George & Geoff both have entries this weekend but I think the weather will have the last say .as I mentioned before George goes to the Argento ( Cotswold Chase ) and takes on Gold Cup favouriteI've escaped to Portugal and yesterday was like spring but today it's blowing a right ol'hoowly . My return might well depend on racing going ahead !
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Tuesday 22 January 2013
Monday 13 August 2012
The epilogue
I'm a day or two behind on this but we were crashed out on the beach Saturday and had to take Chris and Sue to Gerona airport yesterday . Nic and I have got another couple of weeks down here but for Chris It's back home and back to work ! Poor bugger !
Mind you he's got a lot to answer for . Rightly or wrongly I left all the details of map planning and routes to him - and he did them really well - that's if one wanted to go that way !
It was certainly a more gruelling trek than last year when I skirted the Pyrenees through Soria and Zarigoza towards Barcelona . But it was all very exciting . Just don't ask me to go that way again !
And then there was the time element . 9 days - not quite enough . Then we seemed to cycle a lot more miles than we originally envisaged - but hey-ho - we made it .
Funniest time ? Well - for me ( not Chris ) was watching him 'wobble' off the road after his blow out on the first day. I suppose it could have ended up him killing himself - but as he didn't - it was funny . I just wish Chris saw the funny side of this !
Frais was Chris's favourite funny moment .Two macho men -like what we are - stuck for the night in gay town ! Priceless !
Best accommodation ? For me Senorio de Las Vinas - in the heart of Rioja - near Logrono - was hard to beat . A fantastic manor house with a swimming pool . Oh - and wine went free .Well - they've got enough of it ! Chris plumped for the Michelin star rural hostel at Murillo el Fruito .
So to the best meal . That for me does go to Murillo el Fruito. And the breakfast also was to die for ! Chris had a sweet spot for the restaurant in Tremp - or was it Sussana the waitress he had that sweet spot for ?
So - after 550 miles - a few tyres and inner tubes - about 30 bottle of Spanish plonk - loades of croissants - 10 hearty , high calorie meals - we both look - well - fit , tanned and honed !
Thank you all for following our little adventure and see you all soon . Roger and Chris X
Best meal ? Had so many great value
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Mind you he's got a lot to answer for . Rightly or wrongly I left all the details of map planning and routes to him - and he did them really well - that's if one wanted to go that way !
It was certainly a more gruelling trek than last year when I skirted the Pyrenees through Soria and Zarigoza towards Barcelona . But it was all very exciting . Just don't ask me to go that way again !
And then there was the time element . 9 days - not quite enough . Then we seemed to cycle a lot more miles than we originally envisaged - but hey-ho - we made it .
Funniest time ? Well - for me ( not Chris ) was watching him 'wobble' off the road after his blow out on the first day. I suppose it could have ended up him killing himself - but as he didn't - it was funny . I just wish Chris saw the funny side of this !
Frais was Chris's favourite funny moment .Two macho men -like what we are - stuck for the night in gay town ! Priceless !
Best accommodation ? For me Senorio de Las Vinas - in the heart of Rioja - near Logrono - was hard to beat . A fantastic manor house with a swimming pool . Oh - and wine went free .Well - they've got enough of it ! Chris plumped for the Michelin star rural hostel at Murillo el Fruito .
So to the best meal . That for me does go to Murillo el Fruito. And the breakfast also was to die for ! Chris had a sweet spot for the restaurant in Tremp - or was it Sussana the waitress he had that sweet spot for ?
So - after 550 miles - a few tyres and inner tubes - about 30 bottle of Spanish plonk - loades of croissants - 10 hearty , high calorie meals - we both look - well - fit , tanned and honed !
Thank you all for following our little adventure and see you all soon . Roger and Chris X
Best meal ? Had so many great value
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Saturday 11 August 2012
Berga to Ceret
We've never made up the lost time . We wanted to finish on the Fri so that Chris had at least one day to unwind on the beach but we always were half a day off target . So this was it - a longer than envisaged last day .
So up with the sun and on our way by 6-30 . It's a winding road to Ripoll - up & down - but not too exerting . We saw a couple of red squirrels playing in the early sunshine - its a shame we don't see enough of these cute , fluffy creatures with their tufty tops . We made it to Ripoll by 9-30 and treated our selfs to a rather wonderful chocolate croissant and a con letchi . I know the road to Camprodon - having cycled this a few times now - and one always get a feeling of relief and joy at seeing signposts to Ceret - but also one of foreboding - knowing the long climb up to the border was to come .
Camprodon is a lovely town and well worth a visit at anytime.
We must have got there about lunchtime - picked up some peaches and nectarines - and headed off towards the border - going up and up ! I've learnt from past experiences to take my time - find the right gear - and keep as cool as possible - difficult as that is in the midday heat . We reached the border at 3-30 - always a great feeling as well as one of accomplishment . Should be in before 6 .
Down hill all the way thorough Prats de Mollo and Arles le Tec to Amelie les Bains . Then suddenly there was this bang - one which was all to familiar . Chris had another blow out !
Beggars belief ! And we had run out of inner tubes . 24 hour from Tussa - 24 km from Ceret . Could this be possible ? I must admit to being rather amused at the prospect of Chris getting one of the girls to pick him and bike up - and me riding into Ceret on my own - after all we've been through ! However , we managed to patch it up - not easy cos it had a double puncture . Eventually we rode into Ceret and The Grand Cafe at about 6-30 . We were knackered !
Epilogue tomorrow . CU
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So up with the sun and on our way by 6-30 . It's a winding road to Ripoll - up & down - but not too exerting . We saw a couple of red squirrels playing in the early sunshine - its a shame we don't see enough of these cute , fluffy creatures with their tufty tops . We made it to Ripoll by 9-30 and treated our selfs to a rather wonderful chocolate croissant and a con letchi . I know the road to Camprodon - having cycled this a few times now - and one always get a feeling of relief and joy at seeing signposts to Ceret - but also one of foreboding - knowing the long climb up to the border was to come .
Camprodon is a lovely town and well worth a visit at anytime.
We must have got there about lunchtime - picked up some peaches and nectarines - and headed off towards the border - going up and up ! I've learnt from past experiences to take my time - find the right gear - and keep as cool as possible - difficult as that is in the midday heat . We reached the border at 3-30 - always a great feeling as well as one of accomplishment . Should be in before 6 .
Down hill all the way thorough Prats de Mollo and Arles le Tec to Amelie les Bains . Then suddenly there was this bang - one which was all to familiar . Chris had another blow out !
Beggars belief ! And we had run out of inner tubes . 24 hour from Tussa - 24 km from Ceret . Could this be possible ? I must admit to being rather amused at the prospect of Chris getting one of the girls to pick him and bike up - and me riding into Ceret on my own - after all we've been through ! However , we managed to patch it up - not easy cos it had a double puncture . Eventually we rode into Ceret and The Grand Cafe at about 6-30 . We were knackered !
Epilogue tomorrow . CU
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Friday 10 August 2012
Organya to Berga
We arrived in Organya at about 4 - we were very temped to get another couple of hours in but this was our last chance of accommodation for quite awhile . There's nothing in Organya to talk about but it did have a sleepy bar and more importantly a casa rural . God knows how they make a living - but they do . The Segre river runs through the village and - apparently - the area is very important for bird life . We actually did see Vultures - must have been about 50 - circling us . Obviously we were cycling to slow !
One has got to hand it to my mate Chris - he will always have ago at speaking the 'lingo' - only sometimes it does get misinterpreted by the natives. He endears himself to land ladies and waitresses because of this - but sometime it gets him into all sort of trouble - as what happened on this occasion . Chris - very parched after the long days ride asked the 'lady of the house' for a 'narenja funta' - I think all Chris wanted was an an Origina or a Fanta - but clearly the 'lady of the house' did not take it that way - she gave him the evil eye never spoke to him again for the rest of the evening! He never did did get his Fanta !
We had along days cycle ahead of us so we're up and on our way by 7-30 . It's been hot in Spain but at this time of the day in the mountains it's lovely and cool . We followed the road north and turned right and up towards Sorribes and Saldes through the Serra del Cadi . We stayed on this road for most of the day then another right at Guardia de Bergueda to Berga .
Arriving in Berga at 4 ish we were again tempted - but not for long - to get to Ripoll . We are planning for tomorrow to be the last day - but it looks a long haul . We're staying in a quite modern hotel and I'm writing this sitting in front of the air conditioner - full on ! Lovely CU
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One has got to hand it to my mate Chris - he will always have ago at speaking the 'lingo' - only sometimes it does get misinterpreted by the natives. He endears himself to land ladies and waitresses because of this - but sometime it gets him into all sort of trouble - as what happened on this occasion . Chris - very parched after the long days ride asked the 'lady of the house' for a 'narenja funta' - I think all Chris wanted was an an Origina or a Fanta - but clearly the 'lady of the house' did not take it that way - she gave him the evil eye never spoke to him again for the rest of the evening! He never did did get his Fanta !
We had along days cycle ahead of us so we're up and on our way by 7-30 . It's been hot in Spain but at this time of the day in the mountains it's lovely and cool . We followed the road north and turned right and up towards Sorribes and Saldes through the Serra del Cadi . We stayed on this road for most of the day then another right at Guardia de Bergueda to Berga .
Arriving in Berga at 4 ish we were again tempted - but not for long - to get to Ripoll . We are planning for tomorrow to be the last day - but it looks a long haul . We're staying in a quite modern hotel and I'm writing this sitting in front of the air conditioner - full on ! Lovely CU
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