Be in the Here and Now

What can you do in two seconds? Press send and launch an email? Smile? Remember the face of friend?

It's been a hard week clearing Mum's house with my sister and brother in law. It breaks your heart and screws your head. As night follows day.....

.....Just two seconds, is all it takes to lose the line on a corner at speed. No one else involved, and with counter steering and desperation, I stayed on. I know what was going on in me head. Grief! I have had my warning. That was a week ago and all is well now, although I was seriously concerned about my imminent departure for a while. My mood is stronger now so I got the vital preparations done. Organise the eleven day road trip which ends at my cabin. Let the rest of the summer wait. I want a rest for a little while. Time to walk along a lake shore, eat ice cream and watch the world go by. Just for a little while.

What broke my poor mood was the decision to take a break for a day. I left the bike in the garage and drove over to North Wales to walk the Llangollen canal. I trekked miles including crossing the Llangollen Viaduct 125 feet in the air. Fresh air was rammed rudely into my lungs in what the locals call "a bit of a breeze". The sun shone, and fellow walkers stopped to chat. It was more than enough to chase the blues away.

I test loaded the bike. It's the only way I have ever found to work out exactly what I can take. The surprise was that it is less than the Arctic trip last year. Not so much equipment, and no winter clothes. This is a relief. I even have room for my tiny tent for the occasional motorcycle rally that seems inevitable (what is this OCCASIONAL rally stuff??). Let's not under sell this. The whole rig still weighs at least 1/3 of a ton. I am not at my physical peak by a long shot, but this weight will toughen me up over the eleven day road trip. It did last year. By the time I reach Bankeryd I will be strong and fit. Nature dictates.

The thought of midsummer makes me smile. I love the long Scandinavian summer nights, and the Swedish know how to celebrate. If the sun shines I can see trestle tables loaded with salad and raw herring, bottles of schnapps and one of Scotch Whisky.

One week to go.



Note to self: Keep both wheels on the black stuff at all times.

APX

Here at home there is a young rock band starting out who are very cool indeed. APX write and perform their own music. They also make their own video's. Miles has asked for video footage and story from our summer on two wheels. I'll do my part mate. Write what we do. Tell the story. Take stills to the best of my ability. Keep both wheels on the black stuff. Hide my reading glasses at all times when anyone engages us in conversation !! Not own up to using heated handle bar grips!

Whilst riding through rain, sleet and muck
There was a biker who envied a duck
A guy in a car
smirked "I bet you've come far"
The biker said......................................

I could have written a poem about Whale song, but it's Friday night and getting late.

I'm holding a Limerick competition. Anything you like, but it has to be a Limerick. You can stick them in the comments field. Every one is a winner because they will all be published this way.

The Return of the Cape Crusader

It is happening again. I'm raising money for Myton Hospice. Today I delivered a talk and slide show about last years journey, to the ladies of the Women's Institute. Jam and Jerusalem, and home baked cakes. Maybe it is the mood I'm in, but their rendition of Jerusalem was wonderful. I wish Mum was standing in their ranks belting it out still. I think I better stop there. Next I'll be thinking knitting is cool!

We raised another £125 for Myton. I added an epilogue to my talk mentioning Mum, who was one of their number, and my inevitable return to an region that I have fallen in love with. How long after the 2010 trip will people want me to do presentations on it? Is there anything new to add? I gave my contact details to fresh organisations interested in hiring me.

3 weeks to go. I am making progress. I will be ready, but it's rushing forward to meet me too fast.

An Organic Plan

I don't have a grand plan this year. What I have is elements that have come naturally together as a result of my journey to Nordkapp last year. I also don't have long. I am leaving in four weeks. Much to do.


Ernst found a cottage (cabin) for me near Lake Vattern in Sweden. I'm returning to join many friends of VMCK, the motorcycle club that supported my fundraising for Myton Hospice last year. So I have a base for two months, quiet roads and wonderful scenery to ride my bike in, and friends to do it with. What more can a biker want? Apart from another bike in the shed, and free beer, forever. Thanks Ernst for providing the platform on which my trip will be built.

I also have my outward ferry booked, Harwich - Esbjerg. Elsa is ready to go which is more than can be said for me. The outward journey to the VMCK club house is taking shape. I'm not exactly taking the direct route to get there. It's going to take me ten days. I have friends to visit in Jutland, and also a rendezvous with Andreas, the German cyclist I met up with in Gavle last year. He was circumnavigating the Baltic and our paths crossed at a point where we both needed rest. His journey was far harder than my Arctic adventure actually. After that I will meet up with the guys of VMCK in Northern Germany, from where we make a road trip of five days ending up at the club house Near Bankeryd, Home! We will be there in time for mid summer which is the whole point. What else I do with the summer in Scandinavia will sort itself out later. I expect it to include getting together with Aki who I was at the Cape with (Catch you later Sami. Have a great summer with your family).

That looks like a plan and time is short. I need to get my arse into gear. Domestic logistics to support a ten week absence to arrange. New technology to learn. Soon enough I will have to team up with Satnav Jane, release Vatta from his padded cell, and reassemble my virtual team.

The Long Goodbye

I thought that my story was pretty much done, but I was wrong. Maybe what I am about to do is a sequel. It definitely involves another, related journey, and of course lots of motorbikes. But first the reason this starts again.

Last year I rode to Nordkapp to raise money for Myton Hospice, where my father spent the last few weeks of his life. Whatever plans I had for the winter, and this year were overtaken by events. During last years trip my mother followed my progress and enthusiastically did her bit to raise sponsorship towards the cause. That we should lose her in exactly the same way seems unbelievably cruel, but that is what has happened to us. Our whole family mourn the loss of her hugely. As I begin my new journey, I will miss her telling me that I am a wimp for using heated handle bar grips. Best was to use them and not tell her.

I made her a promise that I would move forward, and I will. I intend to make every day count. I have much to do. I'd better get started.