Pedro

Get rid of that box, Pete, and just carry a small bag if you want to carry a sandwich or some water. A big box like that ruins the lightness of a small bike like that 650, it just doesn't look cool

Givi stuff is simple, reasonably priced, and just works.

There are no spacers between that base plate and the bike's base plate, though, or are there?

I think there is another top box base plate (BMW original or givi?) to which they permanently screwed the 4 spacers holding the Shad base plate on, I just hope they didn't glue it onto the base plate. That's proper pikey, if that's what they did

Hand it over to you local car paint shop, it'll match your bike for 50€. Kind regards, Pedro

Lyn (male)! Great to hear from you!!

Nice one, Pete, glad you like the new bike! Bet you're looking forward for some smaller roads now.

Now that's a proper looking Ducati! ?

I edited for accuracy

SOber? WTF @boboneleg, is covid not enough?

There are false positives but obviously you always have to treat them like a sure thing. A second test settles it. Hope all goes for her!

Rode to Ericeira in the morning, a few showers on the motorway but didn’t even get my legs really wet Watching some surfing now, will enjoy the weekend here then spend some quality time by myself at home next week.

Oh, those knobs!

knobs on? at breakfast?

He's probably just trying to not fall backwards while waiting for the buzz to go.

He's just standing there The law? What do you think this is? Rio Bravo?

Nobody stopped to ask him because usually he is a very aggressive drunk

I really enjoyed going through all the thousands of pictures to post these reports, although I would rather I had thousands more to just keep going. Maybe editing a video or two in a few weeks or days would be a good idea, maybe once I learn how to do it, although to be honest video with voices is something pretty hard for me to do without falling apart. I have to do it properly alone, though, can't have my dog lifting his ears everytime Maria speaks in a Video as it breaks my heart. Assuming the Covid situation is handled next year, I will visit Morocco by myself in 2021. It'll be extra hard because on top of going without her, it was in Tangier that I lost Maria in 2018. But, if it's the same as posting these reports, it'll be tough but at the same time feel familiar. We'll see.

So, staying at my parents' home, yesterday I get home and there's this guy standing in the street, check this out:

And yet you cast the first stone ... Anyway, I think the ass poking stuff is reserved for later on. They have dogs sniffing cars as they wait in line to get out, although Rui did forget some hashish in his panniers and nobody told him anything. Then again, he was Portuguese!

Well, it wasn't my choice

Leaving Fes was uneventful, cool enough in the morning, easy traffic, and we just comfortably made our way towards Tangier via good easy roads A stork's nest is a very good use of a minaret, although I don't know how much the storks appreciate their early morning calls to payer. Having bought a rug for our living room in Fes (I know, the cliché!), Maria was now enjoying a little backrest. We stopped in Tetouan for some light lunch. Tangier was about an hour away, or less, and our plan was to sleep there. At our arrival in Tangier, we are way ahead of schedule, so without even stopping we decide to head for the ferry and see how much the wait is for the following crossing. Turns out we waited for half and hour of 45 minutes, and boarded headed for Spain. It was windy and the Mediterranean was choppy. Maria looking cool while the GS waits to be checked by the X-ray machine. Although the catamarans making this cross are really competent boats, fast and smooth, I felt sick since the moment I sat down inside. Fortunately we were joined by another portuguese couple of were just returning for a few days as well, on a Honda NC750. I forgot their names, and forgot to take pictures as well, but fortunately I accomplished my goal of not throwing up halfway through the trip Getting off the boat in Spain was quick and easy, as always, you´re usually just waved by if you're European. I stop immediately after exiting the harbor, in search of a cafe with a nice firm chair for me to get my land legs back. It's still early, so we decide to ride to Faro and have a rest day there instead of splitting the trip between two days. Sunset was spent on the road, and we arrived at Faro well into the night, having enjoyed a night ride with temperatures as high as 30º through Sevilla. The next day we woke up late, and went to the beach, we did have, after all, a day or two to spare, so spent them wisely before going back home. This had just been my best trip ever, and I was sad it had come to an end. I will treasure these memories forever.

I have a few places scattered around Germany, Portugal, and Morocco, that I call home. It's always hard to leave them after only one night, and this simple hotel in the middle of a windswept plateau is one of them. Regardless, we were to go to bed in Fes tonight, so we made way enjoying a fresh October early morning. I was aware this would be our last big open space in Morocco this year, so I cruised these valleys slower than normal (which isn't fast anyway), and even stopped for a couple of pictures Here I am practicing my intrepid adventurer's thousand mile stare, if the camera's pointed at you don't fear a goofy pose! It was a good thing the sun was now clearing the top of the mountains, as we were both a little cold. I remember enjoying this vastness, aware I would miss this. Little did I know back then, how much I would miss that feeling. Having a sandwich arriving at Fes, with the Morocco Rally cars and bikes passing outside stopped in front of an old dealership with a forgotten S-Class inside, just stuff you notice In Fes, our regular hotel was again fully booked, so we stayed next door, at a less cooler place but with an almost 4 meter deep swimming pool, enough to make my ears ache while going for the bottom. That night we had some sort of tajine with meat after being received with open arms at a known restaurant. We shared it The next day would be a long one, although not in our plans so far.