Day 2 – Heading To Bath
After a spectacular weekend with friends, we are back on the road once again. Today, we head from Shrewsbury to Bath. We have essentially chunked up our trip, with three nights of visits, three nights flitting about and three more nights of visits. So the next three days have us hotel hopping, as we check out the southern coast of England (which neither of us are terribly familiar with it).
First, however, we have to GET to the southern end of England. Read more…
Day 1 – And So It Begins
We arrived in London yesterday. It was an awesomely smooth and uneventful flight (and we even got to ride in the new Air Canada pods, which was enormously cool). Luggage arrived safely, hotel transfer was smooth, early check-in actually happened, and I managed to get some shut-eye before having to pick up our motorcycle. Previous readers of these pages will know that this can only portend something being less smooth later on. I can only wonder.
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Day 2 – To Northland
New Zealand is a motorcycling paradise. This, of course, was strongly suspected when I arrived. I now know it to be true.
After a good night’s sleep, I fell out of bed on my own at 6 am (already on New Zealand time!) and headed downstairs for an excellent breakfast buffet at the hotel. After a couple of ‘long blacks’ (Kiwi-speak for an Americano, it being the opposite of a ‘short black’, or just a shot of espresso) and an omelette, I was changed and out into traffic. Lots and lots and lots of traffic. Read more…
Day 1 – Around Auckland
There are many that will tell you that a trans-continental flight is an ordeal to be endured, and an experience to be recovered from. They will advise that jet lag takes its toll, and the best thing is to get somewhere and rest until you’ve recovered. Until such time as this has occurred the operation of heavy equipment, engaging in complex geo-political negotiations or the performing of frontal lobotomies or other delicate surgeries is to be discouraged.
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Day 5 – To Victoria
There is no such thing as an uneventful motorcycle journey. For some, this is probably the appeal of travelling on two wheels. For others, it is probably their principle source of horror. But, once again, I seem to be getting ahead of myself… Read more…
Day 4 – In Ucluelet
Sunday dawned wetly. At least, to the degree ‘dawned’ is operative as a verb in this sentence, given that we didn’t really see the sun on Sunday morning. The oft proclaimed yet not-yet-seen rain visited Ucluelet with a vengeance, meaning that the bike and I wouldn’t be doing a whole lot of riding. Read more…
Day 3 – In Ucluelet
We arrived in Ucluelet last evening, and engaged in the (now) time honoured tradition of racing to the Co-op to pick up steak, potatoes and Caesar salad in a box. Stepping in to the cabin at the Terrace Beach Resort (the Amphitrite, as Sea Glass was already booked — although that too has aspects both ironic and appropriate, as it’s the name of the self same lighthouse that this series honours) we were greeted by a television already tuned to Lighthouse TV. Read more…
Day 2 – To Ucluelet
There are deeply twisted consequences to working a ridiculous schedule for an extended period of time. And there are ludicrous contexts that can quickly become normal. Take, for example, the concept of sleep. One would think, being tired, that someone would want to sleep in. And yet, on a morning when there are no commitments, no alarms and not even a working clock in the bedroom, when 5:30am rolls around I’m awake. Read more…
Day 1 – To Victoria
There are those that will tell you that it can’t be done. And there are those that will tell you that it shouldn’t be done. And then, there are those that will go ahead and do it anyway.
After 835 hours of work over 8 straight weeks (with one day off to go buy a motorcycle trailer in Airdrie) I had pretty much hit a wall. A big, hard, immovable wall. Read more…
Day 4 – Back to Victoria
Breton
Woke up Sunday to the sound of running water. Prince MaMu was having his morning jacuzzi. Excellent, that meant I had another two hours to sleep! I settled back into my comfy, warm bed and contemplated life while I listened to the waves crashing on the shore below. Read more…