just!

Its been a funny day, well few days really, and I sort of lost track of the time not helped by the fact its not fully dark even now at 22.30!

So lets catch up, Well I've been feeling a bit off all week, like I'd eaten something that didn't agree with me but without any other symptoms so when the forecast on Thursday was on and off wet all day I decided to abandon my ride and instead I wrote what will become the first chapter of the next Gaby book. I was certainly feeling more chipper on Friday so it was on with the running gear for another solid session before tackling weekend shopping and the Friday photo blog.

Which brings us to Saturday, feeling a bit bad about missing a ride I decided on another more lengthy ride to compensate, after all the weather was set fair for the day. And so, I got myself organised for a slightly earlier depart and was soon heading up the Avon valley through Bath and onto Bradford before continuing past Melksham to Devizes. Continuing eastward into the Vale of Pewsey I was soon at my first stop of the day, the almost lost Henge site at Marton, I was a bit hungry so I had half my lunch before setting off towards Pewsey!

I was grateful to reach the village, from here the rest of the ride, in theory has some degree of helpful wind! First tho' was the climb out of the Vale, not too bad but before reaching Marlborough (this is the real Marlborough country) I turned off to take the lanes across to the Kennets. First stop and designated lunch break was at the Sanctuary, a ghost hengiform site, the stones and timbers now represented by concrete blocks and posts - a bit surreal but the views west include Silbury Hill and West Kennet Long Barrow.

Food consumed, legs rested (well a bit) I then took the Avebury road past the Stone Avenue before getting a stunning view of Silbury on my way to Adam and Eve, the last survivors of a second Avebury avenue. And so it was time to leave Aveburyshire with all its monuments and head back west through Calne, Chippenham and then over the Cotswolds back to Brizzle. 152km, so about 95 miles with 1200m of up, not a bad day at all.

And so to today. For reasons best known to no one I decided to do a run this morning, a step up towards the fabled 10km, I slogged around only to discover my recording gadget hadn't - grrr. Well I did some route planning and had a fair guess at my time, 9.5km in just over an hour, not great but not bad. I then did a very German lunch, Spargel, Neu Kartoffeln and some sort of pastry thing with Soss Hollondais followed by Pflaumkuchen mit Soss Anglais - a reminder of happier days holidaying in that fair land.

The forecast damp seemed to have passed through now so I decided to go for a short hike which turned into 12km and 3 hours - after the earlier run my feet were killing me! I did get wet, an errant cloudburst but it turned out fine and sunny with clear skies that persist even now.

Pics from this weekend will go up Monday/Tuesday depending on how the weather pans out.

I've not been idle since my return either, there is a new Gaby chapter up Old Guard which I hope you will enjoy.

I guess that's the lot for today
So its Tschussie from blondie

Madeline Anafrid