#534 Marrakesh

L

#533 Pie

Jamie Oliver's Spinach and Feta cheese, Filo pastry Pie.
Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 35 minutes. Cool: 10 minutes.
Eat . . . . . . . .

with Sweet Chilli Sauce.

#531 Eroicas

New big fat Challenge Eroica tyres on my touring bike. 30mm wide, comfy and just the job for venturing along Vias Verdes, circulating Slovenia or dodging down beside the Danube.
 

#531 Soupe de Poisson aux Moules et Chorizos.

#530 Mostly Sunny.

#529 Panniers

I've got some new panniers and I'm going to use them!
Hopefully in September from Bournemouth to Norfolk.

#528 3 Books

#527 Turino

I found these shoes on eBay.
Sally was lucky as they only came in her size.

#526 L'Avenc de Tavertet

We are in Catalunya for four days:
http://www.avenc.com/

#525 Escalator

#524 Art in Barcelona, London and Amsterdam

On the Ramblas in Barcelona it's raining, a lot.
ManRay exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, London.
At the Stedelikj Museum Amsterdam, Grayson Perry Pot, our Kettle and the Queen.

#523 New Old Shoes

Just arrived, Vittoria 1976 cycling shoes - they're SPD compatible!

#522 Library Service.

#521 First Attempt

I just made this Red Fruit and Mango in Pink Champagne Jelly dessert together with a Red Fruit Coulis and a Mango Coulis.

Had some problems de-moulding it so it doesn't look as good as it tastes. Will try again . . . . . . .

Attempt #2

#520 Big Band

#519 Cherry Blossom

Three and a half hour bike ride down some little lanes and up some very steep hills. One on the way to Tollos, about 6km long, had a series of ramps, at least 20%, probably more, anyway v steep (although it doesn't look it in the pic).

pic from Google Streetview on the way to Beniaia.

Last month Almond blossom, this month Cherry.

My mate Brian said he never saw a hill he couldn't walk up -
I just put his theory to the test.

#518 Maserof

http://www.maserof.com

All photos with thanks to Al Milligan

#517 Sunday Lunch

I found a snail in my paella!

#516 Almodóvar

We went to the cinema and watched  
Pedro Almodóvar's Los Amantes Pasajeros. 

It's about a plane that has to crash-land because it's landing gear is broken and the film is the story that the passengers tell leading up to the forced landing. There is a funny scene where the gay cabin crew do a dance sequence to the record It's So Exciting. It's an OK film.

Years and years ago we went on holiday as a family to Crete. On the way back the pilot left his flight deck and came down with a torch and peered out of a window. Apparently a red light on the dashboard said the wheels hadn't come down in preparation for landing. We did a few circuits above Heathrow until the flight tower could look up and assure the pilot that the undercarriage was in fact in place.

Phew! (and as a bonus, we didn't have to watch our cabin crew do cheesy disco dancing).

#515 (Nearly) Two Years Later - Same Menu.

#514 That Cap and also Tom Simpson.

British team 1960 Tour de France (photos from Coureur - Sporting Cyclist).

In August 1960, aged 15, I went to St Brieuc in Brittany and cycle raced as a junior in the Cadet Category.  Also staying in St Brieuc at the time was John/Jock Andrews (seen here on the extreme right when he was in the British team in that year's Tour de France).  After the Tour, John/Jock gave me his white and black GB cap as he couldn't wear it any longer as he was obliged to wear his sponsor's Louison Bobet kit in other races.

I wore the cap with pride and used to perch it on the top of my head al la Tom Simpson. One day in a race it came un-perched and flew off into a ditch. What a dilemma! Should I stop and retrieve it? or carry on racing and lose it? I *think* I did the right thing and carried on racing, but I do wish I hadn't lost that cap for I'm sure I would still have it today, it was irreplaceable and my pride and joy.

Tom Simpson (but with a Peugeot cap)

In St Brieuc I had cheap lodging in a local hotel, Le Perroquet Vert, that another Englishman, John Geddes, had arranged for me. One night there was a track meeting in town and some top Tour de France professionals were invited to race. The two most famous Brits at the time were Tom Simpson and Brian Robinson and they came together to the event and by chance stayed the night in our hotel.

Next morning there was me, Geddes, Robinson and Simpson at breakfast; Brian Robinson asked me what I was up to and I said I had to catch a bus to go to a local Cadet race. He nearly offered me a lift to the race but the timing was all wrong and anyway John Geddes told them it would be good for me to take the bus. Can you imagine if I had turned up at the race with Brian Robinson and Tom Simpson? It would have been like being taken to a tennis tournament by Rafa Nadal or being dropped off by Cesc Fàbregas at a schoolboy soccer match. Everyone would have been in awe and bound to let me win, just out of respect.

Simpson & Robinson.

#513 Last Summer Somewhere in France

Photo ©Chus.

#512 Breakfast

After two days of intense rain,
Saturday morning was warm enough for breakfast al fresco.

 

#511 Almond

Almond trees in blossom.
Have to photograph it quickly as the blossom will be gone next week.

#510 Pelota

Nice mural on the side a local Pelota court.
Pelota is like a game of squash - but bigger.
Bigger racquets, bigger balls, but only three side walls to the court.

#509 Shorts Weather

#508 early 220

Up to 1994 on my 220 memoir.

Click here to view http://early220.blogspot.com

#507 Pantry