Swansea, April 2012

One Sunday morning both me and Angel got on the F650, destination Swansea. It was just another Sunday rideout to try and get away for a few hours, forget a bit about everything else. Weather wasn't the best, but it didn't matter. Where other men take their women out to the restaurant on the corner, I was taking mine to one 150 miles away. We got our leathers on and set to the open road.

I've set the GPS to take us there on the shortest route, through narrow country lanes, so we can admire the "middle of nowhere", get a touch of barely paved roads. Even with the moody weather, narrow lanes and low riding speeds, it was worth the view.

First stop was at this remote restaurant, right in the middle of nowhere. A huge building, with outside garden and a small pond, ducks running free everywhere. We each ordered a cup of coffee, and a double JD for myself to warm up my blood a bit. We spend there about half an hour enjoying the view, Angel taking pictures.

Shortly we were back on the road, slowly making our way towards the south of Wales. The landscape was turning from plains to hills, and then something locals call mountains. A bit more green, few more trees, an occasional river. We made another stop a couple of hours later at a pub for me to go to the toilet and have a shot of vodka, as cold was starting to get to me, and we got our first touch of Welsh language. I could barely understand what the locals were saying, and they could barely understand me. Apparently even the word "motorway" was foreign to them.

Finally deciding to give up on the conversation we finished our cigarettes and got back on the bike. Along the way to Swansea we were overtaken by a group of "bad boys" on custom cruisers, riding past at crazy speeds. Closer to destination the road became really narrow, going over hilltops and forests, with short glances over the sea. The GPS was set for the Swansea beach as the main attraction of the trip was the open water. We got there around 3 pm, parked the bike up in a deserted parking lot and started walking on the sand.

After a short ride through the city we stopped in the city center to try and get something to eat. Someone recomended "Steak by night" as having the best steaks in the area, but the place wasn't yet open so we went for a long walk around the town.

With full stomachs and a bit revived we went to a nearby pub called "Crowley's Rock Bar". A great place to hang out. Reminded me of a similar place back home. Heavy metal screaming in the speakers, warm atmosphere, welcoming. So we stopped there for a few drinks.

I wished we'd spend the night in Swansea and enjoy the pub a bit more, but we both had work the second day, so after 8 pm we went back on the road. This time, as night was closing in I've set the GPS for the fastest route, fueled up and started the long ride home. Halfway along the route I stopped rushing, laid back on the throttle and set in to enjoy the ride like there's no tomorrow. No worries, no rush, just the road, the wind, the vibration of the engine under me, my girl's embrace and my left hand on her thigh.

We made another cigarette stop 30 miles from home, just before midnight. As we were on the hard shoulder I left the lights on, indicators, and GPS connected, so by the time we finished our cigarettes the bike's battery was dead. Angel had to push me downhill, against traffic flow, to jump start the bike. 10 minutes later we stopped at a petrol station to fuel up for the last time, and set for home.

We went through the front door just before 1 am, happy with a good ride and a good new page written in the Big Book. Trip odometer, 510 km.