The second Sunday of Advent is here

and the end of a busy week for yours truly.

Where to start?

Well the weather has been quite kind given the encroaching winter season so I have been out on two wheels a couple of times. Thursday was quite nippy, early frost and ice on standing water persisting until lunchtime so keen to avoid any repeat of my early December injuries from 12 months ago I set off with a view to keep to more travelled roads with less chance of residual ice. And so I headed over to Bath, played in the traffic for a bit then found myself on the Avon & Kennet canal tow path.

Okay, plus one, its basically level, two its free of traffic, three its a pleasant trip through the Avon valley - the downside is a rough surface, the previously mentioned icy puddles and once on you are committed to a fair distance before you can leave the canal side. Not a problem if that's your plan but I had intended going a different direction - oh well, not the end of the world. In the end I bypassed Bradford on Avon then did a loop out to Melksham before stopping for a cuppa outside Trowbridge.

From there it was a fairly straight route back to the south of Bath to Keynsham and back to my start point for just over 100km.

The second ride was yesterday, a milder day and as it has been largely dry I thought I'd tackle some of the lanes in South Gloucestershire. Its easy riding for the most part, slightly rolling away from the river but essentially flat for many kilometres along the Severn. out to Oldbury then up through Berkeley before turning eastwards into slightly hillier country. By the time I reached North Nibley I was ready for my sandwiches (for sutherners I guess I should say rolls but ingrained habits die hard!) so I settled down next to their Nativity display for a few minutes respite.

Back on the road I picked my way through the sub Cotswold undulations towards Old Sodbury where I turned to make my way to the Bristol-Bath path. I didn't need to go that way but a sit down with a pot of tea was too tempting so I stopped at The Waiting Room for a few minutes! Twenty minutes later I was 'home', 107km bagged this time.

I've not just been busy on the bike, on Friday I spent a good portion of the day sorting out the Amazon versions of Angharad's Gaby Heads South trilogy and today I've been uploading not just the 3rd Edition of Gaby - The Visitors but an Amazon print version of the same - easier said than done! All being well both should be available by tomorrow, i'll post links when they are ready.

Phew, now we are up to date, its time for the main event - well today's freebie Gaby chapter here on Big Closet, the premier free site for your 'trans' reading needs. Seven Seeds of Rye sees Gaby and co complete stage 2 of the Ryedale racing in their own inimitable style!

Au revoir
Mme. Madeline

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