London calling

Well that’s London done and dusted….and it’s a long time since I’ve done soooo much walking!

Thursday was look at the Olympic velodrome etc from the train, check out a bike shop, get stung by  a wasp and walk, walk walk.

Friday was visit the Millenium Dome (now the O2 dome) to see the Titanic Exhibition…fantastic and well worth a visit if you ever get a chance.  And walk, walk, walk.

Saturday was check out the Olympic TT course and at the same time visit Hampton Court Palace and walk, walk walk…. 

 "shepherds at night".....one of the paintings in Queen Mary's suite of rooms.......black on black?

 say no more!

 Henry VIII's kichen fireplace...big man...big kitchen etc

 Royal walk about..Henry and which one?

HCP was great to visit..we were there for a very long time and didn’t really even get to see the gardens and maze (where Paddington Bear had a few mishaps).

And finally today is sit in the train back to Norfolk and get ready for my long trip tomorrow… down south to Folkestone, through the Eurotunnel to Calais and to Deutschlandsberg in the far south of Austria for racing..nearly into Slovenia actually.  This time I’ve wised up and have booked a hotel in Aachen…August in Europe is not a time to hope to find a reasonably priced hotel room on spec.

Rural days

Friday and Monday rides...the terrain near Marlborough is undulating to downright steep when you luck out and have to ride the escarpment.

this ride was done late in the afternoon and so I had to be a bit careful at the end of the ride when I was on the A4 due to the rat run home for the weekend.

The circular part of this ride is a triathlon fave.  Riding it their way...ie anticlockwise gives you a 17% DOWNhill hoon....grateful I didn't get conned into going the other way round!

 and of course I wasn't when I took this pix but I just had to stop and take it anyway..with a bit of condensation on the lens methinks.....must have been working hard!

 

 Standing stones at Avebury....didn't stop as I've "done' Avebury before

I don't normally take pix of road kill...but I've never seen a badger before..dead or alive, there were 2 of them very dead and very close; they are a protected species.

 Yup..definitely in the country!

Doggie land..2 of  my 7  newest best friends (not all in one place!)

UK time

?????!!!

I was born in England, I speak English (I also speak Australian!), but unless you live in the country you can't keep up with the latest phrases and signs such as the above are a bit of a mystery.

Visiting my family is now a strictly south of the country journey..no more travelling up to Scotland, Newcastle or Chester ..now I am very familiar with the City of London, and  the country side around Swindon, Stroud, Marlborough and places between.

The architecture of Cheshire

has been taken over by thatch

and flintstone

Driving on the left is not too hard and has been drama free...but  night time driving on 2 way roads is not amongst my favourite tasks, especially in area where the catseyes have been removed ?why?