I know I just got back from Spain....and I definitely wouldn't book trips this close together but there is a bit of a story.....usually is.....been so busy at work...this was booked around the same time I booked Spain...only cause of how things happened....

For those that know me...I do like motorcycling...have been know to have some fun. Heck Spain was a blast. This trip is about the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy motorcycle race. Known as the TT...arguably the toughest motorsport race in history...different category than the Dakar....and always wanted to see it.

For those who have no idea what this race is.....its a road race on bikes that top 200 mph. Crazy thing about this one is that its around the island. Not on a race track...it uses the same roads people drive on everyday. No safety nets...houses...rock walls...crapy street roads. These guys do laps around the island (about 60 km per lap) at on average 130 mph...but they also get down to a crawl for some of the corners...so that means they need to top 200 mph to make that kind of average speed.

As a spectator you can stand ride on the sidetrack....literally a foot away from a guy zipping by you at 180 mph....they say depending where you are standing the back draft will suck you in as they go buy.....closest you can get to a race of this caliber. Its been going on for 101 years. Why....Isle of Man doesn't have an speed limit in a lot of places. Some places its only set at what you are safe and competent to do....very liberal....just don't drive like an idiot. Ohhh and you can ride the course....at what ever speed you think is okay..... cept there is traffic LOL. The mountain section has no limit but in town the coppers watch for loonies.

Just go to youtube and search for Isle of man race.....check out a few vids....specially the ones from Guy Martins bike (I'm rootin for him to win this year).  
  
It all started by going to the bike show there I found a very inspirational DVD on the TT...soooo sip of Rum...figure how hard can it be to get there. Well yup its hard....mentioned it to me good bud Andy....also mentioned that I won't be going as you have to book out at least a year in advance to get there. I don't plan that far ahead...as I don't have that much rum. So resigned to my fate I promptly moved on to the mundane things such as earning more puppy chow for Zoe.  

The next day whilst bouncing me head off me desk as I do on a regular basis, I got a call from Andy...seems he just interviewed a guy for a job....a guy that was going to the TT but couldn't go this year.....Andy being a good bud that he is promptly called me...gave me a number...upon which I called. Long story short....he has a room and he will let me have it....so thats a big chunk o the puzzle. Now I checked flights...cheaper than getting to Toronto and direct to London....hmmm find an RT bike.....lo and behold found the last one in London....what can trip me up hmmmm ahhh yes need a ferry ride to Isle of Man....those are rare as the purple spotted jackass that my dad always told me was just over the hill that I need to see...as we drove places me bouncing around the back seat....looking for things to do. Never did see one.....and I quietly stared for hours out the car window looking for this elusive creature....either way...nope none available.  

Well Isle of Man is about half way between England...an Ireland....I figured if they had  Guiness on the Isle...a few Irish folks might show up for the race...so I checked and voila a special ferry from Larne and it had one birth left...sweet....so I booked it. Guess I get to see Ireland too LOL.....

That speeds me forward to today.....travel day.....and guess what....sadly I'm in cattle class....great part is that I got no one beside me....I also got to see a bunch of mechanics staring at our planes engine.....and scratching their heads fortunately with the non wrench wielding hand.... errgo...delayyyyyyy. At first I thought it was delayed cause the ponger kept going off ...pong pong pong....very annoying.... that was a lil french guy leaning on the waitress err stewerdess button.... I actually laughed out loud when I heard her yelling at the guy.  "Stop it!" gave the best result.  

So after several announcements that it will be 20 minutes (hmmmm always announced at about 20 minute intervals)...the good news was that I was still on the plane...so it had a chance of going...bad news was that my window to collect me bike in downtown London was shrinking fast. Looked out the window....saw one of the guys say something to the other mechanic...looked like "What the F#@k!! Button er up!" An announcement came on...we are good to go. About here I txted a few folks that I might be a star on an episode of "Mayday" also told them to make sure to check for clues from the right engine...and find my phone cause I'll video it all the way down. 

With a confirmation from the stewardess that I will be drinking for free for the flight I was good to go!!! And with that we rolled off.

It was a pretty uneventful flight actually ... slept a bit.... but hate that they try to make everyone close the blinds....heck we were landing at 2:00 pm...why would I sleep all flight in order to stare at a hotel ceiling for the rest of the first night. Told her I will be looking out the window.... the sun rose only a couple of hours after we took off before Greenland actually. Was a short night. Getting to London....sure enough we ended up in a holding pattern.... more delays. Sure was hoping the the bike shop would wait for me. Actually flew right over the London tower....had an excellant view of the city.  
Hit the ground...hit immigration....unfortunately after a Japanese tourist junket did too...bit of a line but it moved pretty fast. The guy asked where I was staying... Kirk-Michael on the isle of man...he stared and asked if that was my friends name.... I laughed. He did to after I told him its the towns name. They name things weird here.....and off I trotted to get me bags. When I was distracted by the glow of a vending machine....it had simm cards....wa hoooooo. I was set...cept it was a "3" card....what a stupid name for a carrier.... 3. Why not 4....?  

Me bags were waiting for me and off I went popped out the door and me driver was waiting he grabbed me cart and off we went....it was actually pouring cats and dogs...sigh...not looking good...ohh and its rush hour ...yay...and they still drive on the wrong side of the road. My guy was good. He drove I tinkered with me phone....eventually I got a signal and he got us there.  

Anna met me and I got the bike pretty quick. They mounted the GPS for me and I loaded err up and hit the road for ........ Birmingham.....figured its half way to Holyhead...the place I need to be at tomorrow to catch the ferry to Dublin.

I tell ya....middle of London...on a bike...rush hour....everything is backwards....handle bars were on the wrong side of the bike even sheesh. I normally would have had a few pics to post but...I was concentrating so hard I got a hernia I think and not many pics. I eventually got it sorted on one of the traffic jams and had my epiphinamy moment....filtering (lane splitting) is normal and allowed here. They use the crazy notion that "Why not ....its a bike and it can...." what crazy talk LOL. Nothing like zipping for miles between stalled cars on a freeway to get a grin on and no one swears at you..they even move over a bit to give you some extra room....just need to know how wide the bike is as it gets tight some times.  

I finally got onto the M40 and started to zip along but cricky there are speed cameras every where....serious almost every kilometer....or less....you really need to pay attention do not want a repeat of Spain...I'm still getting pics of my butt in the mail.  

The countryside is amazingly nice. Lush green rolling hills lots of trees and the rain cleared before I left so it was actually a bit hot...I only hit the rain about 30 minutes from Birmingham.....had a hotel room waiting for me....when I pulled in...I was done. About 3 hours of driving of which a bunch was me wondering if I was in the right spot at the right time....silly sods. Checked in and had to go and ask at the desk for a normal room as they seem to have given me a Hobbit room....she laughed at that I will say....seriously....it seems to be made for Hobbits. I ungeared....and went in search of food.

Restaurant was closed .... pub was open....me first Stout...was kick ass.... and they made me a sandwich...they did razz me about my accent to which all I could say was "You talk funny!" Staggered to me room....contorted enough to fit in me hobbit bed and pretty much passed out...it was a lonnnnnnnnng day.....but a coooooool one. Very neat to be in merry ole England. Tomorrow need to get to me ferry......