John Bickerstaff

John Bickerstaff

traveled in 54 countries Read more

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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Bearings got(ish)
July 26, 2019 in Finland ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
On checking in, we were informed breakfast was from 6 - 9.30 - plenty of time. Woke around 5ish & dozed a little. In fact is wasn't a little but a lot - 9. No windows & darkness can do this - probably the only time we are going to get that here. Dashed down & made it in time. Checked out & train into town easily. 1 mile walk from the station to the apartment seemed do-able & there were no complaints from Liz ... at that point. To be fair the tram was an option all the way & it wasn't pushed but her shoulders weren't happy with 12kg if weight. Unsurpringly the apartment wasn't ready so off for an explore. Headed to the coastal walk taking in the Finnish Icebreaker fleet - world leaders apparently. Pleasant walk took us to the tourist harbour & the market. Picked up a dollop of cherries & headed for a shady spot in a nearby park. Cherries & a sea breeze - nice.Read more
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Happy Now?
July 26, 2019 in Finland ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. On reflection when checking in & finding standby on the boarding passes, alarm bells should've rung. They did not. Journey in was fine, though Liz's dad looked like he was going to have to deal with the after effects of a crash on the M56. Struggled to even locate the check in desk (67-68) and signs only went upto 65 - the joys of Manchester airport. The 'cheerful' check in clerk informed us that we might get on the flight & thought that that was a sufficient explanation. I begged to differ & wanted some clarification on why & what was entailed. She wasn't keen. Buck was swiftly passed. Her manager was dealing with a guy who didn't have a visa for Finland so was struggling to get on our potential flight... He went through the details - over booked etc. Clarified that if we were refused we would be accomodated & compensated - more relaxed after that. Told to go through as normal & we'd be notified at the gate. Our bags would only go on if we did. Sounded simple - ho hum. What was more annoying was the fact that during all this Paddy Berger & Vladi Smicer (LFC greats) were checking in just along from us & all we could do was watch. But for Finair we'd have been over there with Paddy & Vladi - yeah right. Grabbed some food & tried to find a relatively cool spot - not sorted their aircon. Gate was announced & checked - boarding passes - going to Finland yeah - no compo - boo. Boarding took forever & it was the same staff as check-in & I got a snarky 'happy now?' when handing over the passport. Didn't hear, which was probably for the best. Saddled with some fidgety kids going out to Singapore - mum was wanting them to sleep but let them stuff themselves silly with sweets. Nice sunset on coming into Helsinki - apparently (no window seat) Going to be light nights up here.Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
3 seasons in 1 day.
June 5, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
The plan was to spend a little time at Valencia beach before making our way to Barcelona for the flight. While it wasn't a huge hike to the beach, it was in the right direction so decided to drive & have a leisurely walk when we got there. That was the plan... Struggled to find parking & when we did they were being patrolled by chancers trying to get payment. Pushed on a little further with eventual success. Once out of the car, we discovered the true extent of the wind - a bit blowy is an understatement. Wandered down the boardwalk to the sea, found a quiet spot away from the teenies & tried to settle but we were being inundated with sand & it was sticking to the sun cream - nice sandpaper effect. Quick swim & I was ok. Liz not so happy. Called it a day & walked along the front for a while longer. Eventually pushed, aiming to stop around half way for a break. Except as we approached half way it became apparent that a storm was looming - black clouds looked bad. A break in torrential rain didn't appeal so pushed on. Predicted rain came & it was horrendous. Picked up some snacks a little later when the weather permitted. Pushed on to Sitges, a coastal resort 20 miles south of the airport. Got there to find it was Gay pride week (well 10 days) While it is a gay friendly resort, this week was obviously a little more OTT. It was a pleasant place - the sun had madecan appearance & the wind had eased - a nice little walk. Airport next & for the 1st time Google let us down - asked for Hertz & it spat out T1/T2 Hertz, which to me meant it served both terminals. Not the case, so we were left with a bus ride & a fair walk. That said we were early so it didn't really matter. Security guy congratulated me after frisking me & to top it we were boarding at gate 6. In Madrid we won it 6 times. 😃Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
Liz loving the Lizarran
June 4, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Having had a lazy day, a little exploration was in order. To that end, somewhere new but also relatively accessible so as not to stress Liz's dodgy ankle. Opted for a walk along the river bed park to the old town. Ankle dependent, posdibly head up the cathedral tower. The great thing about Valencia is the vast amounts of shade & quiet walking routes there. From the hotel - straight down to the Science musuem & the Hemispheric - which offered a cool route to the river park. Lots of cyclists, a bubble guy & a noisy playground moddled on a giant gulliver. From there took in the bull ring, the palatial town hall & finally the cathedral. 8 euros to go in was a bit steep, thankfully noticed the much smaller queue was for the tower. 2 euros & the most bored cashier in the world. In theory there was a traffic light system for going up & coming down. He couldn't be arsed monitoring it & had opted for green lights both ways & chaos half way up. Bit tight @ the top & hard work for Liz's ankle but some great views of the city. Nice ice cream as a reward at the bottom. Headed back for a relax & swim depending on your viewpoint. Pre-dinner explore of Oceanographique area turned into a park walk - cost & was closing. Opted for a tapas bar called Lizarran - waiter was very helpful. Help yourself & the bill was based on the number of Pincho skewers on your plate. Back to base for a replay of the Final - just to make sure it really happened. It did!Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
Echoes of the past.
June 3, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Back to morning runs & free breakies. At least this time there is a clean pool to look forward to - the brown water yesterday didn't inspire despite the heat. Can't say the Valencia version was a heated though despite some woman in it claiming it wasn't cold. No great urgency - Liz was needing recovery time so a relaxed morning, picnic in the park. Much amusement was had at the expense of a preening couple flouncing around videoing each other in various staged situations, all for the benefit of their followers. Modern world! Sat & moaned & ate sarnies.
At this point Liz located her book. I located the Mestalla stadium, which had been closed last time I was here, so had to be visited. Liz declined on the grounds that football this trip should be just about Liverpool. This, however was - Valencia was Rafa's patch - the greatest Liverpool manager I've seen as a season ticket holder until a couple of days ago. Sorry Rafa. Pay my respects & have a look around. Impressive stadium - bit quirky. Had to wear colours - as did a few spurs fans. Bit us when we shown the press room. Guide wanted to set up a fictional press conference & being topical chose 2 fans from the weekends game who were in colours. Ooops. Not hp. Interesting tour - wanted to get a shirt but bizarrely they didn't have any in. No old ones and the new ones weren't in til July. Headed back through the park in time for a thai(ish) tea and a nice sunset walk.Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
Look who we found...
June 2, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Woke up ridiculously early considering. Lots bouncing around in my head so resigned to the inevitable & rather than disturbing the other 2 decided to go for a run. At least get to see the village we were staying in. Wasn't the longest of runs. When, eventually the irons twosome had woken we braved the bar for breakie - acceptable if expensive - had juice instead of coffee & charged us for toast and coffee & also juice not instead of coffee hmmm!
Had to head back into Madrid so Gareth could get his train (that he hadn't booked...) to Malaga so decided to head back to the stadium so Liz could witness the majesty of the setting. Quite happy to go back anyway - happy memories. Parked up in Liverpool Street, just across from the stadium - no kidding - fate etc. Had a little wander & a few photos. Some other reds had found a cardboard cut out of the great leader that had been left. Had to be done. As we were leaving the soundtrack to last night was being played over the sound system - as if someone was watching the match again. The cheers for the goal raised more than a smile. Headed over to the nearby shopping centre for some lunch, guided Gareth to the metro & headed off to Valencia. Fairly long journey & by half way was getting a little weary so a caffeine stop was required. Just as we were leaving Liz clocked, Jose Enrique, a Spanish former player. Greetings and smiles exchanged. He'd clearly just been to a game somewhere & was on his way home. Can't think what match... Didn't want to hassle him too much as he is still recovering from a brain tumour. Highs to the lows - Liz proceeded to break a filling on some haribo. Then received a text from Gareth saying all trains to Malaga were full. Muchos worry. Were over 100 miles away & was of no help. Eventually got into Valencia, more free parking & checked with a helpful receptionist tutoring me with my Spanish. Turns out Gareth managed to find a hostel & booked a train the next day. Lots of video watching, reading & blogging about being CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE!Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
If Carlsberg did holidays...
June 1, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 28 °C
Spent an hour or so outside the ground with Caroline's husband - beer, bit to eat, footie chat & pondering how fat Maradonna is. Getting inside the ground proved relatively easy - didn't like the deodorant so the sweaty effects of the train journey were doomed to afflict those around me. Astounded how few of the cockneys made the effort to get in the ground early for the atmosphere - they seem to think doling out thousands of plastic flags does this. It does not. All you got was the same old songs & the same old St Georges flags - boring. Our end was bouncing early on & it was clear we were outnumbering them. Bodes well. Lots of UEFA twaddle to start with - fireworks & crappy Spanish pop. Doesn't go down well with fans stung for criminally limited tickets. Then to the main event & the nerves. 22s in & a penalty. Calms but also means a case of defending what you have & banking we'll get another. 88 min was painfully long but at the right and joyfully chaotic - hugging complete strangers. Cue party time. Players & fans together having a ball. Didn't want to leave but the car park was 40 mins away, getting out could be challenging & it was 12ish. Not much leeway @ the car park. Lots of singing in the streets later, made it with 20 mins to spare. Then the small matter of driving into the city centre to pick up Liz. Only stalled a couple of times - not used to this clutch lark. Thankfully easy to locate her & then the small matter if another 1 driving back to the hotel.Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
Worries & more worries...
June 1, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Breakie was curtailed somewhat by a jumbo geriatric coach party descended enmasse. Massive queues meant a couple of bowls of coco pops & croissant would have to suffice. Packed up & headed out for the dash to Madrid for 'THE FINAL' Had to check in @ the hotel first which meant a dog-log route into Madrid - nice easy motorway was replaced with a windy mountain road. Far more interesting for the driver, not so good for Liz's stomach. Plenty of pre-match build up had been downloaded to get us in the mood but as a by product caused stress - when will get there, where to park, how to arrange to meet up with people. So much to fret over you could almost forget about the match. Found the hotel & checked in at the nearby bar. Thankfully they had a room available early so we on the road before the official check in time. Tight wad managed to find free parking near the ground - catch being it closed @ 1am - fine if the game didn't go to pens. Gambled it wouldn't. Made sense - avoid metro afterwards. Into Madrid - ticket guy sorted us & off to the madness of the fan park. A euphemism - not a blade of grass in sight & as the lift ascended the massed singing could be heard. Never have I seen so many carrier bags stuffed with tinnies. Had a little explore but either too old or too sober. As it transpired I couldn't escape. 1st priority was to locate Caroline - Liz's match buddy for the night. Texted that we were outside the 'El corte Ingles entrance' Liz's phone promptly ran out of credit. Then discovered there were in fact 5 entrances. To add to the woes Gareth was struggling with the heat & wouldn't be able to make it to the fan park. All seemed to be going tit's up. Thankfully nothing quite so dramatic. Located Caroline & family. Liz sorted for watching the match @ bar with company so off to the stadium. Avoided the fan park metro & thus the crowds. All well & good but they crowded on @ the next stop anyway. Sardines doesn't come close. Surprised the train didn't bounce all the way there.Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
Stupidity accepted
May 31, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Air con caused some dehydration issues - nothing that a face filling breakie couldn't solve. Bit more chaotic today. Liz a little delicate - sun burn still causing issues. Accepted that it was her own fault for not putting on sun block initially - silly girl. Packed up & hit the road - well walked to the car hire place. Unfortunately got an upgrade. Picked it up @ an upscale hotel so a small car to a rich bugger is not what I class as small. Driving round Madrid & its compact car parks is going to be challenging. What was also challenging was linking my phone & navigating round Barcelona & listening to LFC related podcasts all at the same time. Didn't crash... somehow. Small matter of 200 miles passed easily - listening to the King pontificate on the final. Checked in to find the pool wasn't open - too cold!!! How hot do they need it. Decided to check out Zaragoza after Liz had washed her hair. Some mad roundabouts later we found ourselves admiring the cathedral. You know it's a big church when it can accomodate mass & a wedding seperately. Snuck in to find the tower - just in time. Great views & then back for a bargain tea.Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
Red all over.
May 30, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Clearly the sun was a little more intense than it seemed - Liz, unsurprisingly, ended up red all over - well 1 of her legs. So we adjourned to the cool before heading upto Park Guell. Upon investigating, it became apparent that it is a ticketed entry system & all was fully booked. There was, however a free portion of the park which offered fine views of the city. Once cooled, decided to take the metro up to investigate. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but it's obvious really that a great view necessitates a lot of climbing. Muchos steps. Was a great view but by now 1 red leg had become 2. Headed back via Lidl to get copious amounts of aftersun & cherries.Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
Sunshine + swim = holiday
May 30, 2019 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Funny how a decent climate encourages a more active lifestyle or maybe it's just an excuse for those that live in rainy places. Anyway, the sun was out & Liz was still sleepy so off for a run along the beach. All very quiet - out & indeed at the breakfast pig out - dedpite being peak time. Having been to Barcelona a fair few times, decided against rushing around ticking boxes. Enjoy the sun, walk along the beach to the harbour & maybe get a swim in at some point. Closer to Barceloneta things got a bit busier so headed to the pier - bit out on a limb so quiet. Took in a few shady spots & a water tower (possibly) Hit the beach - water a bit chilly but refreshing. Not as hot here as Madrid will be so cooling not as urgent.Read more
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European Cup Trip to Madrid John Bickerstaff
Keeping covered up.
May 29, 2019 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
Kicking heels for most of the day. Makes a change from stupid o'clock. Bit of gardening, bit of packing. Nice to be going from Liverpool - far less hectic & busy than the wrong side of the east lancs. Avoided the worst of the rain - dropped off nice & handy. Sailed through a very thorough security - just a touch of jealousy in his voice when the final destination came up. Fair play to the airport everywhere was well decorated - lots of luck heading in the direction of the lads in red! Bite to eat & the standard fare it seemed was posh burger - Burger King aside the price was £15, which seemed steep. Opted for a pasta place which was kicking against the tide though they still did burgers - hedging their bets. Nice enough & passed the time. Boarded pretty much as we finished & handily ended up with emergency exit seats. Flight passed - saw the snow capped Pyrenees. Automatic passport control failed or I cocked it up - not sure which. Finding the train also proved more challenging then we remembered. Found it but probably by a very circuitous route. One change @ P de Gracia - v long walk. Decided to keep my fleece on - not sure the locals would be to happy with Liverpool fans after their humilation. 5 stops on the metro - a happy arsenal fan led us to believe they'd won the UEFA cup. They hadn't. Very short walk from the metro & bed.Read more
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Chilling in Pembrokeshire
Castle & Cake perfection.
August 18, 2018 in Wales ⋅ 🌬 16 °C
What to do - dodgy forecast & a day to kill. Initial plans of going to Barafundel Bay seemed wildly optimistic especially when once we'd finished packing & headed off we were rewarded with rain. On the hoof planning opted for the fall back option of Pembroke Castle - surely a good option in the rain. Directions plugged into the phone & we set off. 5 or so miles from Pembroke, we were greeted with signs indicating the bridge across was a toll. Contemplated whether to stick with the plan or just head off. Parked up & realised that heading off from here would basically mean going back the way we came & starting the journey again. The toll was only 75p so we pushed on. So glad we did. Parking was cheap, castle was cheap (certainly compared to Warwick - seriously £27) We tagged onto a guided group which in terms of entertainment & knowledge was superb. The guide, Gareth, was a retired history teacher & he ckearly loved his new job. In terms of staying dry it wasn't so good but it was worth it to find out all the ingenious ways there were for killing people - kids must love this guy. The 75 min tour lasted 95 mins & we could've listened to his stories far longer. Had a little explore of some of the unique features on our own & then set off in search of food. Didn't have to look far - the cake shop was a suitable candidate. Never have I seen so many cake options. Both had soup to leave space, but hearty doesn't begin to describe the offerings so take away cake it had to be (ginger & lime drizzle; blackberry & apple) Back to the car to head off to Newport. Checked in & a slightly less successful tea for Liz - the burger was just too big for her tiny mouth. Major frustration. At least there was some tasty cake to look forward to.Read more
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Chilling in Pembrokeshire
Waterfalls & rivers of chocolate.
August 17, 2018 in Wales ⋅ 🌬 16 °C
Struggled to get going. When eventually movement happened we decided to have a little look at the local waterfall. Though not Iguazu it was still impressive enough for a back garden sort of situation.Followed the rather muddy path down across some stepping stones & wound up at the beach. Pondered our nwxt move - initial plans had been to go to the 'Old Sailor' pub that had been closed on Monday, but greyness meant that some of the attraction had gone - sitting outside wasn't so appealing. Equally unappealing was the menu prices. Decided to go to the co-op & get some sarnies & have them on our beach. Nicer view, quieter - assuming the stroppy detectorist had gone and cheaper - all good. Sarnies in - settled down to watch some mean stone skimming, a kayak safari disappear into a cave and a poor dog unwillingly be dragged onto a boat - wasn't hp. By now it was clear that there was unlikely to be any brightening up so what to do. The chocolate factory was calling Liz. In particular the chocolate river - which it transpires, unsurpringly, was rather oversold. The tour of the factory, however was not. The tour guide, Colin, was very entertaining & informative. Free samples help Liz along & then she was let loose in the shop. Ouch!Read more
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Chilling in Pembrokeshire
A little further afield.
August 16, 2018 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Nice bright morning, postive weather forecast. First port of call was Strumble Head & the lighthouse. Part coastal walk, part literary inspiration. Again no prizes for guessing which goes with whom. Unsurpringly, though it did surprise, on this exposed peninsula it was rather blowy, to the point that while it was sunny it was also a little chilly. Disappointingly we couldn't go upto the lighthouse, though the gate was open. Lots of warnings etc. The walk was suitably dramatic - clifftops & purple heather with crashing waves. The chill cut short the walk a little along with hunger pangs. Headed upto St Dogmaels - good chippy - and then onto Poppit Sands. Chips on the beach except the wind hadn't really died down so finding a sheltered spot was fairly important otherwise we'd have had flying chips.
Bit of a hike to find a patch of unpopulated dunes. Enjoyed watching various badly trained dogs ignoring their owners. Couldn't quiet brave the winds & take a dip - paddle had to do - going soft. Ice cream / balckberries before heading back & realising fully that my body can't deal with really fatty foods. Upto bed to try & sleep it off. Just about managed it before sunset.Read more
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Chilling in Pembrokeshire
Division of labour.
August 15, 2018 in Wales ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
Forecasts of drabness & latterly rain didn't encourage extensive outdoor plans. That said it was dry in the morning so strike while the iron is hot. Liz felt otherwise preferring to do some writing. Fair enough. A cycle over the Preseli Hills to the Gwaun Valley should do the trick for me. The track up to the main road wasn't particularly bike friendly - not that it's car friendly really. Some hefty hills & great views. The Gwaun Valley was gentle enough following the river but once that ended back over the hills. This time you knew it was bad because they'd used switchbacks. Only a couple so it was fairly short - or so you would think. Clearly the road architects either got bored & thought sod this let's just go to the top or they ran out of money & had to use as little tarmac as possible because the switchbacks weren't even close to the end. Great views of Newport & our neck of the woods from the top. Back in time for lunch except there was little in apart from Welsh cakes. Headed to Lower Fishguard & the quay to try a cafe. Pretty limited options - salads (cheese, ham, crab or lobster) sarnies (crab or lobster) Off to the co-op to stock up - not on Welsh cakes. By now the rains had come & boy did they come. More writing for Liz.Read more
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Chilling in Pembrokeshire
Pollen problems.
August 14, 2018 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Similar plan to yesterday but a right turn at our beach as opposed to left. Headed to Newport & opening hours of eating establishments had been checked prior to departure. A far less undulating route was the bonus, however for some reason the fields full of grass wasn't so good for the hayfever. Dope myself up when back at basecamp but for now snotty & bleary eyed. Half way point at a deserted beach accesible only by the footpath. On leaving there was a possible dolphin sighting (not by me obviously) Pushed onto Newport stopping only for multiple blackberry scrumpings and for a tiny vole. Posed momentarily but by the time the camera was out he'd scarpered. Gentle descent to the marine end of town - kayaking, sailing & water skiing all going on. Would there be food going on. The waterside cafe of choice was serving - as you'd expect in August. Stifling inside, so outside in the cloud. Nice crab sarnies & chicken dippers. Walked a little further along the path - estuary views and questionable views of the remains of a Norman fort or was it just a mound? Back through town scrutinising the ludicrously priced & poncy menus. Instead headed into a second hand book store (wonder whose idea that was?) Picked up a couple of bargains & headed back. Sun was trying but just not hard enough. By the time we were back it was a little brighter - a little time in the garden. Miraculously no Welsh cakes consumed - can't last.Read more
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Chilling in Pembrokeshire
Closed in August - How dare they!
August 13, 2018 in Wales ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
The forecast wasn't too bad so the planned hike around Dinas Head got the go ahead. That said there was much debate about atire - Shorts? Boots? Waterproof? Couldn't decide - whatever would be wrong. Rather like yesterday the cloud cover looked set in for the day so a case of make the best of it. The walk to Cwm yr Eglwys was fairly straight forward - high tide so little beach to speak of so pushed on safe in the knowledge that the headland hike may be hard work but at the end was a pub lunch. While the sun wasn't around it was still quite warm & this was the serious part of the walk - seal spotting. Well for those of us with remotely decent eyesight - so just Liz. Spotted one around half way much to her delight. Celebratory banana. Once past the half way cairn it was downhill all the way & eventually the Old Sailor pub came into view along with the beach at Pwllgwaelod. The closer we got the more it became apparent that all the benches outside were vacant - in August... Now it had been quiet on the walk & the weather wasn't great but... Bad feeling. Got there to find it was closed on Mondays. IN AUGUST. Wouldn't get that in Cornwall. At least it was a flat walk back to Cwm yr Eglwys. Plenty of blackberries & an ice cream by the beach. And the sun made an appearance. By the time we were back the cloud had well & truly been burned off. Little bit of late lunch, relax & down to the local beach for a swim. Bit of a battle getting in. Refreshing or something like that...Read more
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Chilling in Pembrokeshire
The sun smiles when the reds win.
August 12, 2018 in Wales ⋅ 🌧 19 °C
Woke up to bad dreams about work (Ofsted) & rain. Not looking good but since Jurgen's finest were playing today, a chunk of the day would be inside watching the mighty reds at which point rain wouldn't be the end of the world. Liverpool loosing - that might be. On the verge of a snotty call to the letting agents when the shower wouldn't co-operate - Liz sorted it & hopefully a one off. Spent the morning reading & having a quick dash down to the beach when the rain eased. And then dashing back when it didn't. Located a couple of suitable venues for the match that showed football & also served food. Headed in only to discover that the chosen boozer wasn't in fact serving - no chef - for 3 weeks. The landlord didn't seem too happy. We had prime specs - do we give them up for sustenance or do we have a sunday lunch of crisps. No choice. Great views of 4 fine goals. Happy days - top of the league after 1 game - hopefully the same after 38 games. To be fair to the landlord he pointed us in the right direction for a sunday lunch post match. Opted instead to have a snack of 'G's' favourite - some Welsh cakes. Can see his point - their 'beltin' boyo. By now the sun had made an appearance - the world is a better place when Liverpool win. Down to the beach - a mear 1 min walk downhill - couldn't really be much closer. Soaked up some rays & took a little (slippery) walk along the coastal path. Need boots really.Read more
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Chilling in Pembrokeshire
A rather damp arrival.
August 11, 2018 in Wales ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
Set off in the finest Merseyside sunshine safe in the knowledge that such a state of affairs was unlikely to last much beyond the border. The car was well laden down - uncertain weather forecasts necessitates a broad range of clothing. Opted for the tunnel rather than the chaos of the M6 or the robbery of the Mersey Gateway. Stocked up at Wrexham & pushed on to the A road nightmare that would be stuck behind endless bastard boxes (caravans) Thankfully that didn't really hit us until Aberystwyth along with the rain. A couple of detours along country lanes but the start of the season commentaries and the occasional apple kept me alert. The turn off to the cottage was a bit of a double take - the clue was in the satnav instruction - turn right onto alley. Hmmm. Alley was a little generous. Eventually wound up in a farm courtyard & our cottage was a former stable. Unpacked the bikes and then the car - damp work in the rain. Settled in & braved the rain to head to Fishguard & the local supermarket (ish) Pizza & fruit for tea. Early night - 5 hours of driving behind slow arses can be a little draining.Read more
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Cycling Southern Spain John Bickerstaff
Dealing with the Ryanairs of this world.
August 6, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Car parking charges starting at 9am necesitated an early start. On packing up it dawned that I'd left my razor at the last place - this cheating has robbed me of my routines - what else will I forget because of this laziness. Had a last little walk amongst the puddles, for there was a thunderstorm last night - hadn't made it any cooler. Headed down towards the beach and got a free parking space so was happy. Off for a swim so a bit of repacking was due. Amazingly at just after 9 things were fairly busy. Found a quietish spot and had my dip. Nice and cooling. By the time I was back at the car all benefit had gone. More repacking & just a little worrying - while I'd booked the car from 12, the actual time I'd received the first car at was on the agreement & hadn't been amended in light if the fact I'd had to hang around for what I'd actually booked. Didn't really need to panic - 15 mins to the petrol station & a couple of mins beyond for the car hire. Copious photos & a bit of tidying. The guy had a cursory glance & all was good - possibly. Checked the card at the airport - the deposit had been refunded but the fuel hadn't yet. Hmmmm! Checked bike in easily enough aside from it not being on the boarding pass unless you scrolled down - cue panic. Had to take it airside with her, which meant closing down check in just for me. Expecting vicious looks when boarding. Finished off with an airpory paellla - not bad. Oh yes Manchester could learn a thing or two - trolleys free, wifi free & unlimited. Ah well Manchester is shit & lives upto it.Read more
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Cycling Southern Spain John Bickerstaff
Future world with free parking thrown in
August 5, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C
Interesting post bike packing breakfast - lots of local toast toppings & not much else. Some I got marmalade & peach jam, there was the usual Spanish tomato thing, a honey & something else spread that clearly was less than the sum of the parts & the climax - a soft cheese with truffle shavings in - surprisingly good. Packed up & set out the next leg of the castle trail. Tried to get up to the local watchtowers but parking was limited, the road was narrow & I was jittery about the car getting scratches - '€300' they said. Pushed on & not 10km had passed & another castle. Managed to get a bit closer with aircon ie the car. As before nice views, striking location & closed. Take the hint. Next 2, decided to admire from a distance - namely the motorway. Thankfully, the first burst of Valencia in the car would be Sunday morning & even more thankfully I found a spot near the hotel. Some kind gent made sure I didn't pay - apparently Mon - Sat 9am - 4pm. Just means I need to head off somewhere before 9 - doable. Decided to try & see as much of the city today & do the beach tomorrow morning. First stop - The Mestalla Stadium - Valencia FC & site of a certain Mr R Benitez's first great successes. Had to go a pay homage. Bit of a battle getting there in that it was just so hot - still. Tried to take it easy but sweat was pouring off. Took a strategic aircon break & evetually made it. Quiet a striking stadium. Found the stadium tour window & eventually figured out that they'd stopped the tours 30 mins earlier. Ho-hum. Back to the madly weird views of the Science & Arts district where I was staying. In this heat indoor exhibitions were the way to go. Couldn't find the entrance to the Palais Artes - which was something of a relief. Next the Hemispheric which turns out was a big Imax cinema & they were showing a NASA film on the journey to Mars. Originally I'd planned to go to the science museum but this was too tempting. On returning at the set time of 4 & finding an epic queue with more than the requisite quota of noisy children I was less sure. Eventually settled in to my seat with my stupid headset on. To be fair, while it was clearly just a NASA puff piece biggibg themselves up, it was still impressive.Read more
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Cycling Southern Spain John Bickerstaff
First day of cheating.
August 4, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
What was supposed to make life easier & to a certain extent safer initially didn't seem to be all it was cracked up to be. Various minor ailments suggested that 80 miles wasn't the smartest of options but getting to Murcia airport & then negotiating the bizarre intricacies of the rental agreement pushed the stress levels way beyond what an imminent mountain could. It's the first time I've had to deal with a downgrade & having to pay for a tank of petrol without being due warned. Back to the hotel & the receptionist thought I was clincally insane to have done what I'd already done. Because of the 4 wheels & motor there was a little more freedom. Decided to head towards Elche - a world herritage site - a historic palm grove (but that doesn't really do the size justice) In an outlying town there was the obligatory Christ statue on a mountain - they love him in the latin parts. Afraid it was quite Rio though. Made it to Elche & proceeded to go round in circles trying to find somewhere to park. That sorted headed to the visitor centre - ambled around the main palm area - lots of shade = good. Then went with the recommendation - climb the cathedral tower. 170 steps in 40° heat - going to be sweaty. Views were good & showed the scale of the palms. Had some ice cream on the way back to the car. Heading off to the hotel, passed a number of castles - clearly a sought after neck of the woods at one point. Stopped at Saxo Castle - closed but could walk up the hill to it. Made it to the hotel by 6 - refreshed & relatively sweat free. I was told about the fiesta that was happening tonight. The towns great & good were running a racing around Moixant - in this heat. Surely they need to rethink the date of their fiesta - August is always stupid hot. Wasn't tempted in the slightest but made entertaining viewing for a while. Headed back to watch the match.Read more
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Cycling Southern Spain John Bickerstaff
A lucky detour.
August 3, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C
Out & about sharpish. Along the seafront promenade - a world away from last night - less noise, people and sun. Then uphill, except each & every option ended up being a dirt track. Ended up on what looked like a motorway (but no keep out cyclists signs) Assumed that satnav had rejected this route on the basis of the motorway but the absence of signage & the reduced distance meant it was worth a shout. What was the worst that could happen? Another traffic offence in Spain - surely not. After a couple of minutes I was a little more relaxed - no horns so prob ok. Use the term loosely since it was a fairly incessant climb & then a puncture. Where all the flies appear from god only knows. Down to 1 inner tube - got to be careful. Hopeful that this was the only climb of the day so enjoyed the view - sort of. Down onto the plains & while it was clearly farming territory not a lot was being done. Equally few places to pass through - lots of on hoof navigation to protect the tyres - for all that the total distance was still 5 miles than planned. Relied on petrol stations for cold drinks & food - classy. Some way out, it became clear that tomorrows cycle may well be a bit too much. 80 miles in an area where the government are urging caution. E out of 4 days of low 40s and some evidence of dehydration. Unfortunately the weather has beaten me. Never thought it would be too sunny. Anyway, hire car sorted and a slightly more relaxed weekend in prospect. That said, getting to Murcia airport may prove hard work with it being 30km away without public transport...Read more
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Cycling Southern Spain John Bickerstaff
Cycling in a desert in a heatwave - hmmm
August 2, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
The starts are getting earlier - not that it does much good. The sound of the wind rattling the shutters didn't bode well. Thankfully it wasn't too bad & I was braving a range of dodgy turns that could end up track like. Took in a monument to the spaghetti westerns & you could see why this area was chosen. I later found out that it is the only desert in Europe. Not a good idea in a heat wave. Some turns were just ignored for the good of mine & my bikes health - detours = extra miles = bad but better than punctures. Hoped that one detour would miss out the big climb - it did not. For good measure acooling pre-climb swim - didn't help. Good views from the top. Proceeded to battle through an undulating route - which by the end even the smallest of pimples were being tackled in 1st or 2nd. Took another swim but while it was very nice - the faff of getting changed meant I was as hot afterwards as before & the sand was baking hot - felt like my feet were frying - I imagine. Very relieved to get into Aguilas. Chinese food & rehydration salts the order if the day.Read more
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Cycling Southern Spain John Bickerstaff
Fog, fierce winds & firey heat
August 1, 2018 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C
The profile suggested a fairly easy day (& rather long) The surprising presence of fog suggested the fierce temperatures mights also be tempered. How wrong I could be. To a point the temperature was bearable for a little longer - clocked 30 miles reasonably quickly. That's where the wheels fell off - not literally, but not far off. The inevitable dirt track wasn't wholly surprising, what was was the gate at the end ... that was locked and then the depressing sinking feeling of a tyre deflating. Opted to do repairs at the gate on the off chance someone would appear & let me out - they didn't. The first of many detours. The vast majority of the day consisted of endless miles of cycling roads surrounded by greenhouses - the very definition of intensive farming & very tedious cycling. To top it off a vicious wind had blown up & it was a direct headwind. It looked like it would be pretty much all the way as well. The only respite tended to be in urban areas - which also offered a vague degree of interest. Almeria, the main city offered a park dedicated to victims of terrorism & a renovated train line used for quarrying. From there it was across the Cabo de Gato National Park, though that seems a little generous, more a seemingly endless barren scrub land. But hey whatever floats your boat. A couple of breaks purely out of need - no shade. Managed to get 1 mile of tailwind with about 8 miles to go. As it transpired it was 6 - satnav miscounted again. Checked in - in Spanish - very friendly host. Aircon & swim cooling off combo. Las Salinas is not the biggest but a little explore & a huge fish supper.Read more
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