Jules Bike Blog

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2008-01-19T12:45:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately we haven't been out on our bikes since September '07 because of problems insuring our bikes here in France. Bit of a long story but this has been an on-going problem since arriving here and trying to get our bikes registered here.

There's basically different problems with each bike - the Hayabusa because it's too powerful (the engine power or size is over France’s limit – 106 CV or 78 KW. The motorcycle is 128.7 KW) and the Honda because a CBR400RR was never imported into France and therefore not recognised. We could take the Hayabusa and get it restricted at a Suzuki dealers here but it would cost over 1000 euros and the Honda would need to go to a testing centre near Paris again costing anything upto 1000 euros. I did manage to get UK insurance on the bikes last year that gave 12 months European cover but that's now expired and anyway would mean taking the bikes back to the UK every year for MOT's.

The bikes are now under wraps in the barn and we have finally given-up and intend to take them back to the UK at the end of this year to sell them. We will then buy French bikes and hopefully get back in the saddles.

Les Eyzies & Domme ... again!

2007-06-01T20:01:00.000+02:00

Sorry about not posting for ages but we've both been working like crazy trying to get our 3rd gite up and running in time for some August bookings. Oh the joys of plasterboarding - some days I really miss working in an air conditioned office... but then I remember Monday morning blue's!!!

Anyway, we've just said goodbye to our latest guests and I must say we were very sorry to see them go. Phil & Lynne arrived on Saturday 19th May on their BMW bike (Sorry can't remember model - typical woman, I just look at colour) and we hit it off straight away. They had a pretty good week where the weather was concerned and even managed to get in the pool a couple of times. We spent Wednesday with them and went out on the bikes to see some sites (our friends Gail & Mike came too), we ended up going to Les Eyzies for lunch (very nice too) and then on to Domme. Like us they were very impressed although I promise we'll go somewhere different next trip out.

We've been meaning to go to Rocamadour for ages and I think that'll be our next trip out - we've heard some really good reports about the place. We've got no guests in next week so shall be cracking on with work on gite 3 but hope to get at least 1 day out of the bikes. Looking at the write-ups on Rocamadour it looks like this time of year is probably the best time to go - just before all the tourists flock in. Watch this space...

Les Eyzies & Domme

2006-10-29T14:56:00.000+01:00

We've been to the UK for the last 7 days or so, here's a piccie of the bikes on the way up to the ferry ports.. .

We tried Speedferries for the crossing this time using their only route - Boulogne to Dover. Although they were cheap, by the time we'd done the extra mileage up to Boulogne we probably didn't save anything. Think we'll try LD Lines next time going for the Le Havre - Portsmouth crossing.
Anyway, it was good to see everyone again to catch up on all the gossip which of course just had to be at the local indian restaurant... Our mates know us too well and Nige had booked the table for Monday night. Just the first stop for junk food whilst back in the UK. Although I've now done a few of my own indian curry recipes it's just never the same as the real thing. Now all we've got to sample is fish & chips, Kentucky fried chicked and proper chineese ... definately going to have to go on a diet when we get back to France.

We decided to head back on the Sunday even though rain was predicted. Nigel's tip to get some of the disposable gloves supplied at most petrol stations was a good idea for putting under our gloves. We should have took our wet suits but stupidly decided to 'travel light'. Oh well, all back in one piece.
We spent the next few days recovering but not for too long. The weather down here in SW France is amazing for October. Just had to get back out on the bikes so we went out for the day on Saturday with our mates Gail & Mike (on their new Pan Euro) and checked out some local tourist hot spots... not just for the scenery, the roads are absolutely fantastic. This is part of the reason for moving to France.

Les Eyzies-de-Taya - The worlds capital of Prehistory! Taking the D710 and D47 out of Perigueux (stunning scenery of rolling hills dotted with woodland and farms, crossed by tumbling streams). As I was saying the roads here are perfect for biking - nice and twisty mixed with wide stretched out bends that you can see all the way around and some fast straights... must do this again soon. We reached the village of Les Eyzies where the Vézère and Beune rivers meet the Dordogne. A 'single street village' totally dominated by the massive, pale limestone cliffs. The National Museum of Prehistory is guarded by Cro-Mignon man.
We had a walk down by the river and then had lunch in one of the local restos, seen in this piccie... as you can see it's a beautiful day for October.

Very reasonable prices and good food. The town gets very busy in the main summer months but at this time of year it's perfect...

Domme - The Acropolis of the Dordogne. We took the D706 out of Les Eyzies passing through Campagne & St-Cyprien, then along the D703 turning right just after Beynac to arrive at Domme. Riding up the one way road you enter the village/Bastide through one on the original thirteenth-Century gateways which make up the old wall. The village stands majestically atop sheer cliffs and offers the most amazing views of the entire valley. Again it tends to get overcrowded in peak summer months.

Well, that's about it for this weekend. We had an absolutely smashing day with Mike & Gail and will be doing some more sightseeing on the bikes over the next few weeks. Although we've got loads of work to be done on the next gite we've promised ourselves at least one day a week we'll be getting out on the bikes. So, if you fancy a biking holiday in France we'll be able to point you in the right direction for 'ride-outs' and some fantastic sight seeing all of course whilst stopping in our lovely gites. If you want to know more about any of the places we've visited today or in the future I've been picking-up plenty of leaflets for further information about the places.

Oh one last thing... I wasn't going to tell anyone this but as a warning to all bikers here in France we have the dreaded 'island diesel spills' just like home. Unfortunately on the way back home I got caught out...

Can only guess that some stupid driver had forgotten to put the cap back on their fuel tank and this is the result. Why me arghhhh??? There were no warning signs, I know I should have realised, I mean it was a lovely dry day, I just thought "that's strange, it's been raining here", and then too late I hit the deck. You could smell it once I'd got up and recovered. It looked like they'd tried to clean it up with water but obviously not good enough. I'm really pissed off about it. When we got home Jeff stripped the bike down and got to work on the sunday checking out the damage. Looks like I'll need a new air duct and cover as that's smashed, the fairings are salvagable (just can't afford new ones right now) and lots of rubbing down and polishing of exhaust and other bits. Here's what it looked like today... arhh

In the words of the bionic man "we can rebuild him, we have the technology", or at least Jeff has, he reckons we'll be back! Tarra for now folks and take care out on them roads.

Riberac & Brantome

2006-10-12T20:15:00.000+02:00

Just a quick post before we head off back to the UK for a week... This photo was taken in Riberac this afternoon outside the Café des Collones having a quick coffee with our good freinds Mike & Gail. I'll edit this post at a later date when I have more time with more info about Riberac. We then headed to Brantôme, a 22km ride (short but sweet) along the beautiful twisty road following the river Dronne. Brantôme is normally very busy in the summer months with tourists but nice and quiet today. It's also known as the Venice of the Perigord due to it being surrounded by the River. It's a very picturesque town only 22km from our place. There's an excellent market held here every Friday morning.

In front of the Abbey

Also part of the Abbey buildings make up the Hotel-de-ville, magistrature and schools.

The Dronne looking down to the weir, I'll get some better pictures next time we go!

That's it for today I'm afraid.

Back to Biking

2006-10-09T19:49:00.000+02:00

We've had the bikes back on the road for about a month now. Been out on a couple of ride out's, just the two of us but soon there'll be more and more of us. Mine is the Honda CBR400RR know as a 'babyblade' and Jeff's is the Suzuki Hayabusa.

We're both really excited about the next couple of weeks as our friends Mike and Gail have just bought themselves another bike. A Pan European, here it is...

About us

2006-10-09T12:38:00.000+02:00

We are Jeff & Julie Plowman.

After spending the last 10 years renovating Lower Cliff Cottage in Rugeley, Staffs we decided enough was enough. Jeff had been working for an engineering company for the previous 10 years and it was getting more and more stressfull. We'd been talking about moving out of the UK for a number of years and after spending our latest holidays touring France on motorbikes we decided France it is!!!

How we came to live in France
We told my parents what we were intending to do, they loved the idea so much they decided to come with us. We started to look at the Charente region of France and booked to view a few properties via the net. Anyway to cut a long story short all those properties were awful, we ended up in Riberac in the Dordogne and going via a French Estate Agent found La Treille...

The house was perfect, big enough for both us and my parents, it had a separate large barn with CU ready to convert to gites and plenty of garden to put a decent size pool but not too much land as to be a burden. We actually rented the house for the first couple of weeks whilst waiting for the final comprimis to be sorted but as soon as it was we all got to work.
First job was to put the pool in ready for the summer. We knew we'd need it after a hard days work renovating. Unfortunately before the pool was completed my parents decided to go back to the UK. We obviously stopped here and carried on with the work on the gites.

2 years later and we're open for business. We managed to get 12 weeks bookings for the 2006 summer season. Here's a piccie of inside the first gite.