: Never drive down the same scary street twice.

Only problem: that was the only street OUT (even though it was a one-way). I was trapped in a human version of an industrial mouse trap. And those signs with the dudes with AKs and MP5s (and stylish low-cut dress shoes with white socks) kept flashing through my head. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get shot, but it donned on me that perhaps these people are suspicious and territorial.

And then a car started following me. I sped up, he sped up (there were two people in the car). I slowed down, he dropped back. I was making random turns just trying to figure my way out of the mess, which he must have interpreted as me trying to lose them (to a suspicious mind an indicator that I was up to no good). WTF? I stopped and pulled up on a sidewalk on a curve, figuring, ...., I'll just let this guy drive next to me and I'll motion that I could use directions (true) which--along with my 'murican accent--should diffuse whatever territorial dispute I'd stumbled into.

Only they stopped 30' back, in the middle of the street, lights on. Jesus ....... Christ. So I rabbited. He probably chirped his tires in the first three gears, lost the same hubcap going around two separate turns and ran over a few garbage cans, but I wouldn't know. Nice having 195 ....... horsepower propelling 625 total pounds. You think I wasn't just letting you follow me?

Only problem: I was still trapped. Psychos chasing my now very guilty (of what I know not), ass down and a clan of unfriendly guys who hang out in groups of twos and threes just waiting for their second chance (it was probably them who alerted the tail). I'd ridden around enough to know where the main street I turned off on was. But no road connected. So up onto the sidewalk, between a fence, through some grass, and onto a one-way street going the wrong way later I found my way out.

Maybe it was the adrenaline, but all of a sudden I was pretty ....... hungry. Should have pilf'd a jacket-pocket full of that delicious Asian cracker mix they had on the ferry. But at least I still had my jacket.

I got filled in later on that night on some of the, err, politics that still persist to this day over a few pints (and a few Hendricks and Tonics, to the horror of my host, who couldn't forgive me for not ordering whiskey).





He was a good guy, my host. But he sure did get pissed off at me a couple times. I'm always a little perplexed when people get mad at me. I state the facts as I see it and instead of just discussing facts, someone has to get really angry, as if my opinions or the facts surrounding those opinions, if crushed, will somehow change the truth of those opinions.







Still had a great night. I was in N. Ireland and I'd been to two pubs with a local. Oh yeah....WOW were there a lot of drunk people. My god....one guy even hit the cement. They definitely do not .... around....or maybe they do.

Anyone know the significance of the white button up shirts buttoned all the way to the top? Looked to me an icon of some sort of affiliation. Oh yes....and all the guys I'd seen the day before who were limping? Shot in the knee. Justice.

New day, headed South.



Just a few more shots of the Belfast while exiting:





And then, open road and the Ireland we picture when we picture Ireland.

When are you planning to come to Dublin? Ive moved up here from galway. On a 2014 r1 presently having sold the pani ;( pm if u want to meet for a coffee? Depending on work I could potentially be free to show you some roads around connemara/the burren out west too.

Don't kiss the Blarney Stone.. Word is that the locals piss on it then watch tourists kiss it!

I just saw the movie 71 the other day. Kinda like your story, but the UK soldier did not have a Panigale

Jofass said:

When are you planning to come to Dublin? Ive moved up here from galway. On a 2014 r1 presently having sold the pani ;( pm if u want to meet for a coffee? Depending on work I could potentially be free to show you some roads around connemara/the burren out west too.

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My body is in a different place than my pics. I'll be back in Dublin, however, in a few weeks. By then ride report and I should be in synch.

The next several days are going to be crazy bike-adventure heaven. I won't have my laptop, so if you want to check out the visual content of an upcoming ride report (hint: it'll be on a Ducati, but not a Panigale), follow along in real-time on Instagram (dennis_matson). If you don't have Instagram on yer phone: GET IT FOR THIS, it'll be worth it. The content will be a sneak peak into an upcoming ride report.

But come Tues./Wed., Episode Ireland will continue: