The Motorcycle Diaries

Che get lost...
It should have been a Brough Superior, but it was a 350cc Enfield. Finally we got an Enfield, all two and a half tonnes of it. I now understand why the British Motorcycle Industry went belly up. Take as much heavy iron as you can find, put a small lump of metal in the middle of each wheel (you can't describe them as brakes..), add a sowing machine from the industrial revolution, and stick a pretty badge on the tank.

The Bullet was that fast we gained light years...

Did I mention the inovative feature called a guess - a - box? Like a gearbox but with seven neutrals, a random lotto choice and stick the lever on the wrong side. After two days and about 400km of dodging triple overtaking cars and heavy lorries, I just about got the hang of it, but still wouldn't have one even if it was free...
We rode down to the South, Palolem Beach (our next stop) and also to Bondla Wildlife Reserve (a sorry zoo..). Think we'll stay on the beach. Currently we are at Benaulim Beach in a very comfy co co hut - but sod's law meant we are attacked by mosiquitos every night.
I realise it has been over two weeks since I had:-
- cheese
- wine
- ice
- salad
-coffee
- brandy...
Doing those lists again!!! I have to admit this is just a glorified beach holiday, no point going inland. All the restaurants have the same strange menus, Indian, Chinese, Italian and continental dishes.
Going to the beach and beer and garlic naan sandwiches and loads of totty!! Stu x

Two Sarongs Make A Good Night

Life in the South Seas

Good, economic, fun.. especially when drunk..

Coc co huts are a lot smarter than I thought. Off the ground, an adequete bed with mosquito screen, fan, lighting and electric points, this really is south sea luxury at 8 euros a night.
There are lots of Russians here - some stunning looking ladies (To appease my female readers a few years of perfection before it all heads south). They seem to have taken over this internet kiosk as well, google keeps coming up in Russian! Great being a bloke really, a few weeks in the gym and it all looks good, the more rugged the better....
A murder of crows. Bloody crows, they make cockerals seem a quiet bunch - for about three hours each morning (5 to 8am!!). Feeling a bit deprived of sleep - back to the beach I guess.
Newtons law of gravity also applies to motorcycles. After the Enfield refused to start, the moped, loaded with two people (Newtons Law now applied), refused to go up the first hill, so back to base for the third one.
Once you realise all other road users (especially Ivan and Natasha times 1000) are out to run you off the road, you're strangely fine and we scored our cheapest lunch yet, four beers two huge plates of curry for 3 euros!! We travelled to some of the tourist resorts (Candolim, Canalute and Baga) but they were just like Quarteira.
Owl had a massage to get her limbs reconnected after six hours on a moped, and whilst I was waiting I er er got a tattoo...........

Going co co loco down on Goa oh!!!

Planes,trains,tubes,taxis, buses and a mono rail

It only took three and a half days to get to Goa. Our original flight via Aer Fungus was cancelled, so we re booked at 5 am to Gatwick with Monarch. After a five hour delay, we were re routed to Birmingham. Rather than get the free bus to Gatwick and get stuck there, we got the train to Euston (beautiful Virgin train, well quick) and a tube and another train to heathrow, just in time to miss our connecting flight...
Gina managed to rebook us for the following evenings flight, which after queueing for five hours was cancelled at the last minute. Free hotel care of two hours queueing at another BA conter, and we returned to Heathrow just before 6am the next day. NO seats but we could wait on standby... on the gate side fortunately as we had no hold luggage.
Tears in our eyes as we were allowed to board followed by a four hour wait on the tarmac.. whilst queuing for more de icing, the auxilary engine failed, than heathrows portable power supply failed, then we were towed to their main supply that also failed. We all got out and bump started the pig in the end.
We arrived in Mumbai at 4am their time - man so busy, when do they sleep. Taxi from International airport to domestic one and six hour wait for next flight to Goa (regardless to say two hour delay...
At Goa, man in a Newcastle shirt met us and took us on a two hour terrifying ride across country. Goa is not third world - it is the third world, the biggest truck on the road wins, de rigeur is to overtake on blind corners. Somehow it works, but having lost two nights pre paid accomodation and being ripped off by the pyseudo geordie taxi man and not having slept for a few days made me start to wonder what we were doing.
We left the posh hotel on principle (three nights for the price of one..) and moved next door into a co co hut - a bamboo shed on stilts. Several Kingfisher beers, good curries, swmming in warm warm waters later, this place is starting to grow on me. There is no infrastructure, fly tipping must be an olympic sport (Portuguese are real amatuers by comparison!!), mayhem between taxis rickshaws, motorbikes and people on tiny roads - but it works, and if you want anything, its around.
We are now in Arambol, on the North coast of Goa, a small town full of life, staying in an apartment hanging over the Arabian Sea, a nice breeze, fine life! I have just booked a 350cc Royal Enfield to go North to Fort Teracol - it's only 20 years since I rode a big heavy motorbike - with Owl on the back through crowded streets!!!!!!!!!!!
Wish me luck, Stu x

Shoot the ducks - It's too wet

New Olympic swimming pool opens in my farm..

Now two blogs ago, mid December I did say it was a touch dry. After five hundred mm of rain even my large water tank is nearly full. Three weeks if rain including a nice 68.4mm in one day alone have convinced me it is now wet enough.
Seven rock falls along my track, seven streams through my land and seven heavy lunches have hastened our departure to Goa.. Small rucksack packed (me) and one slightly larger one (Owl), we will set off downstream at midnight to catch the right tide to Faro Airport.
Follow our travels on this blog - we will be at Yab Yum Yoga Resort for the first three days (www.yabyumresort.com) then walking down the beach to Arambol for some cage fighting and on to Terekol fort for sun downers.
Stu and Owl x

Spies, spies and more minced pies

Permaculture rules!!

These are taken from second year plants that have survived the hot summer, repeated cabbage moth caterpillar attacks, rampant dogs, bad parking and the odd woofer... I have self seeding lettuce, wild broad beans, wild beautiful girlfriend, so me of this stuff is actually starting to work.

Picked today, eaten today. Food miles 2.8 (went to the pub and back to celebrate)

I am using "Turex", an organic spray to keep the munching bugs way - any better ideas anyone?

Veg, home grown, Macht Nicked Frie sign in the background - - priceless..

"My son is a spy, but if I told you that,I'd have to kill you". He must be a crap spy if his mum knows what he does, ,or a double agent brilliant spy pretending to be a crap spy. Johnny bloody English not.
Wonderful, what a start to the festive season, a santa fatwa hanging like mistletoe over my head.. and after my last blog, someone has left the tap on - over 55mm of rain in the last 24 hours.


Katy Price was a popular choice for the pass the parcel prize

It stayed dry on saturday for the non spies Christmas party, and with a higher than average booze to food to people ratio, twas chrimbo jolly great, thanks to all who came.


Ex spy, Chinese Billy


Ex spy, Mafia Jimbo


Ex secret spies compare their persil whiteness..

We are off on the 7th Jan to Goa until mid February... communication by e mail, I will switch my phone on every two days for any texts and try and keep my blog going in between Kingfishers, Bullets and Thalis!!
Have a great Christmas and see you all in the New Year,
Stu, Owl, Holly and Becky xx

PS No spies were hurt in the making of this party, sorry Katie, we thought your clothes were part of the Christmas wrapping, you can bid for them on e bay if you want them back..

Under a hot tin roof

Rain rain went to Spain

Still a dry house here in the Algarve. Clouds came and went, temperatures dropped and it was into the first week of December that we lit our first fire.
Having offloaded my fourth lorry load of rough walling rock of the week, I had to water the garden.... gerrnash!!! Having installed a second tank to catch the (non) rain off the workshop roof, I am facing ordering more lorry loads of water. Down in the Sierras of Grazalema (Hi Clive!), they are approaching their yearly average already... 2000mms of the stuff.

My weather guru, Borde d'agua 2009 has been spot on, snow up North, humidity down South. On the next full moon, our only blue moon of the year (second full moon in the same calendar month) predicts not humidity, or chuva BUT - - Chuva abundantement, hopefully the full monty Spanish weather machine aka the ex love of my life Kate Bush in that classic video with Donald sutherland.
I bought the Borde d'agua 2010 last week, but will await until our return from Goa to read it.

Work continues to be hectic - we will be working through Christmas on some great eco landscapes - removing palm weevil destroyed palms, restoring a neglected orchard, recycling a garden full of rocks. Every day is so different, but I wish I could get a few days back at the farm.
Thanks to AR and her recommendation of Mercearia Bio (www.merceariabio.pt), who deliver the most beautiful baskets of mixed organic vegetables anywhere in the Algarve.

Mre later and pics... goto make my daughters dinner!!

Incredible U turn by Snr. Nobel

Bin Laden Obama hands prize to President N Griffin

Not Griff Nickin..

Mind the gap...

Between my ears or the epoc of Barak's illegal wars and the fact that Nick Griffin has upset less Muslims than Bararakafat (only due to the lack of TVs in Irak, Iran, Afganistan and Birmingham and that Griffin means Harry Potter in those languages)
Here's one to think about though. What if Obama is right and continued peace is only due to constantly chasing the Taliban and their version of terrorism? Maybe in fifty years time we can really give him a pat on the back and say he was right? I feel not, but comments welcome please!!

Big apologies for my last blog as it contained no references to gardens, farms, permaculture or even Jacqui Smith. I will correct that now.

The hour changed, the days shortened and the temperature has dropped. An offer of ten lorry loads of horse manure meant a couple of frantic days in reverse down slippery slopes has led to the whole garden being top dressed in twenty cms of horse poo. Another 15 fruit trees, 200 onion seedlings, more lettuce, brocculi and beetroot plantlings has the garden set up for winter. Keeper of all garden knowledge, Antonio the water man reckons I will regret the muck spreading because of the weeds, but heck what does he know (answer : everything....)

Biggest arrival was the very delayed pick up of my bread oven


How not to deliver a bread oven..

Given my impatience, I had it put on the back of my truck and drove home. I should have guessed it was heavy by the slewing of my faithful toyota. By the time I swung it upside down, landed it chimney side down, carefully blocked my drive, cycled to my supplier and had him lift it effortlessly with crane onto my raised plinth, it was beer time.


It must be easy after so many deliveries.. I mean it has to be..

The next day, with the help of Calvin from Algarve Tipi's (see link at side), we fired her up and produced three beautiful loaves, and with a bean stew, Aldi's finest non organic red, celebrated in style.

I chose the model with chimney for easy starting

Following Jonothan of Rainbow´s advice, lots of thin branches to heat all around

The final result!! Chiili and Coriander, Sour dough and German beer bread, oh yes....

This saturday awaits, bread, cornish pasties, cheese pasties pizza and lamb leg on the menu. It is another step away from the electric oven, gaz hob and more importantly bills!! Come and join us, come and cook, laugh, sing, cry. Our door is always open - and we have much to learn from you all,

Stu and Owl xx

PS On a bitter note, I have just been informed of about the twentieth house robbery in as many days. Pre Christmas opportunists emptied a house just West of Loulé, furniture and all. Keep it tight, vary routines with cars, parking, lights and shopping. Watch your mirror when 1000 metres from home and do an extra lap around the block if unsure. This serious stuff my friends.