The body warmer, and the cut on the chain

The lady at the bakery asked me: “Why do you always have chains on your wallet? “I estimated that she meant 'you' motorcyclists, while I know enough motorcyclists who don't have their haircut on the chain. But indeed, with chopper and custom drivers you see it more often. And I don't think it's even tough. Some forty years ago I walked a long way along the then still quieter A2 motorway to regain my lost portfolio and its contents. I succeeded at a ten-dollar bill and some change.

But it took years before I chained my haircut

That was after a long weekend in northern France. Now Northern France is empty and deserted. There are half villages for sale and all kinds of old industrial heritage somber through branches and graffiti about the times that the Belgians still had Congo as a colony and there was money in the region. Very small-scale attempts are being made to seduce tourists. The unique selling point of the region? "There is nothing to do". We like being there.

Last summer we had once again headed that way

And we had a great time at the - of course - Dutch-run mini camping with hikers 'cabin + caravan and a few rooms' une bonne chance de France 'https://unechancedelafrance.com' in Rumigny. It is very quiet there and the cooking is excellent. And that's great, because the next restaurant is miles away. And to have to drive through the dimly lit Ardennes to your basket with a bottle of wine in your mouth? That's not a good plan.

But there in Rumigny I remembered how I had come to chain my wallet

Years ago, when the poverty there was even more bitter in the area and only the pharmacies and the sellers of cheap wine did good business, we were in the same region. I wore my age-old body warmer over my asphalt-resistant T-shirt. That thing once came from a hunting and weapons store in the Vosges and consisted mainly of an unlikely amount of bags +1 and sturdy metal zippers.

I missed my wallet when packing on the day of departure

Structural search yielded no results. Returning to the restaurant where we had eaten the previous evening also not. The breakfast room was turned upside down. Beds and mattresses were shifted. Also nothing to be found in the shower cabinet and in the toilets. In utter despair, I stuck my arm up to my elbow in the throat of the toilet bowl. Nothing. Well: almost nothing. I was not alone, so there could be paid and such. But outside of some money my papers and cards were also in the wallet. Even on a nice sunny day you won't be happy with that.

When I walked dejectedly to the bike I was called back: “Mais qu'est-ce que c'est? Là sur le dos! ”

What that was? There on my back? No idea. I can't reach my back. And I had not seen him in times. In fact, I have felt him in recent years. I turned off my body warmer and looked at the back. There was a bag between the shoulder blades that I had never noticed before. And in my pocket was my wallet.

If you then start thinking, then it is right: Good food, a good glass of wine. Another glass. Getting to talk at the bar - very useful if you speak French - also fun. And when you leave, put the cut in the pocket of the body warmer. That thing was on tap. And the storage of money and papers was done while talking and with only half an eye on the handy garment.

So the stuff ended up in the bag that had never been explored between the shoulder blades

From that moment on I started to pay a little more attention to my clothes. According to my Lief, that concept could be further perfected. And I started wearing my money pouch on a chain. That chain is on the empty side with a cool anodized snap hook attached to my jeans and now I can only forget it if I forget to put on my pants too. And so far it has not come to that.

From spring to Rumigny again

The campsite is extremely dog ​​friendly. And the dog likes it in the sidecar. He must then wear his motorcycle glasses. Because otherwise he gets eye problems. There are motorcycle goggles especially for dogs, which are called 'Doggles'.