been some time since I have been in here as have been very busy trying to complete my Series Three Land Rover for a trip to the Alps, and, well, failed to get it done in time 
however, last minute thing I threw all my kit on the R11S and took that instead with the Land Rovers
Anyhoo left Dover at midnight and by 20:00 the next day we were down at Lyon having melted through the day, next day down to Val D'Isere for a 4x4 show and camped there for the night.
Next day up the Col D'Isere and got me first alpine pass out the way:
down the other side and as we were going up the next pass for Susa, we peeled off and went up a dirt track for 10 miles from 2kft to 6kft, at which point it got very rough and the clutch was starting to smell on the R11S and we put it to one side and did the rest of the track in the landies, what a rough ar$e
They then went onto another track and I did the road down to Susa and met them at a campsite their Oulx called Grand Bosco, highly recommended as it's tenting, caravaning, 4x4, motorcycle, whatever you bring and excellent facilities!
next day into Bardonnochia where I got a new rear tyre as the old one got a little knackered by the heat of the roads heading down, we went up and over a pass to the south and finished off by camping by a river for the night to the east of Gap by about 40 miles
The rest of the troop:
NExt day up the Col D'Bonette for some twisty fun and playing with the Swiss and German riders, all very friendly, unike the riders in this country
Next day down to Monte Carlo, no parking for the Landies and after an hour of searching and me melting since it was a good 42C air temp we gave up and headed over the boarder again to San Remo and swam in the med there.
At 15:00 I left the landies as they were going to be going up into the hills, did Sisteron, Gap, Grenobles, Lyon by midnight, two hour kip break, Dijon by 07:00, Calais by 11:00, home in Amesbury by 16:00. 950 miles in 26 hours
Anyhoo, don't think I'd do it like that again, the tracks definately required a trials bike for the one's we did, GPS is a must (blimming Lyon and it's dodgy signs), oh, and the seat aint comfortable after a few hundred miles at 60mph since in a convoy
Can justify owning my BMW now that I done me first European trip
