Monthly Archives: July 2013

Smells like rain

Posted on by

Last few days have been with a pillion which always bring a new dynamic to travel. Trying to acclimatise to the predicted 38 degree temperatures to be expected at my next major stopover but even mid and southern France have been experiencing an unexpected heatwave. Today weighty thunderclouds bubbled in the sky for a few hours before discarding their steam generating load onto the roadside and drying grasses – being caught on the edge of this was delight for the senses with smells and humidity changing by the minute.

Sunflowers in the rain

I disagreed with something that ate me

Posted on by

Family and friends were worried I would be eaten by a bear or savaged by wolves and having taken every precaution to avoid ticks when camping in the forests in Norway and Sweden I think I have survived tick-borne encephalitis, swimming in the lakes proved interesting and having seen the biggest leeches on the lake edges I have restricted my swimming to rivers, but yet today I have two parallel fang marks in my foot – to be fair the culprit must have been an expert as I did not feel a thing just noticed the blood, so good luck to it!Leachy

On reflection, I’ll take the sun

Posted on by

There is a delicious masochism about riding in the rain. It starts with the ritual of donning equipment that is designed to keep you dry for a casual ride but in 10 hour monsoons even the best can be overcome. Gortex topped with one piece rain suit works best for me – but forget waterproof boots and gloves they simply don’t exist in torrential rain conditions. Days end allows for drip drying and repeated hot drinks – snuggling into a dry sleeping bag on a wooden platform yesterday covered by a tin roof was a extraordinary feeling – so in touch with the elements yet thankfully dry and warm – the spectacle of viscous lighting bolts and the soundtrack of thunderclaps and bouncing rain… best nights sleep yet.I'll take the sun