Here it is, the posting you've all been waiting for, chapter 40, the final instalment of Gaby book 19, Girl's on Fire!

Drugged is a slightly longer chapter which, whilst not a cliffhanger exactly, I hope will encourage you to come back to read book 20!

So, moving on. If you've been following the saga that is my life, you'll know that I've relocated this weekend to that part of Gloucestershire sometimes known as Avon and universally named Bristol. Even without all the traumas that led to this it would've been a big thing in my life, I've spent the last four decades living in the same city, three of those in the same abode, so yes this is a biggy for me. But I'm determined to make it a positive thing, I've been out today and got a new tattoo and dyed my hair black - well okay, I haven't done either but I've turned some sort of corner.

Of course, you all know I'm an inveterate traveller/explorer (in my head at least) and so I've already started exploring the new locale. Yesterday I set off with a vague idea and no proper map to guide me and had a good and productive ride out. Once I'd negotiated my way out of Brizzle I set my sights on the not really distant Mendips (well Mendip would be more accurate as its just one big lump of hill). on the way I passed Stanton Drew, stone circles - a stop for another day, the Chew valley lakes, ditto and even a vineyard before picking up the southbound A38. I soon turned off and found my lunch at a farm café - a big plate of breakfast but the Full Monty of my adoptive city it was not.

Suitably refuelled I continued on to Cheddar, yes the one of cheese fame and was soon making my way up the gorge, a long time entry on my bucket list of rides to do. Its not super steep, or even exceptionally long, a series of short ramps connected by proto hairpins and sweeping curves through the living limestone of the gorge. Another day I might visit the caves but today I still had more miles on my mind.

Out of the gorge and the countryside as I passed 200m ASL looked quite familiar, indeed the dry stone walls and rocky outcrops looked very much like the White Peak back at 'home'. The main climbing done I was soon bowling along towards Bath, the sun still brightening the day if not raising the temperature much. A couple of unexpectedly 'big' climbs later and a correspondingly long descent and I was in the historic city of Bath where I picked up one of the longest established bike routes in the country, the Bristol - Bath Cycleway.

There was a double reason for using the trail to return to Brizz, it runs pretty close to where I want to end up and, just as importantly, about mid distance there's a café! Of course, as a repurposed railway line, much of the route is pretty level so I made good time and boy was I glad to stop for a pot of tea when I got to the victual dispensary. Another thirty minutes and my first exploratory trip was done, @ 75 miles, a few places marked for return visits and my head partly reset after Fridays traumatic move.

And so to today. Its been, for several years, a family tradition to go out to eat on Sundays (it was either that or muggins here had to cook), maybe in the city but often to other parts of GOC so I was at a bit of a loss. The solution, a walk into Bristol centre, a place I've never explored on my few previous visits. I never did solve the food question, funds are tight and bar food in the centre, whilst tempting, not currently in the budget. I had a bit of a furtle around the historic dock area, walked through the castle and sort of got my bearings for at least part of the central city area. Long walk mind, @ nine miles that filled most of the afternoon.

Now if I can find a decent chippy, pizza place, Chinese takeaway and Indian restaurant i'll be set!

The good news is that on the back of all this rambling about I've at least got a low flame under the muse, the bare bones of a new short stand alone story and the environment to return to proper productive writing again - huzzah!

I think that's about it for today so its tack from me, and its tack from her,
Mads

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