Sunday, April 06, 2008

The New Bike


Yesterday morning I rode my bike out to Tulbach for a wedding. Approximately 180km into the countryside to a pretty farm chapel set amidst vineyards and rose bushes.

The couple were “friends of a friend” and I had agreed to officiate at their wedding. They came to the marriage preparation classes I run and I enjoyed getting to know them, and knew that I would enjoy the morning. The guests had booked in to local accommodation for the weekend, and had already spent Friday night getting acquainted. So they arrived in a relaxed mood – with all day to spend in celebration and laughter.

And I thoroughly enjoyed the wedding, with really good voices singing a duet, a wonderful silver trumpet for the Trumpet Voluntary, and a lovely couple getting married. All of which contributed towards my mood as I left Tulbach to return home.

So there I was: riding my BMW GS1150 from Tulbach towards Bain’s Kloof at an easy 120kmph, with “Stairway to Heaven” ringing in my headphones. It was a sunny midday sky, with the prospect of a tight twisty pass over to the sleepy Boland town of Wellington... this was definitely as good as it gets.

4 comments:

Mev Dominee said...

So when are you going to brave the ultimate test ? The one were you go to the 'speed kills office' to have those GP numbers replaced by WP nrs ?

Maybe change the numbers to ROCKet WP

or TIGER II WP.


Miss you and your wisdom and encouragement. Take care and please bike safely.

;o)

Paddy said...

Apparently if you listen to stairway to heaven backwards...

Steven Jones said...

Hi Pete

We haven't met, but I drop in on your blog from time to time. I am a candidate minister about to be unleashed on an unsuspecting Methodist Church, and Lord willing I'll be in Phase One next year.

Seeing your post, I must confess that I am green with envy over your new BMW - what a beautiful bike!

My own two-wheeled steed is a humble little Vula scooter, which has all of 110cc of brawn and power output so minuscule that the handbook is too embarassed to even publish it. I bet that by the time mine reaches its top speed, yours isn't even out of first gear!

Still, one day I hope to graduate to that select club of Methodist clergy bikers (we MUST find a spiritual alternative to "Hell's Angels") with something decent (i.e. that will reach three figures without being dropped off the Carlton Centre). I pray that one day our paths cross, especially in that beautiful part of the world that Dion now calls home.

As an aside - regarding Paddy's comment about playing things backwards - I believe that if you play Bles Bridges records backwards, you get potjiekos recipes...

Blessings,
Steven

Anonymous said...

Rev Pete! Thanks again for giving Gavin and I such a wonderful wedding ceremony. You are great. We loved reading your blog as well, and pleased to hear that your day was well spent.

Enjoy you bike!

'the married couple'...
Candice and Gavin