Girly car dayz

its been over 10 days since I had Melinda picked up by the breakdown service.
But, I've not let that put an end to my travels.
After picking up the hire car, what a rigmoral.
It took from the early morning till 1900 to get the car sorted, but eventually I Did.
I arrived in Ljubljana a couple of days ago & managed to catch up with an old friend, Tina.
Not before I bumped into Ivan, the crazy Serb-Croat at the bar in the campgrounds.
I just wanted a quick beer before I had dinner and met with Tina.
He called me over to the bar and started buying drinks. He was on white wine, so I had the same.

But wait, let me go back a little. Since I last wrote, I caught up with a few old friends in Kassel,
I attended Thomas' birthday dinner, spent loads of time with Jay.
Rode from Kassel to Trondheim, Norway to begin my FHB-48.
On the way to Trondheim, I was involved in an accident. No damage to Melinda, apart from scratched crash-bars. Guess that's why they're called crash-bars. Can't say the same for the car, though.
Couple o' new doors will fix her up.
Yes, I came off. Yes, I believe the car was at fault.
No, my life didn't flash before my eyes, I was too busy trying to avoid a disaster.
I made it to Trondheim, performed a few minor repairs and rested.
The next day o started my ride, to Fucking, Hell and Bach.
It was pure hell, but worth every butt-numbing kilometre
Around 3,300 km.
and I bloody loved every single one of them.

After completing the FHB-48, I rested. Not before noticing a problem with the front suspension.
I think Melinda developed a leaky fork seal and/or a problem with the front wheel bearings.
Not too sure, the next day I contacted BMW breakdown, they picked the bike up on the Friday and have had it ever since (14/08/2015)
That night I stayed in the Pullman, Toulouse, next day I picked up the gay-girly-fiat 500c in which I'm now travelling and mentioned at the start of this entry.
A bit of a different ride to Melinda, but it has a convertible roof :-)
Next day I headed south to Lagrasse, near Carcassonne.
After that I joined Anna and the kids at La Mole, Katharina's place.
Stayed the night, then we all travelled together to pick up Jay at Nice airport then onto Genoa, Italy.
We all stayed there 3 nights and explored Genoa.
Next, onto Lake Como where we spent 2 nights. Took a boat ride around the lake and a few local towns, Cernobio and Como. Had an awesome lunch together.
The next day we went our separate ways, they headed to Zurich and I, Ljubljana.
I was to meet with an old friend, Tina, in town.
Before that, I met Ivan the crazy Serb-Croat who insisted on buying me drinks in large quantities.
I don't think I was in any fit state when I met up with Tina, but I never am :-)
Next day I headed into the castle and spent the afternoon being entertained by the walking tour. It was informative & fun. That evening I met a young Italian couple travelling by motorcycle travelling through.
Next day, I decided to join the bicycle tour of Ljubljana and met Chris, a retired Emirated Captain. We got on like a house on fire and had similar interests - beer
So, we hit the brewery, ate, took a tour and then proceeded to partake of the amber liquid
We also found a great restaurant and (influenced by beer) decided to travel together for a while.
Tuesday, we headed for Zagreb via Novo Mesto. Novo Mesto gave us nothing more than lunch and we decided to head East, over the border, to Zagreb.
We checked out Zagreb, decided we liked it and had a great time.
Following day we headed to Belgrade. Trying to find a campground here was no easy task. After a 90min border crossing we wanted nothing more than a few beers and a bit to eat. Searching for the campground, we crossed Belgrade 3 times and found 2 camps that either didn't exist or had closed 3-4 years previous. Bugger.
At our 3rd attempt, we were successful, but the entry road didn't look too promising. We arrived there many hours later than planned, but as we had nothing planned, it didn't really matter.
At least the bar was open and Chris had some grub in his van. Dinner was served.
Next day we headed into Belgrade, after a late start.
We had a bit of a look round, some awesome ribs, several beers then decided on a walking tour. The trouble was quite long, the guide knowledgable but a bit long-winded. We then had dinner in "My hat" traditional Serbian fare - absolutely awesome grub. We felt a bit wiped out by the previous days' drinking but nothing a couple more beers couldn't fix.
Finally, we managed to get a train back to the camp, had a goodbye bevvy then the end of the day.
Today we said our goodbyes. Chris is heading into Hungary today, I've decided to head to the Island of Hvar, Croatia. I have a friend down there who invited me a while ago. And I need some beach time.
I don't expect to hear anything about Melinda till Tuesday at the earliest, so a weekend on the island it is.
No real plans except to travel. Truly, I am living the life of Riley.

Moving but standing still...

I find myself still in Kassel. Not that that's such a bad thing, it's only been a couple of weeks and there have been plenty of good times as well as reminiscing.

After landing in Denmark, I rode straight to schwaförden and my mate Michi.
Here, we fit new tyres (12,000km +) it seems that Iceland managed to kill my rear one.
I also was able to perform the service and get Melinda ready for another 10,000-15,000 km around Europe. You may scoff at the big numbers, but to me they are only distractions, markers to be glanced at as they roll by.
The achievement is journey, the destination is mostly only there to give direction and make it easier to explain to others. There is no real destination.
Rambling!!!

Anyway, last weekend was the 30th anniversary of Samhain M/C and I convinced Jay to join me there. He even rode pillion, 254km each way. Quite an achievement for a novice.
From the moment we arrived our proverbial cups overflowed with kindness, friendship and drink. What a night. It's always a good time up with the club. With the good food, good mood, 300-400 bikers, beer, cocktails, camping, ceremonies, shots, fire-breathing strippers, burn-outs, a night to remember.
The next day we returned to Kassel, a little worse for wear & decided to visit the thermal baths for some much needed recovery.  As I learned in Iceland, there is nothing better than swimming, sauna, steam-rooms to help the body and mind heal.

This past week I've been spending some quality time with Jay, Bomb (Anna) and the kids drove to St Tropez last weekend.
I even managed to sit in on Jay's band practice a couple of times and just do normal stuff.

Enough of that.
I've started getting ready for the next phase of my journey.
I shall embark upon my first IBA of 2015. This will be my second attempt of the FHB-48. Hopefully
this time I'll be successful.   The ride: Fucking, Hell and Bach in 48 hours. Over 2000 miles. Last time I started in Bach, France rode across to Fucking, Austria and on to Hell, Norway. This time I shall begin my ride in the north and travel South. After reading a few reviews, this seems the most likely route that will be successful.

So, today I shall wash, pack Melinda, pick up a few supplies, and ready myself.
Another important part of my preparation was to replace the original seat on Melinda. The old one was extremely soft, didn't offer much in the way of support and became uncomfortable very quickly.
I got the name of a guy who reupholsters motorcycle seats from Tobias, a German biker I met in Iceland.
I guess this ride will be the ultimate test.

Tomorrow morning I'll be back on the road again and heading north so I may eventually head South.

Back in Germany.

A total of 3165km in Iceland. Much further than I expected. Plus another 568km on the Faroe Islands.
Once again I was absolutely surprised by what I found on the Faroes, Although completely different to Iceland. In some ways they reminded me of Scotland.

Reykjavik was better than expected.
The first thing I did was visit a trey shop and had my rear tyre professionally repaired. I'd completed over 2177km on my repair but felt now was the time to have it seen to. The information in the repair kit stated no more than 10km and not over 50km/h.
The repair would not have held much longer. And I'd completed several hundred kilometres on gravel/dirt/mud roads. The repairman told me that if a stone had pressed directly on my repair, it could have had bad consequences. Phew!

The campsite was the biggest and best but also the busiest (naturally) it had everything one needed and more. I had decided to stay a couple of nights and maybe get to know the city a little. The campsite was situated next to the swimming pool, this suited me perfectly.

Next day I went for a walk around old Reykjavik. Visited the laundromat for coffee, museum 871 +/- 2, visited same small local markets, met some Vikings fron yorkshire and Iceland, and ended up at the "man cave".
In the man cave, as I was about to head back to the campsite, have dinner & go to bed, I met a great Icelandic couple who joined me and turned it into an awesome evening.
With tales of fishing & working on boats, the hardships & challenges of being a young person on Iceland, relationships etc. not at all what I expected. We talked into the wee small hours but it remained light the whole evening. Much fun & many drinks later, I headed back. Leaving this
amazing city behind.

The next day I headed to the obligatory blue lagoon. Smaller than I expected but relaxing. And exactly what I required after an evening out in Reykjavik. The waters were cloudy but warm, full of minerals and thermal goodness. The saunas were even warmer and perfect for an Icelandic summer's day.
The last few days on Iceland, after Reykjavik were a bit of an anticlimax. I had to travel predominantly on the "1" which did not excite me. But I did get to see the puffins, near Vik, along with more than 24 hours of solid rain. Here I discovered that the floor of my tent was no longer waterproof. And most things became damp. Not too classy in cold conditions.
One of the highlights from the south coast was visiting the Glacier Lagoon. What a totally amazing place. Once again I was blown away.
On my last day's ride in Iceland, i was following the 1 back to Seydisfjördur and my GPS indicated a shortcut (along the 939) which would save me 65km. I decided to take this as both roads were gravel.
After a couple of kilometres I discovered that I had perhaps underestimated the difficulty of my
chosen path. It wasn't 4wd country, but not far from it. The gravel was rough, at times very soft where it had been "repaired", slippery, muddy, loose and went over a 500 metre pass through dense fog.
Every single one of my motorcycling skills were challenged that day.
Later, when people asked me which way I'd ridden, I explained that I'd ridden over the 939 instead of the 1. Most would then take a look at my bike, tyres, the amount of gear that I had, me with disbelief. No way, they wouldn't believe that I'd made it through unscathed.
Sometimes I don't just surprise myself, but others too.

On the trip to the Faroes I met more bikers with tales tall & true. Everyone wanted to share and give/receive advice. It was a real get together. I got off at the Faroes and travelled the next 3 days with a German couple from Bavaria (Martin & Dagmar). Dagmar had broken a bone in her wrist after a tumble and I think they were glad of the company, I know I was. I'd previously met them the day after my puncture. Together we discovered the islands on two bikes (she couldn't ride properly and
was now pillion)

Each day we rode 150-250km. And loved every minute of it. Reaching out of the way places and Tiny villages that seemed to be cut off from the world.
One day, while out riding, we pulled I front of a large (20+) Icelandic & Faroes bikers. I thought this was a cool sight. After a few kilometres, the leader rode up beside me, opened his visor, I thought "oh no" and he invited us for coffee.  When a group of Icelandic/Faroes bikers invite you to coffee, you accept and enjoy their coffee and cake.
The people here are amazingly friendly and open.

After my visit to the islands I had planned to take a ferry to Norway and attempt the FHB-48 again. But by now Melinda needed a service and new tyres. So I decided to head south to visit my mate Michi, get new tyres and service Melinda myself. It's not a difficult thing and I'm learning every day.
I'd also heard from one of the guys who helped with my puncture about a company near Köln called
"alles für'n Arsch" who reupholsters motorcycle seats.   I stayed with Michi a few days, completed said service & tyres. After that I headed back South again to Kassel via Köln and ordered my seat.
I've been here in Kassel for the past week, spending time with Jay, Bomb and the boys. School holidays have begun and we've been having a blast catching up.

Yesterday I rode to Köln and back (588 km) to pick up my seat. I think it's an improvement, I hope so. it certainly gives much more support. I've also decided to invest in a new tent. There is no point in travelling around with a leaky house, I've still almost two months to go and looking out the window I think more rain is on its way.

Well, I think I need a coffee and to say hi to the boys.

Iceland - the north

Truly, I am in awe every single day.
I've spent the past week, or so, travelling across the north of Iceland.
What a totally, amazingly, awesome country.
After travelling through North Iceland, the westfjörds, west Iceland, I now find myself in Reykjavìk.
Aproximately 2350 km so far, phew.

From the first day my abilities were challenged with about 100km of off-road riding.
I've never really learnt to ride enduro, so it was a steep learning curve for me.
But I seem to have pulled it off.  With a couple of small mishaps.
Day one, after an hour or more of gravel road, I got my first puncture.
With help from a couple of German bikers, I managed to repair the tyre and limp 20km to the next campsite. The repair info states no more than 10km and no faster than 50kmh. That would seriously dampen the trip.
But I made it & we all went out for dinner & beers that evening.
Next day, I enquired about having the tyre professionally repaired, the mechanic advised he could do no better than I and my repIr looked good. I had to continue.
I met another couple from Germany & together we travelled the day with no problem.
I enquired with a tyre specialist who agreed that the repair was ok & he wasn't happy to do anything with it.
So I continued, a total of 2177km on the repaired tyre at normal speeds (90kmh)
Arriving in Reykjavìk, I enquired at a 3rd place and they agreed to repair it.
I removed the wheel and when the mechanic took the tyre off he was able to remove my plug easily, guess it was only a matter of time before it came away.

I feel much better now, But can't say that it held me back.
I tackled everything that Iceland threw at me. Dirt, gravel, highway.
I've learnt new riding skills and how to tackle off-road sections.
Although, I did drop Melinda in the middle of a particularly long gravel section.
I decided to stop at an intersection, unsure of the road conditions on the side road.
As I pulled up, the front tyre slid out and down she went.
Luckily I wasn't moving, guess that's why I fitted engine bars etc.   I'd hate to think of the damage without that protection.
My Icelandic journey could have ground to a halt.
As for the damage, some minor scratches to the bars, nothing more.

Since day 2, I've been heading to the swimming pool every day.  Every village & town has one and it seems to be Icelandic custom to go daily. I have totally embraced this and love to relax in the hot tub after a long day's ride. I could get used to this lifestyle.

So, the next few days I shall chill, discover Reykjavìk, relax and plan my return to the ferry in the east - Seydisfjördur.

Last dayz

What a great week it's been.
It started off a bit rough; delayed flight out of nice, missed connection in Gatwick, missed the last boat once I did make it to guernsey, unexpected hotel stay etc
But I finally made it to The island, packed my belongings and sent them off to be shipped.

I've spent every day this week preparing for the next part in my adventure.
Making sure Melinda is top fit for the trip, organising insurances, fitting a few final items to Melinda, getting my camera cleaned and finally ensuring that I will be fit enough to take on this mammoth feat.
3 months on the road, many thousands of kilometres, nights under the stars, strange and wonderful foods and people.
It will be epic.

I'll also be sure to catch up with a few friends along the way, go to all the parties I can, push my physical, emotional and spiritual limits.

From the glaciers and volcanoes in Iceland to the monkeys of Gibraltar, the German beer to the whisky Of Skye.  It just has to be done, and what better person to do it.
I invite you to follow my (mis) adventures.
Laugh because of me or at me, it's all the same to me. Just keep smiling.

I hope our paths will cross sooner or later.

Time and tide wait for no man...

Time just seems to be escaping me.
I've done nothing and plenty in the past month.

Charl, my successor, joined us and I suppose we've had an extended hand-over period. He's been given some time-off which works out quite well for me.
I can reflect on what we've covered and what's left to discuss.
It also gives me a justifiable reason for hanging on.
but he'll return next week and at the end of that week I'll leave the boat.
After that I'll have about a week to finalise everything and send my things on.

Last weekend was pretty hectic.
Saturday I got up early to see Charl off.
Later, whilst I was out walking, I stubbed my toe and broke it.
I didn't realise it was broken till I got back on the boat and removed my socks.
Somehow I thought a broken toe would appear...more broken
Just some bruising and a little pain.  I think it's ok now.
Then while having beers with the Chef, my tooth broke.
Admittedly, I'd been having a bit of pain and had visited the dentist in the week, but he'd given me the all-clear.

What a day!

Yesterday I sat down and decided that the time had come to start organising my exit.
I have provisionally made plans for flights (Nice-Gatwick-Guernsey)
I've booked my ferry from Guernsey-St Malo.

Now it's just a matter of waiting for the time to pass.
Think I'll try out my five-finger shoes and see if my toe has actually healed

The First of May

This morning, I find myself waking up in the Monte Carlo Bay Resort.
I am not at all surprised by the fact that we are in Monaco, a little surprised that I'm in the hotel.

It seems that some of the ship's crew have become ill and we are giving the Yacht a "wide-berth".
Although, with today being a public holiday and no-one willing to work, I'll be boarding the Yacht this afternoon for my final weeks.

My Final Weeks...
I'm quite looking forward to this.  My successor, Charl, shall be joining me on Monday and I shall take my time (6 weeks) to impart my knowledge upon him.
To be honest, it could be completed within a shorter period of time but hey, I can take it easy if that's how they want it.

Sure, there are plenty of things to discuss; what, where, when, who and why. What to drink, Where to do said drinking, What time do they open, Who will be serving the drinks and of course the all important Why.  Why don't I have another drink?
That should take us through till the end of the first month, by which time we may need a break from all the drinking.

If that happens, I suppose we could talk about the job itself!
That'd be an awful drag, but I guess it'll have to be done.

Anyway, For the time-being, I'll make the most of it.

Oh, and just to let you know that I'm ok, I'll add a photo from my balcony.

Au Revoir!

From here to there and back...

I don't know what you got up to last week but I do know what I did.
I suppose that goes without saying, for most of us.

Well, I managed to get some last-minute holidays approved so I thought I'd make good use  of my time and visit people I hadn't seen in a while.

After a few hastily written emails and some hotel reservations I was off to the mainland, yet again.
Basically I did a bit of an anti-clockwise route.

Firstly, from the islands by ferry and across France.
I spent a couple of nights over the weekend with Nathan, Monika and Emma.  It was good to catch up, just after Nathan's birthday and also to see how much young Emma had developed.  Was a good weekend.

Next, off to see the Whaleys. To tell you the truth, they didn't seem to have changed much since I'd last seen them.  Physically, there was little change but they are definitely exhibiting more individual personalities.  Of course, Bomb hasn't changed much but Jay's hairline is a bit like the horizon, you can't really say where it starts.

The ride across to Nathan's was uneventful, with an overnight stop in Le Mans.  North From there to Jay's was equally uneventful.

Although, I have just now realised how stressful it is riding through Germany, especially compared to France.  I don't know what it is.  I guess the Germans believe that they have the RIGHT to occupy the middle lane no-matter what speed they are travelling at, or other road-users.  The French tend to be more polite and keep out of the inside lane.  Or maybe they just get such a fright when they see Melinda looming up behind them that they get out of the way...
She is a beast of a bike!

The ride back to St Malo was just as uneventful but a little longer and I decided to take my time.  A short 1060 km in 11 hours, no stress, quite relaxing really.
But I was ready for a beer (or 5) and Calzone when I arrived.  The Hotel in St Malo was nothing special but exactly what I required.

I did somewhere around 2000+ km, all this to-ing and fro-ing has me looking forward to Summer and  the challenges that Lie ahead.  The bike was great but seems to have developed an intermittent fault with the cruise control. After a bit of an internet search, it appears that this is not an uncommon fault and should be covered by warranty. Guess it's a good thing it has occurred now and not in Iceland or some other remote place.  Blessing in disguise?

I was even able to catch up with Charl (my successor) and his wife.  Give him a few tips and information on what to expect etc. and show-off Melinda.

Lastly, I managed to get some nursing training done at the Institute. Woo-hoo
Some people were wondering if I was returning, others hadn't realise that I'd even left.

What a super productive week.

Now I'm back at work, just over 2 weeks before Charl begins and my final days are here.
I've got about 64 days left till my visa runs out and I can hardly wait.

Days of Winter...

I've not really been up to much since we arrived in Gstaad at the end of December.

Most days I head up Eggli (the closest Piste to Gstaad) and Snowboard or drink Glühwein, oft both.

I guess we've been pretty lucky with the weather. 

There have only been 4 days that I haven't been on the board. 

I'm gradually improving and able to push a little more, a little faster.  

At the moment we're expecting snow, but it's been like that for the past week or so.

It's been super sunny and warm, great for riding and sitting in the sun, not so good for the snow that is here. It's starting to melt and some of the pistes have become un-rideable. 

The photos are of Joana and I riding Videmanette earlier this week. It's a great run. The high point is around 2184m, the lowest point 1034m.  

Yesterday, we jumped on the train and went to one of the neighbouring peaks at Saanenmöser. 

It was good to experience something else, catch up with other people, see different faces and just change it up a little.

The last couple of months has been a blast. And to think, I also get paid when I'm riding the board. 

I shan't be too sad to leave here, but I shall continue to make the most of it.

Don't work too hard, I know I won't be.

Carving like a meister!

Skye in Winter

Call me crazy, but I love to ride my bike.

Melinda is just over 12 months old and I've covered more than 19,000km so far.

The BMW mechanic was surprised that I'd done so much, the closest other bike has just 3,000miles (5,000 km).  I've already gone through one set of rear pads (brakes) and a set of tyres.

The new tyres seem to be much better than the OEM, time will tell.

I know that it can get a bit chilly in Winter.

But up until now winter has hidden it's ugly, chilly face.

Actually that's not quite true, it was up until I took my Winter ride.

There is no such thing as the wrong weather, just inappropriate clothes to ride in.

Despite my clothing being "waterproof" I did end up getting wet.

Guess they're not designed for swimming.

Riding in the UK will always present certain challenges: rain, cold, wildlife, UK road network.  

It's all part of riding here and I must admit, the UK is probably my least favourite European country to ride in. 

In saying that, ANY ride is a good ride.

No it's not. Any ride is an AWESOME ride!

I had 7 days off, unfortunately the ferry is now on it's winter timetable and the times were unfavourable. 

It meant staying with some friends (Henning and Ronan) in Plymouth before and after the ride North.

The actual ride was about 1,050 km and about 12.5 hours each way.  

I saw plenty of Deer from Glencoe to Skye, on the way north.  At night, on a bike that can be a bit of a challenge. I'd hate to hit one. 

So, when a local overtook me, I stuck to him like a dag to a sheep. 

With his local knowledge and my fearless riding we came through unscathed. 

On the way back the only thing I encountered was rain and the winds blowing off a snow-capped Ben Nevis. 

When I eventually arrived in Skye, I was greeted by a cheery Lorraine and some of the locals.

Next day we had a tour of the area and up to Portree (Skye's capital). In the evening we headed to the local. 

A trip away wouldn't be complete without a medical emergency and none of the locals wanted to oblige so it was up to a woman who lived in Portree to challenge us that evening. 

I shan't go into details but lets just say that heads and tiled floors should never meet.

As far as I know, she's ok.  Let's hope that she learns to stay on her feet in future.

Next day we joined Lorraine's father for a bit of fishing. It was awesome, not that I'm very good at picking up the crabs, worried they're going to nip me. I'll never be a successful fisherman.

All-in-all, it was an awesome trip: 2,575 km, Visited a few places I'd never been, caught up with a few mates, kept someone alive, killed a few beers and whisky's.  I think I'll do it again next summer. 

Warm and sunny will be a change.

Now Melinda has been washed, rinsed off, covered and parked up for the winter. 

I hope it's a short one!

From the "tropics" to Skye

Portree

Fishing with Lorraine's Father

Aird

The rugged landscape was so beautiful

Picture-postcard!

Winter is coming!

The weather has been extremely mild of late.

With that in Mind, I asked my boss for a week off. 

Our holiday policy seems to be : Use 'em or Lose 'em.

The day after I had my time-off approved, the temperature dropped about 5 degrees UK-wide.

I've come to expect the unexpected and the weather here can be reliably, unreliable.

At least I've got some time off.

I could jump on a plane and jet off to Tenerife, Or Morocco, somewhere hot. 

That would be just too easy.

Instead I'm off to visit a mate of mine in Sunny, Warm, tropical Scotland.

As long as there's no Ice, I don't mind.

I've never been to the Isle of Skye and am quite looking forward to it.

At least there's no snow, yet.

But Seriously, Who the hell goes on holidays in November, in the UK?

I received an email from an Australian government department yesterday, my import application has been approved.  Yay!

This means that I'm free to Import Melinda to Australia. 

How awesome is that.

One less thing that I need to deal with later on.

I'm super happy about that and one step closer to getting home.

Oh, did I mention I'm back on the Island?

Just spent the past week and 1/2 in London.

Got my daily dose of indoor climbing and cinema.

I think that they are the two things I like most about London.

With not drinking or smoking at the moment, there's not a lot to catch my attention.

No drinks for 26 days and no smokes for 39 days.

Although, to tell you the truth, I notice very little difference.

Shouldn't I feel better, stronger, healthier, cleaner? 

Think I'll celebrate by having a few drinks on my time off.

The perfect touring machine?

Unless it's custom built or made to order, no bike will do exactly what you want direct from the factory.

At least that's what I've found. 

I've attempted to build the perfect bike, for me!

When I bought Melinda, I thought she was a pretty good bike. Even being voted "Bike of the Year - 2013" by Bike magazine.
And she was great. My first trip, 4,500 miles took us across France, Germany, England, Scotland and Wales.

Although the first thing I did when I got to Germany was to get some luggage. 

You can't tour without luggage.

Nearly one year later, I managed to get some time off for my second trip. 

A little longer at 5,500 miles. Again across France (beginning in the Channel Islands, this is unavoidable) then Germany, Austria (50km), Denmark, Sweden and Norway. 

By this time I'd added a few more creature comforts - Extended hand guards, crash bars, (cylinder) head protectors, Driving lights and guards, headlight guard, Extended nose piece, motorline stripes (B&W), rear luggage rack, alloy frame plugs, lower frame protectors, driveshaft protectors, rear hugger, crud catcher, intake and radiator guards, Side-stand foot (for soft ground), brake-pedal extender (the original tends to hide away in moments of anger).

After this trip I realised there were still a few items on my "wish-list".  

Firstly, was a taller, wider and darker screen. Not that the original screen was bad, turbulence around the helmet was a minimum but noise was an issue.  A week after attempting my last IBA ride (FHB-48) I could still hear the rushing of the wind in my ears. Recently I've also developed neck and back pain so am hoping that by installing the larger screen these problems will be reduced.  

As for the dark tint, it makes the whole thing look more bad-arse!

I've had her one year service done, no cake was offered but we were 6,000 km overdue.  

New tyres fitted, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the factory fitted ones, I managed to travel only 16,000km.  These new ones are now the next generation of my favourites that I ran on Nicole, on 3 consecutive pairs I managed to travel 25,000km each.  

Better the devil we know, right?  

Lastly, I replaced the rear brake pads myself, they were down to the backing plates after only 16,000 kms. 

Go figure?

All-in-all I think she is now the perfect bike for the type of touring I plan to do in the next 12 months and beyond.

The thermal playground and desolation known as Iceland, the remoteness of Lapland, down to the rocky outcrop that is Gibraltar, the Isle of Skye and all that lies in-between. 

After all that European-ness I guess we'll have to have a look and see just how long it takes to ride from Bris-vegas to Perth. 

Bigger and better than the original (Photo by Charl) 

Rear rack, countries visited, tank pads and Motorline stripes

Crash bars, Driving lights, intake and radiator guards, Cardan protector

Bigger Screen, Hand guards, Nose, Headlight grill

Stoptober...

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've been on here.
My how time flies when you're having fun.  Am I having fun?
I guess I am.
It's been a busy couple of weeks since I got back from my short European Tour.

I dropped Melinda off for some new Tyres and Have had her 10K service done (only 16,000km)
Last week I visited Guernsey, Picked her up from BMW and replaced the rear brake pads.
Super quick and easy, took about 15 minutes.
There were down to their backing plates, can't remember previous ones going so quickly.
I always forget that I've owned her for more than a year now.

When I bought her, I didn't plan to buy the bike of the year but it seems that I did.
And I continue to improve on the German excellence (if possible) and make Melinda even better.
Hey, due to the fact that Germans over-engineer everything, I now have a bike that will comfortably travel at over 180km/h, fully loaded, along German Autobahns, in Cruise-control.
I challenge anyone to try doing that on a Harley, Husqvarna or Ducati.

Deutche ordnung is Awesome!

There's probably one more thing that I want to get done before 2015.
I need to replace the original screen for a larger touring one.
Thinking back to my latest trip and the wind wasn't too bad, the helmet wasn't bashed about like on other bikes but there was still noise, A whole lot of noise.
There will always be noise when riding a motorcycle. It doesn't matter what you do and I have done everything I can to reduce it. I have bought one of the quietest helmets on the market, I wear a balaclava and neck scarf, but the noise is there. It's inevitable that when you do long distances for many hours at high speeds that you will be affected by noise.

Why is it a problem?  It can affect my concentration and eventually reduce my hearing.

What's the solution?  I've decided that next trip I shall wear noise reducing ear-plugs but also I'm upgrading my screen. By mounting a larger screen it will further reduce wind and rain to my upper body and helmet and reduce the noise.  Thus, making the ride more comfortable and even more Awesome.

As I get older I am becoming boring, focusing more on health and safety, being cautious.
But not too cautious, I plan to ride around Iceland (volcanoes permitting) and from Nordkapp to Gibraltar in 2015.

I haven't just done bike stuff.

Recently, I spent 2 weeks in London. It may sound strange but living at the Ritz can be tiresome.
Everyone monitoring what you're doing and noticing every little thing.
I'm sure it'd be lovely to be there for a weekend as a guest. (I wouldn't want to do that)

I did get to go Climbing (bouldering) and spent many hours in the cinema, catching up on everything and anything they were showing.

Surprisingly, the highlight was catching up with Danielle, Laurence and Oskar. Friends of mine from when I lived in Kassel and Berlin. Due to work opportunities they've moved to London now. It was as if no time had passed and we were able to catch up on the years in between. I can't believe it's about 7 years or so. I guess that happens to us all as we get older.

The week ahead looks like it'll be a busy one.  Currently Tim and I are on the search for my replacement.  It took quite some time and proved to be more difficult than expected to find me for the position and we don't want those problems this time.  CV's have been coming in, although many are unsuitable.  I'm sure that we will find someone sooner or later, preferably before I have to leave.

Next week, I expect to find myself back in London...Just because.
For now I'll make the most of having my own space and get some study done, passed assignment 7.
And while I'm here, I've decided not to drink and I'm too lazy to get my tobacco so I've stopped smoking, once again.
They say it takes 3 weeks to break a habit, it'll be that long on Tuesday.  Well done me.

Planning

I've been sitting here, reflecting on my latest trip and wondering what 2015 will hold in store for me.
In a way, I have already begun to prepare for it.
It will begin the moment my visa expires, I shall have 3 months to do all and see all that I want.

Melinda is currently having her first 10,000 km service (6,000 km overdue, oops!)
She was fitted with new tyres last week.
The originals were Metzlers and we only got 10,036 miles (16,000 km).  I'm used to getting a consistent 25,000 km from Michelin Pilot Road 3s. I've fitted her with Michelin Pilot Road 4 Trail and am expecting much better performance. We shall see!

Sure, she'll sit around for around 9 months or so, but better to prepare her now than try and source everything last minute.  I shall fit new rear brake pads, as soon as the parts arrive and I get the time to pop over. That shouldn't take very long at all.

It's all the other stuff that will be easy.  For a 3 month trip, I'll need basically the same as I took for a 2 week trip. I think that I'll also throw in my cooking and eating utensils, should make the whole thing easier and cheaper.

Of course the GPS etc. will be the same, but I don't think their coverage of Iceland or Northern Norway and Sweden will be very good. Think I'll take some road maps just incase.
I plan to travel the whole of the 3 months and that will take me till the end of Summer.

I hope to be in Iceland in the beginning of July, for about one week, then the Faroe Islands for two nights. After that up to Nordkapp, Norway. and then South to Gibraltar.
I'll spend most of July and August in and around mainland Europe.
Visiting friends and riding Awesome distances in minuscule amounts of time.
I shall apply what I learned from this trip.

Looking at what I achieved this trip, 3 months should be a doddle.   It's what I'll do after that. I guess I could always ride from Brisvegas to Perth!

Fucking, Hell and Bach

What an Amazing 2 weeks I've had.

On around the 17th of August my boss informed me that I could take some time off, Starting the 18th. 

Without wasting any time, I packed my stuff and was ready to go in a few hours. 

Like a kid the night before christmas.

Monday came and I managed to escape Alcatraz (A.K.A. Brecqhou) on the mid-day boat.

I had various parts, accessories and things to mount on/attach to Melinda.

By evening she was ready.

But due to the Ferry times I couldn't leave until after lunch, arriving on the continent around 1630.

I managed to get 400 kms under my belt that day.  The ride proper didn't start till the Wednesday, that morning I rode about 360 kms to my start point - Bach.

In retrospect, this was one of the contributing factors in my failure to achieve the FHB-48. 

Despite this, my ride across France, into Germany and onto Austria was uneventful. Eventually arriving in Fucking, Austria.

From Fucking, I then rode back into Germany and basically in a Northerly direction. 

I reached my friends, Michi and Heike,  in Northern Germany (Schwaförden) by 1600 Thursday. 

We worked out that I could afford 2 hours break and I went straight to bed and slept like a log. 

After eating with them I Continued north into Denmark, over the Öresundbron and into Sweden. 

About 1-2 hours after leaving Michi & Heike, I encountered extremely heavy rain. Counting on it staying dry I didn't wear my wet-weather gear. This was my second Mistake. 

I became absolutely soaked.  Causing shivering, inability to concentrate, stiff sore limbs. I was a mess. 

Eventually, at 0400, I decided that it would be safer to stop and continue after a sleep. 

I would not achieve the FHB-48 but I would eventually ride onto Hell.

Being Scandinavia, I was unsure if I was in Sweden or Norway, I was basically able to camp wherever I wanted and did just that.  I found a little green patch, off the road, hidden away. I pulled out my tiny tent, sleeping bag and slept for about 5 hours or so. 

I got up mid-morning, packed away my gear and continued on my quest.

By mid-afternoon I reached my goal, Hell.

Once in Hell, I rode out to Trondheim and a campsite on it's outskirts. 

Trondheim, Norway’s original capital, is Norway’s third-largest city after Oslo and Bergen.

I had done it, Ridden to Fucking Hell and Bach.

No major incidents, no near missed (well, only one), no drama, and NO FHB-48.

I didn't achieve my goal because:

• I didn't start fresh, but rode nearly 400 kms on the day of the ride
• I allowed myself to get wet and quickly fatigued
• I didn't recognise the distance, I thought it was several hundred kilometres shorter
• from Oslo - Trondheim I took the wrong route

Poor Prior Planning Precedes Piss-Poor Performance.

But I did learn a massive amount:

• Melinda is awesome an built for exactly this type of ride
• Norwegians love old american cars
• they also have an affinity for the Tesla Model S
• cold and wet drains energy quicker than I gave credit for
• this type of challenge must commence in Scandinavia rather than finish there, one is unable to make up time on these roads and the environment is less forgiving than in the south. 
• The speed limits are generally much lower in the Northern countries.

That evening, after arriving at the Camping ground I got talking with a Norwegian who also rode bikes and he proceeded to point out that my bike had one major problem. This got my interest so asked him to explain. and he elaborated that the problem with my Melinda was that she was just TOO PERFECT. We both had a bit of a laugh but he really is correct. the bike is completely forgiving and will make up for the shortcomings of the rider.  It will not only make a good rider look awesome but make a bad one look good.  He had a point!

After a couple of days rest, making friends and recuperating and exploring Trondheim, I decided it was time to make a move and I pointed Melinda in the direction of Bergen. We rode on and on, what an awesome, relaxing ride. Around Fjords, across fjords on Ferries, through ice capped peaks at more than 1400m, temperatures dropping to 5.5. We made it as far as Voss. It seems Voss is a centre for extreme sports, trendy cafes and cool people.  My type of place.

The next day on to Bergen and then on to Oslo.  After Oslo onto Malmö, the home of one of my favourite buildings and the beginning of the Brön.

Malmö campsite was just what I needed, but signified the beginning of the end of this adventure.

The next couple of days I visited Michi & Heike again, met up with plenty of old friends and made some new ones. Then onto visit Nathan, Monika and Emma. And finally across France and back to Guernsey.

In just under 2 weeks, I rode more than 8,600 kms (over 5,137 miles), achieving around 50mpg and an average speed of 55.9 mph (around 90 km/h). Not bad.

Today Melinda is getting new tyres, 10,034 miles (16,000 kms) is disappointing. I'm used to getting over 25,000 kms on Nicole. 

She's also going to BMW for a service, only 2,500 miles overdue.

So, all that's left is my plans for 2015...what an adventure that will be.

I'm excited already!

Bach and the beginning

Yes, it is a real place

My final destination

Trondheim

Somewhere in Norway. 1400 metres and 5.5 degrees

Voss

Riding in Norway

Malmö

Öresundbrön

Goodbye Sweden, Hello Denmark