Well, there you go. That's the last photo of my faithfull Ducati. Just after I had sold it. I tried hard to justify taking it home, but administrative difficulties registering it in Australia discouraged me and the fact that I have around 5 motorcycles at home already (not to mention the effect on the bank accounts of travelling Europe and not working for two and a half months) all contributed to my weakening when I received a good offer to purchase the bike and deciding to part with my old friend. After all, the original plan was to buy it, ride it, then sell it. And it's just a machine - I'll still miss it.

Fortunately my mate Alex drove over to the dealer's and picked me up in the old Landy for the solemn trip home, but not before we had slipped into the pub to drown my sorrows.

Actually I am pretty happy, the trip has been successful and I achieved my aim of buying and selling a bike at a competitive cost when compared to shipping my own over or hiring one. Both options would have been significantly more expensive. Furthermore the risk I took in purchasing a Ducati paid off - the thing ran pretty much faultlessly for 8,811 miles (approx 14,685km) and was very enjoyable to ride. I can heartily recommend an ST3 to anyone needing a tourer.

Apart from the bike sale I have spent my time lazing on the beach at Brighton (Sunday) and on Monday morning rode back to Horley to pack up/throw out my belongings ready to fly home. Not sure how the sheepskin will go through customs but at least I won't have the tent this time - it has lost its waterproof qualities so was discarded and, ironically, might end up in Romania after all.

This morning I braved the English rail system and travelled to London where I have caught up with a work colleague from the days when I used to work. Alvin owns a couple of amazing folding bicycles on which we rode arond the banks of the river Thames for an hour or so, stopping only for food and coffee. Very pleasant.

I expect this will be my last blog from UK as tomorrow I hope to explore London a little more before beetling off to Heathrow and flying home. I've got a couple of good books to read but it's still very hard to get used to the passive nature of public transport where someone else is at the handlebars, so to speak.

As I said to the Scott family - I'll see you in Oz.