Thur 30 June 2011 #2 ride 'it's the dream'

Food - home made breakfast with Gorka and his crew in the garden at his place on the hills of San Sebastian. Love it!  Then again we have not had dinner yet. We went shopping at Spain’s version of Costco and it was a hoot! Where else can you buy a scooter, meat slicer and endless amounts of ‘rape...’ in the same place. You even get a fluro jacket for the cool room, note to self when you go to this place again, NO THONGS! 

Weather - a tad overcast but shorts and t-shirt weather, also perfect riding weather. See above for fluro jacket.

Car - “not today my good man” - we’re on the scooter! Forget the speed limits, we’re going to top this thing out! I’ve got tears streaming down my face and they’re not from crying it’s the wind I promise. 

Conversation - it’s all in Spanish and I love it ... if only I knew what they were saying! They all look like they’re having a great time, it is truly great to see talking with such passion. It may just be talk of the weather or when to get their next hair cut but they do it with such gusto. 

Animal - the woman living up stairs definitely takes the cake, thank goodness she didn’t throw her nail clippings into our breakfast this morning (if you could breakfast at 11am). Plus I did see some cows ... pix below, yes that is Gorka riding with the bulls.  

What else of note: Kids outside playing at 7:30pm, all having a blast and not watching tv and eating $hit! Well that is my impression after 10 mins of sitting outside waiting for poor Gorka to get some energy back in his body before the last killer hill to home base. Then again he most likely used up all his energy popping wheelies here, there and everywhere! This boys has no fear. The ride today out to Irun through the back mountains of San Sebastian were just amazing, does riding over someones name make you ride better ... maybe not if the name is ‘Gastro’ but it makes you smile nonetheless. 

The ETA is still evident here in Basque country, event through lots of graffiti. This pix was at the top of the first hill today. Coming back into San Sebastian was the National Police stopping cars to look for any wanted ETA’ers, machine guns included! 

Parting thought of the day/blog: Ride Zannox kit is amazing, first ride in new ‘team’ kit was a success! Glad I got 50 pairs of knicks and jerseys to keep me in kit for months to come. 

I could go on with more reports but it is time to hit the shower and then help in the kitchen, we’re having a FEAST tonite, maybe tomorrows write up of food will cover tonites meal, then again we may not eat till midnite. 

 Yes that is a real gun!! Forget complaining about the Americans and NRA - these people in Irun love their guns!! 

Wed 29 June 2011 #1

Bags packed, under weight check, everything fits and it is carry-able!?

Ah isn’t traveling fun!? What use to be a glamorous way to get around the world has now turned into waiting in to dealing with the masses, standing in lines, waiting to be ‘searched’ by professionals and eating something they call food. 

Although I shouldn’t complain, what is the alternative ... other then paying through the nose for business or first class tickets, you’ve still got two of the four I’ve mentioned above.  It all began in Sydney saying good bye to a chilly Sydney it was time to depart this beautiful city for two months. 

As I write it has just begun to rain in Frankfurt! Ah the German’s ... side-note, it is raining in Sydney as I write as well! Ah the Australian’s. In fact from a beautiful sunny morning (now 8:36am) to a day that looks like the next stop of sunny Spain will be a much better choice. 

Where was I, ah departing Sydney, I will miss the place. Looking at the video enticing people to come to Sydney, as we are departing ... makes it all that much harder to leave. The stunning harbour, the never ending beaches and smiling people everywhere ... ins’t that the sum of Sydney, obviously they have not been on Military or Parramatta Rd during peak hour! 

Without sounding like a whinger I will continue. 

Starting up your own company is one of those things which was never going to be easy. Now that ‘I’ve made it’ but having the chance to spend two months OS every year seems to make people mate me more than like me, ah jealously. 

From the humble start back in 2009 of taking MTB trips, Sydney riders down to the super single track of Canberra, to following the TdF in 2010 and now leading groups for that last epic week of ‘le tour’ and doing a multi-day race is heading in the right direction. Hence the reason to ride this blog during my time away. 

I guess that I cannot comment too much on my trip thus far as I’ve been away for just over a day. The trip other than the dealing with the masses, waiting etc I’ve laded in Frankfurt and have only been stung 70euros for excess baggage to get my bike to Bilbao. 

My blogs will endeavor to write about a few things of interest including food, weather, best car, best conversation overhead, most interesting animal, especially leaning towards cow’s as there is a great site called http://www.lesvachesdutour.com which is a specialist in cows and cycling, and last but not least obviously other points of note from the day. Plus (recently added) parting thought! What could be a more interesting mix!

At the top of each entry, from this day forth, you will see at the top of the entry:

Food - airplane food, need I say more ... then again I did have a banana, my first in a while  as they’ve been up to $14.99 a kilo in Sydney at the moment, it was 1.10euro and green at Frankfurt airport.

Weather - thus far, since leaving Sydney, mostly air-conditioned and darkness. Upon arriving in Frank(furt) it as been mostly rain ... I’ll keep you posted on San Sebastian, one of my favourite places in the world. 

Car - a Porsche Cayenne just pulled up in front of where I am waiting for my next flight. It dropped some heavy looking business dude right to his Lufthansa A321-100, now that is service! 

Conversation - Has to be the one at Abu Dhabi airport, Guy 1 (G1) to Stranger 1 (S1) - G1 “Are you from Indonesia?” G2 “sorry?” G1 “Are you from Indonesia?” G2 “SORRY??” G1 “Are you from Indonesia?” G2 “No I’m from Paris” G1 “Oh you look like you’re from Indonesia?” G2 “NO, I’m from Paris” ... they talk for a while longer then they get back to the good bits. G1 “How many languages do you speak?” S1 “English, French and a bit of German but not very good. A few friends of mine speak all those languages really well AND Italian.” G1 “I know a guy who can speak all those languages, his name is Andras and he lives in France down near Switzerland, do you know him!?” S1 “NO!” Dare I keep going, I really could but it’s not about them ... ps that was all true!!  

Animal - toss up between these Americans checking in their two dogs at Frankfurt, they held the line for 20 mins (!) and the animals in the smoking rooms at Abu Dhabi and Frankfurt airport, they really do look like caged animals. 

What else of note: Looking forward to getting to San Sebastian, hopefully my bike makes it in one piece!? I’ll be staying with a good friend of mine who’s name in Gorka, a good dude.

Parting thought of the day/blog if it's 38C in Abu Dabi at 12am what would it be like in the middle of the day, even worse out at the airport!

PS San Sebastian - love it! Picked up by good friend Gorka and went to work with him and a few of his buddies doing some landscaping - that’ll starve of jet-lag. As a thank you for the work we’re having steaks for dinner ... hopefully I can stay awake for a few hours to enjoy it!? 

PPS Well done to the RIDE Magazine crew for an epic Tour Edition - that kept me entertained for hours while on the plane!