Day2 - Sunday

We were up, bikes loaded and ready waiting for breakfast for 08:00 as agreed the previous night, starting promptly we were spoilt for choice and ate our fill. Also as arranged they had made up packed lunches for us (for a small and reasonable charge) which enabled us to be on our way just before 09:00. We managed about 3 kilometres before the heavens opened and dumped a serious amount of rain on us. In the main our gear withstood the onslaught except the "waterproof" pockets on my jacket, one of which part filled with water putting my mobile phone out of action and affecting (to a lesser degree) my newly purchased Fujifilm camera - which now appears to have dried out with no ill affects - only time will tell. But my Nokia is dead.

The ride from Ypres to Amiens managed to get progressively drier after the aforementioned wet start so that we called at the variously planned war graves and memorial sites to read the accounts that lead to their creation and remember the fallen and those that died for our freedom. We ended up a bit "war graved out" (like overdosed) but that is what we came to do. The riding is (weather aside) quite remarkable with long straight roads and curving twisty roads in almost equal measure. Road surfaces are generally very good or excellent with only occasional poorly maintained sections (which are frequently better than those in the UK). As much as possible we are avoiding Le Peage (toll roads) and motorways but the Garmin sat navs have a mind of their own and despite us having loaded identical routes prepared and downloaded by Steve, we still end up with them giving different turning instructions and routes to selected sites. They remind me of shopping trolleys.

The accommodation in Amiens was at a B'n'B Hotels place close to the Premiere Classe that I used last year. Having checked in we went for a walk to find somewhere to eat and finally selected a Chinese restaurant where we had an excellent 3 course buffet meal and drinks for a very reasonable 50 Euros (including tip). However I have to add that it is very strange being a Brit, conversing with a Chinese in French as well as my command of French will allow, but everyone had a laugh and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Less can be said of the night sleep where I was rigorously attacked by "bed bugs" or some such alien force because I had a disturbed night being bitten and today I've had to burst a number of the bites as a release from their constant bother, but that's for day 3.

Total mileage Day2 = 111 miles.

Day1 - Saturday

Bike packed and loaded final checks showed the odometer reading 44,500.0 miles so calculating the overall trip distance is going to be easy at any stage in the journey. It's 06:30 and I've already said goodbye to Suzie as she'd an early start for a day trip to Blackpool. The forecast for her day is sunny and dry, but mine is sunshine and showers. Well it is starting off OK, the sun is shining in an almost clear sky and it's time to be on my way so I thumb the starter button, snick the bike into gear and I'm off. The trip down to J10 of the M20 is uneventful and barely memorable other than for the propensity of "average speed cameras" - the south of England seems to have a love affair with them.

I roll up to the Tesco superstore at J10 where Steve and I had arranged to meet and he's already there. I've done 196 miles. We have a bacon sarnie and a mug of tea/coffee before departing for the Channel tunnel just 8 miles up the road, arriving to find that there is a delay of half an hour due to problems earlier in the day. That means we face a wait of nearly 2 hours having arrived hoping to hop on an earlier departure, but the staff are having none of that as they try to clear the backlog.

Arriving in France we set of for Ypres, which should have been via Dunkirk but both of our sat navs have other ideas and so that gets dropped from the itinerary, so Ypres it is and as we head inland the rain starts. We locate the Hortensia B'n'B but we are way early so head off to The Sanctuary and Hill 62, before returning and checking in. The rain is getting heavier but we decide to walk into the centre to eat and see the Last Post at the Menin Gate. We are soaked through when we walk into Le Trompet but we wait just minutes to be guided to a table next to a couple from Devon who are tucking into stew that looks so good we both order it. Fabulous, as was the desert.

The rain eased while we ate but returns with a vengence just as we are about to leave, but if we are to see the Last Post then there's nothing for it, so we get a damp again. We have missed much of the ceremony as we arrive at 19:50, but there is a big crowd and can't see anything from the back, but we don't need to, the Last Post is the Last Post wherever you are. This one is obviously very moving for some of those present as I spot quite a few tear filled eyes. With it done we walk up and onto the ramparts and walk back to the Hortensia B'n'B. It's still tipping it down and we are both knackered so even though it's not yet 21:00 we go to our rooms and hit the sack. Minutes later I am out for the count, it's been a long day.

Heavy rain wakes me a few times through the night but sleep soon returns. Here's hoping it blows itself out before we depart, but right now there's a breakfast to be consumed - and we are spoilt for choice.

Total mileage Day1 = 265 miles.

R12000GS v Explorer v Crosstourer - Update

I bought the magazine last month to find that the video article had made it into print. So, as I'm long overdue a change of bike, I visited a local dealer with a R1200GS in the showroom. Ever helpful the salesman pulled it out and I attempted to get on it. Hmmm.... Well I eventually managed to climb onboard but it is not an exercise I'd like to repeat on a daily basis. The riders seat was in the lowest position and once on the thing I could just get both feet down, allbeit on tippy toes. But getting on in my normal manner was out of the question. No way could I throw my leg over the pillion seat to mount the thing, the pillion seat is a good 4 inches (old money) higher that the rider seat and I'm just a 29" leg. What a shocker? At last year's NEC Motorbike show I got on and off a "low seat model" with no trouble at all.

So I think I'll try a Yamaha 1200 Super Tenere sometime, see if that's any better fit and easier to mount. If it's good enough for Nick Sanders to ride 35,000 miles in a single trip it will easily cope with my more moderate demands. That'll be sometime over the winter (maybe) as I intend to sell the Passat and get a smaller, cheaper car releasing some cash to spend on a replacement for the Deauville.

Damned rain

Rain, rain and more damned rain. Not what I'd ordered for the Normandy beaches trip but hey ho, you takes what you gets and you get on down to it.  Considering the number of wet days we have had over the last few months today was only the second wet ride to work on the motorbike.  Most of my gear seems to do what it said on the label - "waterproof" - but the Gore-Tex trousers still seem to allow my bum to get moist.  So much so that in the morning I think I'll pull on some over-trousers just to ensure I arrive in France nice and dry.

Yesterday I finally managed to get the bike-to-bike ear pieces in my helmet so that I was comfortable.  Left ear piece went straight in, no trouble, but the right ear speaker kept pinching my ear.  I ended up cutting out a sliver of polystyrene liner and now all is well.

Tonight I just have to fill the tank, pack my clothes and toiletries, and put the sat nav in its mount.  Excited?  Yup!  Nervous?  Yup again!

Normandy beaches

It is getting closer.  Departure for this motorbike trip in the company of my mate Steve is early Saturday morning.  Paperwork is all done.  Bike is as prepared as I can get it without stripping it down and rebuilding it (that will have to wait until this coming winter).  Euros have been purchased.  Sterling to be withdrawn tonight.  Bags to pack tomorrow night.  Then load up and go, planning to leave around 06:30 Saturday.

Should meet up with Steve before Euro Tunnel, then once across in France we will be heading for Ypres, then Amiens, before heading to our main base in Arromanches-les-Bains.  I just hope we get some good sunny weather for riding in.

Settling down

Last week I took the car to Reading and after work I visited Mark & Eleanor at their new home together in Egham.  Their place is a lovely ground floor maisonette on the outskirts of Egham leaving Eleanor with a driving commute to her work while Mark walks to Stains bus station to get the shuttle bur into his work at Heathrow.  Eleanor gets up early to beat the traffic and Mark has a lie in until she's done and gone.  He then gets home about 3/4 hour after her so the evening meal is usually almost done cooking (except Mondays when she shops and he cooks).  Seems to me that they have life sorted.

Now, if only I can get Suzie trained....

Using the train - 4

Tuesday was another round trip to Reading on the train.  The previous week I used my car, leaving home at 06:15 just as I do when using the train I was signing in at 08:50 and was free to leave when I liked (fitting around my workload) whereas this week the train arrived in Reading at 09:11 and I signed in at 09:25, leaving at 17:10 to arrive at Derby station at 20:04 (2 minutes ahead of schedule).

So not only do I not enjoy using the train the overall journey times are longer (door to door) and cheaper overall to both me and my employer.

Goal line technology (GLT)

The media is making a fuss about last night's Eruo match between England and Ukraine and the goal that John Terry 'cleared' and which was not given but would have leveld the scores at 1:1.

The FIA president has now said that GLT has to be implemented - something he has always been against when England were demanding it's implementation. But now that England have benefited from it having not been deployed he's changed his mind. How biased against England is he?

The important fact that is being ignored is that the Ukrainian player received the ball while off side so that shot should never have been made and therefore the goal should not have been legally allowed. Trouble is, that isn't as sensational as the non-goal that "should have been" and UK media love sensational!

I'm an analyst

I often get asked "what do you do (for a living)?" so I thought I'd blog it...

I didn't set out to be an analyst but an analyst I am. Like many others I wear whichever hat fits at the time. Data, database, systems, reporting and business analyst - been there, done that. I prefer the interaction and cross discipline of business analysis and the greater involvement it brings with the end users, but at the end of the day it is all about BPI (Business Process Improvement). I count myself fortunate to find myself in a role where I am paid to be nosy, ask awkward questions, prod and probe for answers and frequently given free range to determine what the real issue is that the business want addressed and the best solution to that issue.

I didn’t set out to be an analyst, just sort of fell into it. Fed up with having to deliver solutions to clients that developers had slaved over only to find that it was all based on poor initial analysis and a total lack of understanding of the business need I started doing the analysis and (sometimes) the build myself. I didn’t, and still haven’t, aligned myself with any one specific methodology for analysis or presentation but use whatever best fits the situation I find myself in. Accuracy and clarity with a total lack of ambiguity are the goal and the target audience is (i) the end user – to get their buy-in to the solution, (ii) the techies – so that they understand what they have to deliver, and (iii) the boss – commonly called the stakeholder, as he is signing off the cheque and needs to understand what he is paying for. Thorough, accurate analysis effectively documented in a way that the message flows from start to end and reads like a novel (without being the length of one) normally gets signed off because those three recipient groups can identify the content that is relevant to them and understand the part of the message that is aimed at them in their roles.

So I’m a hybrid. Some days are more stereo typed than others. Some are more interesting than others and some are more enjoyable. For me it’s a nice way to earn the money that pays the bills.

Back to normal

Getting home around 03:00 Friday morning meant that we effectively had a 3 day weekend to get everything sorted. Later that morning Andy went off for a long weekend at Centre Parks with Emma and some of his friends leaving Sue and I as Derby & Joan. And with Mark now moved out the house was very quiet. Laundry, housework and gardening was the order of the day across the weekend along with Sue visiting her dad in hospital and me seeing Angie & John who were up to visit Mum & Dad because it was Father’s Day on Sunday. Because of Sue’s dad Phil going into hospital we missed the wedding ceremony for Jim and Heidi on Saturday but we managed to get along to their evening reception to wish them well as they start married life together.

With all this going on it seems that everything has quickly returned to normal and Marmaris is now memories and photographs.

Marmaris

After visiting Olu Deniz in Turkey last September Sue and I liked it so much that we have just returned from a 10 day stay in Marmaris. It is a lovely location, the weather was good and hot, reaching 40 degrees centigrade on 3 days. The Grand Azur hotel food and facilities were excellent even if the room wasn’t in the quietest of locations. With an exchange rate or around 2.75 TL to the GBP prices were reasonable (especially if one haggled) so a little retail therapy was undertaken. From the hotel we could walk east into Marmaris town centre and harbour area or west to Icmeler which has a large and lively open air market on Wednesdays. If we didn’t feel like walking both ways then we would catch a Dolmus for 2 TL per person into Marmaris or 2.5 TL to Icmeler. Why we British don’t adopt a similar transport system I’ll never know – it works is probably the answer.

This is my first ever “lounge in the sun” holiday. Yes, we’ve holidayed in the sun before but I usually leave Sue on the sun bed an go exploring. This time I just chilled out on a sun bed beside her. I didn’t take enough reading material, everything read from cover to cover by the end of the 5th day. There were plenty of bars to choose from prices were cheaper in the bars that were not attached to a hotel chain (as one would expect). The harbour area and Icmeler were both very pretty and picturesque but walking in the heat of the day is not recommended. Marmaris also has a lovely quaint bizarre but we got fed up with being plagued to “visit my shop”, “be my friend” and “cheaper than ASDA/Primark” – they just won’t let you browse the way we do in the UK.

What a contrast though – 10 dry days in the sun and temperatures constantly above 30 degrees centigrade returning in the early hours of Friday morning to driving rain and 9 degrees, to be told it had rained daily while we were away.

Using the train - 3

Yesterday was another round trip from Derby to Reading on the train. Again I caught the 06:48 for the outbound trip and as we approached Birmingham New Street we slowed and when release we passed a slow moving goods train which appeared to be heading towards Leamington Spa which is on our route to Reading. Sure enough, after leaving Birmingham we were delayed (again) until we cleared Leamington Spa, only to fall foul of track maintenance near Didcot. OK, we were only a few minutes late into Reading but with all the technology available these delays just should not happen.

At first the return trip on the 16:40 appeared to be a reverse of the outbound trip, but after clearing Didcot the train sped up and arrived outside Birmingham New Street a little early so we sat outside the station until our expected time. But (as is usual) there was a change of crew which resulted in our departure being nearly 10 minutes late. Most of that was made up by the time we neared Derby but we were "officially" 3 minutes late according to the "Train Manager".

I used the "quiet" carriage for both trips having pre-booked a window seat so that I could watch the English countryside pass by. Except that the "window" seat for the return trip had no window, just bodywork/structure - so I move to another unreserved seat. And that's the difference between me using my car or taking the train. In the car I am guaranteed a window seat and a forward view, I know all/any passengers I take in the car with me, we hold conversations and they in return do not intrude into my "personal space". Total journey time (assuming no traffic delays) is roughly the same at 3 hours door to door with no stops at places en route to pick up other travellers, many of them being hot a sweaty with questionable habits and standards of hygene.

Let the train take the strain...? In my experience it is the train that creates the strain.