Brundholme Woods - Lake District National Park
Wescoe, Blencathra (868 m.) in the clouds
Brundholme, Helvellyn (950 m.) in the clouds
Cycling the tracks of Brundholme Wood outside Keswick. Leg burning on the ups and commitment on the downs. Views of the clouds on the tops of Blencathra and Helvellyn driven by the Helm Wind.
Red Bank, Wrynose and Hardknott - Lake District National Park
Great Langdale
Red Bank (25%)
Early ride in the morning mist on little roads of the Lake District, some with grass and gravel in the middle. My nippy Ninja Z250SL enjoying the steep hills and tight curves. Awesome views of the fells.Traditional pattern Belstaff leather jacket.
Lunch break stripped off in the sunshine with Samuel in his garden in Seascale, then shopping in a supermarket in Whitehaven, the port on the west coast of Cumbria. A fine sunset rounding off an amazing late-summer’s day out riding.
More photos: Red Bank, Wrynose and Hardknott - Lake District National Park
Bassenthwaite Lake and Skiddaw - Lake District National Park
Fine view of one of England’s highest mountains, Skiddaw (931 m.), over Bassenthwaite Lake, one of Cumbria’s largest lakes. St. Bega’s church, Bassenthwaite is on the lakeside opposite.
Séguret - Sablet - Plan de Dieu: a trio of Côtes du Rhône Villages wines
Three wines from a small area of the Côtes du Rhône Villages wine region (CDRV). All three are widely-available in French supermarkets. We can picture these vineyards as we stayed exactly here in Séguret in June this year. All are overlooked by the Dentelles de Montmirail. Famously, the soil and exposure changes significantly within this small area. The Plan de Dieu is a huge area of the alluvial plain planted with vines throughout, the area around Séguret is slightly higher and slopes more. Sablet is the smallest area of these three, Les Vignerons du Gravillas is a well-regarded and progressive small cave just outside Sablet village making wines to sell under various local appellations.
Read more: Séguret - Sablet - Plan de Dieu: a trio of Côtes du Rhône Villages wines
Eulogy for Terry’s blue 206
Last time I drive Terry’s 206. It’s a 1600 cc W-reg Peugeot from May 2000. It’s not quite a Classic but is a car from another era: dial-up modems, Tony Blair and the Millennium Bug.
I love the direct feel of the controls when driving, you push the pedal and the 1587 cc four-cylinder engine responds; there’s electronic ignition but no ECU managing the emissions and mitigating the response. No ABS or traction control. Slight power-assist on the steering but a very positive feel nonetheless and it steers true, not under or over.
Galloway Forest - Girvan - Corsewall Point
At the beach at Girvan, view of Ailsa Crag
Clatteringshaws Loch, Galloway Forest
Dumfries - New Galloway - Newton Stewart - Girvan - Stranraer - Corsewall Point
I’ve been riding to past Stranraer over what I would say is the other fantastic route in South Scotland, that’s through the Galloway Forest from Dumfries to Girvan. A route using the agility of the high-revving ZX4-RR with the lightweight Akrapovič exhaust and a minimal overnight bag. Up from Dumfries through livestock farmland, then a long ride through dumpy country with the road undulating and bending completely unpredictably, so no let up in rider concentration.
Keswick garden hedges
Hedges in my garden in Keswick turn out to be like grass anywhere else, they all need a trim at least once a month plus a major cut twice a year to stop the spiky look. Otherwise I loose my views of the fells beyond. Much easier with power cutters than by hand, even so it’s a lot of work to maintain the illusion of the garden merging with the countryside. The shredder’s essential as well: I distribute the chippings around the garden, it breaks down surprisingly quickly in Cumbria’s cloud forest climate to a mulch that drives more growth.
The Long-tailed Tit visitors are new ones for me, lovely little balls of fluff at the moment. Turns out I’ve been growing nettles to head height as well!
Leigh Tor, Dartmoor National Park
Climbing on good old Dartmoor granite at Leigh Tor, a family day out. I climbed a couple of routes on top rope as this is the first time we’ve climbed together, then a couple more climbs with my nephew leading. He’s far more experienced than I and knows this crag. And great for me to see at first hand and use together last year’s Christmas presents.
Ventnor and Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Photo-journal of my day trip to Ventnor and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.
This was a day trip as there was a sunny day (rare so far this summer) and I’ve never been to the Isle of Wight. I spent slightly more time on the island than in trains but the travel is a lot of the story of my day.
Impressions? In just a phrase, Shanklin reminded me of Key West. Less tropical and very English but I reminisced amongst the outdoor living and white-painted wooden house fronts, lush gardens and the wind-blown Cabbage Palms. And the people: families on a beach holiday, young couples, senior couples and the beach bums sleeping who knows where.
Valley of the River Darent, Kent
Loop hike from Otford to Shoreham and back in the Valley of the River Darent in the Kent countryside. Lots of wildlife and history in these rolling hills. Although hardly a safari, this area around Filston is a relative sanctuary from creeping suburbia and the thick blue line of the M25.
We enjoyed lunch outdoors in Shoreham including a copious Ploughman’s: happy to see that still on the menu. Brian enjoyed a pint of local Amber Ale with a simpler sandwich.
Patterns, Drigg Beach
Patterns, shapes and textures at low tide at Drigg Beach, Cumbria; there’s a suggestion of the infinite revealed here in the space between the land and the sea and the clouds.
Langstrath - Lake District National Park
Stonethwaite
Hike from Stonethwaite following the Langstrath Beck upstream to this long wide valley which has survived with minimal buildings and habitation. Plenty of grass so a challenge from the Hay Fever point of view. We were told that there is relatively little farm stock (sheep etc) this year because of a change in the tenant farmer at Seathwaite. So, as well as the hikers on the Cumbrian Way and the wild swimmers in the cool water of Blackmoss Pot, we were happy to spot a grey heron, some lapwings and a glimpse of a stoat as well as the twinkle of the skylarks calling.
Riding Corsica coast to coast
Crossing the GR20 at the Col de Bavella (1217 m.)
Docking at Porto-Vechio
Fresh bright Corsican summer morning arriving in stunning Porto-Vechio after the overnight crossing from Marseille. Immediately that island feeling, fantastic sandy beaches to the left; big rocks on the right. Road signs pockmarked with spare bullets. Petit-déj at drive-in boulangerie next to the gun club range at Lecci and already +28°C by 9 o’clock.
