and there's very late!

I will give my excuses, but all in good time, Lets catch up first.

On Thursday I thought I'd start July's cycling off with a good long ride, the weather was forecast bright after all. Well okay, a few showers were predicted but its not like i'll shrink in the wash is it? Anyhow I set off, a route in mind, dodging the puddles and glad of the rain jacket keeping me a bit warmer. Over the Severn Bridge, a dodge through Chepstow and up to my now regular tea van for second breakfast and a look at the map.

The damp seemed to have passed by so I stowed the coat and set off again up the A48 for a bit before turning off into the Forest of Dean's wooded valleys. The problem with valleys is that to get from one to another, there is generally some up involved, the road twiddled its way slowly towards Cinderford before a more concerted up to the town and over to the next valley. Eventually I left the trees and a short sojourne into Herefordshire took me around to Nuwent and a second tea trailer which supplied frites and tea to go with my sandwiches!

Whilst not exactly all downhill, it is at least the start of the return leg, after a lunchtime shower it was back to sunshine and I paused at Hartpury to take in the watermill, tythe barn and other assorted preserved buildings of the Medieval village. On then to Gloucester and the A38 southbound, time was getting on, any thoughts of an afternoon cuppa dashed as the tea vans were by now long gone. The computer suggested that I would be a little short of 100 miles so I added a little extra loop to secure the century, arriving back tired and just before the rains.

Yep 165km, 1200+m of up, a good start to the month.

Friday I decided on a walk into the city which was fine until the wet started just as I was setting off back. I suppose I could have got a bus but it was squally rather than chucking it down. The forecast for Saturday looked dismal so I deferred my ride and instead spent the day cloud watching and getting another Gaby chapter wroted, all good stuff.

And so to yesterday. With a dry but breezy forecast I set off south, hoping to catch a tail wind back from deepest Somerset. Over the Mendip to Shepton Mallet and on down the Fosse Way towards Yeovil. Given the strength of the wind, for once common sense prevailed and I turned short to head for the coast, following a long spur of higher ground towards Street and onward towards Bridgewater, stopping a little before the town for my snap. It was looking like another long ride for sure but the promise was still of some assistance as I started the north easterly ride back.

But using the A38 down here is less fun, busier and exposed as it crosses the Levels so I decided to go up the coast, through Burnham (where Gaby's paternal grandparents live) and found myself at Brean Beach, a huge expanse of golden sands, today scoured by a stiff onshore breeze. I spotted an ice cream van so headed down onto the sands to purchase Eis, hiding behind the van from the wind to eat it and watch the seagulls struggling to stand up in the wind!

Back on my way, up through Weston where wind blown sand filled every orifice, eventually gaining some assistance on my low level route back to Bristol. Thursdays ride was eclipsed before I got back and just shy of 7 hours of riding I stopped the clock with 177km, 110 miles thereabouts and over 1400m of climbing. By the time I was showered and fed, well it was a bit late to start finding and uploading stuff to BC so there's my excuse!

Its late but I think you'll enjoy both of todays chapters, Mess of the Blues from book 2 and Surprised from book 21.

So that's about it, the wind is still making its presence felt but the sun is out.

Tschussie

Madeline Anafrid