10 days and 1,240 miles later, I’m back in civilisation – and you better believe I’m saddle-sore and knackered! But it was all worth it.
I got to see family and friends, and travel almost the width of the country in my pursuit of freedom – and the bike held up throughout. I even got a couple of bits of tweaking done, courtesy of my bike-mad family! So now my bike proudly boasts braided steel brake lines – if you don’t know what they are, don’t bother asking. But they’re well trick! 😀
Needless to say, I drank myself almost to the point of spontaneous liver failure, but it was a good laugh. And it’s only right – when in Rome, as they say!
Big up to my bro and sis-in-law, who celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary by getting them and a bunch of us bladdered till the wee hours. Suffering the following day wasn’t in it…
Of course, huge thanks go to my li’l sis Jhone for putting me up (and putting up with me!), as well as her man Enda, who performed the bulk of the work in fitting the brake lines – cheers mate! And cousin Jim, who traced my lighting issues to a cracked fuse – oh, the shame! Still, it could have been expensive… Marie was showing off her palatial home, which is nearing completion – I’m reminded of Paul telling me he was building a “cottage” in the West. Shyeah, right! In any case, a housewarming party should be in order by the time I visit again in October.
I also have to thank Agnes for letting me stay over in her house, a mere 15 minute ride from Dun Laoghaire, the night before my return journey. Every little helps – but feeding me with booze the night before a big journey is *not* cool! 😉 And me da, for donating bits of bike to replace bits cracked in a u-turn/gravel/clumsiness episode – cheers! We never got to do that road trip, due to a bald rear tyre on the CBR (down to the canvas when I last saw it – eek!), but we’ll do it again. Spain next year, maybe? I await your call…
And Matt & Saz, who put me up on the way over, then made me a cuppa on my return journey – and to whom I must really apologise for being a useless disorganised git, and organising to play a gig in their village on the same weekend as my hypno course! Oh dear – maybe next year, then!
Anyway, that’s it. I’m back, safe and reasonably sane, and trying to get back into my routine.
Don’t wanna….!!!