25 miles of cycling around Ashbourne with a cafe stop at Kedleston Hall. We have done this ride once before Look here. I wrote then of shutting doors as far as exercise was concerned and getting older. They are still closing and it is the first time for a while that Lynne, Judy and I have been for a ride. A problem of knees, time and holidays.
Sunday was a little more Strenuous.
Clearing up the oranges in Serpa
Serpa – Alcoutin 106Km 5h 27 min Av Hr Rate 61% Av Speed 19.5
Weather forecasts have not worked for me in this area. It is cool with a perfect blue sky. The TV tells me it be cloudy with possible showers. I do not think so. I saw Hoopoes, Storks, Grouse, Lapwing and Azure winged Magpies. As I loaded up the bike I met the pavement crew knocking the oranges on to the street. I took their photograph.
The photographs if you did not see them on the last post.
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Serpa – Pulo do Lobo – Serpa 40Km Av 59% Av 17.00 Km/Hr
Praca da Rebublica – Serpa Portugal
I went out at first light to take some photographs and find breakfast. I found a Café with locals who were sat down and eating – a good sign!
Marrakech – Setti Fatma – Tahanaoute – Marrakech 130 Km
Marrakech in February has mountains to the south that are covered in snow – the High Atlas. That was irresistible to a man with who has bought his bicycle with him and has escorted two ladies around the town for a few days.
Link to the artist and his photographs I was about to take a photograph similar to this when the camera informed me that the batteries were providing no power and it promtly turned itself off
Why it did not tell me that there was little remaining power this morning is confusing. We cycled past this image close to Penistone on the Trans Pennine trail.
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88Km 6 hours !
communications towers at the top of Faio 900 meters
The photographs
I started the day cycling through beautiful cork oak forest that looked close to the natural state of things – wilderness – but I suspect the land is managed in ways that are not obvious. I arrived in a small village Soalheira. There was two choices as far as roads were concerned. A tarmacked road that was guarded by two unchained dogs that looked very aggresive and an alternative a steep track without tarmac that headed into the hills.
70Km
Faro – Alte
I sat and waited on the balcony for the best shot
Starting cycling at 8:30am on the first day of January meant there was little or no traffic, which was lucky really because even after some reconnaissance I ended up on a motorway type road leading to the airport. It was round the roundabout and try again.
White Stork nesting near the marina in Faro Portugal
I have never been on a nearly empty plane before. After I had checked in and had been through security I arrived at my gate and was confused because there was only ten people there. I asked to board the plane as I assumed everybody had already boarded. I was asked to wait. When I did board I chose a row of three seats with a lot of legroom and made a bed as the plane was three-quaters empty. These are the seats that the steward has to give you special instructions because it is your job, in case of an emergency, to open the exit and lead your fellow passengers to safety by clambering over the wing. Has this ever happened?
The photographs
Is the distance I have cycled in Kilometers this year according to my cateye “computer thing” for the bike. It is the first year I have kept one for the whole year without re-setting or breaking it.
the river Tame close to Stalybridge looking Welsh or Scottish in character. We were in the middle of a spectacular low pressure
We have been so lucky this year and cannot remember getting a thorough soaking. We did today.
This route passes trough some urban areas and the start is the same as my route to school last summer. It is suprising to find a quiet cycle route between Stalybridge and Marple. There is a steep hill to start and finish the route.
Interesting bridge on our ride of part of the Cheshire ring canal path
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The ride shown on the map has become our most frequent, particularly in the winter. It is about twenty miles, against the grain of the land and nearly all the cycling is either up or down hill. There are five or six major climbs with arrows on the map. I like it, apart from the workout provided by the hills, because it has a superb café/Post Office three quarters of the way round. The coffee and soup of the day are superb. No danger of this particular Post Office being closed down.
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Lynne claimed she had a sore throat. Judy had a back problem. I was considering leaving the county but not permenantly. Judy and I went for the flat bit of the Peak District. Twenty miles of near flat cycling it had to be the Derwent and Ladybower reservoir.
Lynne and I headed over to Dunford bridge, with the bikes in the Belingo, hoping to stay in the sun though the wind would be gail force. I rode a bike I have never owned, Lynne’s old one. It amused us to see the notices of protest concerning another wind farm as we fought against the gale.
I thought these were a small breed of catttle until I looked closely.
The forecast said rain, the weather maps showed the rain clouds passing Macclesfield, our destination, around the time we would be starting our ride. As we passed the Cat and Fiddle in the mist and pouring rain Judy and Lynne were not convinced that we would get out of the car. It stopped raining and the sky was blue and we did not get wet.
What you can do with digital maps – distance 32Km, elevation 733 metres and lunch was OK
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