THE ISLAND OF DR BAYLISS
S-Day -1:
0615 - Biffa is snoring. I kick the bunk. Biffa stops snoring.
0700 - Up, shower, breakfast.
1000 - Track. Two day ticket $128. Go to turn 1: boring. Find turn 12. Park on the Grassy Knoll under the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Cricky is there, Wayne, Thommo, oddjob, Biffa, Boris, Island Mick, others. All have stories. Thommo has ridden from Rockhampton - approx 2100km. Wayne dropped his Triumph 675 coming out of Island Mick's driveway and scratched it and broke the brake lever.
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Wayne dropped his Trumpet. Fortunately he landed on his wallet... |
We drink beer, watch racing.
I am not inspired. Boris is not inspired. Biffa is not inspired.
Boris suggests lunch at the fishing village of San Remo. Boris, Biffa, Thommo and I repair to the San Remo pub.
The whole flounder is spectacular. Biffa's steak is good. Thommo is impressed with his prawn.
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Thommo weighs up the alternatives, Boris inhales flounder, Biffa bides his time |
A leisurely afternoon, but the 1000 km ride the previous day is catching up. Back to Chateau BIKE ME! 1500, nap to 1700, phone lights up: www.bikeme.tv is down. Island Mick calls, volunteers loan of computer.
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Cricky looked like he was fading for a moment, but quickly found his second wind |
Monquito, in his cups, challenges me to a game of pool and wins. Thommo distributes rum distilled by him in Queensland and trucked down in the trailer behind his feejer. Cricky is having stability problems. Mel is distributing salads. A very small child in the kitchen has a very large knife and a very large raw steak, and appears to be in training for a career in the butchering arts. Island Mick is trying to ignore drunks, cook some meat and attend to the wounds of another small child.
I leave with Boris, Biffa and Leigh. We go to the hamlet of Rhyll and find the Sol Pizza and Tapas Bar, which is full of an Italian racing team. We peruse the bill of fare, order tapas and pizza.
The tapas is fabulous.
The Nastro Azzuro is fabulous.
The waitress is fabulous. Boris decides that he is in love and will come back when she is off shift and marry her.
Biffa decides that he is in love and will come back when she is off shift and marry her as well. An argument develops. Leigh and I hold our counsel and observe. The waitress goes off shift, and is last seen walking towards the car park, an arresting sight. Boris and Biffa decide that the soft shell crab is getting cold and they will plight their troth later. Boris thinks he will win her anyway because he is wearing Ewan McGregor's aftershave. But for now, there is Nastro Azzuro to be drunk.
We finish the tapas. The pizza arrives. We take it back to Chateau BIKE ME!, drink beer, argue about the waitress's taste in men and watch Exodus on TV until 0100 Sunday.
Boris actually smells quite good. If you like that kind of thing.
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Boris and Biffa have a game of stick, Busababe and iMick referee |
