Well folks its touring time again!!!
One year on since Rome and this years journey takes us through the South England over Dartmoor - Plymouth - Ferry Santander - Back into France via Bilbao and towards Biarritz - River Valley to Pau - Lourdes and then over the Tourmalet and one two three more cols (TBC)back into Spain skirting through Catalonia to meet the Girls in Barcelona.
Russ has had some Job Description issues over the last year. In their P.C. wisdom the Fire Service have now made him Manager Parker during Station time. Its not just Russ it applies to - all Commanders which is probably hugely disappointing for them as the title doesn't punch the same weight. However the saving grace is he can still retain his status of Commander Parker whilst on a shout. On this basis I have made an executive decision - whilst riding and mapping he will still be Commander but in the evening whilst aleing, eating and planning he will be middle management.
The journey we take on this year is not for any altruistic reasoning at all - self fulfilment only and although not as high in mileage aka last year will make us big boys pant a good deal in terms of elevation.
The build up at the moment is not to plan - a week off for me with a nagging cough and for both of us Satty has been playing up. The reinvented Garmin software is causing us many headaches and we well be reverting to old fashioned mapping if they cant sort it for us. On top of that it would be fair to say we are casting bigger shadows than kick off 2013. Not hugely bigger but enough for a bigger pant.
As all men would be aware the leverage that our partners have at this point in the journey is huge - Do this 'Yes Dear' Do that 'Yes Dear' Don't be late home 'No Dear' Etc Etc. Its sadly unavoidable and a consequence of our quest for the next bubble of freedom and adventure. I am at present the perfect New Age Man. The Commander (sorry I meant Manager) slipped up though yesterday in thinking he could spend some time mapping. Everything went wrong - the maps wouldn't load and 4 hours later the clutch went on the Land Rover simultaneously. Meaning - no animals were fed, no 'Yes Dear' jobs were completed. The long suffering and lovely Lorraine is less than happy and as is the case on the days leading to lift off we both sit silenced like scolded cats in fear of a further whipping.
Preparation continues, priority external speaker and 24 hours of New Tunes from resident touring DJ Adam Prout sorted (cheers Ad and sorry Russ although this year you will love the library!) Bikes being tweaked, Euros sorted and the usual packing dilemmas churning over in the grey matter - whatever on Sunday we sail XX
Col de Tourmalet (1.6 degrees at 10.00 am today)
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