meeting up the friends ....

it feels so strange , we invited some of our friends on saturday and the family on sunday to wave goodbye for my trip to Morocco. On Saturday the boss of my favorit pub did me a huge favour by making Couscous as some sort of an introduction dinner for my friends and us. (that's him on the picture: Alain). I wish one day he could join me for a trip to some adventerous place, i bet he would just love it and we would make an nice duo on the bikes ...

The dinner was very nice since Geert en Hendrik already went to Morocco before me (Marc the third hombres was not there for the dinner) .. i feel like i'm going to pick up memories there they left behind and plant already the seeds for a trip next year. Memories left behind by the three guys, but also by Bart and Nathalie in Marrakech, they had some found ones from their honeymoon in Marrakech. The seeds are for Michael and Kristin since we are already planning a trip with two motorcycles February 2008.

Today sunday it was the family coming over for some afternoon tea and cakes. Although it happens more often that they do not see me in one month, but this time it felt so much stranger since i know i will not be in the possibility to drop by or if something happens just be there in a splash ..... My sister and my mum are rather worried of what might happen in such a far away country. when saying goodbye my mum handed me a cross. Although i'm totally not relegious i promised here to wear it around my neck whilst riding the mountains and the trails , just to make sure my whole family is with me the entire time. My brother, dad, stephmom and younger sister are a bit more sober about it, they are just waiting to see me back with loads of pictures and stories to tell.

now the last days at Dunlop, making sure that all is well left behind without too many open items. Most difficult will be of course thursday evenign saying good bye to the kids .. but they will come togehter with Agnes to visit me on February 17th :-) ...

for now: happy travels


Toon

.... dreaming about what's to come ....

the departure is to Morocco is slowly but surely creeping up on me, i hardly can believe i'm actually going to go ahead with it. a mixture of excitement and fear is confusing my thoughts in between working on the hand over, closing all my administration at the office and my luxembourgs appartement, preparing for the departure ...

my god, there is still so much to do .. i got the shopping list ready for saturday but don't know if i will have enough time. putting the bike into maintenance, adding the last accessories for a safe trip ... the packing will be limited: just a couple of sock, underwear and t-shirts will do the trick. and of course packign up my new toy : a new digital camera ... doubted a long time but now i decided to buy it to make sure i can share the beautifull things i will see on my trip ...

i will update you later on the actual departure time, but for the moment it is set for Friday 2nd of February ....

in the meantime: happy travels

Toon

... it's getting closer ...

well well ... it's a world of travel ... the more i think about it the more i'm happy with my tagline i use very often in my blog : Happy travels ... It my sound mellow but we are on a constant journey.

To everybody you talk you hear that they are going places or planning some sort of a trip. Brenda said goodbye to Amsterdam in style last Thrusday, unfortunately i could not be there since it was a kids week-end, but i partied with her in my mind ... happy travels to her ..

from my side.. well the professional journey is coming to an end at Dunlop, feel like taking a plane to the next job, but before doing so the real work i awaiting me: Morocco .. I feel very nerveous about it , my maiden adventure makes me feel very unusual .. I'm going to a place i have never been before and going off-road for the first time in a complete unknown area .... what has gone into my head to plan for this ....

i still have so much to do to get all the things in order: a new pasport because mine is only valid till beginning of March, so i do not want to run a risk... for the rest i still need to decide what to bring ... one tells me to leave home my sidebags, others say no problem .. one says to take tyres others say to leave home all technical equipement ... my god they confuse me all ....

i took it out on the people closest to me this week-end .. my god they suffer with me when i'm in a situation that i do not have fully under control .... but i feel the structure and methodical approach coming back in my brain .... First working on a couple of pure pratical issues and i'll be fine ....

the counter is at 2663 km on my planned routes for the moment with a total of 13 motorcycle travel days in Morocco (Agnes and the kids are coming down for one week to Marrakech and there we will travel by 4x4 and camels), but now i see the number i will re-adjust to make this 12 days or 14 days .... don't want to have a bad omen hanging above the trip ....

anyhow i keep you informed but for now ... happy travels

Toon

close your eyes and jump ....

spent this week 2 days in France, more precisely in between Marseille and Saint Tropez. My colleague Jeremy Ferguson - Manager International motorsport - and myself were to visit the homebase of the Tech3 MotoGP team ...



My god .. i start to understand why people have a smile on their face in the south of France during winter time. ... First of all: no tourists what so ever .. the odd lost Brit or Dutch who can hide his origins by their loud voice and desperately trying to speak French fluently ... for the rest south of France belongs to the natives in this time of the year ... they go for lunch on the terraces that are still bathing in the sun, even the odd jeu de boules after lunch is not far away .. the temperature plays a vital role of course: chilly 16 degrees the guy told me ... bloody hell shall i invite him to Brussels or to Malmo ?

the meetings were very nice and the left me with a very mixed feeling about leaving my current job .. i really love the motorsport and know for a fact that one day i will end up in that business. maybe as a sponsor :-) ... I really hope to achieve this before Jeremey goes on his retirement since i really love the guy ....