Made it to Auschwitz 1 and 2

Words are just not enough.....

Krakow Poland Sept 2017

Just an update..

Dear reader,

It has been a little while since I update my blog so I though I has better get back in the habit before my next trip.   Next week I am flying to Krakow Poland with my wife for a few days, and then at the start of October I am riding down through Spain and into Morocco.  After riding around for a while we (David Charlton and I) will return to Spain and then David will return home and I will continue back to the UK via France.

As usual, too much thought is being expended on what to pack and where to to pack it.   I am still trying to pack light but, as usual, I fail at the last post.   All appears well until I grab the last minute things, camera, laptop, chargers, books, maps etc etc.    So on my return from Poland I will have to do a full packing dry run..  I have just read an article in the Adventure Rider magazine written by Nick Sanders entitled "Is less really more?"   Interesting!!  If I get away with a pair of panniers, and very small top box, and tank bag and a 40 ltr Ortlieb back across the pillion seat I will be happy (ish).  Unfortunately my favourite aluminium top box will not fit between the pannier rails of this bike, and I really not happy about mounting it sideways on.   Ah well, once I return from Poland I will pack the bike and then lay everything out of the garage floor and try to lose about a 3rd of it...  but which 3rd!!

I have looked at a route, which David always says is always a good basis for change, but I need to judge the time as David will need to get back to the UK for work.  The good news is that this time I have a proper Garmin map of Morocco.... last time the screen looked like a sheet of sandpaper with an icon in the middle....  thank God for a paper map and a compass..

Overland Event 2017

I spent a great weekend at the Overland Event in Oxford. I helped with the setting up on the Thursday and Friday. On the Saturday I spent most of my time meeting with some wonderful old friends and making new ones. The picture is with a great couple from the USA, I first met them at the HU event in Virginia USA in 2016 and then again at the Overland Expo in Flagstaff Arizona a month later.