Motortour 2005!!!!!

Finally, after 9 months without a motorbike, we were back in Holland for a full month!!
A month of bikes, babies, beer and good food.
On Friday morning we left for the Belgium Ardennes from Vught (Anne's parents) with 10 people on seven bikes. Martijn en Simone, Martijn II, Maarten en Pascal, Lennaert, Ron en Wendy, Anne-Marieke en me on a mixed collection of bikes, from street racer to big all road and tour to all-round. After hours over smaller roads, through the south of Holland and north of Belgium, we finally reached Luik (liege) at around 4 o'clock.

Luik is a little bit of a maze... just a little bit.... so who knows how to get through town, and get back on the highway???? Yes we all know when we come from the 'normal' route.... but we didn't did we....
So at 5 we finally found ourselves back on track, into the highway through the hills strait to Achouffe!!! But hang on, the shops close at 6!!! How about the Belgium beer for when we arrive!!!
This must have been the thing on Lennaert's mind, so he signalled to me, that he was off, and he opened the throttle on his big former police bike and was gone, a few tried to keep us for a while, but after a real police bike came into the picture Len was on his own.

After a bit more than an hour, we all arrived at our destination, a wood hut, with burning wood fire, in the middle of the Belgium woods, just outside Houffalize, welcomed by a big smiling Lennaert with a few cold bottles of Achouffe!!!! Thanks Lennaert’s!!! After a full day on the bike, it was the best glass of beer we had in a long time!
Although they spend a day on the bikes themselves, Simone and Martijn managed to make us a wonderful dinner, after which we ended up in the local hotel/pub for some more of the Belgium delight. (beer that is...)

That morning, we were still coming to live with coffee and fresh bread and Arden ham, bought early in the morning by Len and Martijn again, who drove to Houffalize while everybody else was still in bed dreaming about hobbits and gnomes, when we heard some running BMW engines in the garden, when Koos and Marise arrived.
They had left the north of Holland at around 7 in the morning to be in time for our first motor tour of the day!
So after Koos and Marise had warmed up a bit with some coffee, it was riding-time!!!

Lead by Len, we took of for a trip through the Belgium landscape, nice corners, little villages, and sometimes an empty piece of road where you could open up the throttle. When we arrived back at the houses Bart, Renske, Giel, Laurine and Neeltje had just arrived by car. And where already busy walking, moutainbiking or just chilling out.

Later that afternoon after a quick coffee a couple of die-hards stepped on their bikes again for a late afternoon trip just to get it out of our system.... We ended up at lots and lots of dirt and gravel roads, not really a problem for Koos and me on our big off-roads, a bit a problem for the all-roaders, but harder for Martijn and Maarten on the racers......hahahahaha

After a good meal and a few beers at the local bar, the next morning very early, Renske, Bart, Maarten and Pascal (did I forget anyone) went for a little morningmotortrip, just to arrive back when the majority got their morning coffee.

Early that afternoon, the first few left for Holland again, the once left went cycling or riding the bikes. The motor trip led us through Belgium a Luxembourg for well over 5 hours, with a small break for bite to eat and a coffee. The roads in Luxembourg are great!!!!!!!!! Great tarmac, lots of twists and turns, sometimes slower tight corners, but also lots of fast and very fast ones!!!!!!!!!!!! wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

That night a brilliant meal at hour local hotel/restaurant, to leave to Holland again 'early' in the morning. Koos and Marise left to take the highway back, Martijn, Simone, Anne-Marieke and me had some more time, so we took the inside little roads. 7 hours later we arrived exhausted and with a wooden ass back in Vught. (Martijn and Simone had another hour to go..)

All in all a very pleasant weekend, of which I have very good memories and would like to do again as soon as possible.
Lennaert, thanks for organizing the houses and the trip, Simone and Martijn for spoiling us with great food, and everybody else for turning up, it meant a lot to us that all our friends were there!

P.S. If you have any pictures of the weekend, please email them to sebastiensam@yahoo.com