Background story:
We are two Americans, in our mid-forties, empty-nesters, who are currently living and working in Germany. We both love to travel and when an opportunity came up last year to move here, we jumped on it.

Like most of you all, we still work. Although Europeans do have more vacation time, it is still difficult to break free and ride motorcycles for months on end. Someday, we will do this - I promise you! Until then, breaking free for three weeks will have to do.

We've planned this trip for some time. In fact, it has been in the light stages of planning since almost immediately after we arrived in Germany from last years Iceland trip. Trying to fit all of the countries of the UK and Ireland into a 23-day vacation, including scheduling most of the ferries, did take some planning, but in the end it was worth it.

The "Left to Live" name of our journey was picked for two reasons:
1. The most obvious... This will be our first time we've ever ridden on the LEFT side of the roadways. "Stay LEFT if you want TO LIVE!" We even went so far as to create a windscreen mounted, vinyl sticker to remind us of this.
2. We've only got a finite amount of time in this life. We have both decided that we would like to have memories instead of dreams and we both dream of exploring this tiny, blue dot we call Earth.

...So here goes! Here is a small preview from our 23-day motorcycle adventure around UK and Ireland:


Our planned route. The red and orange colors signify a day of travel. Normally, I don't like planning this much, but fitting so many miles (er, I mean km, no wait, I mean miles) into a three week trip requires planning.


The Union Jack


Castles


Cities


Sculptures


Ocean views


Architecture


UNESCO World Heritage sites


It took some planning but we even got to experience riding on the world famous TT Mountain Course on the Isle of Man.


Our route kept us close to the oceans and bays which offered limitless views to some of the best scenery in Europe.


We rode most days until right before sunset.


Places I never imaged I would travel as a kid.


Unique sculptures and artwork along the way.


Some incredible scenery to ride through! Even in England, with it's population density of 400 people per square km, we found wide open roads.


Landmarks. We tried to see as many landmarks or sites as we reasonably could while still riding 200-300 km per day.


There are nearly 23 million sheep in the UK. You're going to see some sheep on this trip.


Many churches and grave-sights all over UK and Ireland. This was taken at a cemetery near the TT Grandstand at Isle of Man.


Good eats! Both Chantil and I love Fish-n-Chips! It turns out we are in the right country for this!!


Our two mules - Both BMW G650GSs. The red one is mine and is named "Apache", and the white one is named (White) "Chocolate"


I printed stickers of the flags of countries (or crown dependencies) that we planned to visit. After we arrive, I place them on my mule's windscreen.


Just a "few" of the waypoints that we would like to see on our adventure...

Day 1 - Friday, Aug 24th:
Our route for the day of 300km. Leaving Germany, through Belgium, and ending the evening in France. Three countries and three languages of German, Dutch, and French.

We spent the last few weeks making sure all the maintenance was done on each of our mules. I estimate that my mule would need a rear tire and rear brake pads after this trip, however everything else was “good to go”! We had originally planned to leave on Saturday, but there was nothing keeping us from getting an early start on our vacation. We left our home in Germany at 2 PM and made decent time along the E42 and A25 through Belgium and France.


A brightly colored water tower between Villeneuve d'Ascq and Chéreng, France provided a short diversion from freeway riding.


This fish is reminding us not to waste water!


Near the tower was this unique apartment hotel with modern features...


..including colored glass windows that complement the green vines clinging to the side of the concrete and brick walls.


Just down the road was this abandoned parking garage.


Without the unique organic metalwork, it would be just another parking garage.


There was a section of the A25 that was backed up. We weren’t sure if lane-splitting was legal in France, so we waited until we saw a group of four riders on BMW 1200GSs doing it. Monkey see – monkey do! We followed them for some of the most relaxing lane splitting I’ve ever done. The French drivers did a great job of leaving wide open spaces between lanes. Yeah France!


Once we reached Dunkirk, I saw this unique colored apartment high-rise and decided to stop and take some pictures.


The place looked a bit run down but the multi-colored exterior sure made it interesting.


We rode through Dunkirk and stopped for a little while at the old part of town...


...where we snapped some photos of the Beffroi de Dunkerque...


...and the Saint-Éloi Church across the street.


Chantil programming the GPSr which will guide us to Camping Zuydcoote Beach, our campsite for the evening.


Rain. After setting up camp, the rain rolled in. It rained all night but fortunately let up in the early morning.

Tomorrow will be much more exciting as we learn about the “Miracle of Dunkirk” at the Operation Dynamo Museum and then make our into England via the Channel Tunnel, or what Europeans have nicknamed the “Chunnel”…

Our route for today of 283 km - Dunkirk, France to Beachy Head, UK via the EuroTunnel.


The rain stopped sometime in the early morning, so we awoke to a dry tent - It’s shaping up to be a great day already!

Funny story from last night. As we pulled into camp last night, an excited couple approached us and started talking to us in German. Being in France, we wondered why?? Turns out they assumed we were German because of our German plates on our German BMW motorcycles. It’s funny what people assume sometimes. Nice couple though.

Back to today... Since we had some time to kill before the museum opened we decided to go for a walk and try to find the pier used during the evacuation of the English and French forces during the 1940 operation often called the Miracle of Dunkirk.


It was early, and the breeze was cool, so we enjoyed much of the beach to ourselves.


A man-made ocean break wall made with large concrete cubes the size of cars.


I miss the ocean. Living in Germany keeps us from visiting it as much as we wish we could.


A uniquely colored beachfront apartment building.




Flag of Dunkirk, the European Union, France, and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region.




The boardwalk along the beach featured various styles of homes including many condominiums.

The jetty used for the Dunkirk evacuation was further than we had time for, so we decided to make our way back to the campground and pack up the mules for the next day of riding.


#motorcyclelife

On our way to the Dunkirk jetty we came across this...


...large metal sculpture that stood near the Dunkirk break-wall.


At the base of the sculpture was this signature. How cool is signing your name with a welder!?


The Dunkirk Lighthouse


The mules parked at the foot of the jetty used during the evacuation.


A display marking the historic occasion.


Some happy faces of the soldiers who were evacuated.


The narrow jetty sticks out for quite a while. We walked the length of it until reaching a gated fence at the end.


A gull enjoyed the strong breeze.


These sailors were also enjoying the strong breeze. I miss sailing; especially close-hauled sailing where the sheets are tights, and the boat is healed over.


End of the road. Time to turn back and make our way to the museum which opens at 10AM...

We enjoyed our time at the museum established to remember the miraculous evacuation of 338,226 soldiers over a 10-day period starting 26 May 1940.


A simple sign on a brick headquarters building marks the entrance to the museum.


Some of the money bills used during WW2.


A poster reminding people not to talk about military operations in public.


A military-issued gas mask.


The heavy radios used the 1940s.


Pictures of war. I’m grateful for these photographers so that we have imagery to remember the horrors of war.


Many soldiers waded through the surf and cold waters to reach the rescue ships.


Many of the allied ships (over 38 percent) were bombed or mined during the evacuation.


Although the number of private vessels used during the operation was difficult to estimate it is believed that nearly 850 boats were used. Many of these boats were strictly civilian crewed.


Rolls Royce Merlin engine from a British Spitfire recovered from the ocean. 3,500 sorties were conducted by the RAF in order to support the 10-day evacuation.


A model of a Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka as it begins it dive attack on allied shipping at Dunkirk.


A BMW logo hasn’t changed much since the 1940s.


I can’t imagine the relief many felt once they were on a friendly ship heading back to England.


A flag used to mark beach mines or unexploded ordinances.


A pair of German Maschinengewehr 34 machine guns configured for anti-air operations.


We spent about an hour in the museum and left with a newfound respect for those who fought so desperately for their lives.


In just a short time we’ll be on our way to the UK!...

Just behind the Operation Dynamo museum is a modern art museum with a relaxing walking trail and many outdoor sculptures.


A recent sculpture nicknamed “The Hourglass”, is an analogy of the passing of time by the sand to the soldiers trapped at Dunkerque, who slowly trickled away as they were evacuated, and as an hourglass can be turned over and the sand brought back, reflects the re-arrival of the allied forces after June 1944.






The sun was breaking through the clouds promising to make for a great day.




The sculptures are beautiful, but nature provides its own version of “modern art”.


Draw your own conclusions... Is this art or just a pile of old anchors?


The large fish sculpture can been seen for quite a ways due to its bright colors.


Just near the museum of some exciting architectural homes. These apartments are styled with unique brown and grey tile work.


These homes have a very unique “pencil-head” design.


Since we had some free time we took the backroads through some canals and enjoyed the views and the great weather.

Onward to the Chunnel and into the ENGLAND!! Are you ready?...

At 31.3 miles long and 380 feet below sea level, the Channel Tunnel moves you between France and the UK in just 35 minutes.


Directions to the Chunnel are clear to understand and are written in both French and English.


Ride up to the kiosk where you enter your confirmation number...


... and get your ticket. We are in the “X” lane for boarding. After getting our tickets we rode to the customs window where we presented our passport, and then were on our way.


Here you can see the Eurotunnel Le Shuttles that will whisk us away to a new land. It’s basically a train that is fitted with rear loading ramps to load vehicles and freight. You drive in and then drive off. Easy peasy.


Almost there! Waiting for all the cars so the motorcycles can be loaded at the “back of the bus”.


Riding through the train cars to our car along with three other motorcyclists.


That’s it. We placed our bikes on their stands and stood around for the 35-minute trip. We talked to the other motorcyclists and put reminder stickers on our windscreen to ensure we stay “Left to Live” while in the UK and Ireland. Oh, there is also a time change of minus one hour.


The ride off was even easier! We road through about twenty train cars before exiting on a ramp and into the next three weeks of riding on the left side of the road.


The one way exit road quickly joins a highway and you’re on your way – on the left. No complicated switching network that converts right side driver to left sided ones – easy! At least until we get to our first roundabout or intersection...


In my excitement of being in a new country, I didn’t set the GPS waypoint to the Cliffs of Dover and we ended up getting on the wrong side of the highway. A bit of a diversion, and a tunnel later, and we were on our way to the English town of Dover.


In Dover we passed by a famous mural done by street artist Banksy showing a metalworker chipping away at a star on the EU flag. Brexit is definitely a subject of controversy here in the UK.


Brexit is especially controversial for Northern Ireland and Scotland who voted a majority to stay with the European Union. Time will tell as the UK is scheduled to leave at 11pm UK time on Friday, 29 March 2019.

Loving the ride report. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

I have a 10 year old Hein Gereke jacket that has never leaked. They key is the GoreTex lining, any top speck GoreTex gear should work well - Rukka is one of the best but also costs too $

Happy Christmas

250 km of riding today as we continued around Scotland on the east side from Elgin, to Dunnottar Castle, and ending the day at St. Andrews Holiday Park. BTW, the weather is much nicer here than in the Highlands.


Covesea Skerries Lighthouse overlooks the campground.


Covesea Skerries Lighthouse was built in 1846 and deactivated in 2012.


We enjoyed a good breakfast as the campground. The hostess was so nice we decided to leave a small tip. Does leaving two pounds as a tip negate the two pounds of breakfast we just ate?


Since the Scottish invented golf in the 15th century we decided it would be fitting to play a round of golf. Does mini-golf count?


Got to hit it through the yellow mountain. By the way, I boogered a hole so bad that Chantil won the match by four strokes.

On our way out of the town of Elgin we stopped by the Cathedral. It was a nice morning and a great time to take some great pictures of an interesting landmark.


Fragments are all that remain of the large rose window of the Elgin Cathedral.


A decorative metal fence surrounds the entire cathedral grounds.


The Elgin Cathedral was established in 1224, but multiple attacks and fires over three centuries have left it in ruins.


There is a fee to visit inside the fence, but we felt like we had seen enough from the outside.


Next door is a Biblical Garden with some nice tile mosaics.

Our next stop was Dunnottar Castle. Just before reaching the parking area, I noticed another fellow motorcyclist pulling out of the parking area and then riding on the right side of the road. No worries, except we are in the UK where you ride on the left! No drama, as I was slowing, he recognized he was on the wrong side and then quickly drifted back his side of the road on the left followed by a sorry gesture. He must be from mainland Europe.


Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, meaning "fort on the shelving slope") is on a rocky cliff overlooking the North Sea.


It was harvest season, so the fields were laden with golden wheat.


The ruins of Dunnottar Castle can be seen on the picturesque cliffs.


Fields of gold!


Some of the fields were freshly harvested with wheat straw still in bails.


The fields, sea cliffs, and sea breeze all created a memorable afternoon of hiking.


We hiked about 1.5 miles to the Stonehaven War Memorial which was designed by local architect John Ellis to look like an ancient structure.


The names of eight First World War battles are inscribed around the crown of the structure: Gallipoli, Jutland, Marne, Mons, Somne, Vimy, Ypres and Zeebrugge.


Looking back at the Dunnottar Castle.

This castle definitely has some incredible views!


Although it just ruins there is a certain beauty to these rock walls.




Squire, a UK based lock company had been in business since 1780.


Moss covers hard rock paths inside the castle walls.


A unique castle for sure and one of my favorites of the few we visited in Scotland.

In many ways this was my favorite castle of our trip. I think it was the lack of crowds, the walking trails around the castle, the incredible seaside views, and the great weather that all came together to make it one of my favorites.

We continued onward to the city of Saint Andrews…


A somewhat famous (does 5000 facebook followers make one famous?) cat named Hamish McHamish walked the streets of Saint Andrews. Hamish died on 11 September 2014 (oddly our visit was exactly four years later) but lives on through this statue dedicated to his life of wandering around a city who loved him.


We wandered around the streets as well looking for a place to eat.


We settled on a out-of-the-way restaurant called The Vine Leaf. It had a nice quite atmosphere with soft jazz music playing during the dinner hours.


The food was also presented well! I’ve never has Crab baked with cheddar served in a sea shell before. The seared salmon, chili, coconut milk, coriander, rice noodles, pakchoi was also well made. Unfortunately, we just didn’t think the food was that great tasting or flavorful.

After dinner, we rode though the medieval street of the city before rolling into camp at the St. Andrews Holiday Park.

Tomorrow, we continue our adventure south around the Firth of Forth with the forecast is calling for clear skies!...

Glad you are enjoying it. Thanks also for the info; perhaps it's time I spring the cash for the GoreTex. If it keeps me dry after riding all day in the rain then it will be worth it. Hope you had a happy Christmas as well!

Only 170 km of pavement today; Mostly because we slept in and spent a good part of our day at the Kelpies (B) and (C) Edinburgh. We finished the day at Drummohr Holiday Park (D)

It felt good to sleep in today. The shower was especially nice this morning. We got on the road around 0930.


We enjoyed some of the less traveled roads this morning.

It wasn’t too long before we noticed a roadside place called Blacketside Farms. It looked inviting with plenty of people inside the restaurant and shop. Must be something good inside...


There were lots of fresh vegetables – fresh from the earth.


But we were most interested in the berries!


I ordered some french toast with fresh berries and powdered sugar along with an apple juice. First time I’ve gotten apple juice in a glass bottle.
Blacketside Farms was a great start to our day!

Our next stop was The Kelpies. If you don’t know what these are then you’re not alone – neither did we before planning this trip. Once you see pictures though you’ll want to see them for yourselves.


Crossing the Firth of Forth via the Kincardine Bridge.


For someone who loves modern architecture and sculpture, this was high on my list of things to see in Scotland.


The park where the Kelpies are located is quite relaxing with its large grass fields and nearby canals.


The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Scotland. These Clydesdales are modeled after two horses named Duke and Baron. The final sculpture is 30-metre-high and was designed by sculpture Andy Scott.


A close-up of Duke’s eye and the stainless-steel cladding.


Looking from the inside out. You can see the steel frame and some of the 928 unique stainless-steel skin-plates.


Baron stretches his head up to the sun.


Duke bends down to the earth.


Close-up of the cladding plates.


The unique shadow of Baron that is cast against a grassy field.


The “sun” portion of a large stone and metal plaque which reads “Stretch up your long necks to face the sun.”


There is also an attached visitors center with the Kelpies modeled using Lego bricks.


The walls and a monitor tell a bit about the history of this region.


A drawing area for kids with coloring pages and crayons and colored pencils. I’m guessing Owen is probably Scottish!


A monitor displayed how the model and then life-sized structure was built and then fabricated on site. As you can imagine, something this large, takes time to build and assemble.


View of the Kelpies from the visitor’s center. As you can see, by way-too-many pictures, we enjoyed our time here.

We continued along our route and arrived at the city of Edinburg, where we spent the rest of the day.


The central part of Edinburgh is watched over by the Edinburgh Castle.


The oldest pub in town, the White Hart is located on Grassmarket and shares its Victorian architecture with other buildings in the area. Notice the hilarious sign in front of the pub.


West Bow just off the Royal Mile and it’s iconic colorful shops and restaurants.


John Kay’s Shop is a wonderful little store full of globes, airplanes, balloons, and...


...metal toys to remind you of the UK.


A bronze statue of Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry, stands above Parliament Square.


Tourists walk over the Heart of Midlothian - A heart-shaped mosaic, formed in colored granite sets. This area used to be the site of a prison where countless executions took place near the mosaic. Sometimes people spit on the heart to show their disdain for the executions that used to take place here.


This church has been the religious focal point of Edenburgh for over 900 years! The present church dates from the late 14th century, though it was restored in the 19th century.


The impressive 117-piece pipe-organ.


Two ornate unicorns, Scotland’s national animal, are depicted on this crest located in the Thistle Chapel.


Some of the ornate details of the cathedral.


The Robert Burns Memorial in stained glass designed by Icelandic artist Leifur Breidfjörd.




A bagpiper plays among the streets of the Royal Mile.


The Camera Obscura & World of Illusions seemed like an interesting place. Why not?

The Camera Obscura was built in 1835. There isn’t much to it really. It’s a dark room with a large table and a beam of light. But wait…

…An image of Edinburgh begins to appear on the table. It’s not a recording. It’s a real time projected image! By today’s standards (of GCI where anything you can imagine can happen on the big screen), it’s not incredible, but in the 19th century this was fascinating stuff.


The views from the Camera Obscura observation deck are pretty good…


The Hub, with its iconic gothic spire is the highest point in central Edinburgh.


Adding a bit of modern architecture to the old town.


The floors below Camera Obscura are where the World of Illusions are located. It was fun to walk around and participate in the interesting exhibits.


A black light made for some interesting photos.


Look closely. This image is actually two female models painted to look like a chameleon.


Illusion Chessboard by Maurits Cornelis Escher. You most likely know him better by his artist name of M. C. Escher.


Glow lamps were fun to interact with. Expect to get a little shock though!


Keith Newstead does some incredible automata all choreographed using a rotating wheel. Amazing! See a video of his sculptures here: https://www.keithnewsteadautomata.co...ree-bind-mice/


Hand with Reflecting Sphere Depiction by M. C. Escher.


Thermal image camera shows why Chantil is always cooler than me. Look how much cooler here face is than mine!

Trying something new like these Jelly Slugs candies. Harry Potter seems to be very popular here.


Edinburg is an interesting city that combines the youthfulness of a college city with the old architecture of the 17th century.


An entire neighborhood in Edinburgh is named after Greyfriars Bobby; a dedicated Skye Terrier who spend 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray, until he died himself on 14 Jan 1872. A drinking fountain was placed in Bobby’s honor in 1873. The sculpture was William Brodie. It’s held up well, even with the century of rubbing Bobby’s nose.


The final resting place for both John Gray and Bobby is in Greyfriars Kirkland.


Well-wishers place sticks in front of the gravestone of Bobby.


Stores are named in his honor as well.


A row of University of Edinburgh buildings caught my eye. This particular building seemed to have something different about it.


Something as simple as white chalk outlines around the original bricks made this building stand out.


More unique patterns among the streets of Edinburgh.


The University of Edinburgh’s Old College Building with its dome stands above fast food restaurants where the students can grab a bite between classes.


Scots seem to have a lot of patriotism for their flag.


A mix of modern with a nod to the original 17th century buildings.


The Scotsmen Steps have connected North Bridge and Waverley Station ever since 1899. Each of the 104 steps received a major overhaul in 2011. Each step is now a different colored marble.


The major marble quarries are all represented from Italy to India, from Belgium to Brazil.


The Royal Unicorn and Scottish flag sit atop of the Mercat Cross in Parliament Square.


The Aha Ha Ha joke and novelties store on Bow Street is hard to miss.


On the night of 2-3 April 1916 two German airships, the L14 and the L22, dropped 23 bombs on Leith and the City of Edinburgh. Seven residents of Edinburgh were killed during the bombings. Today, over 100 years later, our two German motorcycles are parked just a few hundred feet from this location. It’s important that we remember the past such that we are not doomed to repeat the mistakes but it’s more important to move on and create to a better and more peaceful world.

There is definitely A LOT to see in Edinburgh. If we had more time, I think we would have enjoyed the castle and some of the overlooks around the city.

Our camp site for the night wasn’t too far away at the Drummohr Holiday Park.