Blonde Bird On A Bike

Two weeks today I’ll be running the Berlin Marathon – I have my passport this year – and despite my lack of running over the summer things seem to be going to plan.   Lots of shorter runs during the week – 3 to 6 miles and at the weekends I’ve been gradually increasing the big miles –

• 14.19 miles on the 12th of August
• 15.23 miles on the 13th of August
• 18.82 miles on the 19th of August
• 20.34 miles on the 27th of August
• and 21.23 miles yesterday – so now I just need get some shorter runs in and keep my fingers crossed that it goes ok.

Also managed to get some good bike rides in and that’s what I’m off do do just now.

While other folks were moaning about the weather last weekend,  I was lucky enough to be visiting my folks in the North East and we were mostly blessed with sunshine.

Beautiful walk along the beach at Findhorn on the Friday before an amazing lunch of scallops,  black pudding and mushroom risotto at the Crown and Anchor Inn – yummy-licious.

Saturday took us to Potmahomack,  Tarbat Ness Lighthouse and Rockfield,  again in beautiful sunshine.

Mum and Dad drove from Portmahomack to the Tarbat Ness Lighthouse while I opted to follow the coastal path.   Signs warned that there probably would be cows and to be wary until mid July of young calves and their mothers – but this was September and I wasn’t overly concerned.   The field of frisky bullocks though,  had other ideas though and there was a lot of them!   As I approached them most of them moved off but one was more skittish than the others and every time he ran the others ran and not necessarily away from me – I don’t think there was any harm intended but didn’t want to get in the way of their hooves!   Never the less I carried on until I spotted one black bullock – he looked gorgeous but he had different stance to the rest and I didn’t like the way he was eyeing me up – he seemed to have taken on the role of being big grown up Daddy Bull and I decided it was time to retreat!   A hasty retreat was made back along the path,  closely followed by the bullocks – I’m sure they were just being nosy but I wasn’t hanging about.

Sunday I was one of the “crew”on Dad’s boat – actually I just came along for the ride, since I don’t know a great deal about sailing and what rope goes where and what sail does what – most of the time I tried to keep out of the way and took lots of photos but I was left in charge of the “spinnaker” for some of the race.   We raced from Invergordon to Foulis Ferry where we moored and went ashore (on the rescue boat) for dinner.   The wind had picked up and made for a more exciting return journey back to Invergordon – more exciting because more often than not I found myself on the wrong side of the boat!   Thanks to Dad and the rest of the crew for letting me come along.

Nice evening so took an alternative route home from Larbert – 15.5 miles rather than 6.5 miles.   Going well until a buzzing beastie decided to launch itself down my vest top!   Pretty certain it was either a big blue bottle or a small bumble bee but fingers were seriously crossed that it wasn’t a wasp as I hammered on the brakes.   Pulling my top down,  not caring if anyone saw my bra – a bee escaped and flew off – it was probably as nervous as me.   Glad it wasn’t a wasp – pretty certain it would have stung me if it was.

14th July – finished work for 3 weeks and off to (mainland) Europe – yippee!

• 16th July – after sitting on our backsides in the van for nearly 48 hours we found ourselves in “Bitche” in France – a great wee town built on a little hill with a big Citadel at it’s top – had a good 6 mile run here, before heading off again to Meersburg in Germany where we had a good walk up and round the old town and an hour of rapid pedalling in a pedalo on Lake Contance.
• 17th July – took the ferry across Lake Constance to Constance (well nearly – the wee ferry terminal is about 2 miles away) – bike ride to Constance so that we could explore the old town before cycling in a clockwise direction back to Meersburg – only about 45 miles back to base but undulating and hot,  hot,  hot – good bike ride though but not impressed at being overtaken by an old boy on an electric bike.

   

• 18th  July – arrive Camping Ground Jack,  Val di Mello in Italy,  where we spend the next week climbing,  walking and cycling – mostly walking for me.   Fabby  wee campsite with amazing views.   Weather varied from toasting hot and pouring rain and some huge thunder an lightning storms.   Great walks and one of the highlights was coming across the horses and donkeys in a beautiful hanging valley.
• 27th July – good  but tough walk above the town of Chiavenna – great views over the valley and up to the surrounding mountains – lots of evidence of the the glaciation that it is famous for and also sites where they had been quarrying for soapstone – good walk until I slipped on a rock as smooth as a newly washed babies bottom and landed prone on the ground with bruised shoulder,  left hand and right ankle, not too mention my pride – made it back to town and realised that when I’d slipped I’d dropped my dry-bag containing keys,  wallet, phone,  etc – super fast walk back uphill and luckily located bag and contents before a further hobble back into town.
• 29th July – I abandon ship (aka The Van) and cycle from Chur in Switzerland to Vaduz in Liechtenstein,  mostly following the Rhine – nice and easy bike ride.   Once in Vaduz had a good wander round the town and up to the castle but don’t think the King and Queen were home.

   

• 30th July – arrive at Camping Attermenzen,  half way between between Tasch and Randa and just over 5 miles below Zermatt – we spend the next 4 days here.   From the campsite you can get the bus or train up to Zermatt or walk or cycle – we opted to cycle the short but tough uphill – we never got the expected freewheel back down as the wind always seems to blow up the valley and on the last day, especially,we had some hard downhill pedalling into a serious headwind.        We walked as many trails as possible,  trying to see The Matterhorn from as many places as possible  – the scenery was amazing,  in particular the glaciers but also a startling reminder of how quickly they are disappearing.   Did you know that Mark Twain had also been to Zermatt,  amongst lots of other places – I didn’t until we walked the Mark Twain Weg (trail).   I also saw my first “Blackneck Goats” – also known as gletschergeissen (glacier goats) – I personally would have called them 1/2 black / 1/2 white goats but they still look very cool.
• 5th August – back in France and our last night before getting the ferry home.   Stayed the night at an aire at Gravelines,  just 12 miles from the ferry at Dunkirk – too all my campervan friends I can really recommend this aire.   Weren’t here for long but long enough for me to walk the 1.5 miles to see The Phare de Petit-Fort-Phillipe (The Petit-Fort-Phillipe Lighthouse) – a new lighthouse tick for me!

Me and Bertie (The Bike) have a one way ticket to Portland,  Oregon,  USA – yipee – very excited.   Booked my flight last week but had to make a separate phone-call and book Bertie independently,  which was a bit disconcerting as I had visions of being told “sorry,  no can do” but all seems to be going to plan so far – I just need to book a flight back but I’ve got a couple of months before I need to think about that.

As to other news ran 14+ miles on Friday and another 15+ on Saturday – so Mission Berlin is going to plan so far.   My run took me past the duck pond – I’ve not been that way for about 5 weeks and the cygnets have got much bigger.

Sunday had a great 74 mile bike ride – Stirling  to Comrie (via Bridge of Allan and Braco) and back (via Strathyre and Callander) – mostly quite roads and some cycle paths – not sure if the pint of cider at The Lade Inn,  helped or hindered my legs but it went down very nicely.

Bertie at Loch Earn