Wales
In June 2024 we embarked on a tour through Wales. Coming from the ABR festival in Warwickshire, it was only a short ride to the meeting point in Birmingham.
Marleen started her trip from the Netherlands, taking 2 days through the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the UK to get to the meeting point.
Day 1
Our journey started at the meeting point just south of Birmingham. After a quick stop at the supermarket, and Costa for a quick coffee with a bite, we headed to the first destination: Irongorge campsite near Coalbrookdale. This trip we traveled with 5 friends, most of us on adventure motorcycles and a single Ducati Monster.
Upon entering Telford we navigated south towards Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge. In Coalbrookdale we had to navigate some small and narrow streets , through a forest, and eventually arrived at the bottom of the hill towards the campsite. The campsite was beautifully located on top of the hill overlooking Coalbrookdale and the surrounding meadows.
After pitching our tents it was time to find a local pub and catch the second half of the Euro quarter finals.
Day 2
Wales means rain, and we certainly experienced that today!
We started the morning off right, waking up together, making a hearty breakfast, and packing up our tents. Today marked our first ride through the stunning roads of Wales.
We knew ahead of time that we might encounter some wet weather, but we decided to go to Wales anyway because the landscape here is just breathtaking.
Around lunchtime, the rain started, and it kept pouring until 9 PM. We donned our rain gear and continued our ride, soaking in the beautiful scenery and navigating the winding roads.
Setting up our tents in the rain was quite the challenge, so we opted to have dinner at the local pub. Once the rain let up, we headed back to our tents. There, we gave our bikes a quick maintenance check and watched the penalty shootout from the Euros.
Tomorrow, we ride on!
Day 3
This morning we woke up to a semi-dry tent and, thankfully, no rain. It was a bit chilly, but that quickly changed once we got into our motorcycle gear.
After breakfast, we packed up our tents and gear and set off. Today’s plan was to ride a beautiful route through Wales. Our first stop was supposed to be a steam train ride, but unfortunately, there were no spots available. So, we moved on to the next stop.
We visited Portmeirion, a successful British architectural project. Itâs an eco-friendly village in Italian architectural style built harmoniously within the natural beauty of Wales. It was a charming place to walk around and enjoy a cup of coffee.
After that, we hit the stunning roads of Wales, which is really what we came for!
Due to the rain, we decided to take shelter in an Airbnb for two nights. We tried to get the TV working to watch the Netherlands vs. Romania match. It took longer than expected, so we decided to turn off our phones and watch it later.
Meanwhile, Emily and Krista treated us to a delicious shepherd’s pie. What a treat!
Day 4
From our Airbnb, we embarked on a scenic loop through the beautiful roads of Wales today. Along the way, we took a brief break for coffee and some tasty treats.
At the end of our route, we stopped by the Yamaha Off-Road Experience Center. These are the guys who helped Leendert earlier this week when his wheel broke at the ABR festival. It was great to catch up and discuss the possibility of doing some off-road riding in the area.
On the way back, we had a quick fix as AndrĂ© almost lost his license plate đ«Ł.
With groceries in hand, we headed back to the house where Emily had prepared “toad in the hole” for us all. It was absolutely delicious!
We then took a dip in the hot tub and enjoyed the stunning views surrounding us.
Tomorrow, we continue our journey.
Day 5 Brecon & Devil Staircase
Today we rode a beautiful route through Wales, with a new surprise around every corner.
Everyone was able to keep up comfortably and enjoyed the views.
We stopped along the way for a photo shoot by the classic English phone booth on our way to Devil staircase. There, we were also able to buy some eggs for the next morning.
In the evening, we pitched our tent at the campsite in Brecon Rhydywernen Farm Camping
André and Emily went back to Brecon to pick up some fish and chips, stuffing it all in the BMW cases.
After dinner, we had a bit of classic English rain, but we were able to cozy up and take shelter in the front awning of AndrĂ© and Marleenâs tent.
Then it was into our sleeping bags to recharge for the next day.
Day 6 Swindon
This morning we got up early for the final kilometers in Wales.
Packing up in the rain meant a wet tent, but thatâs just part of the deal when traveling in Wales. Everything went into the bags and onto the bikes, and off we went toward more beautiful views.
At the first scenic lookout, it was time for photos and videos again. We had to watch out for traffic, as despite the narrow lanes, there were plenty of oncoming vehicles.
Around 4:00 PM, we arrived in Swindon, where weâre staying the night. Because of the heavier rain, we decided to book a hotel. Itâs a bit of luxury compared to our little tent.
We had a drink in the lobby and then took a taxi to the local pub. For our last evening in England, it felt cozier than the fancy hotel restaurant.
Everyone ordered their favorite English meal and wrapped up with some desserts.
Off to bed early, because tomorrowâs going to be a full-throttle day on the motorway.
Day 7 Getting the ferry
The day started earlyâread: engines started and we were off by 8:00 AM.
This time, in pouring rain! Today weâre leaving England, and we hadnât really ridden through heavy downpours yetâuntil now.
Weâve got a long journey ahead. About 3.5 to 4 hours on the motorway!
We need to catch the ferry at 2:00 PM, so we plan to be there by 1:00.
We kick off with over an hour of hammering down the motorway in the rain. Completely soaked, we arrive at a Wetherspoon where we stop for a big breakfast and some hot coffee or tea.
We all try to dry our gear, but the heaters havenât really warmed up yet.
Oh well, back into the wet gear and off we race to the ferry.
A traffic jam has formed by now, and we end up arriving at 1:20 PM.
Thankfully, they still let us on. The rain has finally stopped, but the wind is very much still a thing.
Boarding the ferry in 50 mph winds is always a treat đ€ą
After over two hours of sailing, we reach the other side and set our clocks an hour ahead.
Leendert decided to push on all the way home, powering through rain and wind to arrive in Utrecht around 9:00 PM.
The rest of the group grabbed some groceries and headed for a campsite in Belgium.
They watched the Dutch national team successfully make it through another round, and then crawled back into their tents.
Tomorrow, just a few more hours to go.
Day 8 Back to Utrecht
This morning, we managed to enjoy one last delicious breakfast together and pack up the tents while they were still dry.
After cuddling with the kittens, we set off for the final 3 hours and 15 minutes of this journey.
After about 2 hours of riding, we stopped for fuel and treated ourselves to coffee and cake at a charming little Belgian cafĂ© attached to someoneâs house.
The final hours on the bike went smoothlyâno issues, and thankfully, no rain.
In Utrecht, everyone went their separate waysâsome went straight home, others took time to clean and unpack first.
Final stats on Marleenâs bike:
đ 2321.5 kilometers
â±ïž 42 hours and 45 minutes riding time
Now, time to recover đŽ
