second time I've seen it down here.

Covid really does have a lot to answer for, I never thought I would still be in Cabot Town at this time but you can't find work or accommodation, not long term, without at least being able to visit it and so here I am. It doesn't look like that situation will change anytime soon either, So Bev, sorry but it looks like you'll be stuck with me a bit longer yet but I do promise dumplings and crumbles!

So, since my last discourse we've seen a change of year number and, here in the UK, some seasonal weather. Of course, the blogger in Brizzle has been out and about so lets catch up with things.

Thursday then, well the Festive 500 finished with today's ride and thanks to a short meander down to Bath on Wednesday, the remaining target was under 70km. Which is just as well, the day started extremely icy so it was almost lunch before I set off, even so, even in the city, the roads were ice bound in places but I made it safely to the coast at Clevedon where I stopped in the wintry sunshine for my snackette. The return was to be more laney but it was soon evident that some of my proposed route would be a bit dicey so it was on to plan B.

Even getting back to the main roads was a bit dodgy, sheet ice, black ice and low sun combining for a fraught couple of K until I got back to more travelled tarmac. The ride east was mostly on B roads, only the drop into Keynsham needing extra care with actually signed icy patches (if they can come out a sign why not actually treat the road?) By the time I returned to Chez Bev, I had over 80km bagged.

So for those following my 2 wheeled exploits, yes I completed the Festive 500 with 515km in the 8 days, yay me. For the whole year I covered a staggering 18300km, that's just a little shy of 11400 miles, that despite time off after I did a tarmac inspection and a pre Covid trip north taking out a month of riding in total. To be honest, I can't see me repeating the effort in '21 but I will most definitely be out and about.

New Year itself was a quiet affair, Jan 1 I eschewed my usual bike ride, instead I had a short walk after preparing a roast lamb feast for the household. I'm not really a party animal anyway so whilst many will have lamented the current restrictions cutting short the celebrations, I just toasted the changing of the year as the fireworks whizzed across the skies outside.

Saturday was to be a day of action, first up being an attempt to fix my tired bike. Anyone conversant with mechanical stuff will know that the proper tools make any job a lot easier than trying to bodge through stuff, I bought the tools that I was short for the job during the week (annoying as I already had a set in Yorkshire). It took a fair bit of grunting and cussing but I finally removed the damaged bearings, it was a much quicker job to fit the replacement and return the bike to working.

I had an excuse to go for a short ride, to check it was all working, a quick loop out to Yate and back seemed to fit the bill. It was cold, no longer icy but quite bright in Brizzle but further out it started to drizzle a bit, no problem, put on the race cape (bit of a misnomer, its a lightweight rain jacket). The rain however became sleety and after the Sodbury's turned to snow.

Okay, it wasn't a full on blizzard, but a slight rise in altitude was enough for a full on, settling on the road scenario, I was soon riding along, both me and the bike coated in the white stuff. Snow, rain or ice - give me snow anytime, years of practice means I actually quite enjoy riding in snowy conditions, especially when there's next to no other traffic about. It petered out and by the time I returned to base, 40km ridden, it was long past and the skies were clearing.

I've posted a new Avoidance chapter today, Mikel see's a new addition arriving in the BC/Apollinaris camp before they all head out into the Spanish countryside.

So that's about it for today, I'm off out for a walk in a few minutes - the latest challenge is to walk 100km during January which may turn out to be a tall order, but I'll give it a throw and see where I get.

i'll be back with more on Wednesday
Madeline Anafrid