There is a lot in that but for me the motorcycle element is significant. Over the years I've traveled on foot, by bicycle, motorcycle, car, 4x4 and quite a few others methods and the most pleasure has come from the bike trips.

Why is the difficult bit to explain. All of the stuff about being part of the surroundings on a bike and isolated from it in a car is true but there have been times on many bike trips when I'd have been very happy to be isolated from the surroundings. Nevertheless I usually look at whether it's possible or sensible to use a bike on the next trip.

I do smile slightly when I see the term Adventure Motorcycling. I've been "adventuring" on a bike since long before the term was ever coined but it was just touring to us. AM seems to have been slotted into the marketing spectrum to represent a kind of hardcore "out there on the edge" touring that requires a kind of quasi military approach and serious "rufty- tufty" equipment derived from the MX or enduro world - a kind of two wheeled version of an expedition Land Rover (or TLC !). It's a marketing mindset that wants you to believe that if you're doing a long trip you need serious equipment - and here it is, available to buy. "Touring" is now just a quick trip to the south of France on a Pan Euro or similar that doesn't require much prep.

Having said all that the adventure comes in many forms. A year or so ago I started writing up some of my early (70's) trips on a website (Pisquicktours - see below) A couple of weeks ago I got an email from my ex wife who'd come across the site. I haven't spoken to her since the early 80's. That's the sort of thing I need military grade equipment to deal with!