Month: December 2006

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

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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.

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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.