"Le Sanglier" at Hasselbach, Belgium on 17-19 March 2000

As I swing the bike round in an arc to park it next to the others, I can see the merry glow from inside the building. Multiple figures emerge and walk towards me. Before I have time to properly disembark, there are helping hands to get the bike on the centre stand and my luggage is whisked off as I receive warm greetings. It's good to be among friends.

As I begin to thaw stories are exchanged and coffee and beers sipped. A bowl of hearty soup and the 'secret' airhead bread warms me up all the way. This special bread was discovered by Christian in a tiny Belgian bakery last year. The occasion was a ride out with German air-marshal Helmut Lenders, Belgian air-marshal Jean Moxhet, Christian and myself. But that's another story. Suffice it to say that the bread featured in our meals over the weekend in a big way. Yummy. It turns out that another person from the Netherlands (Eddy Antonissen) had arrived earlier in the day, but finding no-one there had to leave a note on the door with greetings. The evening rushes by as we talk, look at assorted photographs and ogle bike brochures. And off to bed. It's pure luxury. Bunk beds, hot showers. Just right.

This morning I feel a bit groggy. A twisted tendon in my neck has kept me up all night with a whopping headache. But the smell of coffee and chatter from the kitchen soon dispels the morning mists in the head. Robert has evidently never heard of the "people who live in glass houses" truism. He is one of the people who pipes up about my brightly coloured cycling pants - while he is finely attired in short white underpants and nary a thing else! It's a joy to be among people where you can feel completely at ease.

After a hearty breakfast, the decision is made to ride down to Luxembourg to fill up with cheap(er) fuel and then ride out in the region. We all start sending out encouraging thoughts to Christian who has to kick-start his reluctant steed. It takes a while as the little bike does not start easily, but there is a marked lack of swearing or irritation. Just an incredible determination from Christian. Hooray! She fires and thump-thumps and we chug along at a relaxed pace. Some of us (myself especially) don't do too well in trying to speak French at the filling station, trying to pay for the fuel. But fortunately the service lady is really friendly and understanding, and all goes without a hitch. Well, almost. Christian's bike won't start! Even after determined kicking for a long time. No problem, various toolkits are raided, chocolate bars produced and the carburettor stripped from the bike. Me being the technical weenie, I can just stare in awe at the seeming madness of taking your bike apart in a foreign country on the fore court of a filling station. No worries, between 45 minutes and an hour later and we are back on the road, the break was just long enough to miss the worst of the rain. According to Robert the problem was a disconnected vacuum pipe.

Chris is in the lead on his little Suzuki thumper (his airhead R100GS is not insured for winter use), Rick on his project-bike R80/7 pseudo-GS hybrid round the world bike, me on the R80GS Kalahari, Bernd on his R100GS, Lester and Sher on the K75S and bringing up the rear guard Robert on his R1100GS. The other three airhead riders Jean, Tamara and Martin had to suffer sitting in a car as their respective bikes were undergoing repairs and enhancements in various ways. (Most notable for me is Jean's soon-to-be HPN super-G/S ex-RAT G/S) The weather is light rain and drizzle, the temperature is around around 3°C but there is little traffic, so it is wonderful biking. It is with a HUGE grin plastered on my mug that we stop for Belgian frites (fries) and coffee at lunchtime.

After lunch more riding ensues, lovely windy Belgian roads with an unexpected countryside vista popping up now and then. In the evening it is lip-flapping and beer drinking. Some more friends arrive (Leni and Stefan) on their R100GS's. They both have the Touratech Zega alu cases so I stare long and hard at the boxes as I would love to get the same boxes. We all wonder if Helmut will stop by as we have been expecting him, and he lives really close by just across the border in Germany. Just before 20:00 the decision is reached that he probably won't make it and dinner is started. (NOTE: I later learnt that Helmut had arrived in the morning just after we had left, but he had to rush home as his wife had been involved in a car accident)

And what a dinner it is. Delicious mutton (with lots of opportunity for various diners to goof around with the bones, tut, tut, tut) a tasty Potato Gratin and salads. The meal was cooked by Christian's brother- proving that not only do the Belgians have fine beers but damn good chefs too. After dinner it is show time, a projector is produced and we are treated to a slide show of Martin and friends trip through the Sahara desert in Lybia. With his inimitable dry style "do you want to buy a carpet?" Martin gives a running commentary and awesome pics. Jean has some photographs of the third European Airheads Rendezvous in 1999 on CDROM, and the trip to Sospel. Incredible scenery, I really feel newly disappointed that I couldn't attend that event. Some more beers and conversations later, I fall asleep satisfied with a day well spent.

It's morning on the last day. One by one it is packing in and saying goodbye. Rick is sleeping in (again... tsk tsk) but we have come to know him for that. Plans are made for the next meetings and the coming summer. One of the airheads doesn't feel like starting and she needs a push down the road to get going. Willing hands giver her a good running shove and shouts of encouragement. And so we wave goodbye to each other and wend our respective ways home.

-- Etienne Posthumus
Amsterdam, Netherlands 28 March 2000

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