Yesterday we got A's motorbike started - it's been in storage while we have been away. We drained the float bowls and it started on the second push (we had to bump start it :). This morning we took it into the shop to get the MOT done...and it's got an electrical problem, so it might be a couple of days before it's ready to ride) and it needs insurance and tax in addition to the MOT). But it's transport! :) And it is a great bike to ride - I have missed fast motorcycles :):):) Ah, I love motorbikes!!! and so does A - she was giggling the whole 30 minute ride back from the storage to where we are staying now (we took the curvy back roads, of course :)

It looks, on paper, like we have a lot of free time, but we feel like we are so busy! Always someone to hook up with or something to do. I have been squeezing in the reading books and magazines, trying to get back into the swing of things. I am working on the Tibet photos, too - they are in Photobucket, but I have to add the comments to post them here. I am also looking into some writing about our trip....I hope I can get some of it out there in the world.

It's nice to be back in the UK...but I miss London a lot, that is where I feel at home. Everything is so clean and neat and tidy! And the pubs are SMOKE FREE!!! That is one thing that makes a huge difference, it's the one thing I have always disliked about pubs. We made our pilgrimage to the Nag's Head and had a half of Broadside (we were out on the bicycles and we still had a ways to ride :)

We eat way too much food! Everything is so good or we haven't had it for ages or some other excuse. It's a struggle, but we have been out on our bicycles (with the recent Tour de France videos playing in our heads :) and riding hard, riding into the wind, riding up the biggest hills we can find or just attacking the not so big hills that are around :) Our legs are feeling stronger, our lungs are not letting us down and we are doing a good job at burning off everything that we eat (we are trying, anyway :).

The TdF was a bit frustrating again this year...cycling does need to get it's act together. There is a lot of collateral damage caused by individual riders and I feel bad for the riders that were caught up in the mess and didn't have any control over how their tour ended - it's like being taken down by a crash in the bunch! I am glad that there was a real battle to watch in the final time trial, though - wow, that was awesome!

OK...back to the photos :) Later!

Hello!

We are back to a UK that is media obsessed with the carbon footprint :-)

I have to admit that I suffered from culture shock upon my return. Driving on the M25 of speeds at 70 MPH made me feel nervous. I have been used to travelling at a slower pace and had not been in traffic that fast for months, I expected cars to pull out on us any moment. Everything has been feeling incredibly futuristic, the facilities here are amazing. Admittedly we pay the tax for it but it

Ah...real ale :) I have had several pints now and I am feeling good!!!! That is several pints over 5 days, of course...I'm not a lush, you know :) My first pint was a pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord...and it was delicious!!!!

And cheese! I have had Stilton and mature Cheddar and some Wensleydale with cranberries. Jacket potatoes, too! Ah, it is so wonderful. And we have had showers in CLEAN water - it was amazing to have that first shower.

We have just now gotten online to check email and let you know we are alive.

The flight back was easy as pie...just a bit of trouble with luggage - ours was overweight (they limit you to 23kg each and we were at about 32kg each). They wanted an extortionate 1100 rupees per kilo and they wanted to charge us for an extra 10 kilos - that is £135.00 for the 10 kilos!!!! (just under 250 US Dollars for you Americanos :). So we removed 10 kilos from our luggage (heavy bike locks and some bike tools for the most part) which would cost about £35 to replace and that was the end of it...well, not that we could actually get rid of it in the airport without causing a security alert - A had to beg the security guard to get rid of it for us as they wouldn't let us put it in the bin or take it outside (where we might have donated it to a rickshaw driver or someone else).

The drive back from the airport was fabulous - no horns, no wacky drivers, we were ripping it along faster than we ever rode the motos these past 8 months :) It was a beautiful day and we felt very welcomed home. That was for the afternoon...it's still the regular English summer - cool and wet - and we have our warm clothes and rain kit out :)

On Friday we got the bicycles out of storage and have been pedaling around town - A pretends that she doesn't know where she is and takes me on all sorts of routes, definitely not the shortest way to anywhere we might be going, but you can't get that woman off her bike - she is such a happy bunny :) We will get the motorbike out of storage this week and see if we can get that running and on the road.

That's all for now....more news as it happens!!!