Travel pages

To England Last week we were watching TV and saw "Postman Pat" a children program about a postman in the English countryside. Then we got the idea that it would be nice to visit my uncle and aunt in England to see the countryside for real. Saturday, August 25, we left home with Erika and Sjoerd our son in the sidecar. Via the 'Zeelandbridge" and after a short stop at a gasstation, we arrived in Middelburg. In restaurant "De Burcht van Antwerpen" we had coffee and at a bakershop we bought some bread that we ate in a park near the center of Middelburg. After Erika gave our son a clean diaper, we left Middlburg and rode to Vlissingen to visit our friends, Bart and Marjan. restaurant "De Burcht van Antwerpen" After a nice supper with our friends, we left and went to the ferry port, just outside Vlissingen. It was just a few minutes from where our friends lived. At half past nine we went past the passport control. At the port, I had a chat with an English biker on a BSA A10 chopper. He gave me some ideas for my own BSA A10 chopper that I am building. Interesting. When we boarded the ferry, a crewmember told Erika that she could already go to our hut with our little boy but we wanted to go together and he slept anyway. Most of the time Erika is in the sidecar, he fals asleep as soon as I start the bike. I tied the bike so it was safe on the cardeck and then we went to our hut. We asked for a crib for Sjoerd and when we were sure he was asleep, we went to the cafeteria to get something to eat and drink. After we checked if Sjoerd was still asleep, we explored the ship. In one of the shops in the ship, we bought some sweets and drinks and then we went to our hut (number 320) and just relaxed and after a while, we went to sleep. Meanwhile the ferry had left the port of Vlissingen and we were on our way to Sheerness in England. Sundaymorning at seven in the morning we arrived in the port of Sheerness in England, left the ferry, past through customs and were, on the left side of the road, on our way to High Hurstwood. The ferry in the port of Sheerness Via Maidstone, Tonbridge, Royal Tonbridge Wells and Crowborough we arrived at Stonehouse Farm in High Hurstwood and had breakfast with my family there.

It was Sunday so after breakfast we came with my uncle and aunt to church in Uckfiled but halfway the service, when there was a coffee break, Erika and I left the church because we had our one year old Sjoerd with us and he was not quiet enough for the church. With our BMW we drove to the center of Uckfield and left it on a parking lot. We walked through Uckfield with Sjoerd in the stroller. In a videostore with a jukebox with good music, we had a coffee and a warm donut. Here I am walking with Sjoerd in the stroller After a while we assumed the chuchservice would be finished so we went back to Stonehouse Farm and spend some time at the farm. Erika watching the cows In the evening, most of the members of the church came to the farm to have supper with the whole group. After a long and interesting day, it was time to go to sleep. The next day, monday, I wanted to show Erika the famous seaside resort Eastbourne, on the South coast of England. Via Uckfield, Upper Dicker, Seafort and Beachy Head we drove to Eastbourne. My plan was to have lunch at a "Little Chef" but it was so crowded that we drove on and had an icecream on a viewpoint on the cost. An icecream van and our BMW on the viewpoint We love icecream and Sjoerd is just like his parents....... He needed a little help from his mother but he enjoyed his icecream. An icecream for Sjoerd Refreshed by the icecream we drove on to Beachy Head. The sky was not very clear so the view was a little disapointing but the cliffs were impressive anyway. Erika on the edge.... ... and looking at this. From Beachy head we drove to Eastbourne. We parked the bike and walked along the boulevard, watched the pier and ate Fish and Chip (and it tasted better then we expected). After some more sightseeing the weather was getting less warm and a hard wind started to blow so we went back to the BMW and drove back to the farm. In High Hurstwood they had had some rain but we were lucky. We had a nice supper with my uncle and aunt and had a nice evening chatting with them at the farm house.