Scotland, land of the golden spurtle.

Wow, porridge, and oats, I love it! Porridge and the use of oats is such an amazing source of wholeness and well-being that the world should endeavor to use this wonderful grain for every meal possible. The Scottish have the world porridge making championships where you traditionally make porridge using a spurtle and cracked oats, pouring the oats into the pot of hot water with the left hand while stirring with the right until the porridge has formed a rich and silky texture. And so on it it goes..... all the porridge ways of being, its an art in itself (porridge with butter and raw sugar, for savory porridge with butter salt and pepper, porridge mixed in with seeds and fresh orange, deep-fried balls of porridge for dinner) let the imagination go wild just like Bubber the shrimp fisher on Forest Gump. And as for the spurtle, well its really just a stick so you apparently dont break up the oats while stirring. I wanted to make porridge for Australia but going to the competition meant Id have to stay in the Beautiful highlands for alot longer, some other day eh (the winner gets a golden spurtle!!!).

So apart from the porridge we had a fantastic Ceilidh experience, In all our wisdom with sold out tickets we decided to photocopy some more on yellow paper to get in. It worked a treat and wore my kilt like a true scott with my penguin suit thanks to Mr Shephard, but by gees it was bloody cold when the wind blew a breeze, Brrrr!!! A night full of randomness and great times with Jess Fitz, Chantal, Zoe, Hannah. Then the Red Door for some late sunday night crazy menstrual drumming, everyone being painted in red and dancing wild dances. What an experience that was!

So while encountering few adventures here and there and watching the metamorphism occur with the awakening of the dragon fly from its larvae. Jess Fitz and I had great times in the cold preparing and painting her up, now she seriously does fly.

Mr Marty and the Dragonfly

So Jess and I took off on more adventures to see some of the Scottish west coast across on the ferry to Dunoon, was amazing to travel round and see some of the wild west coast, the cold is definitely numbafying though.

Jess gone bug crazy!!! See what the cold does to people.

The highland mountains covered in snow and small windy country lanes along loch sides was absolutely amazing. Jess on a photography mission for uni took some real nice shots too. Some will go up soon.

Ruin on the loch.

Are you seeing things? I think I am.

So after all the work on the bike and turning Jess's bedroom into a shed (cant thank you enough Jess, your bloody brilliant!) fixing pannier boxes and sorting out bits and pieces, all is underway and moving forward in a very positive direction.

I then took off to stay with some very beautiful friends in Edinburgh Chantal, Zoe and Jay, was real nice to just chill for a couple of days and be fat and happy :) So much goodness and so much happiness. More adventures out along the River Fourth almost to the coast line with Chantal on the back of the fly, we had the coldest picnic ever on a rock where i felt the ultimate bum groove to fit my tiny little bum into, was the best natural groove ive ever sat in, it was actually the best part of the whole picnic as hands mouth and well head swelled up and turned purple and orange (I wanted to calve the groove out with a chisel and take it with me). Was so so cold. To warm up we decided to play Frisbee on the rocks and run round like mad hatters. Then Chantal was super keen to learn how to ride the dragonfly. So wow first person with the shortest legs got it after a few goes. I was pretty impressed that Chantal had the courage to give it ago considering she couldn't touch the ground, On ya first motorbike she had ever ridden!!!

Chantal and the de famous Arthur's seat with Edinburgh in the background

Went to a gig at the Forest Cafe (Pretty awesome place for good music, food and great people in edinburgh). Then a late night play on teh best playground equipment in the Medows. So much fun!!!

The coldness is so so cold when riding the bike. You cant help but have numb fingers no matter how good your gloves be. It hurts too. Robin and I went on adventures on the Saturday up and around the hills south of edinburgh with the intention to go for a bit of a hike. Robin also had a go on the dragonfly, he got it, your a natural Robin, you should get yourself a bike mate! Had so much wholesome goodness food wise at the girls house mmmm yummm yummmmm yummmmmmmm!

The next day I set off to take Zoe for a ride and then up to Dundee to visit James who Ill hopefully meet up with on the Iran and Pakistan leg of the trip. Had plenty of Haggis that night too, oh man i love haggis, full of so much goodness. Then we watched The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou to get into the boating vibes as Amsterdam and the Papilon is calling. I had such a great time in Scotland and thankyou everyone for all your kindness and good times we shared, Much love to ye all.

So I took off on the Monday morning a little too late from Edinburgh as I had to race down to Newcastle to make my ferry, I got a few flashes from the speed cameras too (suckers all you will see on your big flashy cameras are photos of two big dragonfly eyes and a man on a mission, there's no making out who I am Mr DVLA Ha Ha). So on the groove and I made it to the ferry without a map just 5 minutes before the last ramp was pulled up to get vehicles on the ferry. What a massive relief not to have missed it. My bike was completely covered from salty grit being put on all the roads, I had to wash straight away in Amsterdam or else it would have eaten all my dragon fly away. I had a nice ferry ride and met some great spanish motorcyclists to share stories with.

Having my last goodbyes as we venture to the European lands

Goodbye to the UK and hello to the rest of the wider continent where so many adventures are to be had. Im heading into the lands of the unknown, Who knows what will happen???

Thanks so much to wonderful Chantal to who was so kind to give me her camera so i can actually take some photos. All i need is a card reader thing which i shall get one day soon and more beautiful pics shall be shared with you all, thanks Chantal.