of the cherry?

Thursday though was a bit easier on the legs, a 'gentle' trip to Aquae Sulis to explore more of the city's roads. It was quite warm but the 60km weren't too taxing even with 364m of climbing thrown in.

On to Friday, i wanted to do a bit of a walk which ended up as @ 7km with a bit of scrumping thrown in, my haul adding sloes, blackberries, cherries, plums and apples to the fruit store. Not 100% decided but they may well end up as a mixed fruit jam. I had intended doing some writing afterwards but the worms just didn't come so i gave up, no point in forcing things.

Friday evening Aunty Bev announced a need to visit South Wales so i decided to blag a lift for me and a bike. Destination was Port Talbot and i reckoned i could ride back from there to Brizzle, its not that far right? I got on my route planner and worked out a coast hugging option on quiet roads that amassed @ 150km, a long day but doable, especially with a helpful westerly.

The day started a bit grey but 25c was promised after lunch by which time i was hoping to be at least halfway back. It was a proper explore job, the first 80km or so were on brand new to me roads through places i've never visited before, even if i knew the names. Lunch was a Greggs sarnie at Barry, then a short icecream stop at Penarth before crossing the Cardiff Bay barrage, the mileage already hitting 80km.

The next 40 or so km were flat, think billiard table, but i've ridden them previously so i wasn't needing to check directions every junction! Flat is okay but the issue is, there is no relief. I stopped at Caldicote, 125km in, to rest my feet and take a second lot of food on board. From here on there was at least some up and down, some relief from the flat tedium, onto the Severn bridge, the sunshine almost at my back, then the more up than down run back to Brizzle.

I stopped the GPS at 162km, 7 hours in the saddle and 1060m of up, tired but not exhausted. Quite a day, very enjoyable and my longest ride of 2025, my first 100 miler for over a year.

So you'd think i'd be taking things a bit easier today right? Well sort of, the plan was to visit a transport gathering in the south of the city, rather than go by bike i thought i'd use buses to get there. Which is what i did. I'd not been to one of these things in a while so it was a nice change but i did take a rain check on the £7 Hotdog (i didn't look any further down the menu, my purse was crying at that!). Anyhoo i got a burger at Greggs just over the road then set off to walk back, i reckoned it was @ 6km. 8km later and a little foot sore i arrived at the house, it was five o'clock and for a second day i was in quite high spirits.

There we are then, a full weekend. I have posted the next Gaby chapter, Balancing Trick part Eight..

The week ahead has nothing specific planned but i can foresee more exercise to make use of the fine weather.

For now though,
Tak,
Madeline Anafrid