Welcome back the cloud forest
After days of boring blue skies, the ever-changing cloud forest is back in this morning’s view of Skiddaw (931 m.).
Riding Silloth track: motorcycle archaeology
Start Line, Silloth Track, Cumbria
Silloth Motorcycle Museum
An afternoon inspired by a chat with Jim at Silloth Motorcycle Museum. Jim’s museum is stuffed with old track and road race bikes, several race-winners and several of which he raced back in his day. Jim Smaith’s usual race number was 33 and his home track was at Silloth, run by Solway Motorcycle Racing Club. The key to my afternoon was him telling me that I could still ride the Silloth track on my rally bike even though the surface is so beaten up by use now as an industrial estate. So began an afternoon of track archaeology trying to find the old racing line.
Sunset ride - Lake District National Park
Fun and an adrenaline rush putting in the hours on my CRF300 Rally bike working towards getting instinctive with it. Great that it’s still smelling new as it warms up.
Another new route for this evening’s ride: out of Keswick and round the sides of Latrigg to enjoy the sunset as the day cools down. The bonus of a sunset ride is that most of the tourists have gone back to their camp-sites or B&Bs. Or pubs.
Time to get up on the pegs. Yee-haw... views over the hedges. And I’d not anticipated the cool rush through the ventilated Dainese MX armoured jeans, but it’s very welcome in this heat.
A couple of friendly farmer encounters as they do their evening rounds, feeding the animals etc. A shout-out and thanks to Sean who helped with the photos on the move.
Summer sunshine ride in Cumbria
Fantastic to be back riding the roads in Cumbria in the summer sunshine in summer gear. This ride on my Ninja Z250 was just my run to the big supermarket in Workington but the views of the fells are great.
The complete OAP
Now the complete OAP including Freedom national free bus pass and Senior Railcard. Proud to be a survivor and to have made it to the Third Age.
Balcary Bay to Rascarrel Bay - 2
Rascarrel Bay
Second half of our hike of a section of the Solway Firth coastline in Dumfries and Galloway
Onwards to Rascarrel Bay, a wonderfully unspoilt sand and stones beach with just a couple of old beach huts plus a few recent developments but much the same as the times of the hill forts and ramparts built on the top of the surrounding Big Airds Hill (102 m.) and Little Airds Hill (88 m.) or the disused shafts which might also have been smugglers’ or pirates’ treasure caches. Now the hills are grazed grassland, either ugly sheep or cows, with several signs warning of a bull in the field.
Further along, the map shows caves but we didn’t investigate, instead turning back to Balcary Bay through Rascarrel Moss, the woodland surrounding Loch Mackie to end back in Balcary Bay.
Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G. (Poggio Landi) 2012
One of Italy’s finest wines, and one of the few Italian wines which improves with cellaring beyond a couple of years. Our bottle of Brunello di Montalcino 2012 from prestigious producer Poggio Landi is now ten years old and ready to drink in the evening cool after this weekend’s summer heat.
Read more: Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G. (Poggio Landi) 2012
Benjamin Sheen - Organ Recital - St. Patrick’s Church, Patterdale
Benjamin Sheen brought a touch of New York showmanship to his recital on the recently rebuilt and enlarged Wm Hill & Son organ at St. Patrick’s Church, Patterdale, near the head of Ullswater in the Lake District.
Difficult to believe he wrought such variety of sounds from just 20 stops. His playing of the Schumann piece was particularly rich in tonal contrasts. The ostinato theme of Ad Wammes’ Miroir, repeated throughout but building in weight as it is joined by other voices, showcased this fine instrument’s capabilities from really quiet to full organ.
The small church acoustic together with the state-of-the-art action on the instrument made it possible to hear the detail in Benjamin Sheen’s playing in a way that a larger acoustic would have clouded. The brilliance of William Harris’s Flourish at the start of the programme, the deep fondness he has of the Bach Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 541 (just a few ornamentations) and overwhelmingly in his rendition of Mozart’s Fantasia in F minor, K. 608, gave these pipes a thorough workout to the pleasure of the knowledgeable audience of the Society of Cumbrian Organists.
Read more: Benjamin Sheen - Organ Recital - St. Patrick’s Church, Patterdale
Les Baux de Provence
Early start out of Marseille
Fuel stop within sight, smell and noise of the refineries
Early start to avoid the heat but it was still 25°C riding out from Marseille just after sunrise, and also moonrise and Venus rise. Avoiding the red light runners and those still high from Saturday night.
Fuel stop at the cheapest station around, it’s within sight of the refineries.
Chin-on-tank riding style opportunities crossing Le Crau, the wide flat area adjacent to the Camargue.
