Thursday 30 April 2015

Easing through the day Italian style

First day of not covering distance today. . A day off sitting by lake garda after getting up later than I have recently. . No rush to leave a hotel room. . Breakfast sat by the lake eased of into the day. A short trip to the supermarket for provisions, wine cheese, tomatoes and olives. . A man needs nothing more. . . Well apart from a motorbike.

The alps crossing was amazing, but arriving in Italy has eased my mind. . It has always been a place I feel at peace in. . I don't know why. Maybe I just get the way of life here. The passion for living without the British obsession for more than we have.

Anyway I have a few weeks here to find myself and relax, laugh out loud at the driving experience and marvel at the scenery.

I have a week before going to imola for the WSB meeting and then a couple of weeks before motogp at mugello.

I will update the YouTube channel when I get a WiFi connection again . Might have to find an Internet cafe to upload the video. .

Ciao for now

Wednesday 29 April 2015

I've decided that I will not post the videos here as they detract from the narrative. Videos belong on YouTube where they are hosted. I want to use this blog for written word that give you a feeling of what I'm experiencing. 

Click the you tube link on the right of this screen to see the video updates. 


So after a comfortable night in Chur we'll see what today brings.. 

Watch out for quick updates on Twitter
@trackdayrider



Monday 27 April 2015

Chasingdreams daytwo

day one

Popping through Champagne country

Day two and two blog updates... nots sure I'll keep that high output up throughout, but while I have the wifi connection I might as well.. 

not far today.. about 150km to Nancy (nonsee) in biblical rain.. so bad I couldn't see the road through the spray.. I cried enough and pulled into a services for coffee and seeing as they had free wifi I called it a day and booked the nearest ibis hotel while I was there. 

drying out with both room heaters turned up to max to dry everything out.. 

Not much to celebrate travelling through champagne country, and I haven't seen the sun yet.. I'm sure there will come a time when I pray for rain, but can someone please organise a little more even spread across the trip.. all of it in one day is a bit much thanks. 

so despite the torrential rain my state of mind is a little clearer today.. I haven't had chance to chill out with a tent and campfire to get my head around being out here.. its just been a pack/unpack routine so far which is not what I wanted.. I wanted to ease my mind into the process of travelling, the different routine. But I will find that sweet spot. its there waiting.. I guess the testing weather hasn't helped either. 

Not much fun to be found yet.. but I knew this was just some simple holiday.. I have to re-arrange my thoughts and grasp what I am doing out here with no one and nowhere to stay each night until I find it. Its what I do quite well, just more of it. 

I need that sushine to help with the process. 

Whatever the climate throws at me tomorrow I will be out of France.. heading upwards towards the mountains...

if it keeps on raining the levys going to break
and if the levy breaks we'll have no place stay

Led Zep just sprung up on my ipod at that moment.. apt! 

next time I hope I will have dried out and can actually tell you about the countryside I'm passing through - didn't see much of it today. 

Moving on! 

Sunday 26 April 2015

heavy French skies...

After being ejected from the channel tunnel into French soil the road south east was sodden with rolling grey blue clouds depositing their seemingly heavy weight to the edge of the horizon. 

I need to step beyond that immediate horizon.

It's funny how after all the planning the thinking, the anticipation, all the excitement, years and months of working towards taking the first step, it has been tougher than I ever imagined it might be. 

The last week felt more like an ending than a beginning. Clearing the house of useless bric a brac was difficult. Parking my Triumph at a temporary home was thought provoking and selling my truck was a real tear jerker.

But despite all that I have to renew my optimism for this venture. With a little luck the initial down will be followed by huge highs and there is plenty to look forward to over the coming weeks..

My first en route plan was thwarted when I looked at a camp site to stop on the first night..it was not open after I followed the signs from the maim road.. A quick question to a local gent walking his dog advised it was ferme until premier May..sat in a travel hotel listening to constant heavy rain it might have been a blessing. 

Tomorrow may see me at the German border and country number two .. Unless the rain curtails my enthusiasm for mile munching. Nice weather for frogs mind. !! 

Moving on

Thursday 2 April 2015

April jitters

Well April has arrived and I can look at the departure in days rather than months or weeks.

Although most preparations are either done or in plan, I keep getting rushes of nervous sensations.

There is a sense of just wanting to get going. I think it will get more intense as the date gets nearer.

I suppose those are natural feelings. . And I would be strange if I felt completely casual about it, but never the less it is slightly unnerving.

This may well be the last update before I hit the road. Metaphorically speaking. . I hope!

So rather than bore anyone out there with housekeeping tasks I still need to finish off, all I'm going to say is that I hope this adventure is something you will enjoy reading about. I hope I have the vocabulary to communicate my experiences and thoughts as I travel our little blue planet. I hope I can illustrate that not everything you read in the papers or hear on the news is true about people and places outside your home. I hope my belief is right!

If it's not I might be in for a tough time!

Not that I'm going into this totally innocent of the wider world

So I hope you will keep up to date with this little journal and take a look at the YouTube videos and Flickr pictures I post up whenever and wherever an Internet connection is available to me. . I would hate to think I might be talking to myself!

Guess that's something else I will have to get used to!