Thursday, 4 February 2021

Dreich but memories keep us powering through

 Dreich is an old Scots word, I think it sums up the current situation perfectly, Dreich means wet, miserable and a feeling of "what a crap day" its a mixture of emotions and well summed up by this word which probably emanated from the days when we lived in huts along with the animals in the winter (the cows and goats adding to the warmth in the small bleak house. I can imagine our ancestors (well my Scottish ones) looking out of their stone built dark dreary and very smelly house and hoping when they opened the door it would be bright and at least not raining to allow them to get out and enjoy the fresh air and seeing the gloomy rain and sleet and sighing another dreich day. My Italian ancestors though would probably look out and think, Christ it's sunny again, wish we had rain for the crops!

Whatever way you look at it today in Perthshire (and much of the UK) is Dreich, there is though hope, Spring is surely not too far away, the vaccine rollout gives us hope for normality of some sort and sunny days and Motorcycling is surely almost here. I will dip into politics briefly, when we get released from this what seems like eternal imprisonment we should campaign to stop ALL politicians, and talk of, mention of and reporting of what these overpaid dickheads are doing for at least six months, just six months with no interference, no doom and gloom, no arguing about stuff that is a load of pish anyway.

Six months of sunshine and enjoying ourselves, wouldn't that be great?


Todays blast from the past is a trip we did in 2007, leaving Edinburgh and catching the Channel ferry that day, riding down the west coast of France, along the bottom, over the Pyrenees to Andorra and Spain, back up though the middle of France and home, I was on my Triumph Sprint RS, Fiona on her new ER6, The ER6 was serviced just before we left and needed another service when we got home, 3000 miles in a week ! great times!


End of day beer!

Beertime

Tent time

Sandwich time
Bikes well loaded
Linxe obviously, I was looking for a job
Empty
Nae job so time to go
Nice sculpture
Another stop
Heading towards the Pyrenees 
Empty town, cars looking dated
The road to Andorra, braw but cold (May)
At the top, to cauld tae tak the helmet aff
Into Spain and its warmer
Could feel the temperature rising with every mile
Posing on a deserted road
Snow in the hills
Warm equals happy
Sandwich stop again
I am missing this
small village, big tower
Millau, bridge in the far view
We took the old road under it and stopped in Millau
Multiple photos taken
Stopped here, the wifie cleaned our helmets whilst we ate, braw
Warn
Spring so the trees not out yet
Penultimate camping in Le Mans
Reflecting on a hard but great week

Bikes spattered wi flies



At Calais, waiting on the Ferry, I had a sair back and neck , it was pissing doon, we had over 500 miles to do when we got to Dover, wiz I happy? You betcha

Friday, 29 January 2021

Donnington 2009 revisited part 2

 A plethora of images keep appearing in my inbox from some friends, it fair keeps you smiling in these dark dreich times and thanks to you guys (you know who you are). Today we managed to get out for a short run, very wet and cold but at least the ice and snow had a day off which is brilliant. It is forecast to return to the ice age tomorrow. What happened to global warming? Is it more bullshit dreamt up from those in power to make us feel even more miserable and subserviant?

Out on the T3 Guzzi today, Fiona on her ER6 for some essential shopping obviously, however because we haven't been out for so long we got lost and took several wrong turns, annoying when that happens, a 5 mile trip turned into 25 miles, bugger!

The roads are in a shocking state, third world in places and several hundred potholes that are to put it bluntly potentially lethal, what do we pay our first world taxes for?, can someone remind me? Is it for the hugely inflated wages of the politicians and public sector bosses to sit on their fat arses and spend our money unwisely? 

Anyhoo enough of that, back to the real world of Motorbikes and Nortons at that!

Charge
More charge
Dicing at a sedate pace
Richard from Belgium, entertaining as always and in no way sedate
I enjoyed watching him on a charge
Sedate ish
Richard winning the Rear rack race
Going for it
Did I tell you about the Rotary, the Single and the Commando?
Pretty sure this is the well known outfit of Hans from Holland
MVD getting no attention, don't know te interloper between MVD and Phils bike
Nortons
I thought Marc's bike needed a clean
Marc looking for his duster
Heaven
Quality
Not sure it was worth it but interesting just the same
Well thought out