Tag Archives: Travel Blogs

Its Been a While – Navigating Challenges

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Blimey, it’s been a while since I popped in here for an update, due partly to everything that has been going on. The cycle of life and death, redundancy, loss of identity, being disowned by a child and then covid injury just all seemed to get in the way. I needed some help to rebuild my resilience – and without Mary I don’t think I would have survived. What did I learn though is that resilience is often described as the ability to recover quickly from difficulties, it’s not just about enduring hardship but thriving in spite of them and the idea that just ‘one more thing’ could break you. For me resilience involves a combination of mental, emotional, and physical capabilities that help me cope with and overcome personal challenges. Life is inherently unpredictable, from personal losses to professional setbacks, stress is an inevitable part of the human experience – and those who follow my unpredictable travel path would I think, say I am pretty good at dealing with the unexpected. On the road you need to build your resilience to be better equipped to manage the unexpected effectively – you need (mental health) tools in your kit bag to solve issues, some you may have already and others you will need help in acquiring. Be ready for the unexpected and enjoy the ride.

Hundertwasser

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In Vienna so popped into see Friedensreich Hundertwasser house – an Austrian artist and architect and whilst not a naturist in the traditional sense of the word he did have a deep appreciation for nature and the environment, which is reflected in his work. Hundertwasser believed that architecture should be in harmony with nature and that buildings should incorporate natural elements such as trees, vegetation, and natural light – there are 10 tenant trees in the house. While Hundertwasser did not espouse the naturist lifestyle, his work was deeply influenced by his reverence for nature and his desire to incorporate it into his art and architecture – plenty of pictures of his bits though 🙂

Time for a change?

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Running any older vehicle in the UK gets more expensive and more challenging year on year. I am in favour of air quality and vehicle safety improvements but I sometimes think regulators miss the whole life carbon cost of cars and bikes. With that in mind and now considering the Defender 90, Mary’s Vauxhall and one of my old bikes is now not allowed into London without paying the ULEZ or LEZ or congestion charge it was time for a change. With the R1150GSA tucked up in the workshop the XT660Z moved onto a new owner… enter a Moto Guzzi V85TT. 850cc, shaft drive, tubeless, all LED, cruse control and importantly E5 approved. With more and more cities imposing emissions regulations this bike should keep me free of charges for a few more years.

Reminders of things past

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Facebook is a funny old thing… I keep getting reminders of all the bike trips I have taken over the years and for some reason a collection of Euro Tunnel tickets stuck to bike petrol tanks seems to be the most evocative. I have a habit of leaving the UK at the end of August (coincides with the children back to school timeline) and travelling north east, ending up somewhere in eastern Estonia, normally then boarding cargo ferry back to Germany via Tallinn, Ventspils or Klaipėda – I love the wild meanderings on the R1150GSA or more recently the lighter and easier to handle XT660Z, with no particular plan or route in mind I manage a few hundred back road or gravel track miles each day, either camping or stopping in last minute rooms overnight — roll on 2022 and resumed long distance multi country rides.

Teithiau Dydd XT660Z yng Nghanolbarth Cymru

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Or “Day Trips on the XT660Z in Mid Wales”… Just down the road from the Overland Workshop is Llyn Brianne, test rides and day trips over the Epynt Army Range will lead inevitable to the circular route round Brianne, and in all honesty it is possible to ride a few hundred miles in 7 or 8 hours and avoid most of the traffic on the coastal roads running south from Aberstwyth. I have like many, missed the opportunity for overseas tours so have been making the most of what we have to offer here in the UK, which to be honest, is quite a lot. I dragged the XT660Z out of the workshop and loaded up the MetalMules with lunch and randomly set off on a back road bumble – 7 hours later I was back home… time flies for me on the bike – its a great mental health reset.