Sunday 29 October 2017

Dry again

A dry weekend but stormy feeling on Saturday with the high winds and I doubt if the temperature made it to double figures on Sunday but so far no salt on the roads so another chance to wear out some old motorbikes, Nortons were the order of the day on Saturday and a Norton- Moto Guzzi combo on Sunday. We visited some cool places locally and drank tea in several cafe's which was good. I am though getting worried about the Scottish "government" and their headlong race into the electric vehicle abyss without as far as I can see it much thought about the consequences. Matter of fact I'm increasingly concerned about many things they seem to be doing, lowering the drink drive limit so we can barely have a beer before we find ourselves criminalised unlike our fellow countrymen who live South of the imaginary line in the Scottish borders. Our First Minister (the head of the big gravy train that makes these rules) seems determined to make us suffer at every turn, keen to encourage immigration even though its becoming impossible to move around in the Central belt these days, and my personal favourite, increasing taxes for anybody that decides to work hard to no doubt subsidise many of the people coming to live here and choosing not to work. Our economy is staggering along and yet the amount of new houses being built is incredible, it seems every large and small town is growing exponentially, where are all the people getting money to buy them? Soon the Central belt will be one huge concrete jungle from coast to coast and i'm pretty sure no one really wants that.
Now you see why I travel, it stops you thinking too much, how I laughed at some of the crazy political stunts in south America, now its not so funny because I can see now ALL politicians are mental no matter where they are and here in good old Bonnie Scotland they seem more mental than most (no matter which group of loonies they belong to)
Time to get on my bike again I think, before I think too much and get depressed!
Some pictures to cheer you up if you've read this far!
  
Old bikes admiring the old bridge
Old bikes, old Hoose
Linlithgow palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots
Autumn Colours 
Palace and the Abbey
Not sure why they havent got the double glazing salesman round?
Mary, she was a bit of a gal, lost her head eventually
House of Binns (the same family have lived here for hundreds of years)
with a view over the firth of Forth
Fionas hair showing the wind effect 
Almost like a fairytale castle
Nortons at rest next to the posh hoose
Look almost all day out and still shiney
The 3 bridges, the new one still; has a 40mph limit on it for some inexplicable reason causing major tail back all the time
Looking through the square window
The Kelpies, one eating the grass
The other getting its chin Tickled
We do seem to be good at this shit
Moto Guzzi in view so it must be Sunday
The Falkirk wheel, a boat lift for those boats that don't fancy the stairs
Going up
Going Brown
Going home

Sunday 22 October 2017

Tullybannocher Norton Meeting

A real surprise, none of the storms and pestilence that had been forecast, we still packed the waterproofs just in case but for probably the first time since May they were not needed. A splendid run on the Norton up to Comrie, the Autumn colours were outstanding in the sunshine, the roads dry, whats not to like?
A nice turnout of bikes and plenty craic to be had, the pics will tell the story better.

My Mk3, still clean when I got home!
Sandy's latest ES2
The well used Smokey Joe
Talking bike nonsense
Another ES2
961 made it, hmmm
Ed has joined the ranks of slow wobbly classic guys with this very pretty Triumph
Classic Ducati and Guzzi next to a Classic tree
Phil's Ducati and Wilson's Mk2 Le Mans
Liz's Guzzi
Bill brought his Triumph but we let him off
Jeez did nobody mention this was a Norton meeting
Blah blah blah
Wilson's Guzzi
David, Phil and a random discussing "How fast does it go mister"

Tuesday 10 October 2017

Italia (again)

A weekend in Italy, no bikes this time but 3 days is suffer able without the bikes, a great weekend catching up with friends and relations and some sight seeing. Last night we were both seriously trying to work out if we had to come back to the UK, we were spoiled with a weekend of great weather (hot!) great food and nice wine, whats not to like? Some pics to give you an idea
The village from our balcony
Moi
Rustic charm
Apricots anyone?
View down the valley
idyllic
classic photo of Rocchetta
Fi enjoying the sun
one of the many church's
Lunch at Rio Barbaira
and dinner
Party in the square for a couple celebrating 70 years of marriage!
Perinaldo
Sunday lunch and this was the view
Random Perinaldo photo
Random Perinaldo photo
Random Perinaldo photo
Dolceaqua
Dolceaqua
Dolceaqua
Dolceaqua
Dolceaqua
I needed at least one bike picture!
Dolceaqua
Outside the bar California
and again
Dusk falling
Bruno & Luigi
Rocchetta
History lesson
A swim in Menton
Nice house
Menton
Menton
trying to figure out the benefits of Scotland....the scenery? the rain? the cold?