A great weeks cycling (321 miles) to get to the Med. In Tortosa now (08/10/2007), about to head down the Med coast towards Valencia. Diary below :-
02/10 - quiet roads to Mendavia, then main road to Calahorra. Met young German touring cyclist doing the Pilgrims Way.He reported terrible storms coming through the Pyrennes!
03/10 - great back roads to Rincon Somo, then onto Cordella & Tudela. Harvesting vines on the way,using immigrant workers -hard manual labour. Also chillies drying from many balconies.
04/10 - Sue front puncture (glass) delayed start. Wonderful quiet roads in Ebro valley to Añagon, then awful main road into Zaragoza, equivalent of cycling 18 miles down the hard shoulder of M1! Saw vultures on roadside cliffs near Remolinos. Olive groves replacing vines now. Good Tapas in the evening.
05/10 - Better effort at getting out of Zaragoza alongside main road rather than on it! Even went "off road" at one point! Turned south into the hills via Azalia to Pueblo de la Hijar. No vegetation in the hills but shepherds with large flocks of sheep, eating what?
06/10 - Great weather all day, & good roads. Found local shop in Estacion De La Pueblo de la Hijar - looked like an ordinary house, had to ask local! Camped at Lake Caspe.
07/10 - Again great roads & weather. Some wonderful mountain views & rides down gorges to the Ebro fertile plains. Stayed in Tortosa-great Tapas and fantastic fresh food Mercado.
Monday, 8 October 2007
Monday, 1 October 2007
Head for the Med
Had an eventful ride down from Dorchester to Plymouth on 24th & 25th Sept. Lovely stay as always with Ian & Janet at Exeter, then a memorable ride over Haldon via Exeter Racecourse to Ashburton. Coffee courtesy of Glendinnings, lunch courtesy of Julia & Clive at the Cafe. Then to Jeannie & Roly in Plymouth & a lovely steak.The cyclimg glasses and camera box are invaluable so thanks Jeannie and good luck Roly in S America
Great ferry crossing to Santander 26th pm & overnight, arriving 8.30am Thursday 27th.
Since then we have been acclimatising to Spain. Progress slower than planned as we are spending more time stopping & enjoying the country. Less campsites available due to the lateness in the season, so we have stayed a couple of nights in "Pensions", in mainly lisyed buildings. Have finally worked out how to ask for grass in the few campsites there are, so a softer pitch than first few nights. We are roughly following a medieval route so fantastic castles and churches.
Weather generally good, little rain, some sun, great temperatures. Have seen some eagles/vultures (not sure which) & are gradually picking up some lingo!
Currently in Logrono (fine University town) on the Ebro River in Rioja country (wine sampling a must from 12euro = mikes birthday, to everday 65 cents)
Carrying on down the Ebro valley for the next few days.
Great ferry crossing to Santander 26th pm & overnight, arriving 8.30am Thursday 27th.
Since then we have been acclimatising to Spain. Progress slower than planned as we are spending more time stopping & enjoying the country. Less campsites available due to the lateness in the season, so we have stayed a couple of nights in "Pensions", in mainly lisyed buildings. Have finally worked out how to ask for grass in the few campsites there are, so a softer pitch than first few nights. We are roughly following a medieval route so fantastic castles and churches.
Weather generally good, little rain, some sun, great temperatures. Have seen some eagles/vultures (not sure which) & are gradually picking up some lingo!
Currently in Logrono (fine University town) on the Ebro River in Rioja country (wine sampling a must from 12euro = mikes birthday, to everday 65 cents)
Carrying on down the Ebro valley for the next few days.
Saturday, 15 September 2007
Mansfield to Dorchester
Travels Phase 1 now completed. Good shakedown tour for the bikes & equipement (& us!!!) Busy planning Phase 2 - into mainland Europe - expect we'll set out around 23rd Sept. Watch the blog!
2 Sept. Left Mansfield by cycle paths for short hop to Loughborough to stay in Jenny and Richards empty student let - we must be going soft! Used National Cycle Network (NCN) route through Newstead Abbey & were charged 50p each for the pleasure - first road toll in nearly 3000 miles!!!
3 Sept .69 miles in sunshine - long day as kept off roads, on canals through Nuneaton and Coventry.
4 Sept.Wonderful run through Cotswold villages. Saw some flood damage from earlier in the year. 48miles & 3000 miles so far!!!
5 Sept Again lovely villages and got on Avon and Kennet canal at Devizes, to just near Trowbridge - canal heaving with narrow boats. Camped in rural site near Westbury, with fine views of Westbury cement works ! Saw 3 White Horses today! 56miles.
6 Sept .Very misty start but sunshine soon burnt through. Lovely quiet back roads to Dorchester. Pint at the 'Fox Inn' at Ansty very welcome.
During our rest in Dorchester we have taken the bikes to the suppliers at Bridgewater for service & repairs, ready for next journey.
2 Sept. Left Mansfield by cycle paths for short hop to Loughborough to stay in Jenny and Richards empty student let - we must be going soft! Used National Cycle Network (NCN) route through Newstead Abbey & were charged 50p each for the pleasure - first road toll in nearly 3000 miles!!!
3 Sept .69 miles in sunshine - long day as kept off roads, on canals through Nuneaton and Coventry.
4 Sept.Wonderful run through Cotswold villages. Saw some flood damage from earlier in the year. 48miles & 3000 miles so far!!!
5 Sept Again lovely villages and got on Avon and Kennet canal at Devizes, to just near Trowbridge - canal heaving with narrow boats. Camped in rural site near Westbury, with fine views of Westbury cement works ! Saw 3 White Horses today! 56miles.
6 Sept .Very misty start but sunshine soon burnt through. Lovely quiet back roads to Dorchester. Pint at the 'Fox Inn' at Ansty very welcome.
During our rest in Dorchester we have taken the bikes to the suppliers at Bridgewater for service & repairs, ready for next journey.
Saturday, 1 September 2007
Borders & Blighty
Catch up from 20th Aug below. Setting off from Mansfield 2nd Sep heading S & W to Sue's Mum's in Dorchester & to see Chris (back from Oz soon). Will also get to see our friends Anne & Mike on the way.
23rd Aug - Canal path from Jane's into Edinburgh. Great weather. Walked thru the 'Fringe' events in the city. Picked up a cycle route at Portobello E of the city down to Innerleithen
24th Aug - Along the Tweed valley to Coldstream.
25th Aug - Great early morning ride over causeway to Holy Island & Lindisfarne before all the tourists arrived & the tide came in! Then down to Bamburgh (brill castle).
26th Aug - Quiet roads to Alnwick (another super castle), although busy in opp direction as people driving north to start the Great North Bike Ride (we gave that a miss!) Then to Bellingham to camp.
27th Aug - Bank hol Monday. Over desolate moors on Nat. Cycle Network route 68 to Hadrian's Wall - impressive. Good weather holding. Over Harstide Summit (1877ft - highest yet on bikes) & down hairpin bends to camp at Ousby - 'Sid' the campsite owner & pub landlord - great combination. Met 2 young lads on 1st touring cycle trip doing shakedown for planned N to S Africa trip in 18 months!
28th Aug - Carried on NCN route 68 with splendid views of ~Howgill Fells to Dent, campsite in fantastic scenery.
29th Aug - Stiff climb am adjacent to Whernside, met group of youngsters from Rutland cycling 80 miles/day to Berwick-on-Tweed. Looking for campsite N of Heptonstall, local gave us directions to 'Mays' in Slack, an old listed farmhouse with general mstore in a stone outbuilding. May made us very welcome including free camp & morning coffee. Spring water supply delicious! Earth Closet in cobbled farmyard the main facility!
30th Aug - set off thru quaint cobbled streets of Heptonstall, then tough day of several ardous climbs took us to Penistone (on Trans Pennine Trail - a national cycle path on an old railway).
31st Aug - Fine weather & tail wind. O TPT again to Mexborough, then to Worksop to pick up NCN 6 to Clipstone, Notts. Cycle path into Mansfield to Mike's sister's.
23rd Aug - Canal path from Jane's into Edinburgh. Great weather. Walked thru the 'Fringe' events in the city. Picked up a cycle route at Portobello E of the city down to Innerleithen
24th Aug - Along the Tweed valley to Coldstream.
25th Aug - Great early morning ride over causeway to Holy Island & Lindisfarne before all the tourists arrived & the tide came in! Then down to Bamburgh (brill castle).
26th Aug - Quiet roads to Alnwick (another super castle), although busy in opp direction as people driving north to start the Great North Bike Ride (we gave that a miss!) Then to Bellingham to camp.
27th Aug - Bank hol Monday. Over desolate moors on Nat. Cycle Network route 68 to Hadrian's Wall - impressive. Good weather holding. Over Harstide Summit (1877ft - highest yet on bikes) & down hairpin bends to camp at Ousby - 'Sid' the campsite owner & pub landlord - great combination. Met 2 young lads on 1st touring cycle trip doing shakedown for planned N to S Africa trip in 18 months!
28th Aug - Carried on NCN route 68 with splendid views of ~Howgill Fells to Dent, campsite in fantastic scenery.
29th Aug - Stiff climb am adjacent to Whernside, met group of youngsters from Rutland cycling 80 miles/day to Berwick-on-Tweed. Looking for campsite N of Heptonstall, local gave us directions to 'Mays' in Slack, an old listed farmhouse with general mstore in a stone outbuilding. May made us very welcome including free camp & morning coffee. Spring water supply delicious! Earth Closet in cobbled farmyard the main facility!
30th Aug - set off thru quaint cobbled streets of Heptonstall, then tough day of several ardous climbs took us to Penistone (on Trans Pennine Trail - a national cycle path on an old railway).
31st Aug - Fine weather & tail wind. O TPT again to Mexborough, then to Worksop to pick up NCN 6 to Clipstone, Notts. Cycle path into Mansfield to Mike's sister's.
Monday, 20 August 2007
Scotland - coast to coast
We forgot to mention we reached our 2000 milestone 11th August.
Afternoon ferry to Ullapool.Great views of water falls on either side of the Loch as we approached port.As we disembarked the heavens opened and a very strong head wind -fortunately only had a few hundred yards to cycle to Ullapool campsite
14th.When we emerged in the morning sunshine we could see what a fab setting surrounded by mountains and estuary views.The glorious weather continued as we cycled towards Inverness through wonderful mountain scenery.Camped at Beauly on the river.
15th.Another sunny day -went down South side of Loch Ness to lovely unspoilt village of Fort Augustus ,where there is an opening road bridge to allow yachts through to 4 locks at the Caledonian canal.
16th.Cycled the tow path and off road through private estates and forest.Met a very interesting lock keeper who was busy letting yachts ,holiday barges and all sorts through Gairlochy Lock and operating an opening swing road bridge.There were quite a lot of touring cyclists following this Great Glen cycling route.We paid our respects at the Spean bridge Commando memorial -magnificent with the back drop of Nevis.The summit was hidden in cloud.
17th The cloud lifted from Nevis as we left Roybridge campsite ;glorious view of the summit and snow patches on this North side.Cycled through the Drumocther pass to Blair Atholl on wonderful cycle route beside the railway and river,surrounded by the Cairngorms.The highest railway in UK.Camped in the Blair estate by the castle .A 5 star enormous site .The village is still all estate owned and very quaint.
18th .We knew it couldn't last -the weather deteriorated and rained all day -so we decided to keep on cycling past Perth -67 miles to camp near pleasant village of Kinross .The rain continued all night !
19th Fine in the morning and all day as we headed for the Forth Rd bridge ,pausing to take photos of the railbridge-then a puddley trip along the canal to Linlithgow and up the hill to Jane and Mikes where a feast of lamb and sampling of Mikes famous wine cellar sustained us.We are now drying out as everything got wet when we had to wade through a flooded section of cycle route near Dunfermeline -even deeper than in Wales -keeping Jane's washing machine busy .
20th To spend pm in Edinburgh sampling the Fringe.
Plan to head south thru the Borders from Wednesday, to call at Mike's sister's in Mansfield.
Afternoon ferry to Ullapool.Great views of water falls on either side of the Loch as we approached port.As we disembarked the heavens opened and a very strong head wind -fortunately only had a few hundred yards to cycle to Ullapool campsite
14th.When we emerged in the morning sunshine we could see what a fab setting surrounded by mountains and estuary views.The glorious weather continued as we cycled towards Inverness through wonderful mountain scenery.Camped at Beauly on the river.
15th.Another sunny day -went down South side of Loch Ness to lovely unspoilt village of Fort Augustus ,where there is an opening road bridge to allow yachts through to 4 locks at the Caledonian canal.
16th.Cycled the tow path and off road through private estates and forest.Met a very interesting lock keeper who was busy letting yachts ,holiday barges and all sorts through Gairlochy Lock and operating an opening swing road bridge.There were quite a lot of touring cyclists following this Great Glen cycling route.We paid our respects at the Spean bridge Commando memorial -magnificent with the back drop of Nevis.The summit was hidden in cloud.
17th The cloud lifted from Nevis as we left Roybridge campsite ;glorious view of the summit and snow patches on this North side.Cycled through the Drumocther pass to Blair Atholl on wonderful cycle route beside the railway and river,surrounded by the Cairngorms.The highest railway in UK.Camped in the Blair estate by the castle .A 5 star enormous site .The village is still all estate owned and very quaint.
18th .We knew it couldn't last -the weather deteriorated and rained all day -so we decided to keep on cycling past Perth -67 miles to camp near pleasant village of Kinross .The rain continued all night !
19th Fine in the morning and all day as we headed for the Forth Rd bridge ,pausing to take photos of the railbridge-then a puddley trip along the canal to Linlithgow and up the hill to Jane and Mikes where a feast of lamb and sampling of Mikes famous wine cellar sustained us.We are now drying out as everything got wet when we had to wade through a flooded section of cycle route near Dunfermeline -even deeper than in Wales -keeping Jane's washing machine busy .
20th To spend pm in Edinburgh sampling the Fringe.
Plan to head south thru the Borders from Wednesday, to call at Mike's sister's in Mansfield.
Monday, 13 August 2007
Further Islands
8th Aug - Ferry from Tobermory to Kilchoan on Ardnamurchan Peninsula (mainland). Great ride from Kilchoan thru Peninsula & Miodart area to Arisaig.
9th - Arisaig to Mallaig then ferry to Skye. Good weather all day for ride to Sligochan. Wonderful views of the Red & Black Cuillin. Good off main drag routes.
10th - Portree then to Staffin via 'Old Man of Storr'. Great coast & mountian views & waterfall to sea at Kilt Rock.
11th - Wonderful ride over the Quiraing rode to Uig. Saw Hen Harrier close to road. Ferry from Uig to Tarbert on Harris. Amazing 'lunar landscape scenery of south Harris.
12th - Steady days ride from south Harris to Stornoway on Lewis. Poor visibility, but some good coastal loch views.
13th - Stornoway Library internet while waiting for 1345 ferry to Ullapool
Will spend next few days cycling down thru Scotland (Great Glen etc) to Edinburgh to see Sue's sister Jane & family. Weather forecast not brilliant - might get wet!
9th - Arisaig to Mallaig then ferry to Skye. Good weather all day for ride to Sligochan. Wonderful views of the Red & Black Cuillin. Good off main drag routes.
10th - Portree then to Staffin via 'Old Man of Storr'. Great coast & mountian views & waterfall to sea at Kilt Rock.
11th - Wonderful ride over the Quiraing rode to Uig. Saw Hen Harrier close to road. Ferry from Uig to Tarbert on Harris. Amazing 'lunar landscape scenery of south Harris.
12th - Steady days ride from south Harris to Stornoway on Lewis. Poor visibility, but some good coastal loch views.
13th - Stornoway Library internet while waiting for 1345 ferry to Ullapool
Will spend next few days cycling down thru Scotland (Great Glen etc) to Edinburgh to see Sue's sister Jane & family. Weather forecast not brilliant - might get wet!
Tuesday, 7 August 2007
West Scotland - Islands
Spent lovely weekend in NI withLiz and family ,Great to be chauffered us up beautiful Antrim coast rd in brilliant sun .
30th. Road past Slemish mountain to pm ferry from Larne to Troon. Met LA cyclist with trailer ,
31st ferry to Arran ,Mini Scotland -mountains lakes .2 beautiful days -Golden eagles ,seals red deer. Geologists dream -huttons unconcormity!
2nd ferry to Isla .Fab weather camped in dunes -views of Gigha.
4th mainland route ( to Oban to catch ferry to Mull.Great views of Osprey family.
20mins off ferry on Mull saw white tailed sea eagle .
7th Camping Tobermory -off north to mainland and Skye tomorrow.
30th. Road past Slemish mountain to pm ferry from Larne to Troon. Met LA cyclist with trailer ,
31st ferry to Arran ,Mini Scotland -mountains lakes .2 beautiful days -Golden eagles ,seals red deer. Geologists dream -huttons unconcormity!
2nd ferry to Isla .Fab weather camped in dunes -views of Gigha.
4th mainland route ( to Oban to catch ferry to Mull.Great views of Osprey family.
20mins off ferry on Mull saw white tailed sea eagle .
7th Camping Tobermory -off north to mainland and Skye tomorrow.
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