July 2005
When we started out, the trip was going to be the two of us, on one bike, cruising around European tarmac for a few months, taking some extended leave. We’d done this for a couple of weeks in 2003 and had fun.
This quickly developed into a plan to leave work for good and travel until the funds dried up, with the intention of finding a new home in Europe.
October 2005
Two people on one bike works better on a big bike, a BMW GS seemed like a good idea. We ordered one and spent the winter dreaming.
March 2006
We picked up the bike, bought some big metal boxes and sold the car.
The GS was great. Comfortable, fast, efficient and boring. However, we’d spent the money and were eager to stick pins in a map, so we ignored the boredom and convinced ourselves that all was well.
June 2006
After 4000 miles, the BMW dribbled oil on itself and the clutch took early retirement. This was a bit disturbing, one of the reasons we bought the thing was for its perceived reliability. However, BMW were good to their word and hired us a car while they fixed the bike for free.
Undeterred, we took the BMW to the Horizons Unlimlited UK Meeting where we met some interesting people.
There’s the BMW again… this time with a new clutch. Woohoo!
We spent four days at the HU meeting. When we got home, things had changed.
The BMW was for sale, Linz was taking her bike test and the roads of Europe had been replaced with Africa, Russia, Asia or South America, depending on what time of day you asked.
September 2006
A few months later the BMW had gone, Linz had passed her test, we had a bike each and tarmac was a dirty word.
Instead of searching for a new home, we realised we didn’t want a home, at least for a while.
4 Comments
January 4, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Dan, Linz,
Quayside Way calling…Of course it is better to travel hopefully, rather than to arrive, but ‘Why’ could also include:
“What you’ve done becomes the judge of what you’re going to do – especially in other people’s minds. When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road. ”
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”
January 15, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Thanks Phil. It is often difficult to articulate the reasons why, but I think your sentiments hit the spot.
April 5, 2007 at 5:34 pm
Hi Dan and Linz,
Doing what you do , keeps you windswept and interesting …….Im all for that……be alternative
why the hell not.
You already question everything, and dare to be different ,this next chapter is just a natural progression for you too…….has to be done.
Take care ,keep safe , keep laughing
Till next time luv mum xx
April 5, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Dad’s just been reading over my shoulder ……he thinks ive made a spelling mistake …….should read silly old fart……..he’ll BE SORRY!