Never has Lao Tzu’s oft-quoted “a journey of 5000 miles starts with the first step” seemed more apt, especially if you combine it with the French proverb “Il n’y a que le premier pas qui coûte.” Ellen had managed the impossible feat of packing the R80GS’s sidecar to the brim with Paul’s BMW essentials – before I even arrived (with Ricard’s R1200 GS Adventure that I’m riding back to Europe for him). I did have my doubts – and had voiced them repeatedly – given that I’d not been on a motorcycle in four years, had very rarely ridden with a side car, never with a leaner of this type, let alone loaded with more than 100kg of baggage…

Highlight: Getting across the border and delivering Paul’s bike to its rightful owner felt like a real achievement – a little like making it safely back out of the former Soviet Union in 1992.

Challenge: I would not have made it if Alik hadn’t saved me yet again – not only transferring all the luggage out of the sidecar into his car, but also helping me get back on the road and riding behind me all the way to the border to make sure I got there safely.