Thursday, 20 August 2026

Wee Smokey

 We have been busy since getting back home, settling in to life again in Perth where the weather has been cooler and wetter and duller than it was in Europe (or Asia). I am kind of torn between cooler and the extreme heat we experienced, the coolness lets you do more stuff but I think I was more used to the heat. Apart from settling down (and tackling the jungle that is our small garden, we have caught up with family and friends. Last weekend was one of Eric's Wee Smokey events held in the bustling metropolis of Arbroath (famous for its smokies as well as being the home toon of Eric)

Of course it was cool and damp when we left, we decided to take the Guzzi T3's and had a nice run up via Forfar and then cutting towards the sea to the event in Arbroath, it was a ride of reflection, happy to be home with pleasant scenery and driving that was acceptable but the road surfaces are awful, our Scottish government have been in power far to long and they have presided on a long list of failures one of which is the state of the roads, our neighbours in England have the same issue. Why is it successive Governments thinks its ok to head backwards in time, taking more and more cash from us in the shape of taxes and providing less and less (Unless of course you are on the dole or come from a Third world civilisation illegally) 

I digress, the meeting was fantastic, we caught up with many people we knew and the food was great, bacon rolls and pork sausages, a favourite of mine. I will let the pictures do the talking but one more thing, when we got home and I complained about the roads, Fi thought the same, on Monday I noticed a pool of oil under her Guzzi, closer examination showed that her rear shocks have divested themselves of all damping oil, ah well normal service has been resumed, the bike spares businesses will be back in profit soon.....

Keeping on keeping on  


David T back up bike
Eric and Amy
Phil, Budge and Tom
An award for Paula who rode a 1920's Royal Enfield from Blairgowrie
An Award for enjoying ourselves on our 8 month tour
Robin with his tin of Sardines
Ali and Jake
Dr Don
David and John gassing
Hame time
Sandy leaving
Boss Hog leaving
Davie from Alyth, funny how everybody eventually gravitates to old bikes 
T3's
Norrie and Ian
Tom used his Dads XT
Whilst phil used his Commando
Tridend special
Jakes Loop
Sandys ES2
Nice
Hectors cafe racer
Erics flash Helmet
And Bills Ducati, always worth a mention 

Tuesday, 11 August 2026

Back Home

 We left France and headed into Belgium to see an old friend, Geert Callens, en route we met a French guy who asked where in Scotland we were from, when we said Perth he said he stayed in Crieff and Carnoustie for a while when he was doing his degree in Golf course design and he now owned a pitch and putt course nearby. He insisted on buying us a coffee and even offered us a place to stay! Amazing when you meet nice people!!

Onto Geert's house  which is a home from home, we met Evelyn for lunch and afterwards helped Geert set up for a dinner party the next day!! A very pleasant evening indeed.

Our new French pals



Geert, Fiona and Evelyn
At Ease

Ricard for pre dinner drinks

We left Geert on Sunday and headed to Guy and Karin's house near Gent for lunch and to nosey around his Workshop. Then onward to a hotel near the coast in Holland for the night in Noordwijk


Commando in for a service
Total rebuild on this one
Guy, Karin and Fiona
Nice Hotel

Strange

And then into Amsterdam to spend the night with another Norton Friend, Pamela, another brilliant night before heading for the ferry and back home




Pamela's Flat
Surrounded by water
We think this was a protest
On the ferry, the last supper
Even had a sweet
Welcome to Scotland

So thats it another Epic adventure bringing our total countries ridden in by Motorcycle to 63. It was hard sometimes, extreme temperatures and sometimes the food was challenging but we kept rolling on, next year we may stay closer to home as despite the many amazing things we have seen, ye canny beat Scotland.....dinnae tell anybody
Keep on keeping on