September 18, 2023 - Heidelberg, Germany

 Today was a big day.  We dropped off the GS motorcycle at Stefan Knopf's place in Heidelberg to be shipped back to Orlando, arriving in early December.  It is with mixed feelings.  On the one hand, we have lived off the bike since picking it up May 3, 2023, 14 countries, 4.5 months and over 7,500 miles ago.  I had it serviced once.  Other than that, I just put gas in it and regularly checked and adjusted tire pressure.  It has run and operated flawlessly.  

On the other hand, Sooz and I will not miss loading and unloading the luggage and gear on and off the bike, wearing motorcycle gear while doing touristy stuff and being exposed for hours in uncomfortable weather.  It has worn us out. 

However, we are very happy and grateful to have experienced Europe and the UK on the GS.  It has been a wonderful adventure and the motorcycle enhanced the adventure and experience.  We have tasted, smelled, felt and seen every single mile.  It is a great way to be exposed to the culture and environment.  People naturally come up to us wanting to learn if we are really from Florida and learn more about us and our trip.  We use those opportunities to learn more about them and their country.  The motorcycle has added another level to the trip that we won't have in the car, but we need the change.

We rented a car and will use it until we fly back to Florida on October 18, 2023.  We are really looking forward to see Sheila, a good friend from Gainesville.  She flies into Montpelier, France in a week and we will pick her up at the airport and spend a week in southern France before heading back to Frankfurt and flying home.

Getting ready to load onto LeShuttle, formerly known as the Eurotunnel

Entering the motorcycle train car

Sooz, in the motorcycle train car with the GS.  We didn't have to strap down the bike.  We rode in the car with the bike, without seats - it only took 35 minutes to cross under the English Channel from England to Calais, France.

A Pet Lounge at the English side of LeShuttle terminal

To exit the train, we waited for the cars to start moving and then rode the bike out.

Getting ready to exit the train

Welcome to France

This was our room at the Hotel Eden in Bethune, France. 

The GS posted up just outside our room at Hotel Eden in Bethune.  Sooz met and we had a great conversation with Jackie from Sarasota.  Hello Jackie!

Delicious French pizza

The town square in Bethune - it is a beautiful town with a lot of French charm.  

The old town streets of Heidelberg, Germany.  We have really enjoyed ourselves here and could spend more time getting to know it better after getting rested up.  Maybe next time.

Heidelberg with the Heidelberg Castle in the background

Looking down at the Neckar River in Heidelberg

Sooz getting ready to enter the Old Bridge over the Neckar River

I am prepping the GS for its voyage back to Orlando.

September 14, 2023 - Canterbury, England

 Yesterday we walked around Canterbury and toured the Canterbury Cathedral.  

We were surprised at how large and developed the old town area is.  There are a lot of shops, offices and restaurants with what looked like a mix of locals and tourists.  We are staying in an Airbnb that is right downtown making the walk to old town easy.  

The Cathedral is incredible with high ceilings and ancient construction.  Founded in 597, the cathedral was completely rebuilt between 1070 and 1077.  

Tomorrow we will take LeShuttle (new name for the Eurotunnel) crossing the English Channel and exiting in Calais, France.  

This massive scone, clotted cream and jam was my breakfast yesterday

Sooz had a nice piece of coffee and walnut cake with clotted cream

The Chapter House at the Canterbury Cathedral can be rented for events

The stained glass windows in the chapter-house

This plaque commemorating Thomas Becket, the archbishop who was murdered in the cathedral in 1170  following an order of King Henry II

A statue outside the Cathedral

Part of the Canterbury Cathedral being refurbished

The temporary entrance to the Cathedral

Looking from the front of the Nave towards the entrance

Within the Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral looking up to the top of one of 5 towers over 200 feet tall

One of largest stained glass windows with Queen Victoria in the lower right corner

Looking into the Crypt where no pictures were allowed

Sooz, very impressed by the ceiling of the Chapter House

Sooz feeling very tall

Cathedral Cloisters

The incredible main part of the Cathedral.  Wikipedia says the ceiling is 80 feet high, but it seems higher than that.

A section of Canterbury old town area

Our Airbnb is to the right of the GS and a pub is on left side of this picture

Monday, September 11, 2023 - High Wycombe, England

 Hard to believe today is the 22nd anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.  

Last night we stayed at The King Heads Inn in Chipping Norton.  Temperatures reached 91 degrees yesterday which is the hottest we have had on the trip and The Inn does not have A/C making it pretty uncomfortable until the sun went down.  We had dinner at the Inn and I had my first proper Sunday meal with Yorkshire Pudding.  It was a very filling dish with beef and vegetables.

Before we checked in last night we visited Diddly Squat Farm Shop owned by Jeremy Clarkson and featured on his TV show.  It was fun to check it out.  We had some ice cream and sat next to 3 young people in their 20s and 30s, two of whom worked for Nissan.  We had a great conversation covering everything from speed limits to electric vehicles and inflation.  One thing we didn't discuss much was politics, they didn't seem interested in talking about it.

On our way to our hotel today, we stopped in Oxford and had a self-guided tour of Christ Church and Oxford University using a recording and headset. Christ Church is one of the 44 colleges that make up the University of Oxford.  It is a huge compus and church grounds.  You may recognize several of our pictures below from the Harry Potter movies.  Some scenes used the University to inspire movie sets.  The University of Oxford, which is near Oxford University, is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in continuous operation.

My proper Sunday meal of beef with Yorkshire Pudding and broccoli and cheese

Inside the pub at The Kings Head Inn

In the line to buy a souvenir at Diddly Squat

Diddly parking lot in what the workers described as a pretty slow day, amazing how popular it is

Entrance to Christ Church

Dining Hall at Oxford University

The Grand Staircase at OU

A memorial garden on the CC/OU grounds

OU Tom Tower

Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral

Peckwater Quad

Tom Quad and Tower

The outskirts of most British towns have, and provide notice of, crematoriums, and in this case, a cemetery

The GS felt very secure and protected in this parking space

Our tracker map for Great Britain.  We will cross the English Channel into "The Continent" in 3 days on Friday