Archive for the ‘travel’ Category

Donnie Brasco

“Forget about it,” said in an Italian-American accent, sounds like that famous line from the film Donnie Brasco. I’m not one for shedding tears at films, but if I was to, the end of that film would be the one.

This was all set off by a visit at work yesterday A couple of lads from a really arty motorcycle magazine from Italy came. They were really trendy lads, doing some arty stuff with the three of us (me, Dad and our Stewart) in the truck garage. Now, nine times out of ten, an interview to me consists of a similar set of questions, how fast does it go? When am i going to win a TT? Does racing scare you? What’s the current price of fish? So as you can tell it doesnt take long for me to get bored. This interview couldn’t have been any different. IT went along the lines of  ‘How many women have i shagged? Do I believe in God? Do i like sex? And what is my favorite film? It just happend that Mareno doing the interview was on the same wavelength, and that’s where the “forget about it” got brought up. If you havent seen Donnie Brasco get a look.

So it was an educational day.

Other business, Jon Urry was telling me that a donkey can see all of it’s four feet while looking forward, and it’s all to do with Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. I’ll explain later.

Do you think i should make a point of doing a blog every week, or is random better?

Oh, and I had a day or two in Spain last week. I thought southerners made a song and dance about a bit of snow, well, not in the same league as the Spaniards. I honestly thought that some sort of nuclear armageddon had taken place. Oh no, just a touch of snow.

Italy, Australia and the Kings of Wanneroo

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Late as usual, but Rome in a day and all that. I haven’t been doing much for me carbon footprint in the last few weeks. First I was in Italy doing some stuff for Performance Bikes, then back from there straight to Australia for ten days. Can’t complain though, it’s not real work. is it?

I got back from Australia at the start of the week and it was straight back to a bit of normaility in the truck yard. As for Australia, now that was an eye opener, not so much the place, an eye opener in the way I got taught how to drink by the Irish. I’m not really designed for a lot of drinking but I gave it my best shot. By ‘eck though, them Paddies can’t half drink.

It all got a bit mad one night and Ryan Farquhar got the better of me and shaved one of my sidies off. Not quite sure how it all came about but I feel a bit naked. Reckon I’m going to stick with the one though, a change is as good as the rest.

As for Perth, a bit warm for me I reckon, but that wasnt a bad thing when we went to watch the Melbourne Cup at Ascot race course. The birds there weren’t leaving a lot ot the imagination in the way they were dressing. I’m all for a bit of sun shine when that’s the result. The bike racing was a good laugh. It was a series called the Kings of Wanneroo. It was nothing too serious, all of us on road bikes. We all, even the locals, got a lesson on how to ride by Johnny Rea, fair play to the old boy.

After the racing I managed to get a look in Western Australia’s biggest CAT dealer. Now I thought I worked on big stuff, but it’s not in the same league as these massive V16, 2500hp diesels that go in the 250-odd ton dumpers. I’ve even got a picture of one as my screen saver, sad or what.

Oh, I saw a Rob North BSA triple out there, too. She was tidy, and it’s interesting to see how they do stuff differently to the Brits. Oh, and I saw a Saab wannabe. Don’t recon the flames are as good, though. Prisoner Of her Majestys Service, POMS, that’s what the Sussies call us. I thought they were prisoners, weren’t they?

France and Goodwood, not Skerries..

601327/5.6.09 / ISLE OF MAN TT

Morning all.

Well, after the TT all I wanted to do was get back to a bit of normality. So that was it, straight back to work Monday morn, did the usual butty run for the morning’s tea break and that was it,  normality by dinner. So what to do at the forthcoming weekend? I thought I’d be racing the classic Suzuki at Donington, but the owner decided no to go. Well i thought ill be working till Saturday dinner so I’ll not be able to go to far. Or so I thought. While looking on the Dirt magazine website I saw it was round 5 of the UCI World Downhill Mountain Bike Cup in Slovenia. How far is Slovenia? Quick look at the map… It’s only 1100 miles. I can do that on Sat night, watch the race Sunday and drive back Sunday night, catch the ferry back and be back to work Monday. Sorted.

I got my mate Andy to come along for the ride. He used to be in the army in Bosnia so he knows his onions. We got into France by 8 Saturday night and that’s where the hard work started. It got to 11 Saturday night and there was still 760 miles to do. This might take a bit longer than expected. So that was it, find a decent place to abandom mission and get pissed. We ended up in Notre Dame in some dodgy bar then got a lift with the locals to a night club in the Notre Dame castle. That was us till three Sunday morn. We kipped in the back of my works Tranny, had a look about Sunday morn, drank French coffee to try a cure thick head, ate some french food, not sure what it was, then drove back. Sn enteraining sunday and now I’m looking forward to me next race. I reckon it’ll be the Southern 100. I didn’t realise the Skerries is the same weekend as Goodwood so got to do Goodwood instead, orders from the boss.