Five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets,
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife,
Five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?
How about love?
Measure in love
Seasons of love

RENT, ‘Seasons of Love’

A year. An adventure. Reunions. Magical holidays. Laughter. Tears. Plenty of shammy cream. Logged out, switched off, wound down. Reconnected with loved ones, each other and ourselves. A jam packed, season of Love 🙂

Firmly reminded, time and relationships hold the greatest value for Donkey and I. Time to be free, to be together, to push ourselves, to come to a stand-still.  Time to paint new memories with family and friends.  The changes, highs, lows and laughs of your lives, have been (and always are) as much a part of the adventure as biking like banshees. Getting to share it all together, a gift that keeps on giving.

What a peddle;  From warm winds of Eastern France, tranquil and grand banks of the Lot and Dordogne. A magical week with the Thompson whānau (family). The wonders and culinary delights of rural France.  Spain, chosen whānau reunions. Castles and mountain hikes. Ireland and England magical-merry-go-round.   A slap and tickle from Morocco.  Continuing to fall in love with Andalucia and the Phelan whānau. Thailand, a merry Ellie-Christmas. 2025 rolling on tropical coasts and islands. Touring beyond our couch-planning dreams 🙂

We didn’t head South in Malaysia when we left you last.  Instead, back north to Koh Phangang, to suprise my brother (Paulie) on a family holiday. Alice (Paulie’s better half) helped us plan and keep it a suprise.  Rocking up to their resort, nestled on the white sand beach of Thong Nai Pan, priceless!  In a world where we know everything, all the time, all at once it was FANTESTICLES to keep a proper secret and surprise 🙂

A few days chilling on Thong Nai Pan.  Poppy and Rosie (scrumptious nieces) making our time together all the more magical. Reminded not take life too seriously and play, play, play! TT nicknamed Party-Pig for consistently eating Pop and Rosies left overs and Brian did his knee in training nieces in the art of Irish dance, never learns! Then off to Koh Tao for some of the best snorkelling we’ve ever done; Massive green turtles, black tip reef sharks, huge shoals of fish and even a dip with a pod of false killer whales. Ten days that felt like a dream. 

We’d planned cycling to Bangkok after our family farewell but Donkey suggested we head back to Koh Phangang.  The weather had gotten up to 40C (real feel), with 60%+ humidity, a sloppy saddle affair best to avoid. With nine out of the past eleven months behind the handlebars, we thought fuck-it-anyway and agreed to stay put, beachside, for our last few weeks. Bathing in baking seas of Thailands gulf, gawping at tropical thunderstorms, hiking rainforests, keeping fit and fed. Heaven.

Leaving the islands after five weeks via the ferry to the mainland, then an eighty kilometre cycle to catch the overnight train from Surat Thani. Thighs deffo thicker, lungs deffo tighter. A tough, hot, final stint.  Though, unlike the last tour from London to Japan, we’re definitely finishing this one wanting more.

Ellen and Ray, who’s fabulous wedding we joined in August, were on their honeymoon in Thailand, so we grabbed dinner overlooking the Bangkok skyline. A few hours catching up outside our usual reunion ground of Brians hometown, Waterford. Surreal but fabulous.  Getting to share and fall in love with each others close friends and family, a fitting final moment in this chapter.

As we pack and sort through the touring gear and bits and bobs we’ve picked up on the road, it got me thinking about the shoeboxes of treasures we keep, loose or leave behind. Old photo’s, ferry tickets, notes, cards and forgotten treasures. I realised, this travel-log is sort of our shared shoebox.  As much about anyone who reads it and/or meets us along the way. The stories we tell, share, build then leave behind.  The secret sauce that fuels Donkey and Horse 🙂 

So, how do you measure a year? By how we choose to spend our time and who we choose to spend it with. In the seasons of love with share. Moments made, then held.  Shoebox treasures we’ll discover again on a rainy day. 

Thank y’all for staying connected.  To those we missed, we’ll see you again next time for shizzle.  Till then, till the next adventure, another season of luscious love….keep it foxy!

B&T/D&H
x