So the next leg was on a 777 and I managed to get premium economy class. I am actually writing this somewhere mid Atlantic...and the horizon is just starting to lighten.... and of course no sleep I did try.... and the cool thing is that they really did a great job with the seats and set up. Lots of room and almost biz class serve....even get a hot towel service and the socks .... which I have never seen anyone wear...even got the toothbrush kit. Definitely making the trip more agreeable. I also did a wee good deed as a couple had split seats so they asked if I would trade and I did.....next thing I got a couple of big pouches one was full of nuts the other chocolate raisins. My ride buddy is very pleasant also....we were delayed a bit taking off but I've no other connectors so no worries....anyhoo...so far so good. I just hope I don't get b*****ed when the sun comes up...and the horizon is getting brighter by the minute.  
So as expected as the sun went up I got the dozies eyes felt like they had sand paper for lids....but it looked bright out below and soon enough we were on the ground. Remember how I had given up me seat....well the gal wandered back to my seat and then gently dropped an onboard duty free bag on me lap...a 40 of rum....how did she know? Very cool, she really appreciated what I did. That's cool how a simple gesture can makes someone's day like that.   
Carry on was getting heavier...Now its nice to use the new terminal two but friggggg it was a marathon distance to get to customs. Just seemed to power walk forever...I was sweating when I finally got there...all sweaty n breathing hard....first question soooo why ya so nervous.....ack this is gunna be fun. I managed to get the words Frig....pant...what .....pant...dumbass.....thought .... pant ... this... pant .... out....I....pant ... think....pant...heart.....pant....attack....grabbed me chest.... pant....liable.....pannt pannt.... he didn't like the last bit lol.  
 
Either way I got me composure back enough to attempt the grilling. So where are you staying....I am not...just grabbing a bike and going to France...prove it.....uhhhhhhhh crap....then the gods smiled...in my hasty pack session I thought I should print out me Chunnel tickets....and I did and I remembered to pack it. One glance....then he is my buddy....talks my ear off about bikes. I could hear the feet tapping behind me and hot stares on the back of me head...seems the line up was getting restless.then he with a wave of his hand said I was good to go.
 
Both me bags were waiting on the carousel....wahooo I had arrived. Found a sim card.... not easy I might add...the bloody choices are silly and they don't give enough info for an educated decision so I went "eny miny moo".... "3" turned out to be the winner. Must say simm cards are cheap. Now time to find a taxi....and it was simple....and I got a cool driver.  
He talked my ear off....and he is a big fan of TopGear....he lives just down the road from the test track....he has met them all and been on show. Too Cool...so he gave me the 411 and a few pointers like to see Leeds Castle as it was on the way to the Chunnel. Its a long taxi ride I managed to get me simm card working....just in time as we stopped at the shop.
 
Mike was waiting for me and and the bike was good to go. Seems the guy that just had it laid it down so it has a bit of cosmetics damage but nothing major. So Mike talked me head off....I was trying to pack up and go but needed to chat for a while and did....was still feeling groggy too and finally after changing and getting the GPS and sound in the helmet set up I was good to go albeit a lot delayed. No time to check out TopGear now....so decided to just head for the Chunnel.
 
Well holy moly is that bike a lot heavier than mine....and holy moly does it howl when it revs. It has a sensitive throttle a lil twist and it just snarls. I think its 175 hp..... sounds impressive. 6 cylinder is not a twin that is for sure. So my plan is to give it a good assessment compared to mine.  

 Well right out of the gate I determined its super hard to back up....and lil tricky getting the clutch feel so I end up blipping it when I do not intend to. The folks around me think I want to race..... last thing on my mind.....I am actually trying to remember which way around the traffic circles ... with that I was off. GPS knew where I just had to work the how. Took it easy for a while and watched how the other guys were filtering their bikes and off I went that all took about 3 blocks lol. So I got the feel for the bike and it is not as nimble as mine. Rides nice and it has so much torque you can start in 5th....its like an automatic....sheesh.  

 The drive is pretty stop and go...lot of turns ..... lot of filtering....cuts the time in half I think. Finally I think I was out of the city on an Mway. This is where the bike really shows its jam. It passes with ease thats for sure. It was super windy out and its protection is not as good as the RT. So I was gettin used to it and I saw a sign to Leeds castle...took a look at the clock and figured what the heck.
 
Found the parking lot....and woke everybody up as I ended up almost getting stuck....I was heading down hill to make a tight turn and not enough room.....I could not back it up for the life of me. Somewhere in the process my hand slipped on the throttle....well that sure woke up the locals. I finally managed with some shred of dignity to get her parked and troddled off to the castle. Seems it was medieval days ... big party.  

Well this place exudes calmness....lush green ducks walk up to you...swans swim up to you...squirrels want to chat with you...its like a disney movie. Either way its a walk to get to the area of the Medieval displays and the castle...I managed to arrive as the power display was starting. They had a bunch of Longbowman ready to fire....at this point the Earl of Nottingham starts to fill the crowd in on the scenario and had a big longbow in his hand and starts to say how hard it is to pull them....and then he looks at me.....walked up and says now here is a big lad...lets let him try...crap....I asked if he was calling me fat....got a chuckle but he was still intent on me trying. So he shoved it in me hand and with all eyes staring I, in me best robin hood poise....put the bow to the front and commenced to pulling the string.....yupppppp that bow is on steroids no doubt.  

Well I got it to about 1 inch shy of my ear...the parking spot.....and it stopped moving....so did my arms......I grinned a bit and pulled the reserve....and that dam string did not move another nanometer.....right about here the muscle quivers began. In my mind...don't let eem see ya sweat....I had to figer a way to give it up before me muscles ripped from their tendons. So I slowly let the string back....not sure if the crowd saw me vibrating.... I think it was around 60k hz...... so maybe not....omg...felt that one.....the earl gave me an attaboy and I got a couple claps..heard some lil kid...dad...why's he so weak? Could not punch him (arm was too spent) so only grinned. Only consolation no one got it near the ear... 
 
So it was cool to watch them shoot then they broke out the cannons....holy KABOOM batman. Loud.....and the echo off the castle really added to the effect. Quick time check and it was time to go so I wandered back to the bike....and hit the Mway....windy and then the rain started...so had to put on the gear. The rest of the ride to the chunnel was easy...good signage. ... and its super easy. You get a letter in this case...H...you can go inside and they announce letters and when its called you can go to your vehicle and proceed to the train. So I get in line...and drive on a train...kinda weird to drive a long way in a training but eventually the car in front of me stopped and that's my que to park the bike with no tie downs. the doors close and we slowly proceed to get going. I just sprawled out on the floor as I had nothing better to do. Almost nodded off and felt the train slowing....and we were in France. Too easy doors opened and off we went.
   
Roads are different and you drive on the normal side. Wasn't sure about filtering so figured I would wait till I saw some to know. Well opportunity knocked...got in a traffic jam on the freeway....I waited and heard a growl of a Ducati behind me....and the dude was whittling his way around the cars no holds barred....and some cars even moved over. So off I went....went around 10 kms of traffic jam...felt good. Next thing I knew I was in Dunkirk.  
Too cool...I wanted to find the evacuation beaches so off I went....

 I ended up in the center of town....and I see this really cool church all shot up and a memorial. I pull on the sidewalk and am trying to sort myself....and I am swiveling me head a bit and I felt a presence. I looked to my left...and there is a city bus stopped in the lane....its full and there is a line of cars behind it.... and the driver is reaching out through his partially open window towards me giving a massive thumbs up and grinning from ear to ear....I look around...and back and he is still there.....and he is looking at me his thumb waving all over the place. So I give him a nod and a helmet grin. He slowly drives off thumb still up. So got to thinking....I got a Canada flag sticker on me helmet...he would have seen it with all the rubber necking I was doing..that's got to be it. Tres cool if that's the case.....maybe I will get some free beer out of this.
 
So the church was full of bullet holes and looked like it had seen better days....evidence of what had happened there....off I went....and I found the beaches....hard to believe what happened there (evacuation of the British expeditionary force while being bombarded by the Germans). So I just took it in....and eventually .... it was time to go. Need to find me hotel.  

The ride to Ypres was interesting...soon as I hit Belgium.....the roads got way better and it just got cleaner. So was driving along the sun was getting low and there it was...a large Commonwealth memorial on the side of the road. I stopped to take a look and all the markers were from WWI and there were a lot of em..... Hopped on the bike again after paying respects and ended up seeing a Canadian memorial sign...so pulled in.  

 It was John McCrae's bunker where he wrote In Flanders field, very cool so I wandered around. I went into one of the bunkers and it was cool on the back walls was a memorial to Canada, caused time to pause. Then off I went......I managed to find Ypres (Ieper in flemish).
WOW......hard to believe this town was obliterated. They rebuilt it totally and if you didn't know.....you probably wouldn't except for all the memorials...and graves.......found me first pub in front of the Flanders Fields museum.....omg...Belgium beer in Belgium rocks...it is sooooooo good. I won't ramble and off I went and tripped on Menin gate. Just in time for the Last Post ceremony.
 
It was packed and quite amazing....lasted longer than I would have thought but there were trumpet players, a choir, and a marching pipe band. It was quite moving how they do it and it has been done almost without interruption every night at 8 pm for 100 years. The number of names on the walls is staggering. This was the gate they all marched through to the front line. For those that don't know Ypres had several major battles during the war and it was a salient...like a large bump sticking into the German lines it never fell to the Germans came close but never fell. It had been shelled almost to oblivion.
 
I walked the memorial....until it was time to go to find me hotel, It was a quiet ride....but I found it in Menin...just down the road. It was very quiet....no one on the streets. Checked in unloaded.......and I needed to find some food.....a long walk later I found a Flemish restaurant...and had me a Flemish steak and....a local beer or two.....omg again good stuff. I think everything comes with fries here...and no ketchup or mayo......good fries though....burped....and headed to the room....and it was crash time....I would have to break out the fingers and toes to see how long I had been up so far.