Getting onto my bike without the weight of a fully loaded tank bag, top box and panniers as well as with Sheila perched on the pillion seemed so very different from the past two weeks that I have spent on the continent for a 1,906 mile biking holiday to the Enzian Hotel in Landeck, Austria.

Crossing from Newhaven by LD Lines to Le Havre, provided our first little bit of excitement. They would not open the unloading ramp as the Port of Le Havre was on strike ! It took 15 mins of argument by irate car drivers before the ramps were lowered.

We, together with just one other bike, followed a couple of caravans and cars until progress through the Port came to a sudden halt as the road was blocked by a row of policemen with their backs to us.

We bikers made our way top the front of the queue and also stopped. A brief word to the police by our fellow biker resulted in a small gap appearing through which we both sped. Ahead of us stood a row of striking Customs officers, placards and banners held up in the sunshine. Our fellow biker zoomed one way and I took another between two concrete bollards almost knocking over a fragile young lady holding a board in front of her. We now realised that we were going out the `In`, but undaunted we zoomed between the fences and found our way out of the port, Austria here we come.

The Garmin took us 80 miles straight to the door of our first pre-booked hotel, I would never have found it by map as it was tucked way down a little lane on the outskirts of Vernon. Riding through France is always a pleasure, as I love their roads far more than their Wine, Women or Music. In Switzerland the Garmin led us through Zurich with so many turns and forks that my head was spinning, but without a pause we continued on our way to Landeck where we were booked in with 38 other CSMA bikers at a real bikers Hotel for 7 days. The Hotel was wonderful with good rooms, great food, superb staff and the ever enthusiastic owner Klaus who would do anything to help. He led us out on a few runs, one over the Stelvio Pass in Italy with its 48 hairpins bends. At 2757 m it is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and ranks the 4th highest paved road in the Alps. A bikers heaven, if ever there was one.

The FJR with Sheila on the back handled beautifully with plenty of power on hand as we followed Klaus up the pass. I lost count after 27 hairpins. The snow lay deep at the top as the pass had only been opened 2 days before. Lunch was enjoyed in the open air before the exciting ride with spectaular views of the road ahead going down the other side of the mountain. Landeck provides an excellent centre for touring, southern Germany, Northern Italy and eastern Switzerland with stunning scenery at almost every turn.

Sheila and I took our time on the ride home stopping first in Switzerland on Lake Lucerne and with two other stops in France before we took the ferry back to Portsmouth and the final long ride of 11 miles home.