Leaderboard

We peaked at 38deg one day last week, this was a photo of where i stood in work that day

The only adventure i get is being able to make it through the night without having to get up and take a piss

You need one of those 'twats per mile' charts like the stage show, Are You Dave Gorman. He set out to find every other person called Dave Gorman in the world after a pub bet, a very funny show (and book) with a young Danny Wallace involved, mostly against his will.

There's an old Knights' Templar property about 2 or 3 minutes from me. They do a very good event and it's free to get in when no events are on if you just fancy a picnic or a wander round the herb garden. The timber framed barns are feckin huge inside, and they still have the original builder's bills, one is 800 years old this year. Have a look at the pictures at the bottom of the linked site, shame there are no people in the pictures for scale, makes the buildings look smaller than they are. https://www.explore-essex.com/places-to-go/find-whats-near-me/cressing-temple-barns

Great report Pedro, you pair must stink of garlic by now. Is there a vampire problem there.

Usual stuff......me in the middle of nowhere, abandoned buildings, lunar landscape views, and the road eventually turning to shit! I'm Livin' The Dream!

After Tym's comment I have nothing to add ?

Nothing's happening! Met up with the guy......Brit ex-cop in his 70's. Currently on an R1150RT.......and he's looking for something lighter due to his age. Well the Strom and the RT are polar opposites.......and he's used to Beemers. He liked the bike.......but it was just too different to what he's used to. Funny thing is, I was riding back thinking "Why am I selling this?" So I may well hold onto it for the time being. It is the perfect fit for me (apart from the weight) and even though a small trailie would be great as it's so much lighter, the lack of power is going to limit me doing a lot of things.

Ack! I see dead bugs!!!!!!!!!!

I say this as a joke towards the UK, but those guys go through hell. When Maria died I was put in a cell for a while before being questioned, and all other 6 or 7 guys where black dudes (proper dark black, from central Africa) having been caught trying to jump the border. I was living a nightmare, but even so managed to see the shambles they were in, most destitute people I have ever met. And even then, not knowing anything about me and half wearing ripped clothing in winter, a couple of them tried to comfort and support me.

Not a complete list but just a few photos that happen to be accessible via my iPad right now.

You'd never survive here @MooN @Sir Fallsalot

True. At least it's downhill the whole way to Kansas. But all uphill coming home?

Put them in with a lion and see if the lion salivates.

That's over 5 times the highest peak in the UK

You two are just a couple of simpletons

That's so not a place I want to be.....YUCK Hope you don't melt. ?

Nowadays, being good and gentle to others. Used to be going off on killing sprees accross the middle east

It's only 400 miles away but it's about a 7,000 foot elevation drop; thus the higher temps.

Stick a bag of ice in your pants

Beautiful to look at though ?

Poor deluded fools, imagine the disapointment after months of walking accross Africa and risking their lives in a shoddy boat, enduring months of refugee camps, to end up in the uk.

Have you voted yet? Time is running out!

I just noticed that now @yen_powell. Just admit you're from Essex FFS! The whole of England is shit anyway so it won't make any difference.

I'd be afraid to ride across town on a Guzzi....at any age.

I hate motorways on a bike, i’ll travel all the way across France without touching motorways. The only thing you see on a motorway are dangerous drivers ?

So ends today's excursion. More later.....

Roof has a bit of a sag in it...

Some of the other buildings in Apex are behind barbed wire - I wasn't about to risk getting shot by climbing over it for a better pic....

I was impressed with how much timber he cleared for his yard. Must have used the trees for his cabin...

Perfect example of a gold miner's cabin from the 1800's. Still in really nice shape, too!

Building with the flat front was a hotel in the 1880's, the other was the restaurant next door....

On to the local ghost town; Apex Valley. It's located about 7 miles north of Balck Hawk and one mile south of my house. On a dead end dirt road, very few people go up there. Several old abandoned houses and a hotel up there...

Downtown Black Hawk - one of our two streets. We have a few casinos in town but that's about it. No other businesses...

Only titled like this as I rode through the small town of Montezuma today on my way to soem dirt roads that I wanted to ride a bit. Started the ride off down by the Lake before heading up higher...

Montana, Wyoming and Colorado are all mostly prairies. But all have a mountainous area - less than 15% of the land probably. In 10 days I have a trip planned to Kansas and will post pics of what most of Colorado looks like. Hint: it ain't pretty!

So, yesterday started well, not very warm by the time I left the hotel at around 9am, made my way to find some petrol as the bike was on reserve and in this part of the country you can ride for a while without fuel in rural areas, I mean 40km, not really such a drama. The big GS is quite frugal if you avoid motorways, and by the time I fueled up I had 600km on that tank with 50km range left. Landscape is changing now With a full tank I explore a little, there is no rush in going fast south, but I seem only be able to find dead ends, like this The grass is a little too tall for my liking, it's now getting a little hot and windy so I decide to go back to tarmac roads. A hot catalytic converter and tall dry grass is a great way to start a wildfire, and there has been enough of that over the last years. The road is good, though, I try to stick to small ones: See that on the other side of the river? That's Spain It's steeper than it looks My favourite road so far, as far as fun handling a motorcycle, it's barely wide enough for one van, and rolling and weaving through hills, with patches of dirt thrown in to keep it interesting: It was now getting hot, at around 11:30 it was over 37º, still I couldn't resist this dirt road: It only lasted for a few km, not even 15 I think. By now I am getting hot and hungry, so decide to find a small place for lunch. I stop at the first cafe that has shade outside, sit down and do a few calls and emails while I wait for my ham sandwich. Some water and a cold small beer go down a treat. Old lady in the cafe put some butter on the sandwich, "because I think this is your lunch, and you should have a proper lunch" Street scene, after these two dudes sat together having a drink inside, they proceeded to have a conversation outside while maintaining their social distancing , there's so much rural portugal in this picture ... Old lady over there in the shade with her cane is wearing full black, and it's 37º, she's got the cane ready for when the cat comes to shit on her flowers Back on the road, and a few kms later I stop to check my itinerary and a mini castle. Most common big birds now are storks: Pretty proud of myself taking this picture, and I go and put my thumb in it Half an hour later, the roads are ok but the heat is barely manageable. I stop at a fountain and wash my head to cool down. Last stop before getting to the hotel is Marvão and it's castle. It's very high up and worth it for the views alone. There it is in the distance: Make it to the hotel, and quickly make my way to the pool, to finish the day. I drank almost 1,5 liters of water just sitting there, plus a couple of beers, before starting to feel less thirsty. Sofia joined me for dinner, I had some greats cuttlefish and clams cooked in garlic and olive oil, it was amazing. Too much wine was had.

Not at all Alan, plenty of lovely scenic stops up on the Plain

Route if anyone cares.....

Steered the Big Blue Turd for home. Another nice morning of riding completed.

Popped outta the woods and there's another lake. Conveniently located next to the paved road home...

Perfect day for it today - sunny and about 62F (17C)...

The "road" has officially become a goat path....

Doesn't look so bad in pics, but the "road" was getting pretty bad with lots of rocks and water....

Now here's a house I can afford! Previous owner seems to have moved on... Just south of Montezuma....

I was gonna put my summer house here, but I was, again, short a few million dollars.....

....

The paved road getting this far was prety decent - smooth as you like with lots of curves and elevation changes...

Old bikes that I still have, but just don't ride that much anymore....