On arrival in Austria

After a mission through Poland and Germany and having arrived in the Ukraine, I have successfully learnt how to fall off a motorcycle.  My world famous parachute roll has at last come in handy.  Having caught the team up after some small problems with my BMW motorcycle [with everyone accusing me of putting diesel in it] I have now picked up a bit of the Ukrainian language and now have successfully learnt how to drink Ukrainian beer.  I located a restaurant in Kiev which successfully served me sausage, egg and chips - so the Ukrainian culture is everything I expected it to be.

I am at the moment in Vienna and have two museums to do and an art gallery and am looking at this moment in time for some Old Spice aftershave for my wife. 

Temperature is unbelievably hot and am sweating like a Russian weight lifter. 

Good bunch of blokes I am with apart from one who comes from Sheffield.  He is everything I thought Sheffield people were - drinks too much and is a bit gobby.  I have followed Richard Halhead through the Ukraine and Austria he is the only bloke I know who can have a hand held telephone permanently stuck to his ear whilst on the bike.

Nothing else to report at the moment.

About to taste the Austrian cuisine - having pizza.

We have just arrived in Vienna it is very hot and Norman has his Captains hat on again.  We stayed in a beautiful spa village in Slovakia last night and took the motorway across the border into Austria.  We are heading for Graz and hope to be in a bar for the important Germany v Turkey semi final! 

So far today there have been no breakdowns or hours spent at Border crossings and Norman has not dropped the bike for two days. 

The trip through the Ukraine was fantastic and showed how different rural Ukraine is from the cities.  Everyone in the poor agricultural areas waved to us and was very friendly and the countryside was fantastic with nesting stalks on top of lampposts and old ladies tending their individual cows by the side of the road. 

So far on the mechanical front two Hondas and a Triumph have had electrical faults and Norman’s lost a bearing on the BMW. 

Mosquitoes are everywhere and some of us have had to have blood transfusions to replace what the mosquitoes have taken! 

So, for now, over and out.  Hope Germany wins!