Monthly Archives: September 2014

Part 1 of Greece Tour, A Week In

Peloponnese Cycle Tour, , , , ,

Written in the pissing rain, in our champ tent on the beach

  • We leave Manchester in a blur
  • Party Greece is a total bust
  • Slip the noose and escape on our bikes
  • We’re not as hard as we like to think
  • Ancient Olympia rocks
  • Our tent is tested

 

Leaving

Wow! What a blur from last Friday to this! Last Friday Anna had just finished her last day of three years’ work and training, handed in the corrections on her Psychology thesis, packed up the last of her flat’s furniture into our massive camper van and her car, driven over to her parents’ place to unload and finally get to bed about 1am. We thought that was the hump and that the Friday would be easier- we were wrong! Although the flat was mostly empty, we still needed to do a final pack, break down the bikes for the flight, totally empty the flat and deep clean. The afternoon and then the evening slipped away and midnight found us still mopping floors and emptying the fridge. The van was loaded with the last of it and we finally got away, totally exhausted but slightly exhilarated. It was too late for bed by the time we got to Anna’s bro’s, where we were supposed to have spent the evening and night before the 3am taxi- a bottle of champagne had been promising itself to us all night and the lack of sleep wasn’t going to stop us!

The Villa

This whole Greece jaunt was instigated by an invite to a friend’s 30th birthday at a villa in Zakynthos- we thought we could make the most of the flights rather than just going for a long weekend like most. It was going to be a good chance to celebrate with her, catch up with a few of her friends I knew, meet some new ones and have a the good old party we deserved before a couple of healthy weeks.

Continue reading Part 1 of Greece Tour, A Week In →

Peaks Summer Fun

 

There’s not much to say about this really- if you know the Peak District (between Sheffield and Manchester in the UK) you won’t be surprised by the beauty, if you don’t then you should pay a visit!

These pics are from a weekend trip organized by our mate Anth- he managed to get over 20 of us together from all over the country to camp, mountain bike, eat like champs and generally take in the best of the Peaks. The awesome power of planning and preparation- thanks Anth!

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Gaz cooks up a storm
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I had no idea my shorts were so, er, short.

Continue reading Peaks Summer Fun →

Transitions

Peloponnese Cycle Tour, , ,
Written on train from Manchester to London 08/09/14
We pack up Anna’s flat and go for a ride.

 

Before you can go you must leave. Leaving is ending, and ending something good is sad.

We’ve just spent another weekend packing up Anna’s flat of three years and shifting her things to her childhood bedroom at her parents’ house. Before they could fit however this room needed to be cleared of the detritus of her late teens and 20s- endless A4 sheets of academic notes, a box or two for jumble sale and a few gems to keep.

It’s at times like this I wonder what we’re doing- it seems like a massive effort to pack everything up and away, rather than just shift it all to a bigger place and settle in. Of course this is madness. Everything needs a good weeding out every once in a while but there’s always something better to do unless forced by something like this. And it feels good once completed- a clear room and the knowledge that everything you’re carting around and storing is actually good and useful to you. I went through this a few years ago before moving to London- sorting, weeding, storing (in easy to move, easy to find boxes- with labels! If you can’t find something you need in 2 mins is it’s not worth keeping it. And, ‘If in doubt, chuck it out.’)

We even found time to hit a circuit around the Lancashire moors; the first time on our road bikes for ages. I was a bit worried I might have gone off road riding, but sure enough it was still a buzz and the legs, bikes and bums held up fine to a hilly 20 mile loop. I can’t wait to be off with everything we could need with us; and a whole land of the unknown to discover.