Petes BMW 1200 GS Travels

23. March

First thing when I woke up at 07:30 was to check Omar's position. Where was he? How was he?

Well, according to the "Where is" function, he was in the middle of Barcelona, but on the highway already. Good to know.

Meanwhile, I am still knocked out by the diarrhoea. It is amazing how such an infect can weaken you. I still feel sick, and on the other hand, I must eat something to get back to my old strength.

I took it slowly. My objective for this morning was to eat at least a sandwich with cheese, maybe with some jamón serrano. I had to eat.

The other objective was to get the bike back to my garage, where she is safe.

Before I would do that, I would want to clean her from the worst dirt we collected in the last three weeks. And while doing that the washing machine could run and was the bed linen. And the dish washer could also run, so that my house is clean and tidy.

A message from Omar arrived.

He had left Barcelona at 07:30. As expected, the traffic there was quite heavy, but still civilized compared with Tangier or Marrakesh.

While we was on his way again, I was at home. I felt a strange tension inside myself. Part of me was really happy to be in my lovely home, another part of me wanted to be with my friend Omar, on the road.

Omar had arrived in Barcelona yesterday afternoon and had decided to sty with his nephew over night. The thing was that his nephew lived right smack in the middle of Barcelona, close to the old town and the harbor. So, this is where Omar went with his Adventure. It all worked out well.

I would have loved to go to Barcelona together with Omar. Now, it is him alone on the selfie. Omar expressed the same feeling. "I miss my companion. I miss Pete driving with me."

Back to my home and my own situation.

All in all there is quite a bit of action before I could drive my Black Betty to her garage. I call Bernd and Brigitte and ask them if they are at home. They have the garage key. I feel really weak due to the diarrhoea

At last I take off at home, sitting on my bike again. It feels great. She feels light and easy to handle. I stopped over at a super market to buy some baguette, cheese, ham and shoe polish for my dirty boots. I have to eat something. I am falling apart.

Coming back to Bernd and Brigitte was another part of arrival, of closure. Here we took off, here we said good-bye before we left for Morocco.

I have a bit of a breakfast with B&B, telling stories about the trip, the decision to go in the first place, about the right time for certain actions. Bernd knows that feeling best, having had a stroke in the spine at the age of 65 and being paraplegic ever since.

Then I have to leave. I have to rest. I am falling apart.

Then I drive my Black Betty home to her garage.

Everything worked out well.

This adventure is over.

"There and back again" as Bilbo Baggins called his adventure book.

15:30 pm. Omar just called, from Lyon. "The highway is extraordinary! The highway is exceptional. 650 km of driving at its best. I am quite happy to pay 30 Euros for that." Omar is still at his strength and will continue for 2 more hours, towards Strasbourg.

Omar, the crazy man, made it to Strasbourg!

This was a trip of f**ing 1000 km. He let's all of you know that he is in good shape, although tired and with some sore muscles.

No wonder.

And he went nearly out of fuel on the last few kilometers. Well, even the huge tank of the Adventure eventually is drained. But the pre-warning in the display helped and everything worked out well.