My dear friends,

The time has come to say good-buy to the UK and it is fitting that, one we have a party (!) and two, you endure, once again and hopefully not for the last time(!!), me rumbling on about something!! I promised myself I was not going to make this too long and too smoochy...I failed! Better get the tissue box first!!
So, how do I summarise the last 8 years of my life? Putting it simply, they were the happiest times I have had so far. Because of you, your kindness, your welcoming ways, your humour and your incredible polite patience, listening to me seemingly in agreement with everything, but realistically just to polite to stop me! They were also the happiest because of the bikes and how I was able to fulfil my dreams, above all living and breathing my love affair with Triumph. And lets not forget my "little boat", the Barchetta, that has given me 7 years of happy motoring. The UK allowed me to be free. Free to speak, Free to travel, Free to help, Free to be me!! This is not the Land of Freedom, this is the "Mother" of that concept and because of it, it is no surprise a "freedom-child" like me fits in so nicely.
If Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away, then the measure of my life here is off the scale! I arrived on the 25th February 2001, the day Foot and Mouth was declared. In the midst of devastation and, without a doubt, a land mark in the History of Britain, after that event the Country was not to be the same again. The Country would never be the same after my arrival either, but fortunately for Tony Blair my impact was a more limited affair then Foot and Mouth disease!! The first year, in the company of little Rita, was a discovery of so many things, but mainly of myself and for the first time of real freedom. It was the year I got my first bike and my first TT of the Isle of Man! My biking life was starting in the best way possible. In fact, 2001 was a year full of blessings and luck, as if my Guardian Angel was catching up with me on a daily basis! I fired my self and half-hour later was offered a job! Now that doesn't happen everyday, does it?! Mark Proctor, you are a corner stone of my life here, without you this adventure would have been cut short and for that I can only be eternally grateful. You invited us to work for an organization with values of fairness and kindness employees can only dream of. The job was difficult, but you and Simon always took care of me, even when I was weak and going the wrong way.To be able to trust your boss and be supported is, once again, a blessing. I will never forget the people at the Willows Veterinary group and to all of you, thank you for your help and support. During that time I worked more directly with a group of inspectors that really took the brumpt of my "big" personality! Charlie, you are the professional any Vet wants to work with, because you know your stuff, but above all you are just a good soul, a good mate. You never gave up telling me jokes, even thought you knew that there was no chance I would ever understand them... I did laugh when you explained though!! I miss your humour, your spontaneity and I miss making you so scared driving at speed through the Cheshire lanes, dodging mud and ladies on horses!!! God bless you. Four years in Cheshire allowed me to experience the British Country Side at it's best. It is a beautiful part of the World, with the green fields and the wonderful hedges that my Dad loves so much! Being an Army man, with an obsession for order and neatness, the geometric shape of the landscape appeals to him no end. On a sunny day, from the top of Beeston Castle, seeing his face in awe of miles and miles of tidy landscape, was bliss! I'm not that keen on order, but he was in Even and that made me very happy!! In Cheshire I made many friends and I met someone that is like one of those solitary trees in a field, with low, wide branches, protecting and giving comfort to all forms of life. She has always been there, waiting, reassuringly waiting, for me to run under and avoid the burning Sun or the heavy rain. Barbara, if there is one person that has helped me through emotional ( and physical!) upheaval, it is you. The mug is always ready with my coffee and your arms are always there for the hug I need, the essence of a true friend. Thank you for being you, for making me feel better, for making me see the other side of things, for picking up the pieces of my mistakes. And for joining me in the adventure of biking (on a Triumph!!), its much better together!!

Since I arrived, seeing this amazing Country, all its Natural beauty, incredible History and Heritage, from Cathedrals to pre-historic stones, from industrial landscape to charming cottages, from the top of Snowdon to the tip of Cornwall, was a set goal and I have done my damn best to achieve it!
Traveling North, to the very top of Scotland, with Rita and Pedro, in a Motorhome we hire together was a fantastic trip, experiencing all forms of weather and all forms of landscape. Elgol beach, in the Isle of Skye, features in so many postcards and photography books for a reason. My advice? Do not miss the chance to go there and see it for yourselves!!
The Peak District and North Wales where regular destinations on the bike, specially with Kenny and Graham's group. Great people, with genuine goodness inside. The Cat and Fiddle, Porthmadog, Matlock Bath, Snowdonia, Buxton, Caernarfon. And Yorkshire, don't forget Yorkshire!! What a beautiful country this is!! And what great roads you have!!
From Cheshire I also travelled South, all the way to Portugal on a little bike, a journey that became a turning point in my life, a spiritual discovery, a sense of achievement that only those that experience serious hardship can comprehend. 1600 miles through one of the worst storms ever seen in West France and North Spain, me, the Bike and a determination to arrive home!!
That trip brought into my life a very important person, a person that truly opened the door for my happiness. And how have you done this Steve? By getting me out of a very bad place and showing me that life with some one that makes us feel special, listen to us and guides us through bad times, is so much better then by ourselves! You showed me the way and I was able to see Jochen was the ONE for me. Quite simple really. For that I will love you forever! And for all the miles we rode together, for the fun we had through Belgium motorways and doing Lands End - John O'Groats OUR WAY! For the NurburgRing... And the list goes on and on!! Without you, my life would be a lot poorer so you are not allowed to ever disappear! Yes, I am bossing you again, and you love it!!

Life in Cheshire finished with a Bike crash, a hike up Snowdon with my arm in a plaster and a Wedding! Well, it is me we are talking about, nothing is simple and when one thing happening should be enough, it never seems to go that way!
So starts the next stage of my British voyage, in comes 2005 with a new job at London Heathrow, the 1050 Speed Triple (in yellow!) and a great Summer to enjoy it. In comes Jack Lilley, a place I already knew and admired, but that quickly became my second home! Guys (and Natalie!) you are all amazing people, really friendly and fun. You have always taken such good care of me and my bikes, even now that I ride a Honda, you are still looking after me!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
This same year I visited for the first time a place that many dismiss simply as a Motorway Junction, Swindon! Honest, there are serious phenomenon in this Town, I have seen several, but the gem has to be Stan! A man that has ridden more miles then me and all my biking mates put together ( probably in just one of his bikes!!), that has more knowledge about bikes then humanely possible, but still is so humble his manners, a joy to be with and a true Master of what biking is all about. Stan, you are the MAN!! I gladly rode to Swindon twice a year to see you and I am sure I will come all the way from Germany with the NC30 for you to work your magic on it!
It was not just the bikes that got the Royal treatment, the Barchetta has also been lucky, for the majority of it's life has been in the hands of DTR SPORTS, simply the best when it comes to handling Latin temperamental, unpredictable, moody characters, and I am not just talking about the car here!!Paul, visiting your place is always a delight, seeing the beautiful restorations you do and talking endlessly about our passion, Italian Motorcars! I always looked forward to the MOT and annual service, as did the Barchetta, I am sure, so we simply cannot go by without you, hence our house and the NurburgRing await you!!

2005 was not just a fantastic year for me, it was where here and now began. Jochen "caught" me (literally!) on the 28th of August, with his camera while I was on my last lap of the NurburgRing. From that picture to today, on the eve of moving to Germany, it was all but a mere whiff in time. At least that's what it feels like!
With Jochen came a new family and, being the luckiest girl in the World, I not only got the greatest boyfriend ever (yes Daring, you are!), I also have been accepted into a wonderful Belgium family. I wish everyone could be as fortunate as me, now blessed with two fantastic Dads and, in an extraordinary twist of life, finding the Mum I always wanted and needed. I am very much looking forward to being with you all.

If Cheshire was the ephitomy of "Green and Pleasant Land", London is a Planet Earth experiment inside the M25! It is a privilege to live and work in a place where so many nationalities go about their business together and London Heathrow Airport is, in fact, more diverse then the whole of the United Nations building! I will miss that very much. I will miss seating next to Shazhad and learning about a tolerant Islam that should be much more visible so ignorance could vanish.
I will miss you desperately Miguel. You have been such a great friend for so many years, from the mad party nights in Lisbon and Vet school all the way to London, through good and bad times, a great teacher of LIFE. You have showed me how to face difficulties with a cool head, how to handle emotional turmoil, how to find that most precious of things, our inner balance. You are an extraordinary Human Being, protecting everyone around you and forgetting about yourself, so many times hurting and no one knows about it. I love you very much. I hope my replacement will give you less headaches then me, although, sometimes, I think you actually liked the utter madness I brought into the Office and into your life!
I suspect the Office will be a very quiet place after the 31th March...Hopefully the void created and the silence wont be so great to generate a vortex!! Thank you everyone for your help and support through these 4 years. And Julie, thank you for enduring my "magpie" attacks on the stationary cupboard so gracefully!
A very special thank you to the best boss ever, John Watkins. Thank you for giving me time and space to be able to help my family. You didn't have to, but you always went out of your way to make sure I was alright and had a place to come back to. Thank you for the guided visit to Bath and telling me what an "Ha-Ha" is, yet another fabulous, quirky English invention! You have a kind soul and working for you was a pleasure and an honour.

The last four years revolved almost entirely around bikes, traveling through the Continent, going to MOTOGP races, runs to the Ace Cafe, Pub meets and being RAT PACK Leader at Jack Lilleys. Lots of fun, laughter and companionship on an infinite succession of priceless moments of all the emotions we can experience in a life time. Shouting to Rossi how much I love him on the Finish straight of Le Mans, arriving in Portugal on a warm, sunny afternoon in exhilaration and crying so much on the way out... Leading 12 bikes to the NurburgRing and coming back with everyone in one piece, the epic endurance trip of 848 miles in 13 hours, getting lost trying to find the "Circuit du Mans" and ending up doing a lap of Le Mans with a nice Frenchmen!
All of it made extra fabulous because of the people I met along the way and that welcomed me into their lives. Thank you Pat for your guidance and training, sorry if I still haven't put everything into practice, but I have master the "U" turns thanks to you! Thank you Nick for being the "Shadow Minister" of the RAT PACK, doing everything to make my life easy, ensuring things I missed were sorted and all the trips went on smoothly. God only knows where I would be without you there! Thank you Simon and Carol and Trevor and Bob. Our travels together will continue, I will just have to meet you in Calais instead of St Peters Way, J11 of the M25 and Europe here we come!!

I spent these last four years in Sunningdale, a gorgeous little Village that I love so much, I convinced Jochen to call our home "Sunningdale House".
Sunningdale also guards a very special secret: Nadia! Beautiful, as beautiful as the clear, gorgeous night, with a blue sky carpeted with shining stars. Utterly stylish and petite, like a bijoux piece of Jewellery! However the real "gold" is not outside, its not Tiffany or Cartier, its her heart. Nadia, you understand me to the most minute detail, with an accuracy that still has me puzzled! And I know its not just me, everyone that is fortunate to deal with you, is a much happier person. You have that touch, like Princess Diana, of transforming our lives forever with your gentle demeanour. Thank you for transforming my life as well as my "armoire"!! Insha'allah we will continue our friendship for many years to come.

There are many more of you that will receive this letter and I have not mentioned, I am sorry... It is not because you are less important, no way, and I will not forget any of you ever!

As you can see, it is IMPOSSIBLE to exist without all of you in my life, so for the future I expect to be visiting the UK and be visited by the UK many times!!!
Germany is Germany (don't mention the War!), but the NurburgRing area is special, actually a little UK enclave in the Eiffel forest. Sunningdale House is a very happy house already, and I expected after the "Portuguese tornado" goes pass and some Frozenspeed pictures are added, it will be even better. Here is the address:
Sunningdale House, Muhlenhard Strasse 62, Herschbroich, 53 518.

I leave a better person, with this Country I love as much as Portugal, in my heart forever. I am also very, very thankful for all the experiences I had here that have made me into what I am today.
Do not get drag down with the news of "gloom and doom", the knife crime, the recession, the waiting lists, the bad Government Policies and all the rest!! You have been through 2 World Wars plus countless other encounters with the Enemies of Freedom and the Friends of Oppression and you always prevailed! You make this Country what it is, with your believes of Fairness and Humility, pass it on to the next generation and Great Britain will be as Great as it as always been!!

To all of you, a very big kiss!!

Sofia

XXX