~u#$£n% Banks!

Sorry. A bad day at the office. I have to speak about banking. On a trip this long a certain amount of on line admin is necessary. Despite registering my travel arrangements with all relevent financial institutions, every country and date, for every card I own, they still manage to block a vital payment, requiring the use of a premium rate phone number from a cellphone in the middle of a forest in Sweden ~U#$£N% !!!!!!

They really do have the midas touch in reverse don't they? Everything they touch turns to sh--. 15 minutes and my soring blood pressure (red headed guy on a short fuse). "Security questions are for you own protection Mr Winterburn". So are condoms and ear plugs which both cost a bloody sight less than this call!" "This won't take much more than ten minutes sir (read £20) "Which of the following age categories is closest to the current age of Tim?" "Who the ~#£$ is TIM?

I got compensation payed into my account, and another half an hour later and a plate full of frankfurters and potato salad slid in front of me by Roland (Ta mate), and the transaction went through.

Enough moaning. I have to get my stuff together. I hit the road again on Monday, heading north to Stockholm and a night ferry to Finland. Tuesday I get to take Elsa for a spin around a grand prix track. I intend to see what the old girl can do. I feel some counter steering coming on. You can't corner fast enough conventionally on a bike this heavy. I'll be climbing all over the big beamer like a monkey for sure. Seriously, I am also looking forward to the reunion with Aki and Sami who were at the North Cape with me two years ago. A week with the flying Finns, absolutely brilliant. This trip will take me close to the Russian border. I don't have a visa or the inclination, so will stay in the EU this trip. I just got mugged by my bank, so don't need that service elsewhere.

Thanks to the ladies from the forest for bringing the dongle over, and telling me my coffee was good. This may be the last broadband for a while, unless I grab a coffee at Mc Donalds somewhere.

Last whine. I have a summer cold, so I'm going to get my head down for a couple of hours. After that I'll try self administering half a bottle of Jagermiester! Kill or cure. See you on the other side.