True Colours

By -

‎Yay pictures!!! I have finally got the old phone to talk to the interweb and this one allows me to control photo sizes. So, where were we?

Denis Denis

OK, this one requires a bit of flexibility but go with me! In the Beano was a character called Dennis The Menace and he used to do horrid things to a character called Walter the Softie. We spent the end of tuesday and the start of wednesday cycling with Walter, a young Belgian who was riding home from Frankfurt airport having spent a year cycling 20000km around Africa. Only 21, he had previously already cycled to Malaysia. I look back at what I had done at 21......hmm.  ‎I admire what he has achieved but 5 months combating Malaria and the raging sh#ts isn't my idea of fun! 

He is heading back for a big welcome home party - have one for us Walter!

Metal Guru

On Wednesday we rode to Cologne. It was a spiffy day - sunny but not hot, lots to look at and nice cycle paths which were mostly in sight if the river. We sat in the sun for lunch in Bonn and we're in our campsite by late afternoon ready to perform surgery on Neil's bike. He had a broken spoke which was relatively easily mended and, yet again, I take a quiet satisfaction from being able to fix a variety of mechanical problems with a tiny but we'll chosen set of tools/spares. By the way, the repair to my front mech using a bit of bent steel and araldite in Tunbridge Wells continues to do the job.

Ain't No Sunshine

I may have used this one before. Last night it rained steadily and we got up in light rain. Apart from 2 shortish thunderstorms ‎we have enjoyed sunshine for the whole trip so this was a bit of a shock. Fortunately the rain only lasted half an hour and the weather brightened during the day, though a headwind made the whole day a bit pants. We are staying in Rheinberg, not far from the Dutch border and have treated ourselves to a hotel. Alan has hung his wet sleeping bag (his tent leaks) out of the window like a giant windsock.....hope the manager doesn't spot it ;-)


Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the EE network.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/Mr Tamborine Man/I Write The Songs

By -
Image
  After an 18 month separation Plum and I are reforming the band for another tour.  The two of us, plus 6 others, are heading up to Scotlandshire for another crack at the North Cost 500.  I should probably introduce the full line-up:   Lead Singer - David.  David is the young(er) pretty one.....brother of John.  David also happens to be my Financial Adviser and is funding this trip (plus a yacht and a cocaine habit) out of what he makes from my account.   Lead Guitar - Nick.  Friend for 50 years.  At school Nick was a keen cyclist and consequently, quite rightly, bullied.  Nick has forgotten more about cycling than I will ever know.   Bass Guitar - Stuart.  Stuart and I worked together for many years; he has powerful legs and can push out big watts while looking like he is coasting.  I hate Stuart.   Keyboards - Michael.  Michael is a...
Read more

If I Could Turn Back Time

By -
Image
If ever you are in the Inverness area on a Friday and looking for a lively night you could do a lot worse than avoid Muir of Ord.  Our hotel, the only pub, wasn't serving food so we walked into town where it appeared that Steven Spielberg had just finished filming some sort of post-apocalypse movie: nothing open, nobody on the streets and the odd bit of tumbleweed blowing along the pavement.  Even the fish and chip shop couldn't be arsed to open...on a FRIDAY NIGHT!  We managed to find a take-away offering a rather odd choice of kebabs and curries (served in pizza boxes for added novelty) and purchased some food which made up for in calories what it lacked in food-hygiene standards.   I recall a meeting where a few of my co-riders and I met to kick around ideas for a group ride.  We considered all sort of destinations....mostly in those parts of Europe where the weather isn't consistently shite.  I'm ashamed to say that I thin...
Read more

Julia's Song

By -
Image
As some readers will know, Plum is no longer Chard's most eligible bachelor.  The lovely Julia has taken on the job that Social Services would otherwise have to do....making sure he changes his pants once a week whether they need it or not and loading routes onto his Garmin.  We are all very grateful to Julia, especially Chards most eligible bachelorettes who can get back on the dating scene now Plum is safely off the market. As we were starting our trip Julia fell, dislocated her foot and broke her Tibia so she is probably missing Plum more than usual. She has insisted that the show should go on so thanks for being such a trooper. Today was another with a shortcut that promised to turn a very hard day into something more manageable.  Some of our group took the high road and others took the low but I had a more cunning idea.....get in the van.  Whatever is ailing me, long covid or acute spinelessness, reached the point where pushing th...
Read more