Popping through Champagne country

Day two and two blog updates... nots sure I'll keep that high output up throughout, but while I have the wifi connection I might as well.. 

not far today.. about 150km to Nancy (nonsee) in biblical rain.. so bad I couldn't see the road through the spray.. I cried enough and pulled into a services for coffee and seeing as they had free wifi I called it a day and booked the nearest ibis hotel while I was there. 

drying out with both room heaters turned up to max to dry everything out.. 

Not much to celebrate travelling through champagne country, and I haven't seen the sun yet.. I'm sure there will come a time when I pray for rain, but can someone please organise a little more even spread across the trip.. all of it in one day is a bit much thanks. 

so despite the torrential rain my state of mind is a little clearer today.. I haven't had chance to chill out with a tent and campfire to get my head around being out here.. its just been a pack/unpack routine so far which is not what I wanted.. I wanted to ease my mind into the process of travelling, the different routine. But I will find that sweet spot. its there waiting.. I guess the testing weather hasn't helped either. 

Not much fun to be found yet.. but I knew this was just some simple holiday.. I have to re-arrange my thoughts and grasp what I am doing out here with no one and nowhere to stay each night until I find it. Its what I do quite well, just more of it. 

I need that sushine to help with the process. 

Whatever the climate throws at me tomorrow I will be out of France.. heading upwards towards the mountains...

if it keeps on raining the levys going to break

and if the levy breaks we'll have no place stay

Led Zep just sprung up on my ipod at that moment.. apt! 

next time I hope I will have dried out and can actually tell you about the countryside I'm passing through - didn't see much of it today. 

Moving on! 

heavy French skies...

After being ejected from the channel tunnel into French soil the road south east was sodden with rolling grey blue clouds depositing their seemingly heavy weight to the edge of the horizon. 

I need to step beyond that immediate horizon.

It's funny how after all the planning the thinking, the anticipation, all the excitement, years and months of working towards taking the first step, it has been tougher than I ever imagined it might be. 

The last week felt more like an ending than a beginning. Clearing the house of useless bric a brac was difficult. Parking my Triumph at a temporary home was thought provoking and selling my truck was a real tear jerker.

But despite all that I have to renew my optimism for this venture. With a little luck the initial down will be followed by huge highs and there is plenty to look forward to over the coming weeks..

My first en route plan was thwarted when I looked at a camp site to stop on the first night..it was not open after I followed the signs from the maim road.. A quick question to a local gent walking his dog advised it was ferme until premier May..sat in a travel hotel listening to constant heavy rain it might have been a blessing. 

Tomorrow may see me at the German border and country number two .. Unless the rain curtails my enthusiasm for mile munching. Nice weather for frogs mind. !! 

Moving on

April jitters

Well April has arrived and I can look at the departure in days rather than months or weeks.

Although most preparations are either done or in plan, I keep getting rushes of nervous sensations.

There is a sense of just wanting to get going. I think it will get more intense as the date gets nearer.

I suppose those are natural feelings. . And I would be strange if I felt completely casual about it, but never the less it is slightly unnerving.

This may well be the last update before I hit the road. Metaphorically speaking. . I hope!

So rather than bore anyone out there with housekeeping tasks I still need to finish off, all I'm going to say is that I hope this adventure is something you will enjoy reading about. I hope I have the vocabulary to communicate my experiences and thoughts as I travel our little blue planet. I hope I can illustrate that not everything you read in the papers or hear on the news is true about people and places outside your home. I hope my belief is right!

If it's not I might be in for a tough time!

Not that I'm going into this totally innocent of the wider world

So I hope you will keep up to date with this little journal and take a look at the YouTube videos and Flickr pictures I post up whenever and wherever an Internet connection is available to me. . I would hate to think I might be talking to myself!

Guess that's something else I will have to get used to!

Visa diversions

Russian visa sorted! 
Nothing like starting on a positive.. I day trip to London for a brief 20 minute application process. On the flip side it gave me chance to run the bike down the M1 and back at a mildly chilly 6 - 8 degrees C ... No such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes, but fortunately I am well equipped.. and with the benefit of heated grips its was a breeze. I got in and out of Londinium with no issues at all. 

So while I wait for the postman to delivery the passport with all required stamps in place, I have time to sort out some bike servicing. As one thing I discovered on return home from London was one of the the new brake lines I installed had been rubbing against the front wheel, which fortunately failed just as I pulled onto the drive at home.. oops! - oh well better there than earlier or later !

So what's left to do?
Spending more money it seems!

Signed up for a rental management with a local agent.. Sleeping that increases costs it does give me piece of mind.. Basically I can go and not worry about sorting out any rental issues. 

Renting my house or comes with several expenses that I could do without.. Landlord insurance, energy performance certificates, gas safety certificates.. And the wonderful fee for the mortgage company for then to say yes I can rent it which comes to more than one months mortgage payment!! WTF!! 

So all that aside I'm in a pretty good place and want to just settle my mind to the actual fact of leaving and changing my life for the next 12 months. 
With a mix of excitement and trepidation I need to find a comfort zone to deal with the last few weeks leading up to departure.