Touring, Benelux and Germany

On the road again. I just had my motorbike for a week that I am already gone touring with mates in Europe. Starting on Wednesday evening from London, toward Belgium, then Strasbourg, the Black Forest in Germany, Amsterdam in Holland and finally back in London on Monday evening.


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Pit Stop for fuel, for both the motorbike and the riders. McDonalds is not the best option, but it was the only place open there this day. It was a public holiday so most shops and cafes were closed.

I like this sign. It means : "Welcome to motorbike riders, this road has bends. Enjoy the ride. Go right to start, watch the road as the first bend is left".
Rain Rain, go away !!! Lucky weekend, we got rain for 20 min, then sunshine for the rest of the weekend.
Allan is pausing for the picture. I am sure this photo could be the front cover of a motorbike magazine. Thank you to my little IXUS 80 IS and its wicked options.

Pension Williams, a very welcoming hotel, bikers friendly, english owner (so you get the english breakkie and the tea), calm area in the middle of the black forest.

Afternoon tea and pastries for the exhaustered bikers. A nice 4 hours ride in the black forest really empties your stomach. Food, food, food !!!

During one of our stop along the road in the Black Forest, a guy just pulled over to the side of the road next to us. He was selling strawberries ... 2 euros the box. They were huge and delicious. 100 times better than the one you can buy at Tesco.

It can't get any better than that!

Wooohooo ! Champagne !!!! It is time to celebrate. Indeed, I have just accepted the job offer from the company Sophis (french software company in the finance industry). They offered me the salary I asked, plus bonus, pension, private healthcare and 25 days holidays ... starting on the 1st of June. In addition to that, my motorbike is running like a bullet and smoothly. And to finish on a high note, I have been going out with Sambo, a fantastic french woman, for the past 3-4 weeks.

Really ... what more could I ask for? :-D

New motorbike in store ...

Hey hey, I could not resist the temptation! I saw the babe that caught my eye. I was walking down the haisle ... nice good looking body ... slick ... sporty ... but not exactly what I first planned. Yes I am talking about motorbike. I was thinking of buying a Honda VFR 800 VTEC, but just a bit too big and heavy for my liking. Instead, I went for the good Honda CBR 600 RR (not the F this time).
Sexy, sexy!!!!!



I paid for the deposit this morning and will pick it up next week once they have serviced it and once I have paid the remaining balance. I have to wait for a few days for the money to be transferred from Oz to UK.

Can't wait to take her for a ride ... Grrrrr! I like it!

I found a job !!

Good news! After 2 months in London looking for a job, I finally got one (which is not bad considering the financial crisis). I haven't signed the contract yet, neither negociated the salary or the start date, but they called me this Friday to tell me they were working on an offer for me. The company is called Sophis, a french company with offices all around the world (might involve a few overseas trips ... wicked!). Thank you to my friend Risto who work for them and forwarded my CV to their HR.

It has been 6.5 months since I last worked. I know it will be hard to get back into it. But I have a motivation ... a motorbike! I have started looking, calling and emailing people to view bikes this weekend or next week. It is going to be a Honda VFR 800 VTEC :-) Now, my mission is to find the best deal!

Hiking in the Peak District

With a few friends (Thomas & Yumi, Seb & Nat, Cris, myself), we head to the Peak District for the weekend. First, on Saturday we watch Yumi and Cris play the England Cup Final (equivalent of the FA Cup for volleyball).

Then Sunday early morning ... 11am ... heading to the Peak District for a day hike. What's the plan? Hike for 4-5 hours then head back to London in the evening. The forecast was : "Sun with a few clouds", but considering the extremely changing weather here, I would not trust them. They usually can't get the next day forecast right.

the reservoir at the beginning of the hike

Nico the sheep whisperer ... or Am I looking at it thinking I could turn it into a great roast!?

This way !! .... no the other way !!! .... Nooooo we are lost !!

Yumi always has an extra arm or two to help

I would not venture this way, you may go but I stay behind with the food

Seb! Your girlfriend isn't going to jump. She just enjoys the view from up there.

"I believe I can fly ...."

Almost at the top Thomas. So him, always want to be on top of everything

This is it! Almost over ... we now find our way back to the car.

Job Update

Good news on the job side of life. Yesterday, I got my first interview in 2 months with a french company, Sophis. Yipeee! Thank you to Risto who works there and knows everyone. They have a permanent position (not so lucky to have a contracting role yet) as an IT Technical Consultant. The job sounds great and interesting. What now? I am waiting for the next round and the HR interview. Fingers crossed !

When a good news doesn't arrive alone, I should also get an interview with another company (in the insurance industry) sometimes next week.

On top of that, to keep the moral right at the top, the weather is amazing at the moment in the UK : sunshine, 20 degrees temperatures (almost like in summer).

I am so excited right now. Not so much because I could have a job soon, but more because with a job, I will be able to buy a motorbike. He he! A Honda VFR 800 VTEC ... look at this one, doesn't it look gorgeous?
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/bikesforsale/searchresults/detail/?R=NXGN-7520882&mfy=

Updated pics of the flat

Now that everything is sorted, all the items out of the boxes, everything in the wardrobes ... I can show you the flat in its (most likely) definitive state. It has now been 1.5 month since I moved in, but only 3 weeks since I have my furnitures. Bloody movers ... yes they notified me, by sending a letter to the old address. So I didn't get any news, I waited, waited and waited. Of course, I was expecting a phone call, but nothing! Finally, I decided to contact the uk company. And you know what they said? "Oh yeah, we have had your stuff for 3 weeks now". Grrrrrr!!!

Zee Kitchen

Ze Living Room (thomas dvd's on the left - 163 so far, movie bean bag in the center)

Ze Living Room - part 2 (big plasma TV 42" and my dvd's below - only 147, so close but so far)

My bedroom (bright and sunny, with paintings I bought in Sydney a few years ago)

My London Bicycle

Atfer many requests from Jewlz to have a picture of my bike on this blog, here it is. Thanks to London thieves, I have had my lights stolen once (hopefully it will be the only time). My unlucky friend Seb got his stolen behind a gate and locked to a pole after only 1 week of ownership. If you ever have a bike in London, you better triple lock it, remove the wheels and seat, the chain and pedals .... basically within 2 weeks you are an expert in assembling it!


I forgot to mention that the frame is 22.5" tall (or 57 cm)

My London flat

I now have a flat in London and I moved in early March. So far, I haven't received my shipment from Australia and the main thing missing is my bed. So I have to sleep on the living room sofa. Luckily it's quite big and comfortable.
Then the view of the garden (shared between all the flats of the building) from our office/spare bedroom. It looks like no one is using it, so we already planned to do my 30th birthday in the garden.
The rest of the office with the desk and all kinds of maps attached to the wall to keep track of our journeys around the world.
And the wonderful bathroom with a spa. It feels "deja vu" as I had one in Melbourne too ... he he he!

House warming party at my house in 1.5 week ...

Back in London ... for now!

After 2 weeks in Australia of eating and meeting friends one last time, I finally arrived in London. Now with a flat to settle in (you don't know how good it feels to open the suitcases), a mobile phone to call friends (not many left after 3.5 years), and no job yet. Of course, London won't be the final stop, it is only a city for at least a year, 3 or 4 at max. Then what? Maybe more traveling, maybe France, maybe back in Melbourne ... Joker! I will decide that later! :-)