• MBSki
• Bed and Breakfast
• Directions
• Chamonix
• Gallery

• Back to the B&B
• Leaving Chamonix
• Xmas in UK
• Leaving again
• Bad start for Pepper
• Pepper survives
• Into Spain
• Into Morocco
• Heading south
• Getting warmer
• Jan 17th, Essaouira
• Jan 18th
• The French and their Campers
• Bikers, Birthdays and cats
• The acceptable side of French campers
• Another round then off to Imsouane
• Emergency!
• Surfing
• 'erberts

Bikers, birthdays and Cats

Check this fella out. This is Pete Maddox, and look at that number plate. Ooh, that looks familiar I thought, red writing on a white background. That must be a Belgian number plate. He' a fair way from home. But no, Pete's not Belgian, Pete's Australian and that's a Queensland Australia plate. Pete has ridden that bike from Oz. A super layed back guy, with a constant smile that shows off a set of very straight and super white teeth.

I can't even remember half of of his route but he started by getting boat to Chile, went around, up and down South America, then up to N. America, all around the US taking in Alaska, over to the East coast, then he puts the bike on a plane, goes to Gatwick, all around the UK to see the long lost "rellies", through Europe, down to Morocco and I caught him in Essaouira and he's on his way to the the Cape in S.A. He's already been going 2 years and he's clocked up 90,000kms on the BMW. This guy is my all time hero.

I mentioned Ronald and Olka on another page. Well it was his birthday so we had a little party for him. Olka made him a cake and we all gave presents and cards. It was a double celebration because Gerard, a Swiss guy in the camper next door was celebtating a birthday on the very same day. Quite a coincidence, but not as mad as this. Gerard was born in '41 and was celebrating his 69th birthday. Ronald was born in '69 and was celebrating 41st birthday.

There was another couple there too (matching fleeces in the photo). They were Colin and Meryl. They sold up in the UK and bought a caravan on a huge British populated site in Benidorm where they now live. When I spoke to Meryl it was all I could do to not laugh. When she was asked a question, she responded like she was on a TV game show. It was weird. She started her response slow but then accelerated towards the end of the sentence increasing in pitch all the time and looked at you as if to say "Was that the right answer?"

Meryl and Colin didn't stay on the site for very long. I woke up one morning and chatted to Colin and he informed me of his imminent departure. "Meryl got a little bit of hassle from some Moroccan boys on bikes yesterday and it doesn't look like we'll get any washing dried today with them clouds so we're back off up to Spain". I swear that's what he said. Meryl must have been way out of her comfort zone in Morocco.

Cats

There are quite a few cats on this camp site and although Pepper likes to think he's the boss around our camper, the cats have other ideas. Take a look.