Hi D,
Not to be outdone by Mrs Baileys pics this is a view from our balcony this morning x
Sounds like you are all having a great time and getting along to boot!!
Looking forward to you all coming back though, miss you and kinda feeling tied down by my furry stalker!! love to all xxx
 |
| Paphos, Cyprus! |
At any rate, the umbrella was still in its stand so I took it down and repaired to the galley to put the kettle on to boil. With my Instanto at my side, I began scribing. Unfortunately, this mooring doesn't have power or water so we cannot re-charge our computers/cell phones, so not sure how long I'll have to try to update the sorely neglected Diaries!
Must say it was quite a magical time and I was rudely reintroduced to reality when I returned to the Damazan. When I left, around 4:30 pm, there was talk of trying to moor on the opposite bank where electrical outlets were available. Boats already docked there prevented us from tying up but The Two Waynes were going to ask if others would be willing to shift along quay in order to let us dock close to hook-ups. Not sure why they didn't proceed with this but they didn't bother. At any rate, when I reached the bridge under which we had tied up, I thought I recognized the Damazan across the river so I cycled to that side and through the campground behind to come upon none other than The Aussies! I had mistaken their penichette for ours and ad to endure the jibes and cat calls of my own shipmates, already eating dinner on the flying bridge across the way! Not wanting to walk through the soggy field I'd just managed to ride through, I elected to clamber a fairly steep embankment, using my trusty Navigator to help me scale the slope. Back aboard, a constant barrage of barked demands/commands, (more wine, more this, more that, more wine, more wine), flew down the aft hatch as I tried to salvage a few scraps from the leavings of the dinner. Actually, the bbq'd sausages and zucchini, the oven roasted yam fries, together with fried haloumi/sliced tomatoe appetizer, were simply delicious and went exceedingly well with the two Gensacs, the Tannat and the Meritage. Unfortunately, for me, the juiceheads had already polished off the Paul Mas Vermentino so I was mildly disappointed but drowned my sorrows with a Stella Artois to rehydrate myself after the glorious ride and then the crash and burn of re-entry to life aboard The Good Ship Lollypop!
Stats for ride:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/384771128#.UkyBhk3BY38.email
Hello Lads!
Sorry I've not been in touch sooner. No excuses but plenty of reasons. Trust everyone is well. Have been having a wonderful time on the river/canal aboard The Good Ship Lollypop even if the crew leave much to be desired. Everything goes swimmingly, from riding to wine, from food to scenery, from bridge to malt, so can't complain!
I suppose you are back in Blackwater, Derek. Hope all is fine on the home front and that last week or so in Vancouver went as expected. Are you back running regularly, James? How is Tutor Man? have you bouhgt a place in Squamish yet, Whirlygig?
Bit of a snapshot of last few days, for your reading pleasure, should your library privileges be suspended!
Tuesday morning, around 10:00 am, Flamin', Des and I left the able crew of the Damazan to cycle to Condom. We arrived around 12:30 pm as it was slow going for Des, his first ride in years. I didpsy-doodled ahead, taking off down side roads as they presented themselves. On the road leading to Mézin, (If I'd been by myself I would have ridden there as I wanted to see what the route, cross country, was like, having ridden to the village from Nérac the day before.), I encountered three tractors, all with different mowing attachments, keeping the roadside trimmed. The smell of fresh mint wafted across the road as I passed one, I suppose some rogue plants had rooted in the ditch nearbye. Further up the long, long, gradual incline, I came upon a number of farmers tending their vegetable fields and noticed the crop was cucumbers. Turned around at the top of the hill and swooped back down to D930 to rejoin my two companions.
This is a fairly busy road and there were quite a few large trucks roaring past. However, the drivers always gave us a wide berth, something which car drivers sometimes do not. Closer to Condom we came upon a roundabout and I followed one of the spokes, looking for the Château whose sign advertised Floc de Gascogne, wondering about whether a degustation there was a possibility. When I encountered a warehouseman, a few minutes of dipsy-doodling later, I posed the question: "Degustation, est possible?" in my perfect French. First thing he did was look at his watch and knowing exactly what he was thinking, I quickly added: "Non, maintenant, mais un autre temps, peut-être." "Mais, oui, bien sûr, Monsieur!" Of course, like all French people, he as worried that I wanted to interrupt his sacrosanct lunch break! Chuckling to myself I waved, thanked him and rejoined the peloton.
At the next roundabout, I took another dipsy-doodle around a small industrial park, (by now were near the outskirts of Condom), and noticed a very large field completely filled with solar panels. It is the second or third one of this size that I've encountered, the first ones in Languedoc. As well, I'd noticed there that many of the wineries had solar panels on the roofs of the larger buildings. Back to rejoin the other two and was glad approach to Condom was downhill as poor Des's legs were really starting to cramp up. I'd mentioned, earlier, that since I didn't actually know where the docking facility was located we would make for the centre of town and take things from there. As it turned out, as soon as we went through the first roundabout directing us to le centre de la ville it bacame obvious where we needed to go. A couple of dipsy-doodles later, (We'd not seen the Capitaniere as it was back from the water's edge and we ended up on the opposite bank.), we chained our bikes to fence post and walked half a block to join Desmond who'd made his way to the first bistro he could find!
After we scoped out moorage we enjoyed a delicious lunch, Salad Gersoise, Des's treat, at the Café du théâtre, just across the street from the Capitanerie where we would dock. Flamin' and Des had had enough riding for the day and they wanted to reconnoitre Condom and I wanted to try to log my first 100 km ride of the canal trip.
Stats of Tuesday's ride:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/384331954#.UksxPr46T1U.email
Grand, grand ride, with plenty of challenging hills but feel that I can now handle just about anything that this region can throw at me. Very pleased with overall distance even though it came at the expense of my becoming a member of the Lunch/Latte Riding Society. Fortunately, once one pays one's dues, a complimentary pair of asbestos soled riding shoes is included, so that the pain of The Burning Ground is partially ameliorated, Dear Reader!
Up at 6:30 am, Thursday morning to see if we still had an umbrella. Wind had come up about 5:00 am and I could hear thinks knocking about on the flying bridge right above our cabin. We'd had a lovely dinner there last night and then The Brotherhood had played bridge, the Two Waynes scheming, between bids, how to place the inflatable Roo, from the bow of the Aussie's boat across the river, back into "protective custody", as they put it! They, aided and abetted by Desmondo, had pulled a similar caper late Tuesday night when we were docked in Nérac. That time I had been rudely awakened around 2:30 am by the sounds of a kerfuffle of some sort, thinking it was a band of local thieves come to steal my prized Navigator. Soon realized it was the Three Buffons, all jacked up on malt, slip-sliding all over the quarter deck, guffawing and farting, (A direct result of the cannellini beans which The Sisterhood had taken upon themselves to add to Andre's ratatouille.), in more than symphonic splendour!
At any rate, the umbrella was still in its stand so I took it down and repaired to the galley to put the kettle on to boil. With my Instanto at my side, I began scribing. Unfortunately, this mooring doesn't have power or water so we cannot re-charge our computers/cell phones, so not sure how long I'll have to try to update the sorely neglected Diaries!
We spent a lazy day in Condom yesterday, not leaving until after 2:00 pm. I'd decided to stay on the boat until we docked at Moncrabeau as I'd not actually travelled on it since we left Agen, having biked between one moorage and the next stopping point. Sarge had ridden there and back that morning, trying to wear off his overhang, and so I knew about a side road I could take to avoid fairly busy main road. I plotted out a route that would take me back to Condom then as far southeast as Caussens. From there I turned north and then east towards La Romieu. From this village it was almost directly north to Lisgardes, then a slight jog northwest to Francescas. Once here, it was almost entirely downhill, (Except for quite a killer climb, not long after leaving Lurchescas, about five times as long as the UBC Foreshore Hill, I reckon. I'd round a curve thinking I was near the top and then another stretch would present itself, and on and on. Most of the grade was slow and steady but there were a number of shorter, steeper bits which had me huffing and puffing, although I managed the entire ride, from start to finish, without having to use my lowest gears, so was pleased, from that point of view.], and it really was a thrilling descent, all the way back south again and then the final turn to the west back down into Moncrabeau and the river moorage, down quite a steep hill below the village itself.
Except for the stretch between Condom and Caussens, (not overly busy but a number of large trucks and cars, from time to time), I was almost always completely alone but for the odd tractor. Funnily enough, I rode past Château de Gensac after leaving Caussens. Would definitely try to visit if ever happen to be back in this area. The ride was a true roller-coaster, up long, long grades and then a wild whizz down to repeat the process, usually two or three times between each town. At certain points route would snake along the hilltop and here I would pass freshly ploughed fields, (rich, rich looking soil), brilliant green expanses of crops, (not certain of plantings), drooping, black patches of sad looking sunflowers and more and more vineyards as I made my way further north. It was a simply gorgeous afternoon and early evening, sun blinding whenever I was headed in a westerly direction so that I had to look down at the road immediately in front of me to be able to see, even with my spiffy new orange sun glasses! The odd herd of cows, eying me balefully from their pasture near a cluster of farm buildings, or a goat or two, paying me no never mind as they nibbled on the shrubs of their enclosure. Given the utter serenity and virtual isolation of much of the ride it was almost a shock to encounter a few individuals, as I passed through one village or another, working in their front gardens or chatting on a doorstep, so mesmerizing was the quiet, uninhabited landscape through which I journeyed. Don't think I've ever really experienced such a prolonged sense of almost transcendent calm while riding since I've never been in such extended rural settings before. Even in Languedoc the towns seemed/were closer, the vineyards busier, so that I was never "alone" for particularly long stretches.
Must say it was quite a magical time and I was rudely reintroduced to reality when I returned to the Damazan. When I left, around 4:30 pm, there was talk of trying to moor on the opposite bank where electrical outlets were available. Boats already docked there prevented us from tying up but The Two Waynes were going to ask if others would be willing to shift along quay in order to let us dock close to hook-ups. Not sure why they didn't proceed with this but they didn't bother. At any rate, when I reached the bridge under which we had tied up, I thought I recognized the Damazan across the river so I cycled to that side and through the campground behind to come upon none other than The Aussies! I had mistaken their penichette for ours and ad to endure the jibes and cat calls of my own shipmates, already eating dinner on the flying bridge across the way! Not wanting to walk through the soggy field I'd just managed to ride through, I elected to clamber a fairly steep embankment, using my trusty Navigator to help me scale the slope. Back aboard, a constant barrage of barked demands/commands, (more wine, more this, more that, more wine, more wine), flew down the aft hatch as I tried to salvage a few scraps from the leavings of the dinner. Actually, the bbq'd sausages and zucchini, the oven roasted yam fries, together with fried haloumi/sliced tomatoe appetizer, were simply delicious and went exceedingly well with the two Gensacs, the Tannat and the Meritage. Unfortunately, for me, the juiceheads had already polished off the Paul Mas Vermentino so I was mildly disappointed but drowned my sorrows with a Stella Artois to rehydrate myself after the glorious ride and then the crash and burn of re-entry to life aboard The Good Ship Lollypop!
Stats for ride: Sarge casting off in Nérac; some shots of Condom and lovely couple, Catherine, (Stasbourg), Andrew, (Liverpool), now living in Nérac. We met them, by chance, there, and invited them for dinner in Condom, following evening; market in Condom and bronze sculpture of Three Musketeers as all four are from Armagnac.
Hi Patrick/Corinne
I was about to email when I received your recent odyssey report- hence leaving me even further behind.
Had a long Skype call from Ray and Sylvia a few days ago when we
discussed matters of health, friends, rugby , teaching, Sylvia's new
bike which has postponed Ray's potential purchase for several more years
and West Hartlepool topics.
I have just returned from my two year eye test and relieved that I
don't need more investment in specs. We seem to be spending
considerable time on body repairs.
My course of physiotherapy finished last week and I even paid the
bill which was quite reasonable I have been running on the magnificent
strands of Hartlepool and West Hartlepool from time to time - needless
to say at explosive speeds. Physio not happy
with this as he thinks this will result in even more physio or a heart
attack. He was the physio for England and Yorkshire cricket teams and
has a reputation for being outspoken. I am restrained when our opinions
differ- eg on bare foot running.
We had a couple of days at Cambridge with friends last week-end and
the weather was magnificent As planned we punted (badly) up to
Grantchester. Cambridge was absolutely heaving, I guess with tourists
and visitors as term had not begun.Its always good
to return and think about my time there and admire the buildings. We
had hoped to have refreshments in the gardens in Grantchester and
contemplate the Rupert Brooke ( and Jeffrey Archer) connections there
but time did not permit.
I had been considering a trip down under in November but met with
resistance. We now hope to go there next November to celebrate our 40th
anniversary ( and belatedly my 70th birthday). We have booked flights to
Lanzarote in the Canaries for a two week
break next month. We have been there a number of times to give respite
from the late autumn. Its only a 4 hour flight and perfectly swimmable
right into December.
Laura and Ed are now settled in Harrogate and he is having to work
long hours on the geriatric ward for his first 4 months- his choice.
This means we try and support Laura and William in his absence with
regular visits out and about, children's playgrounds,
swimming baths etc, children's farm, and even the National Railway
Museum where Dominion of Canada has been along with the other remaining
A4s. ( Is this double dutch to you?). I should add that Dwight D
Eisehower is also here at present along with Sir Nigel
Gresley and Mallard and three other "streaks".
We shall be visiting our mothers tomorrow and Saturday - another
chance to "sprint" on the sands. My cycling is continuing albeit reduced
since I lost my cycling companion to the continent. I have acquired a
book on Lands End to John O Groats cycling from
the library which will concern Christine.
Good that your trip seems to be working out well. Best wishes Jim and Christine
A montage of some of the best clips from go-pro cameras . These things are amazing!, I bought one recently and was blown away by the quality and the possibilities they offer. They’ve pretty much turned the photography industry on it’s head!. enjoy
Wow !
just take 5 minutes and have a fun look
at all the places you can go and experience
through what must be some very small hands free cameras.
No loud music or fast edits needed
just a visual treat
http://www.youtube.com/embed/hUj65M4T1cg?feature=player_embedded
A montage of some of the best clips from go-pro cameras . These things are amazing!, I bought one recently and was blown away by the quality and the possibilities they offer. They’ve pretty much turned the photography industry on it’s head!. enjoy
VISUAL TREATS
Wow !
just take 5 minutes and have a fun look
at all the places you can go and experience
through what must be some very small hands free cameras.
No loud music or fast edits needed
just a visual treat
http://www.youtube.com/embed/hUj65M4T1cg?feature=player_embedded
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