chris846 wrote:Folks, there's only one midge repellant, and it's not even a midge repellant. It's made by Avon (yep, the 'soap on a rope' people) and it's called 'Skin So Soft'. Order a sh*t load, and take it with you. Google it.

The reviews sound genuine...wards off the pesky blood suckers and leaves you with a lovely soft, fragrant moisturised skin! The only Avon product I've tried are bike tyres - the only way they help with biting insects is by allowing me to go much faster than the critters can fly.

Heading to Italy again this year, but taking three weeks.
1st 10 days are with Overlanders (www.overlanders.ie) who ship the bike to Bologna and then we do Tuscany and Corsica with 10 other bikes.  We then leave the (organised) trip and head up to the lakes and alps, to catch some of the things we didn't have time to do last year, e.g. Isola Bella, and the Stelvio pass.

Then ship the bike back from Memmingen (with Overlanders as well).

Hope to repeat some of the highlights of last year in the lakes.  It was a cracking holiday, and my first in Italy.

Ciaran wrote:

yamaguzzi wrote:With any luck I'll be heading out west on a 3 month journey on my K100. The route hasn't been decided yet  but I will be hitting British Columbia , West coast of US Arizona  ,across the south with a stop at the Barber  Moto Sports Complex for the vintage  thing in early October then towards home in New York up thru the Smokies

sounds like a real adventure.Make sure You dont scrimp when packing.

I always pack light . Can't you tell that from the photo. Come on,look at those families in Thailand on a 50cc with the wife ,3 kids and the family pig strapped to the front fender.If they can do that I can bring all my junk

Born Again Eccentric wrote:

chris846 wrote:Folks, there's only one midge repellant, and it's not even a midge repellant. It's made by Avon (yep, the 'soap on a rope' people) and it's called 'Skin So Soft'. Order a sh*t load, and take it with you. Google it.

The reviews sound genuine...wards off the pesky blood suckers and leaves you with a lovely soft, fragrant moisturised skin! The only Avon product I've tried are bike tyres - the only way they help with biting insects is by allowing me to go much faster than the critters can fly.

I was watching you-tube videos on northern Scotland and the narrator kept saying about the midges and I tough to my self they cant be that bad and then he cut to a clip of him with a swarm in front of his face. I went straight onto gearbest and purchased a midge head net also I will have deet 70% which I have found to be good.

Corkboy wrote:Heading to Italy again this year, but taking three weeks.
1st 10 days are with Overlanders (www.overlanders.ie) who ship the bike to Bologna and then we do Tuscany and Corsica with 10 other bikes.  We then leave the (organised) trip and head up to the lakes and alps, to catch some of the things we didn't have time to do last year, e.g. Isola Bella, and the Stelvio pass.

Then ship the bike back from Memmingen (with Overlanders as well).

Hope to repeat some of the highlights of last year in the lakes.  It was a cracking holiday, and my first in Italy.

Had looked at doing something similar,Italy is amazing good weather,good food ,History and culture.Enjoy.

Great way for you northern Europeans to get to Italy is a ferry to Santander or similar, ride the spine of the fantastic Pyrenees and then a ferry from Barcelona to Rome.

BobT wrote:Great way for you northern Europeans to get to Italy is a ferry to Santander or similar, ride the spine of the fantastic Pyrenees and then a ferry from Barcelona to Rome.

Yes, we've done Northern Spain a few times, either riding down, getting the ferry, or shipping the bike. I'd agree, cracking riding once you get there.

The limiting factor for me, or anyone else in Ireland, is the amount of holidays I get, and how many of them I'm willing to use up either sitting on motorways, or sitting in a ferry. Whichever way you cut it, its a minimum of 4 days to get to either Spain or Italy and back, and I'm not willing to use four of my 24 days doing that.

That's why Overlanders are so successful. Pack your bike, give it to them, and fly to meet it either in Bilbao, Malaga, Memmingen, or Bilbao.  Then after a few hours on a plane, it's on with the gear and off on the good roads. And spending those four days up the mountain roads.

Just pointing out an option, not saying that it would suit everyone.

BobT wrote:Just pointing out an option, not saying that it would suit everyone.

It's a good option, especially now that there is a ferry running from Ireland to Santander (you would have to go through England before). I actually live 10 minutes from the ferry terminal.

I hadn't thought of getting a ferry from Barcelona to Rome, but that's a great idea.

For the first part of my annual holiday, like every year, I will ride to the Croatian Adriatic Sea coast (The Land of 1000 Islands) - Dalmatia with its awesome views.

For the 2nd part I was considering finally making a trip to Montenegro - long postponed as the roads between Bosnia-Herzegovina and N of Montenegro are in a pretty bad shape. To visit Europe's deepest canyon - that of River Tara with its famous bridge:



And after that riding down the serpentines to Bay of Kotor, Mediterranean's only fjord...





Tarik from Sarajevo

Looks awesome ffbikersa. 

Enjoy the rides and then post up some pictures and a tale of your journey so it can be enjoyed from afar. Just hope you don't get caught behind a convoy of camper vans on the serpentines. I think I would ride down them and up them as well - you get a totally different perspective riding each way.

Born Again Eccentric wrote:Looks awesome ffbikersa. 

Enjoy the rides and then post up some pictures and a tale of your journey so it can be enjoyed from afar. Just hope you don't get caught behind a convoy of camper vans on the serpentines. I think I would ride down them and up them as well - you get a totally different perspective riding each way.

It increased my appetite to make thi drive while I watched this program on motorcycle journeys at Italian TV - the serpentines to Lovcen NP can be seen from min 16:00:

http://diedokusthedocumentarieslesdocumentaires.web.tv/video/dreams-road-05112011-montenegro-e-croazia__wzxvaicnbzi

I just ride 5 miles to the ferry for France......on a Saturday afternoon.......Sunday evening I hit my destination down near Bordeaux. I love the ride down the west side of France, it's part of the holiday.

I have only once in my life gone on holidays by plane......guess I am too old now to change my ways.....

Ciaran wrote:

Born Again Eccentric wrote:

chris846 wrote:Folks, there's only one midge repellant, and it's not even a midge repellant. It's made by Avon (yep, the 'soap on a rope' people) and it's called 'Skin So Soft'. Order a sh*t load, and take it with you. Google it.

The reviews sound genuine...wards off the pesky blood suckers and leaves you with a lovely soft, fragrant moisturised skin! The only Avon product I've tried are bike tyres - the only way they help with biting insects is by allowing me to go much faster than the critters can fly.

I was watching you-tube videos on northern Scotland and the narrator kept saying about the midges and I tough to my self they cant be that bad and then he cut to a clip of him with a swarm in front of his face. I went straight onto gearbest and purchased a midge head net also I will have deet 70% which I have found to be good.

Midgies are evil …. we stopped on the Applecross Pass once to take photos and the nasty little sods came through the helmet vents to bite …. Avon Skin so soft is awesome and keeps the hideous creatures away

I always pack light . Can't you tell that from the photo. Come on,look at those families in Thailand on a 50cc with the wife ,3 kids and the family pig strapped to the front fender.If they can do that I can bring all my junk

YG I have to find my ole' sea-bag and join you on a journey