John Bickerstaff

John Bickerstaff

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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Wide webs
3 czerwca 2023, Grecja ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Quick investigatory jog to get an idea of where you turn off for Kalamaris Waterfalls which is nearby. Also curious to see what the road is like. Back for a swim & breakie number 1. Then off to pick up my bike - dead local. He was insistent on making sure any squeaks were eradicated. On leaving it became apparent he'd failed. No matter. What did matter was the front gear changer was throwing the chain off. On top of that when going up the steep hill back the wheel was loosely fitted and slipped out of line and the disc brakes weren't happy. Did my best but a return was called for ... but not yet. Breakie no. 2 - a Greek classic - fresh fruit, Greek yogurt and Greek honey. Decided to drive to the Old Fort walk - otherwise we'd be looking at a 7 mile round trip which looked a bit much. The road itself was a bit much especially for a hire car. Took it easy. The closest car park was full, the next one had been cordoned off by a couple of selfish campervans. Found a spec and headed upwards. Not too many people about and some great views. Liz wasn't so fussed by the views of the massive spiders and their huge webs - all safely above head height. The castle itself was pretty ruined though you could walk the ramparts - no allowances for health & safety though - you're stupid enough to do this & you fall - tough, you die. We didn't. The ramparts did suddenly stop. The views of the lagoon and Voidokilias beach were from the top and this wasn't that. Looked like it involved scrabbling over piles of rocks. Liz passed & headed for shade. As it turned out the scrabbling was relatively limited though there were some hairy drops. The views however were worth it. Czytaj więcej
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Gobby Yanks
2 czerwca 2023, Grecja ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Lunch completed - what to do... Reading & researching bike routes only went so far and replenishing food supplies would be handy but the threat of rain was ever present and short showers passed over. Decided to head to the nearest decent supermarket in Pylos and while there we'd have a little explore weather permitting. The road into Pylos was a little hairy but made it to the harbour and the sun was out. From there you could see Gialova and it looked grim. Harbour was typically Greek & pretty. Enjoyed the shade. Quite a few people were photographing a house nearby. The plaque indicated it was the birthplace of Greek Winter Olympic Gold medallist. Worthy of note I guess. Can't be many. Headed towards the castle past some busy water side restaurants. All quiet enough apart from the one with yanks in. Could hear them a mile off. Shut uppppp!
Liz passed on the climb up to the castle though we'd likely as not be driving up there at another point. Pushed on to re-supply. Headed back and finally the rain hit as we settled down on the verandah. Still managed an evening dip. Czytaj więcej
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Storm dodging
2 czerwca 2023, Grecja ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Not wanting to break with holiday tradition so I went for a morning run while it was relatively cool. Chance to have a little mooch around Gialova. Quite a descent from our little villa. The clue is in the view - panoramic = high up. Took it gentle for my knee. Once on the main(ish) road it was a far more gentle slope. Very pleasant little place - little pier and lots of nice looking beachfront bars and restaurants. The run back was a little more challenging - the pool was ideal for cooling off. A multi-course breakie making use of the provided bread, honey & fruit. Limited plans - just explore as much as the forecasted storms would allow. Walked down to the town beach, marvelling at how quiet it all was - at most there were 6 of us on the beach. Had a nosey at some of the menus - not too astronomic. Decided to walk west of town along Divari beach and maybe take in the lagoon and if really daring the old castle ruins on the hill. All of this dependant on the looming black clouds. The beach also known as golden beach surprisingly given the name was more stoney than the town beach but was nice enough. Rumbles of thunder caused a rethink though and we cut through a camp site to a little road back to ours via the bike hire place. Liz wasn't fussed by the hill back up. Didn't join me in the pool though. Czytaj więcej
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
Toll booth frenzy.
1 czerwca 2023, Grecja ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Initially the plan had been to take the free shuttle back to the airport & get the car hire company to come & pick us up. The transfer business from yesterday had made us question the wisdom of this - we'd be at the mercy of their schedule which definitely had a lot of wriggle room. Additionally the hotel was only about half a mile from the car place so we could walk there & come back for the bags. The other option was to lug everything there and crack on for the villa. Something to ponder over breakfast when we figured what to do about that. The attached mini-market was great for sweets & biscuits, not great for breakie. Had a wander and found a bakery. Bizarre cream pasty sliced, diced & dusted with sugar & cinnamon sounded just the trick. Opted for the lugging - a bit warm. The car hire guy tried his best to upsell us - limited options for him - 1 bag (don't need a bigger car) already got excess insurance. Tried the breakdown recovery option - didn't help his cause by blabbing the car was only a month old. Settled back to chatting about classic Liverpool sides of the 80s and how as a lad in South Africa he hoped to be a professional but injury did for him. You'll never walk alone - indeed. Driving round the Athens ring road was interesting especially since the phone satnav was being narky. Pitstop at services couldn't sort it but magically pressing some buttons on the steering wheel seemed to do the trick. Crossed the Corinth Canal - Liz surprisingly passed up the bungee option and pushed on up into the hills of the Peloponnese and the ever relentless insistence for tolls. The roads were good & quiet, the tolls were cheap but it did wear especially the odd prices - €1.65??? The 200 mile journey passed easily enough bar a couple of thunderstorms - some epic lightning. Stopped in Kalamata for some supplies & petrol - another Liverpool fan filling up for us. Then to the windy country roads of the South - some belters - no point hurrying. Got to Gialova - our resort - and now to the difficult stuff - locating the villa. The owner Gianni, lived in a yellow house & once we located the correct area, which was yellow enough and big enough. Decision made then we had to fend off the dog. Fortunately for Liz it was the cutest little puppy. Apparently fully vaccinated and a bit mad. Gianni got his scooter & guided us to the villa. Absolutely perfect and a fridge full of supplies. View is perfect as is the pool. Settled down on the veranda with some Tzatziki (officially the only good use of cucumber) and bread and watched yet another thunderstorm trundle in across the bay. Czytaj więcej
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Peloponnese John Bickerstaff
EU Queue
1 czerwca 2023, Grecja ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Calm start - relatively late afternoon flight gave us plenty of time. Targeted arrival at car park of 1 for a 4:15 flight seemed overly pessimistic. Spending 10 mins looking for a spot tempered that. On arriving at the bus stop and seeing stop 100 caused a little more concern - surely it wouldn't have to go via 100 other stops. Only 4 it turned out. Bizarre automated baggage drop that wasn't very automated. Jumped the queue because of an odd sized backpack. Nice. Plenty more queues to come. Security was negotiated with 1 glitch - Liz out of practice - packing her Kobo & phone. Just about had time for a bite to eat before boarding or that should read kid you that it's boarding, go through the gate, pack you in like sardines and then wait for 20 mins. Eventually boarded to find the flight was delayed by about an hour - nice. Emailed the hotel but got no response. Apparently thunderstorms were causing delays. At least it's not leaves on the line. Bit of a bumpy flight but passed relatively painlessly. Epic travelator frenzy once disembarked. Passport queue & because 1 of us has an Irish passport we could use the EU lane. Result! Took a while to realise that this was actually the busier queue. Followed instructions to meet the transfer. Unsurprisingly he wasn't there. Phoned and was told he was. Eventually he rocked up claiming he'd been at the other end of the car park. Hmmmm. Not going to argue but not buying it. Czytaj więcej
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
2 near misses & 1 whopper.
24 sierpnia 2022, Francja ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Slept pretty well under the circumstances but at quarter to 6 decided to get cracking - give myself something of a buffer. Breakie & packing all at the same time. Worked on the lights for it was still dark - had to tape on the rear light, then when I tried it the battery had gone. Deposited key & bedding - got to the gate & realised I needed the key to get out. Back to the hostel and with some contortions & squeezing just about managed to retrieve my key. Unlocked the gate & wedged it open with my bike while dashing back to dump the key again. Annoyances aside still managed to get away well before 7. Nice & cool and progress was good. Not much of significance in the first 30 miles save for a town intent on parading multiple red statues of animals - no idea why. The only other note of interest was falling off my bike. Classic case of being nosey - a bike sign intrigued - turned to see what it was wobbled and clobbered a kerb that most bike lanes over the last never have except just now. Cue slow motion fall and a rather bloody knee. Bit wobbly for the next few miles - had another few near misses - but survived. It was interesting just as France got closer so the cycling infrastructure disappeared. Not what you'd expect from the country of 'Le Tour' At the most mundane of borders I began going over familiar terrain from 12 years ago. This included the common sight of war cemeteries. Paid respects at couple, 1 of which was the largest in the Flemish area. Always horrendously sobering places. Equally always peaceful and beautifully kept. No Bickerstaffs or Irons. The first pleasant reminder of the past was passing through Bray Dunes - the final stop of My Med - La Manche cycle. Couldn't resist a little detour. Handy for a toilet stop as well. On the way out discovered a cycle route claiming to go to Dunkirk - slight downside was access via a steep set of stairs. Not ideal - learn from the Dutch. Still with a few tweaks made it fairly easily to the outskirts of Dunkirk & exactly as last time that was as close as I got. The joy of navigating the mammoth industrial complex of Dunkirk docks - utterly grim. Foundries, chemical works & refineries - it stunk and as an introduction to France I can't think of anything worse - possibly Manchester Airport comes close at our end. 1 dead end caused a little concern though the buffer accumulated meant I could probably go back to Dunkirk find a different route & still make it in time. Car ferry signs located & a tortuous route through French & English customs & passport control. Only 1 out of 6 booths operating at the UK version and you've guessed it mammoth queues. Yet more Brexit wins but of course it's the evil Frenchies fault. Being on a bike meant I jumped a chunk of queuing & there wasn't much suspicion I was smuggling. Bikes and Motor bikes were first on and having been bumped into an earlier ferry meant virtually no hanging around, though I had to walk my bike up in case my wheel fell through the gaps - couldn't see it but what would be gained arguing. Dumped bike & dug out some toiletries hoping my injury might get me access to the truckers showers - it did. Ferry was pretty uneventful - my word though It's a pretty busy bit of sea. At one point I counted 11 ships visible to my rubbish eyes. Here's where the smoothness vaporises. Getting of at Dover while first proved a challenge - just follow the red line they said - easy. Gates that needed unlocking and crossing 3 lanes of trucks. Bit hairy. Up the hill to the station wasn't much better only to discover there was no way to change my train ticket. Both ferry & train were non-transferable so this smacks a little of jobsworth - cue a two & half hour wait...
Thankfully the train got in substantially before departure so a dollop of sitting in the air conditioned train helped my mood. What didn't help my mood an hour later was cycling around London. The utter lunacy of bike lanes just stopping at the worst possible point or dumping you in the middle of a crossroads with no clue as to when or where you should go. I'm no novice cyclist but this was grim and the other road users didn't help. Oh to be back in Holland. Room in the hostel was at the very top of the building but at least there was a fan. Cooled down & had a little wander - see the location & food options. For food it was a £12 burger where you had to decide on the 15 toppings you want... Pass. Location - right by St Paul's & the Millennium Bridge so managed to get some nice night time photos. Czytaj więcej
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
Dive bombed by cranes
23 sierpnia 2022, Belgia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
Today would be the last opportunity to take intrigue breaks as tomorrow would be something of a ferry dash. The first and main break was scheduled to be at Ooidonk Castle, purportedly one of the best preserved medieval moated castles according to Lonely Planet and who am I to argue. Might have been an idea to get Google's opinion - hideous Belgium cobbles negotiated - rocked up to find closed & locked gates. Opening time for appointment only visits was 2 - ahhh.
More promisingly the surrounding parkland opened at 9.30 - only a 15 min wait. Tried with some success to get some illicit photos - private roads / land warnings aplenty. Got back to find, to no surprise at all, the gates still locked. The bright side was that this meant quieter roads - the detour took me away from the main road. Quieter roads however meant more cobbles. Also meant more obtuse roadwork closures and on the hoof navigation. All good fun - won't be saying that on the ferry run. Last stretch took in another of the areas big canals with the really big barges and bridge swings - Warrington would be impressed. Also managed to get harassed by jumpy cranes clearly not happy with me. The other wildlife possibility - bats unsurprisingly kept a low profile. Another early arrival, this time was rewarded with an early check in. Decided to hang fire on showering - instead take the recommended cycle along the canal, out to Damme, a quiet scenic little village. The alternative would be to take a paddle steamer - don't think so. Nice enough place - lots of tourist fodder. Back to base via Bruges & a little underwhelmed. Need to do a little research. Sure enough some good options - the ubiquitous bell tower climb, the best chocolate in Northern Belgium, plenty of canal side walking and the promise of waffles. Initial thoughts of the climb before being weighed down with copious quantities of chocolate were quashed - earliest available time of 5.20. Cue wandering, chocolate buying and waffle tasting - so much nicer than the American travesties. The climb itself was a bit hairier than usual - narrower 2 way spiral staircases but the views as usual were worth it. Breakie stuff sorted for an early start - the hostel staff were apologetic about not being able to do an earlier breakie and gave me 2 bananas as recompense. I'll take that. Bring on the dash . Czytaj więcej
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
Not being assed in Asse.
22 sierpnia 2022, Belgia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Not having ordered breakie meant an early start was within my grasp. Forecast not too promising though better than it had been. Better look out the waterproof - strange - couldn't think where it was. And it dawned - it was still hanging up in Antwerp. So we have a bodged pump that probably could do with replacing & a forgotten waterproof that probably will be needed - if only in London. Better find a bike shop - there'll be tonnes on the way. The route out of Brussels was marred with road works and detours - ideally avoided. Took a short cut to avoid one & ended up in a very narrow alley on rubbish day. Bike & I had to get through piles of bin sacks - nice. Bizarrely for a Monday things seemed pretty quiet though far more hairy than Saturday or Sunday. Proceeded along what felt like the East Lancs Road - going from the most important city to an inland provincial industrial back water - figure out which is which? Some of the stuff along these arteries is bizarre - noted my first out of town Thai restaurant that actually looked like one. Going through Boom saw a big Buddha, Thai decor etc. A huge sign proclaimed it to be a dodgy nightclub. Further on what looked like a dodgy nightclub turned out to be a Thai restaurant. V strange. First big place out of Brussels - the wonderfully named Asse - did my head in. Constantly being shuffled to the other side of the road because of bad parking - a first, more roadworks and a couple of bike shops - both closed. Good progress though - looking like Gent for lunch was doable so there must be something there. Saw my first brewery - they make a beer called delirium. Final real stop was with 8 miles to go. Decent sized supermarket - closed - opens at 12.30 - clearly Monday is a half day - except for the neighbouring petrol station. Requisite drinks purchased. Way too early to check in so dumped stuff & dashed across town to the Decathlon. Got waterproof so no rain was now a certainty. Back to the hostel and a mooch around Gent. Outskirts & harbour maybe mundane but the old town is stunning. Canalside walks, a castle and a high street with numerous cathedrals / churches. Scouted out possible sports bars & took in Graffiti St which pretty much is what it says. Went for a takeaway Hawaiian meal tonight and sat by the canal watching the boat rides, kayakers and stand up boarders having fun on the water. The less said about the footie the better - thankfully for me the stream gave up at half time. Packed instead. Czytaj więcej
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
Checking in on our star.
21 sierpnia 2022, Belgia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Having a day ticket for the metro meant a desire to at least get some value out of it - that was if it worked. Headed back via the Heysel Stadium - amazed to find no evidence of a memorial for the disaster. Was hoping that initially I'd swiped correctly & not gone through so the next time would've been invalid. Thankfully so it proved. Decided to go & check out the other thing Brussels seems to be famous for The EU. Go and check whether they are looking after our star...
Lots of big new buildings & some nice parks as well but no toilets. Had to sneak into the Indian food festival. The 2 museums located near weren't really for me - army & armaments - had enough of that sort of thing yesterday. And a car museum - there was a day but that has long gone. Took in the parliament, had a sarnie in the park & then headed back to the Royal Palace Park. Have a little wander - map said the palace was closed but wasn't going to pay anyway. Lots of shady spots in the park & as the palace grew closer people seemed to be going in. Overheard that it was free - surely not. Queried with a Bobby & sure enough the king has decreed that the palace & all its contents belong to the people so they shouldn't have to pay. Doesn't happen with our bunch of royal spongers does it? Since it's free why not have a look and judge. The opulence was obscene & free tickets don't remotely mitigate. Back to the hotel for a break & then a little Tintin treasure hunt - find the mural & the comic museum. The mural took a while longer than planned so the museum was more photo op than anything else. Opted for a Hawaiian Poke Bowl for tea - was gorgeous Czytaj więcej
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
The main event.
21 sierpnia 2022, Belgia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
The priority for today was getting a good look around the Atomium. According to Google the best times were kick off at 10 & around last orders at 5. Wasn't going to leave it till that late so a relatively early start was needed. Stopped at the local for breakie supplies & on to the metro. Opted for a ticket rather than mobile - didn't seem a good bet as my machine was taking an age & the guy next to me was hopping between the other 2 with what seemed little success. Mine eventually spat out a ticket. All good ... No. Wasn't sure where to put / swipe the ticket & by the time hoppy guy came over to show me it was 'computer says no' Looked around for help - no-one. Hoppy took the lead & whether he was having difficulties as well or just couldn't get a ticket proceeded to hold the gate open as we scuttled in after someone with a valid ticket. Law breakers - the way I saw it was I had a ticket. The bank app showed I'd paid at the time on the ticket. The issue was more getting back. Didn't fancy hopping the gates again. Anyway breakie on the train & to the Atomium. Stupidly early so wandered getting people free photos.
Back and joined the queue but eventually realised having booked online the queue was not for me. Scooted through to the great views and the wild neon 2001 sci-fi influenced world of the Atomium. The design briefs, the corridors, the whole look would all have fitted in. All very interesting & enjoyable. Czytaj więcej
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
Officially - my second best Best Western
20 sierpnia 2022, Belgia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
After the grimness of Fort Breendonk, something uplifting was needed. You can't beat climbing a big tower. Well, I guess you could if you had a dodgy knee and maybe if the temp wasn't hovering around 30. Still it's what I do. Mechelen has a cathedral with a big tower you can climb and it was about a half way point so all was good. 500 steps later & all was sweaty. Great views of Antwerp to the North & Brussels to the South. You could even see the Atomium sparkling in the sunlight. Got me thinking - take a detour there while sun's out just in case - cheer me up. Lunch first & impeccable choice of spec in the middle of a dual carriageway - it was shady & there was grass. It wasn't as busy & as noisy as it sounds. A little more on the hoof navigating - detour added around 4 miles. Atomium good to go. It was a very impressive sight - the queues and bustle not so much. Get in early tomorrow. Off to the hotel and Antwerp doesn't have a hold on demon cobbles. Nice Aircon & room to myself. Quick shower & explore. The imperial Belgians didn't skimp on their capital. The Grand Place is very grand. Unfortunately a sunny Saturday evening prompted grand crowds. Czytaj więcej
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
Cobbles, more cobbles & Belgian Pave.
20 sierpnia 2022, Belgia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Another grim night. Snorers & coughing frenzies you'd expect to be the chief culprits but annoying as they were it was the stifling heat. Warm as Antwerp was the hostel wasn't dealing well with it. Apparently it had an eco ventilation system - that's as may be but I wouldn't say it was effective. To top it off I got the breakie time wrong - forgot it was the weekend. Had 30 mins to kill. Heading out of Antwerp should be mellower on a Saturday morning. Hmmm. Less cars but much meaner cobbles - some demon stuff that was exclusively for the cycle lanes - nasty. Ended up cycling on the kerb stones for a hint of smooth. Disappointed with Boom - the place nothing explosively exciting to see. The next stop was to be challenging. A former SS prisoner of war camp. Interesting & harrowing at the same time. One in particular - a dwarf administrator who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Did nothing wrong. The uniform wouldn't fit - no allowances were made on parade. The commandant made a show of him by regularly calling this out, lifting him above his head & throwing him across the yard. The poor guy lasted a matter of days. Lots of grim stuff like that. Hard work but fascism can't be forgotten. Czytaj więcej
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
No. 7 is on the way
19 sierpnia 2022, Belgia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Somewhat surprised to find cloudy skies but a sunburnt neck meant few complaints & bandana around the neck just in case. Not at my sparkling best - the room below had visitors banging on their windows, shouting and generally being annoying throughout the night. Was a bit weary. Headed into Breda for breakie & to have a little mooch around. Impressed by the former prison. Settled, however for a spec by the 'harbour' watching the comings & goings setting up for Havenfest, perfectly timed to coincide with the Vuelta going through Breda. Oops - my bad - a day early. Just got going on breakie when I was approached by a drunk, possibly homeless guy asking for some food. Had plenty so offered him a cake. Very appreciative & then descends into a contradictory diatribe about the Arabic world - both evil and saving the world. Got onto Liverpool & Mo Salah, unsurprisingly. Apparently No. 7 is a cast iron certainty. The media take notice of octopuses making predictions so why not a mad drunk who may or may not believe Islam is terrible. I'm going with it. Eventually he got bored with me & allowed me to finish my breakie. Onwards towards Antwerp & it was a bit like hard work - combination of wind, cobbles & fatigue. Plodded on & with about 15 to go had a pleasant surprise - a canal towpath that took me to within 6 miles of Antwerp. This wasn't any old towpath smooth paved & wide. The odd shower couldn't detract. Once off, closed roads, diversions & Antwerp's tram system brought me back down to earth. Once showered, had an explore of Antwerp. Clearly a historic and wealthy port city. Very nice wander around. Cathedral charged so that was a no no. The pedestrian tunnel to the other side of the river & town was free. Easy choice. Could see the thunder clouds approaching so made a sharp exit to the hostel - just in time. Thai for tea - yum. Czytaj więcej
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Liz BickerstaffOoh, number 7! There are Mo Salah fans everywhere. 😀 Photos are great.
19.08.2022Odpowiedz
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
Windmill frenzy.
18 sierpnia 2022, Holandia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Made it to the ferry jetty just as it was leaving. Rats. Next one was half an hour. Settled down with some strawberries & proceeded to try & sort out some issues with the sat nav. I did not. Anyway the ferry left packed with bikes - off to Kinderdijk - apparently a world heritage site - unlike Liverpool. It is an area harking back to when windmills were everywhere in Holland and there really were tonnes of them. On leaving the ferry you were directed to a path & there were windmills wherever you looked pushed on beyond the masses & it was a pretty peaceful place disturbed only by the occasional boat trip. A visit here was always the plan but the original route had been a little circuitous so I thought I'd try to find a shortcut. Messed around with the sat nav & it appeared that 30 miles had been turned into 20. Pushed on with the new route except I hadn't read carefully. The 20 was what had done & when I looked a little while later what I had left to cycle was a rather grim 65. Panicked. Reason then took over. The scenic route originally was 50 so it couldn't be 65. Did some on the hoof navigation. Tolerated some bridge issues, diversions and a heavy shower. Made it to Breda - birthplace of the Big Man and the hotel was in the middle of an industrial estate. Not really a problem since the neighbouring hotel had a restaurant, except it didn't - short staffed. So had a pleasant / bizarre evening walk through the industrial estate to the nearby retail park. Almost succumbed to the promise of Aircon in McDonalds but resisted & had a dollop of pasta. Czytaj więcej
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Liz BickerstaffYay! Windmills!
19.08.2022Odpowiedz
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
Abuse in Dutch... possibly
18 sierpnia 2022, Holandia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Packed, unpacked & packed again - out of practice. Headed to Jumbo - nice & quiet as was the spec for breakie. A little mooch around Delft while it was less wet. Annoyingly the market square was full of market stuff. The cycle itself could've been somewhat shorter but decided to take in a number of sites in Rotterdam rather than just scooting through. Apparently it is famous for its architecture so planned a route that took in some of the more eye-catching examples, oh & the football stadium - which actually is historic - built in the 30's & what the Nou Camp is modelled on. Again cycling was a joy - busy city but everywhere had bike lanes & drivers were always giving way. On the way the Rotterdam Euromast appeared looming above the treeline. It'd be rude not to look into going up it if it wasn't too pricey. Who am I kidding? Managed to get upsold to the ride to the very top. The views weren't much different but was good for a panoramic. The Market Hall was madly big like a number of the bridges I was to tackle. Headed south via the Feijenoord stadium which disappointingly you couldn't get close to. Onwards towards the Kinderdijk ferry & bizarrely, as I approached an old man he started hurling abuse at me, at least I assume that from the tone. Needless to say I didn't understand a word. Not sure if it was bikes or Liverpool that wound him up - or he just didn't like the look of me. Czytaj więcej
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Low Countries cycle John Bickerstaff
Amazon traffic jams & epic bike stores.
17 sierpnia 2022, Holandia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Stupidly early flight coupled with easyJet sending an email warning of delays meant an early morning / late night start. Squeezed in the car - a Jumbo bike box meant seats were as far forward as possible. Thankfully Liz was the hero on both counts getting up at stupid o'clock & driving. Rain on the way didn't bode well. Also a bit jittery about the sheer quantity of stuff crammed in the bike box - official guidance states nothing but a bike. Banked on the taped up box and queues discouraging investigation as has been the case previously & so it proved. Security negotiated relatively painlessly. Similar leg room on the flight to the car but at least I had an aisle seat. Struggled to stay awake though turbulence helped. My first experience of Brexit tourism didn't help my mood - look at what you could've won - EU passports sailing through the automatic booths and massive queues for the stupid.
Once done, Bike was there ready to be assembled. Minor panic when my pump exploded - nothing a bit of gaffer tape couldn't botch tho. By the time I'd assembled the bike the rain that followed me had passed. Just the small matter of cycling through the midst of an international hub served by numerous motorways. No worries - Holland has it sorted - 20m away from where I was sorting the bike was a superb bike lane that would proceed to guide me off road pretty much all the way to Delft. Even incorporated a lift to access a bridge. Couldn't do anything about the Amazon warehouse - took a while to get past the endless stream of Amazonia departing. Excited to see the first windmill but that quickly dissipated. Loads of windmills but no shops. Eventually found a supermarket at the halfway point in Leiden. Had lunch admiring a particularly historic windmill. For once this was in an urban setting rather than by one of the numerous canals. Pushed on and spits and spots gradually got worse & worse. With 6 miles to go the waterproof was called for. By the hotel all was damp to say the least. Checked in & was directed to the station bike car park. Never have I seen so many bikes - most of which were the Dutch tank like versions. Quick wash, explore Delft. Popped into the Jumbo supermarket - as in Jumbo Visma Cycling - living the high life. Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Hand luggage! Really?
12 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Super early start, more down to neuroses - a 5.45 alarm meant clock watching from 4. First leg was the metro to Belorusksya Station, ideally making the 7am train to the airport. Wanted to leave a bit of leeway due to Russian quirkiness & general obscure procedures. First of many metal detectors at the station - they're everywhere here. Panicked a bit with everyone hurrying but made it with plenty to spare. The 'Aeroexpress' didn't do too much expressing. Then onto the onslaught of hoop jumping. Another metal baggage scan to get into the airport. Not happy there was an aerosol in my main backpack - can't take that in the cabin - does it really look like hand baggage? Had to unlock phone as well - God knows what that shows. Managed to jump the queue a little at the bagagge drop that was suspiciously the same as checking-in - printed out boarding passes even though she'd been given ours. Passport control & a stroppy cow hedging her bets as to which queue to choose. Wasn't happy when we forced her to make a choice when she wasn't able to block everyone any longer. Bizarrely gate 31 had a skygate numbered 32. Equally bizarre the seats were numbered with seats A & C, D & F. All very weird. Got into Helsinki to find the Manchester leg was delayed by 40 mins. That bit longer to get into town & wake myself up. Had some great Salmon soup / a salmon plate at the market cafes that we'd meant to give a go when in town. On the way back to the station picked up some of the best strawbs ever (honest) & relaxed in the Esplanadi Park. Leisurely walk back to the station. Managed to avoid queuing to board while bagging some comfortable lounge seats. Nice relaxing end though Manchester may have something to say about that. Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Top secret.
11 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Previously (on 24... No) during the downpour day, indoor options had been investigated, largely with little success. The 1 intriguing option happened to be just round the corner - a top secret bunker that had just a year ago been declassified & was now open to the public. Had to be booked in advance & the only English tour was at 7pm on Sunday - packing time. Liz wasn't remotely interested so flying solo on this one. Access was a little cloak & dagger as well. Through a barrier, press the buzzer until you are met. This will only be answered 10 mins before the tour & up until the tour - don't be late! As it was I followed a group in - easy. Met the guide & began the descent. Down 20m through a 10 tonne blast door, then a 1.5 hermetically sealed door. Along a 20m corridor so we were under the Kindergarten. Then down another 60m shaft - 2 more sealed doors & we were in. No messing around here. This was one of 20 bunkers under Moscow - most linked upto the Metro, which also had the capability to be sealed off. It stored the minister for foreign affairs' secret documents and was in use up until 2008. A lot of the systems were still operational - ventilation, air conditioning, communications, alarm ... but not the lift. And even here 80m below the surface of Moscow - still there's a Manc to be found. Bahh! Some of stuff was grim but fascinating - the way they tested the effects of differing levels of radiation on soldiers so they could predict the number of deaths (citizens out of service) in the wider population. At least we know what to do in the case of a nuclear warning - go online. Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Strange black thing.
11 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Once the Kremlin had been explored we headed upto the Sparrow Hills. Passed up the opportunity to eat - too crowded & expensive and surely there'd be options at the observation deck or even at the University. Gentle walk up to the 'summit' & great views out over the Luzhniki [national] Stadium, the business district & 5 of the 7 sisters - Stalin's skyscrapers built with Gulag labour. Very busy at the top & very limited food options - sweetcorn or ice cream. Wandered towards the Moscow University building (no. 6 of the 7) & it became apparent that all that was up here was a university - no additional services, food etc. Liz wasn't happy. Decided to try around the cable car, our means of descent. Found a cafe overlooking the river, allbeit a rather expensive one. Settled down & was promptly ignored. Plenty of people were being seated. Still we waited & a number of those people were now being waited on. Doesn't bode well for speedy service. Gave up. Found what looked like a sarnie shop but was in fact a kebab shop, with a queue... that wasn't moving. OK head down to the stadium, except the cable car had a massive queue. Getting beyond a joke. Walk down, across the bridge - nope it's a motorway. Google to the rescue - navigated through the park & stumbled on Mr Big - a food shack. Admittedly the menu was in Russian but Google translated enough or so we thought. Ordered BBQ chicken and minty lemonade. 6 minute wait & I was presented with wraps yes but black. Surely it wasn't burned. Turns out the wrap was black - didn't taste any different to me but Liz wasn't having it. 2 wraps for me. A little walk around the stadium & then back via the supermarket for something a little more traditional. Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Queues.
11 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
A hoped for early start was just about on track - Liz battling through a rough head. Bizarre steady stream of people outside the hotel suggested something was happening - another protest possibly. Ideally the queue for Kremlin tickets would be relatively untouched on arrival. On getting off the metro it became apparent that Moscow was busy - sunny Sunday. Hopefully it was just the locals & that they were going to a protest rather than the Kremlin. Hopefully not a protest at the Kremlin. Wandered through Alexander Gardens to be greeted by a substantial queue for tickets. Checked on the automatic tellers & the queues seemed better. Go for it. The downside was that it was just entry - no tower tickets. By the time we would've got to the front of the other queue they would be sold out anyway - or that's what I told myself. Back of mind was the worry that my card would be inoperable (email warning from the morning) At least we had cash. Then the machine started chewing up money. Ahh! Worried over nothing - tickets sorted - now where to go. Followed signs to unsurprisingly another massive queue. Sulked & pondered giving up. The voice of reason (Liz) ensured not. Moved fairly quick & we were in to the Kremlin. Russian police love their whistles - there were specific places you could go & cross - any deviation, no matter how small, got a whistle. Made our way to Cathedral Square - 5 cathedrals surrounding a small square & queues to get in all 5. Explored the site & Kremlin gardens. Apart from the numerous Chinese tour parties elbowing their way around, it was a very peaceful place, which belied its history. Headed out the exit to find people entering - surely they'll be turned back. No - could've entered via the exit - makes complete sense. Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
When the rain comes...
10 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
When the rain comes we run & hide our heads or so the lyrical genius of John Lennon goes. Peaked out the window a little hungover & barely even contemplated going out to have to hide my head. It was chucking it down. The thought of getting soaked again didn't really appeal. Plenty of recovering & diary (should the recovery happen) Thankfully there was ample food in to tide us over so another reason for going out was avoided. The slight issue however was something of a quart in a pint pot situation - if no boxes are ticked today then loads needs to be done on our final day. Tried in vain to find indoor attractions that didn't involve art or likely Russian explanation (museums) Post lunch the rain seemed to have eased so a mild soaking was deemed acceptable & the queue for St Basil's could possibly be bearable. Decided to chance it. Got into town to find the police & army out in force - Red square was cordoned off & checks were in place - there was a big political protest & they weren't getting into Red Square. It was a battle for anyone to get in. Elsewhere the govt had been getting people to arrange festivals for the weekend to distract the youth from political dissent. All very sneeky. Anyway got into St Basils easily enough. From the outside it looks like the cathedral in St Petersburg. Internally it is completely different - a warren of little chapels, corridors and narrow staircases. A choir struck up while we were in there - added to the atmosphere - the sales pitch in a range of laguages less so. Headed to the other side of the Kremlin to try and find Gagarin's grave. Nothing doing but watched the changing of the guard at the memorial to the unknown soldier. Liked the way they insisted on respect at the memorial. Any sitting or leaning on it anywhere got a good whistle from the chief guard. Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Metro Madness
9 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
By now, following a day of space museums, Liz was feeling a little worse for wear. The thought of more out & about - let alone to the pub to watch Liverpool didn't agree. So a solo excursion - take in a few of the more impressive metro stops & if the pub could be found take in the match. Dry & warm clothing on & rain having stopped headed to the local metro & began a metro odysey. I wasn't the only freak either. Admittedly the two tour groups were Japanese, who take photos of anything. Anyway some very impressive stops. Spent a couple of hours hopping on & off trains. By the time I was done there was a mere 30 mins to kick off. It'd be rude not to. Liverpool shirts outside directed in the appropriate direction. Ordered a beer & a sarnie & local noticed the jersey - conversation started & the beer was on the house. This could get messy. Great atmosphere & great result - nice to talk to some locals even if largely it was about the mighty reds. Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Cosmic Boulevard
9 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
A wet and dreary morning revealed a more realistic climate for a city on a similar latitude to the dreary city of Manchester. Such weather required an indoor plan. Perfect for the Museum of Cosmonautics at the VDNKh park - a sort of Russia / Communism theme park throw back to the 70's that still seemingly engenders a sense of pride in the locals. Managed to get to the metro relatively dryly - almost certainly got a few strange looks because of the shorts - or maybe just the habitual Moscow sour face. Indoors is all well and good but getting to the indoors involves the outdoors. Got a bit damp getting to the museum - not looking good for the rest of the site. The museum proved to be interesting but not quite as informative as it could have been - inconsistent English. Again what was strange was some bits equal billing, others clearly very abbreviated & others none existent. Annoying but understandable I guess. Photos outside were hampered by wind, rain, wonky eyes & the threat of falling slabs of granite. It would seem that such a prestigious monument is not getting the care it requires. Such a shame. Pushed onto the Space Pavillion in the main site, which has a Soyuz rocket outside but by now hunger was an issue, as well as shelter. All food options seemed to be stalls outside - not good. Outside - bad, inside - good. Found a soviet style canteen, which was interesting - no clues at all. Couldn't go wrong with kebabs & had some rice & veg which had a cursory warm in the microwave. Feet by now were soaking but made it to the space pavillion & had the bonus of free entry - god knows why - sympathy because of the bad weather or distracting the youth from protests - who knows. Spectacularly organised & presented artefacts. Loads of stuff about the moon missions, planetary missions & other assorted trivia. Better English options meant a lengthy stay - by the end Liz's patience was being tested. Back the way we came via some photo ops with the rocket. Very wet by time we got to the hotel. Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Majestic Metro
8 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Found a park to eat our sarnies & try & recover. Decided to head to the famous Gorky Park - a stretch of the Moskva River where there isn't a busy road. Admittedly there was the suggestion of a theme park but some of it should be a bit calmer. Wandered to the next metro stop - guide suggested that this was one of stops not to be missed. Of the stops so far it was certainly ornate & I wasn't the only nutter taking photos. Headed for the sculpture park where a number of communist statues have been rehoused. Plenty of shade helped & eventually being able to get a drink also helped cool off. By accident the statue of Peter the Great was found. From that point forward it couldn't be missed. Apparently it was a statue rejected by the Yanks which doesn't endear it to the locals, it is a bit bizarre looking & the siting of it is a little questionable since he apparently detested Moscow. Talking of detesting - onwards towards the theme park, except it was nowhere to be seen, just more parkland the other side of the bridge. Good news. Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
The shittiness of the human kind.
8 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Having a little house keeping to do, it felt rash committing to doing too much so a day of bits & pieces was agreed upon. The first of which was having a look inside St Basil's Cathedral. Topped up the metro card with loads of remaining shrapnel & we were away. Except on arrival it became apparent there were 2 big pulls in Red Square today - Lenins Mausoleum & St Basil's - not sure which was the bigger but we weren't spending hours in either queue. Pushed onto the Bolshoi which unfortunately wasn't conducting tours until Sept. Nice enough building - no tour groups - even better. Onwards to the darker side of the day - the Gulag History Museum. Came highly recommended - still, wasn't going to be a laugh a minute. The idea was to get a better understanding of what life was like at that time. The initial intro talked a lot about doors & their significance & proceded to tell 15 stories attached to 15 doors. The traumatic stories just kept coming. A very grim time & one I knew very little of. The darkness of the museum perfectly fitted the sombre subject matter. Like to think that the open window looking out onto a park at the end is showing there us cause for hope. Even so looking at the oldies that lived through that & some of the constructions created during that time & you wonder... Czytaj więcej
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Finland & Baltic Russia John Bickerstaff
Mellow Moscow
7 sierpnia 2019, Rosja ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Once rested, hunger needed dealing with - a couple of biccies for lunch does not cut it. Decided to head towards Red Square stopping at a supermarket on the way. Handily enough - picnic sorted, we found a nice little park & enjoyed what little sunshine we could. Onwards & in the distance could be seen the tips of St Basils Cathedral - probably the most iconic sight in Russia. Little bit excited. Unfortunately, as everywhere else, there were road works, so a detour had to be made. For the best though - ended up walking through Alexandrovsky Park, along the Kremlin to Red Square - far more peaceful than the main road. Disappointment at Red Sq. though - vast swathes of temp stands for a miltary tattoo on the 15th. The square was swamped with stalls & food hawkers - some dumb yank seemed to think it reminiscent of Glastonbury - on what planet? At least the cathedral was not shrouded in scaffolding. Was closed mind. Headed back picking up tea & breakie stuff. Czytaj więcej
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