Pedro

Final picture, none of the original three, there:

There is still nothing like that for bikes here, it’s about to start though.

Why is being ginger a bad thing in the UK?

It ticks over just nicely and it’s been like that for years already

Seaside neglected bike, no piece of it is not really very corroded. Zoom in

Carol was such an annoying bitch!

We usually have, you live in altitude.

It was particularly useful to check for pictures which had been uploaded but not added to the post.

A curious bird investigates my bike, back from Morocco

Has the preview button dissapeared, where you could preview your post before submitting it?

Not a ride report, just going to @Sofia's from my place. It could be a 40 minute ride by taking the motorway, but I prefer to turn it into a 2 hour thing via small roads, money saved on the toll pays for lunch plus I just like these roads. Woke up feeling fresh after a very cold night in the countryside, clear blue skies but with rain for later in the day. Enjoyed a coffee outside listening to the morning After some work, I tidied the place and closed it ready for a few days with no person living there. Then packed my luggage onto the bike and off I went now at around well after mid day. I'm sure @XTreme would be in a panic anticipating starting a non Honda motorcycle, so this is just for him. I like the sound of the first start, more so when it's colder. Half an hour later, I stop to take pictures of a field of flower, this is also something @Slowlycatchymonkey would really find troublesome, her adventures are so packed with action she can´t afford one minute stopped somewhere. As I climbed the hill the temperature that had varied from 10 to 13ºC went to 5º at the top, with a little rain as we went up. Stopped at the cafe for lunch, looking forward to something warm to eat. Outside there were two 4WDs from the forest firefighters. Today they probably wouldn't fight anything but it's good to see they're around at least to clean hazards before the fire season. Let's hope Portugal can change the disgraceful course we have been having regarding forest fires. My lunch consisted of a burger complete with the exuberance of two slices of tomato inside. It was warm and nice and really hit the spot. First time I've sat inside this place in years, but today the outside wasn't a nice place to eat. A nice espresso to finish off and get back on the bike. When I first started coming here you would eat a burger, drink something and have coffee, and you'd have change from a 5 Euro note, now it's 7€, and it manages to surprise me every time. Same thing in a coastal town and that won't pay for the sandwich itself. Even though I sent a few emails and thought I had things under control during lunch, a few minutes after being on the bike the phone rings and I decide to give a client my attention and check a few things properly instead of having this issue in the back of my mind. Stopped at the side of the road: 20 minutes later and it looks like I'm riding into a storm, so stop and put the phone away. After that I zig zag avoiding the dark clouds that eventually catch me just 15 minutes before arriving at Ericeira, a proper rainfall for the last few kms, shame as I had washed the bike yesterday. There you go, turning a mundane trip into a ride report!

The true hidden potential is to have 3 top boxes.

After two nights having a mini meltdown, yesterday I finally shut down and slept through the night. Woke up late and feeling ok, so will tidy up the place and leave to spend the weekend in Ericeira. Will take two pictures but it´ll be of my usual cafe location where I'll stop for lunch. It's sunny and cold here, so colds even the birds have only just starter chirping outside.

There’s a big tomato there too, now I remember. Exotic ingredient!

Actually, it was canned passata from Italy, you can buy that too surely.

Break the ice? Yes, help Putin come out of his shell, he's been so quiet... Johnson shouldn´t be allowed to have a public opinion on things not related to petty political small issues.

Shakshuka, it's spicy and comforting and full of tomatoness. Coriander from my garden made it better. You have it with crunchy toast. Had a load of carrots, onions, and didn't want to leave that home so decided to cook a rice with them. Roasted the onions and the carrots in the oven with a few spices, got a few bit of garlic to caramelize inside the skins, rosemary from the garden and olive oil, then made a rice on top of that. Used some saffron that I bought in Morocco, too.

Yes, anything except a top box.

If it's of any consolation, my home is right in Portugal's biggest concentration of tomato fields, I've asked around and told them to send more to the UK. Joking aside, though, in supermarkets there seems to be a lot of tomatoes currently from Morocco, which is really not usual for here.

Whenever I ride Sofia's Speed Triple I am always doing stupid shit so can't have something like that either. My license is on the verge of being taken away for a while as it is

I would not say no to a nice HP2, that is the only bike I wouldn't mind leaving parked for a while at my place between visits and a trip to Morocco. Should have bought one when they were not super expensive.

I've been toying with the idea of another bike for ages, but don't want another one just sitting in the garage and I don't see myself going on a proper big ride and not take my current bike. I would like a Ducati DesertX for a little more offroad traveling, but can't see myself owning a Ducati. The thought of something shiny with metal parts like a Harley or a Triumph does sound nice but I can't see myself properly enjoying one on the roads I like to be on. A proper tourer like an RT does have appeal, but only if going on a really proper long trip with tarmac only. It'd be too much of a pain to take into and out of the garage. Another GS, non Adventure with proper offroad tires and a big engine crashbar, something less precious to me than my current one, this makes no sense but is the strongest candidate

When is your birthday? Is it for celebrating the last one or the next one? I never bought myself a motorcycle for my birthday, it's a pretty good idea.