You know that quote about the journey being better than the destination? Yeah well that’s bullshit. Especially if you live in the bottom half of the world and the destination is the top half. Anyone who says they enjoy 40 hours of plane sitting and transferring is either insane or a liar, or likely both. Now I’m at my destination I can tell you it’s way better than the journey. And I’m only a bit insane and not a liar. Not in this case anyway.

You do see some great landscapes from the air. Doha is not one of them. Ostentation in a desert sums it up.

Maybe it’s an age thing, as I seem to enjoy the travelling experience a whole lot less each time I do it. In fact, I’ve sworn that this will be the last time I ever make the Spring pilgrimage to the holy land of cycling. The last couple of days readjusting the body clock has made me a bit more open to the idea of coming back again, although if you ask me during or after the return leg I probably won’t be so optimistic or enthusiastic. Picking up a new bike helps the healing process though, and my artisan friends at Jaegher put me in high spirits when the unboxing of my gravel bike revealed a stunning piece of steel artistry finished in a colour that I would’ve never considered but instantly fell in lust with. A Belgian bike in Flanders is a heady cocktail, not one that can be imbibed often but savoured forever. I think I might have the rest of my road and gravel life sorted, while the travel bug is quashed.

Sand as far as the eye can see, then this appears.

A month in Europe can be an expensive exercise, and a lonely one too. Having a second family abroad puts paid to both of those quandries, and I’m forever indebted to William and Caroline for their unabashed generosity and hospitality. These chance meetings that happen nowadays in the internet age can lead to lifelong friendships, and it’s another reason to return to this part of the world, maybe not next year, maybe the one after that or the one after that other one. Right now I need another couple of days’ sleep and a good dose of cobbles to recalibrate. I’ll get back to you with the results.

I’ve been to some weird and soulless airports in my time, and Doha ticks both boxes. The rest of the building had a morgue-like ambience going on, but this giant yellowbear thing had the selfie crowd excited for some reason. People are fucking strange.