which is part of the reason for the tardiness of todays posting!

So Thursday I cut my ride a bit short to avoid the wet and I postponed the Saturday ride to today to avoid the forecast wet - except that's not exactly how it panned out!

So lets step back to Thursday. The forecast suggested wet from mid afternoon so I decided to do a shorter but laney ride a bit closer to Bev's Villa, it was a nice bright morning so of course I did get a little carried away, some bridleways and a couple of trips up steep narrow lanes to visit more remote villages and habitation. By lunch I'd reached Bath but all those lanes stretched the usual 20km to 50km!

A relaxed lunch in the park then it was a much more direct route back to Cabotville - a mere 25km added to the total. The climb ratio was pretty good, @ 20m/km and my timing was impeccable, the rain started moments after my return! Maddy 1, Rain 0.

Friday was a bit of an odd day, laundry first then I set to on weeding the cabbage/cauliflower bed. It wasn't hot but rather quite pleasant which I think is what prompted Bev to suggest a drive out after lunch. We ended up on the Cotswolds going north as far as Nympsfield where we stopped for a leg stretch and a look at the long barrow. The views from the edge are pretty impressive, out across the Severn to the Forest of Dean and beyond to the Brecon Beacons and the other south Walian 'mountains'.

We didn't stop at Hetty Peglers Tump, continuing on through Dursley and out to Berkeley before following the Severn back towards Brizzle in time for tea.

Saturday then, well the forecast was overcast and showery so I felt justified in delaying my ride, there were a few spots of rain early doors but the rest of the day stayed stubbornly dry, grrrr!

Todays forecast claimed a fairly bright morning with wet coming in late in the afternoon so I set out for a trans Mendip ride hoping to get most of the way back before the rain hit. Yeah, best laid plans an' all that. From the south the ascent of the Mendip is done in a single, often steep climb but from the east end of Bristol, the southbound routes all involve several less severe but still leg sapping climbs before reaching the plateau that is the top of the range, there just isn't an 'easy' route without going to the coast. Today though I fair sailed up all but the steepest bits which meant lunch in Wells would fall a bit early so by way of some new lanes I made my way down to the Levels, bypassing Glastonbury to head west towards the coast along the droves.

A few spots of damp blew over but nothing serious so I plugged on, past Wedmore before turning more northwards towards Weston SM, but instead of the seaside resort I was headed for Laxton for my luncheon stop. Phew, 90km before my one stop of the day, not bad for a granny! I had a quick explore of the 13th C church before getting my sandwiches out so of course, that's when the rain swept in.

At least I was homeward bound now, so after my repast it was back in the saddle for the run back, sticking to the coastal flatlands up to Clevedon and along the Gordano Valley before climbing over the hill to Long Ashton and so to Brunel town. 145km, call it 90 miles, almost 1200m of up, nearly all in the first couple of hours, of course it rained all the way back and whilst not cold, I was pretty soggy by the time I dismounted. Of course, as I write this the rain has ceased and it's clearing up!

In other news, Mark Cavendish, aka Cav who makes a few cameo appearances in Gaby, has in real life, made a fairytale return to the Tour de France, winning four stages which is amazing of itself but that also means that as we speak he is the joint 'most winningest' rider in the Tour of all time, alongside the God of road cycling, Eddy Merckx with 34 stage victories (thats more than half the UK's total tally this century! (the USA has 7 in total this century)). On a like for like basis, ie man o man sprint wins, Cav is miles ahead, EM only having won 18 sprints, the balance being in time trials and lone efforts and of those riders in the table still riding, Peter Sagan from Slovakia is closest with 18 wins total. And its not over, there are two more potential chances for Cav to take the honours before the finale in Paris next week, victory in either/both would cement his place in TdF and sport history for the foreseeable future - not bad considering a lot of punters had written the 36yo off and he wasn't even due to ride the event, his call up came less than a week before the start.

I guess you want some Gaby now, well todays chapter is actually another featuring my namesakes German 'adventure', Can't see the Trees doesn't get her a lot closer to the Bonds, lets hope her luck changes soon!

Well that's it for today, I'll be back on Wednesday,
Tak
Madeline Anafrid

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