This is me being romantic

Summer is for riding but isn’t it rude to be away for your partner’s birthday year after year just because it coincides with riding season? This year the solution was to book a flight for Christopher and pick him up at Belfast Airport for a week of riding in Northern Ireland and Donegal.

Downhill beach
Downhill beach

Being Game of Thrones fans we set out to try and find various filming locations. Sometimes they were clearly marked but sometimes it was rather dubious what was actually filmed there. This beach was absolutely precious but I’m not sure what scenes could have been filmed here, possibly something to do with the dark lord being born. We came badly prepared and mainly just used the theme as an excuse to go places. For the serious fan, there is plenty on the internet to help in the hunt of Game of Thrones filming locations.

We also rode to see the Giant’s Causeway, which I knew nothing about and probably would have passed (lots of tourists) if it hadn’t been for Christopher who insisted we see it. So we went to see it from a lookout point. Then I thought it was enough but Chrstopher insisted we needed to go down and touch the stones and he told me the myth about the giants who built the cause way to be able to meet, or was it fight (?!) and that the stones were hexagons. Well well, the list of things I do for love now also include walking in baking sun to see hexagon stones together with a horde of people. The only reason this was better than my visit to Stonehenge 15 years ago was that it made Christopher happy and we didn’t pay an entrance fee.

Christopher and everyone else
Christopher and everyone else
Riding is more my thing than stopping, but I love to stop for a coffee break with a nice view, needless to say, Christopher is part of my nice view.
Riding is more my thing than stopping, but I love to stop for a coffee break with a nice view, needless to say, Christopher is part of my nice view.

We used a hostel in Derry as the base for our excursions. This was convenient, since I had all my camping gear and between the two of us we have more luggage than we can fit on the bike. Poor guys who shared our dorm in the hostel, our bags and gear took up most of the floor. The location proved to be good, we did rides both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, all in all 5 rides – all on fantastic roads and breathtaking scenery. Apparently ,we were lucky with the weather as well, it was windy and we had occasional rain but that is only to expect on a green island.

The most northern point of the Republic of Ireland
The most northern point of the Republic of Ireland

We did an amazing ride on tiny roads in the Sperrin Mountains, roads too small to find on my map. Christopher did some photo shoots of me riding and we saw some sheep on the loose but hardly any other vehicles. However, we did see a runner, lucky guy! And on second thought, lucky us being on a motorbike 🙂

Christopher is getting ready to provide me with some ego boosting pictures
Christopher is getting ready to provide me with some ego boosting pictures
Sheep ahead
Sheep ahead

Ireland has plenty of beautiful beaches, however, at least for us we suspect that the weather will never be warm enough to use them. Others might dissagree, we did see swimmers. And with the wind it must be great for surfing.

Somewhere in northwestern Ireland
Somewhere in northwestern Ireland

This is in Donegal just before a very heavy rain struck us. The mountain reminds me of Mt. Fuji. The weather can change quickly in the mountains and it did so very dramaticlly. Luckily, we had just finished our coffee. Unlucky that I took the wrong decision regarding the rain gear 😛

Could this be Irelands tallest mountain?
Could this be Ireland’s tallest mountain?

After a fantastic week riding together I dropped Christopher off at Derry Airport for his return to London. I rode south alone and got back to camping and feeding off tinned food. The luck with the weather was over, from now on it was heavy rain and heavier rain and an occasional sprinkle of rain and glimpse of sun.

The Horizons Unlimited member meeting Enniskillen

I spent an amazing weekend listening, learning and getting inspiration for future journeys. Arriving alone at a social event is always a bit scary but everyone was so friendly and with motorcycle travels as a common interest there is plenty to talk about.

The weekend was filled with inspirational talks and travel stories very much like the Overland Event but perhaps with a cosier atmosphere or, as I learnt to say, great craic.  I’m often met with scepticism or wonder because of my habit of travelling on my motorbike alone (despite) being female. Therefore, it was great to be among like-minded bikers and in this group most people had made far more adventurous journeys compared to me, who has mainly criss-crossed Europe. Needless to say, there was lots of information and inspiration to indulge in. Many questions started to grow, bike – should I change it, and for what? The Versys isn’t all that practical for travelling, having such frequent service intervals (I realised I had to schedule a maintenance in London on my way back, 5000 km is nothing when travelling). It is indeed very impractical.

image

What is going to be my next challenge? Christopher and I have now spent a week riding in Northern Ireland and Donegal and we have had an amazing time exploring on the bike. Therefore, I feel that we should do something bigger together, but should it be on 2 wheels, or perhaps 4? I mean 2+2 of course. How, where and when still needs to be answered but the plan is growing. So is the plan for next year’s summer, how can Horizons Unlimited’s meeting in Enniskillen be combined with riding in Scotland and a WIMA rally in Hungary. Don’t tell me I have to choose.

The Overland Event in Great Missenden

I’m home washing clothes and repacking after a fantastic weekend at the Overland Event. The weekend was packed with inspiring talks, people who had ridden across the world on motorbikes, scooters, post bikes… you name it. Your imagination is your limit when it comes to ways to explore the world. Needless to say, my journey to Ireland feels rather tame after meeting all these people. But one day, that will be me… just need to practise a bit of gravel riding and rough camping and I will be good to go 😉

Christopher proudly presents our tiny tent where he slept like a baby
Christopher proudly presents our tiny tent where he slept like a baby
The campsite in sunshine... we did have some rain, but not enough to discourage us
The campsite in sunshine… we did have some rain, but not enough to discourage us
Tyre work shop - I'm quite confident I could do this... if I had tubed tyres... perhaps my next bike will have such...
Tyre work shop – I’m quite confident I could do this… if I had tubed tyres… perhaps my next bike will have such…
This bike has been around the world
This bike has been around the world

This bike belongs to Jacqui Furneaux, who rode it around the world, a journey that lasted 7 years. Her talk was one of the many inspirational talks that we listened to, the title was “Plan? What plan? How to have fun whilst going with the flow”. At the moment she is writing a book about her travels, keep an eye out for it!

Another talk was “Africa with Autism”. Melanie Cowpland was sharing her plans for a future journey, taking her daughter with her in an Ural with sidecar, travelling from England to South Africa. I will, for sure, follow their progress. Search on Facebook for Africa with Autism if you want to know more.

John is packed and ready to go, around the world, estimated travel time 2-3 years!
John is packed and ready to go, around the world, estimated travel time 2-3 years!

Another amazing person I met was John, who built his bike with what he could find and it will take him around the world, a journey he is doing in memory of his late wife. He has an extensive website with lots of information, about the bike, his plans and his progress: Townie v the World

The Overland Event sponsored MoR, Motorcycle Outreach, who have projects going in Tanzania and Indonesia, supplying bikes, training riders and mechanics so that nurses and doctors can reach remote villages with medical aid. The organisation was founded by Simon Milward, who travelled around the world and sadly died in an accident not being able to complete his journey. His story is told in “The Road to Mali” which was launched at the event. I look forward to read it.

Another cool thing was that there was possibilities to test ride a few bikes, there was three different Triumph’s and the CCM. I was keen to test ride the CCM, which is a UK manufactured bike, witch seems to have a lot of potential for traveling and fun riding on and of road but it was fully booked for the whole weekend when I finally got hold of the coordinator. I did however get to take the Triumph 800 out for a ride, it is very smooth, hardly any vibrations in the foot pegs which is my Achilles heal, but rather top heavy which I don’t like at all.

If nothing else, it makes me look good.
If nothing else, it makes me look good.

This is just scratching the surface of what we experienced during this weekend. Now it’s time to end the day with a movie and some wine, tomorrow I set off, Going West.