A Cheering Thought

Being a ‘fish and chipper'*, the event uses a smallish circuit of about 26km covered four times with about another ten getting to and from the circuit from Julich. To get to my spot I can ride ten kilometres across the middle of the circuit directly to Titz — no I'm not making it up, that's the name of the village, honest. Maybe twenty minutes if I get my head down, that means I should get there as the race starts which should give me a clear twenty minutes to get organised.

Watching Brief

I think I've mentioned going to the cinema in Koblenz before, it's hardly a modern Cineplex like the one at Meadowhell back in Blighty but they do have the latest releases, which for us in Germany this week means Star Wars Episode III and Madagascar.

The Trouble With Claudia...

"Guh." I managed to croak out when my alarm went off.

Why do we have to get such an early train? I dragged myself out of my nest and into the shower - a sure way to wake myself up. Twenty minutes later I was stood in front of the mirror examining myself - for a boy I make a damned good girl, but that's no longer really the case is it? Whilst there's barely an ounce of fat on me, what there is forms some er very female curves. That's just it, apart from Herbert and his pals I look like a girl already ; tuck them out of the way, we are talking chipolata rather than Cumberland here, and voila, one erm foxy girl - well she would be if she wasn't me. No , that's not right ; she's still foxy even if she is me.

Sickbed

“She'll be down,” Dave started to tell the gaggle of teens in the hallway.

“In five minutes!” the girls chorused.

Kiel'd Over

Although the sky was clear, blue as anything, I had to suppress a shiver as we stood waiting for the start, not in Hamburg but in a place called Ahrensburg. Today we've got a big anti clockwise loop, Tali reckons it's undulating without any particularly steep climbs. In their wisdom the organisers have put a couple of primes in, one in Lubeck and the other in Kiel.

Foxy Lady

Everyone turned to the door, talk about feeling a right prune.

"Er happy birthday, Anna!" I waggled the gift bag.

Anna's Party

“I'll ring Dad; he's picking us up anyway.”

We set off through Kripp at a very much reduced pace, a mere thirty kph, Mum had her phone out as soon as we reached a straight stretch of road.

“Dave? …hi luv…great, great, fifteen minutes…we need to do a mercy run…party,” Mum looked over to me, “where?”

“Er Max's.” I should have met the others at Pia's; they'd be walking over to the venue now.

Chapter *9.08*

"It can't be." I spluttered, "I woulda remembered."

Chapter *04*

Approaching Con

Drew slept fitfully, thoughts of Helen and of Japan kept him from sleep and it was sheer exhaustion which finally took him into the land of nod.

"You getting up , spud?" Dave called up.

"Eh?"

"It's nearly seven."

Sugar!

Chapter *02*

Devastated

“Won't be a mo guys, I promised Dad I'd text Mad.” I headed to a different table so I could concentrate without the constant babble of the gang.

Chapter *40*

That's Handy

We retraced our outward route for several kilometres before heading more southward along a road of wide sweeping corners and a distinct downward tilt. The five of us worked well together and unlike last week's gentler ride we weren't taking any prisoners.

Chapter *8.38*

Gothic Return

“Fancy a change of pace next weekend?” Dad enquired.

“I thought it was the Three Countries.”

We were sat, as we had been for twenty minutes, in a traffic jam at Leverkusen, Dad having elected not to hang about too long after Angela had fed us.

“That's Saturday, how'd you fancy doing a time trial on Sunday?”

Chapter *8.36*

Westerwald

The first few kilometres along the Rhein whilst not super fast were quite intense as after the first attack several more riders attempted escapes so we had a bit of a slow go ride. We didn't have a particular game plan today, there's nothing at stake so Dad's giving us a free hand.

“Any ideas?” Roni asked.

Chapter *8.34*

Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann

“I'm sure it is.”

“Watch out, the others are coming back!” the first voice hissed.

Chapter *8.31*

Chapter *8.31*

Pointed Attack

That was something that even I thought was outside the box when Dad suggested it last night, it was certainly not a move that the rest of the race foresaw. The road curled around to the right and up, not hugely steep but no stroll either. Apparently we were following the ‘Deutches LimestraáŸe', whatever that is, we passed some tower thing then the road swung sharply left and the climb took on more urgency.

Chapter *8.27*

Missing Debutante

“Gab?”

“Who else would be on my phone?”

Chapter *8.25*

Fallout

After last weekend I made sure I'd got all my kit today so when I emerged from the changing rooms it was in cargo shorts and a team top as we were gonna spend the afternoon watching the ladies race — they get to do three laps.

Chapter *8.23*

Homecoming Queen

We did make a stop near Frankfurt Airport for the necessaries and for Gloria to have a break from driving. It seemed to get brighter the closer to home we got, the sun even showed its face as we travelled up into the Westerwald, false hope however, it chucked it down when we dropped down to cross the Rhein at Koblenz!

“I'm home!” I sang out sticking my head round the kitchen door, “could someone help me with the bags?”

Silence was the loud reply so I dumped my Handtasche and went back down to where Gloria was pulling my bags out of the boot.

Chapter *8.21*

The King And I

True to her word Heidi was on hand a short while later to help me get ready for the evenings festivities. The Residenz these days is home to various exhibitions and museums but hidden away upstairs there are enough rooms to allow several to be utilised as changing facilities for events held in the complex. I was a bit wary of changing with a load of other women but the room I was directed to was divided into smaller cubicles offering a reasonable degree of privacy.

Chapter *8.19*

Wedding Day

“I'll take that as a compliment.”

“I mean, I'm sorry Gab its just that you're German is perfect, bit of an accent but I couldn't guess you aren't born here.”