#215 France

My ride from Spain to Guérande in France to attend a reunion with two old mates at a bike race we rode 45 years ago.

















Thursday 19
Drove from Denia to Huesca, just outside Zaragoza stopped for a coffee and a plate of bread and cheese, 3€ - don't suppose it will be *that* cheap when I get to France :-(

At Huesca caught a funny little one carriage train to Canfranc in the Pyrenees.















Friday 20th Canfranc to Amou 121km
First 8k up to the top of the mountain and suffered oxygen debt on the way so walked for 200m, must be the thin air, have to ask Brett Sutton if this qualifies as altitude training! Then recovered enough to ride over the top at the Col du Somport and into France.














Spent most of the rest of the day wizzing downhill,stopped for a coffee then arrived at a nice village hotel in Amou.















Saturday Amou to Le Barp 141km
Rode along some very straight roads for longer than I wanted to as all the hotels seemed to be closed. Ended up at v poncy place, overpriced grub and dead mosquitos stuck to the bedroom wall (wouldn't go there again).















Sunday Le Barp to Jonzac 126km
Interesting day, rode round the west side of Bordeaux to catch a ferry at Lamarque en Medoc. As the next ferry was in 2 hours time had a glass of beer and big plate of mussels and chips in riverside restaurant.

In 1961 I raced in Lamarque and won a couple of bottles of very nice wine, which was my introduction to claret (before that I used to drink menthol flavoured lemonade). I imagine it was good wine, the bottles were covered in dust and crap from the wine cellar but had no labels, so I never knew exactly what they were (except nice).

















The ferry crossed the river Garonne and docked in Blaye. I continued riding very slowly as a result of scoffing the mussels and beer, and a headwind and a rough road and it was all uphill. Arrived at stage town, Mirabeau, only to find all the hotels fermé except for the Chateau de Mirabeau which had a room for €300 (this did include breakfast). Urgent phone calls back to Spain and in a joint family operation they found me a hotel in Jonzac 20k down the road.

Monday Jonzac to St Mande sur Bredoire 87km
Quite a tough day's riding. Headwind etc but pleased to arrive at St Mande sur Bredoire home of the Hobsons, Richard and Dorte and their boys Oliver and Oscar.



















Richard was a triathlete back in the days - and they now run holiday gites in this part of the Charent Maritime. That evening I cooked my speciality Tarragon Chicken for everyone and stayed in the presidential suite.















Next day was a Jour de Repose, so did nothing.

Wednesday St Mande sur Bredoire to Cholet 145km
Long day, over 7 hours riding, but arrived right on time for my appointment at the town hall. Denia and Cholet are twin towns and I had a letter to deliver from our Mayor for the Cholet Mayor. Met up with Sally, who arrived by car with the letter, we had a convivial meeting with "Premier Adjoint au Marie Geraldine Delorme", gave our compliments and retired to a little hotel an an excellent Thai dinner.



















Thursday Cholet to Guerande 85km.
I *intended* to ride all the way but took an easier option and cut off 60km by taking a lift to Nantes and riding from there. Passing through St Nazaire I was met by an entourage from the local club US Guérandaise Ciclisme and escorted the last 20k at the same time a photographer from Ouest France (Jean-Luc Merlet- thanks for the pic below) was snapping away for tomorrow's edition.

#214 Escombros y Sardinas

You might think that a plate of Escombros (menu's English translation
rubble . . . . ?) would be a bit outré for Wednesday lunch.

In fact the Escombros, (little bits of fried cuttle fish) were delicious!
As were the sardines :-)

# 213 Protein for Breakfast

Almond Flour Pancakes

Quick to make - Not many carbs - Tastes nice.
















Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tablespoon of sour cream
1 tablespoon of water
4 tablespoons of ground almonds
half teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Method:
Mix all together and spoon onto a hot(ish) buttered frying pan.
Fry (makes three small pancakes)
Flip (carefully) after a few minutes, then serve after a few more minutes.
I added some strawberries and cranberries but if you want the real Atkins diet deal just add butter :-)

#212 Eng. Lit.

I can thoroughly recommend The Way We Wore by Robert Elms. It's an account of the writer's infatuation with the clothes, music and style of his youth. He's younger than me but near enough to to spark a memory of wearing Italian shoes and smoking French fags down the Coffee-Bar. Odd that the book cover is crap . . . . .

On the other hand, a good record cover usually has well designed music. And I don't have to fret about my feminine side to appreciate the show music from Porgy & Bess - its by Oscar Peterson and Joe Pass - so that's all right.

Nothing to do with fags, Providing You Don't Kiss Me by Duncan Hamilton is a biography about the infamous football manager, Brian Clough. I used to follow his teams, especially Nottingham Forest just because he was so outrageous. Sometimes he was a nice man - but not always.

I've extended my World Music collection with Made in Dakar by Orchestra Baobab. Only trouble is it's the . . . . . (counts records) . . . . fifth Orchestra Baobab cd in my collection, I wonder if it would be better to have only one cd (or make a compilation, I suppose).

I like Manu Chao in the same way but once you've enjoyed one cd you've enjoyed them all - or am I being insensitive to their subtle musical nuances . . . . .

#211 Crossword, Smoshword

Yeaaaa!

Finished the Saturday version of The Times crossword (that's the extra hard one, don't you know) Thought I was stumped with a couple of clues not answered, but picked up the paper this morning and the last two just popped in :-)

Obviously have far too much free time.

#210 Two Bikes

This one is my new singlespeed.
I built it from some old bits (and some new).
That one is my old "low-pro" triathlon bike.
Tom and I have converted it to a fixie.
He's riding it up and down Las Ramblas at this very moment ;-)

#209 Odd Socks

This is a warning to those considering on-line shopping for socks.

I recently took up a special offer from Rapha for 3 for the price of 2 pairs of merino wool socks. These are special because the inside ankle area of the right sock is reinforced to withstand dirt and chain abrasion (it says here) as opposed to the left, which is not.

Anyway, I received the 3 pairs. My first pair is ok as you see from the pic but the second pair is made up of two lefts and the third pair is two rights - no wonder they were discounted. . . . . . . .

#208 Watched Read Listened

Watched a Pedro Amodóvar film Habla con Ella about two women in a coma (not the same coma - they had one each) which wasn't quite as gruesome as some of Almodóvar's other films. I suppose Volver wasn't that gruesome either, although it was a story about a corpse but Matador was really, really, hide-behind-the-sofa horrific.

Read a biography about French Tour de France winner Louison Bobet and enjoyed it so much I bought another book by the same author (actually Louison's brother Jean). You would think watching a film or reading a book in a different language would be a chore but these two books were ok, probably because the subject, cycle racing in the sixties, was so familiar.

Then after seeing a tv documentary about Amy Winehouse went straight out and got hold of her Back to Black cd and made a compilation of modernish soul music with Duffy and Al Green and stuff like this:

1. Valerie - Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse
2. Wishin' and Hopin' - Dusty Springfield
3. Stick With Me Baby - Robert Plant & Alison Krause
4. Warwick Avenue - Duffy
5. That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
6. Let's Stay Together - Al Green
7. My Ever Changing Moods - Style Council
8. Me & Mr. Jones - Amy Winehouse
9. Walk On By - Dionne Warwick
10. Back To Black - Amy Winehouse
11. Mercy - Duffy
12. Love Is A Losing Game - Amy Winehouse
    
13. You're The Best Thing - Style Council
14. Funny How Time Slips Away - Al Green & Lyle Lovett
15. None Of Us Are Free - Solomon Burke

#207

Weekend in Barcelona, had tapas with some of the family. Then went to stay with spanish friends in Requena where there was a white house.

#206 Cycling

No sooner had we got back home to Spain after helping Lorraine & Kevin at their duathlon than they arrived at our place looking for a week's R&R. So, me and Kev had to go out cycling all over the place.

. . . and so did Sally & Lorraine.

#205Weekend in england

Went to England - flew to Bournemouth which is a very nice little uncrowded airport in southern England. It's not actually built from portacabins - but it feels like it. Stayed with Sally's sister near Bournemouth, visited Prendas Ciclismo and bought retro black and white jersey, similar to the Italian Carpano team jersey from (if my memory serves me correctly) 1960 :-)

Saturday went over to Swindon to help a bit with Lorraine's duathlon.

Sunday morning, race day, we awoke to . . . Snow! Pretty but cold, pretty cold in fact. However, by race time it wasn't quite freezing and the race went off very well :-) I rode lead bike (for the first run) and moved a few barriers. Met up with Trev (in Red) for first time in ages.

Monday went and looked at Winnebago which is parked nearby - soon to be advertised on eBay, more pics click here.

Tuesday back home (still wearing new jersey :-)

#204 Split Ends in Barcelona

Took my low-profile bike frame to Barça, met up with Tom, jumped on a bicing (Barcelona's public bike scheme) to cross town.






















Then train out to Blanes to have the frame's ends changed by very nice chap called Tomás of Alkonfactory.


















Pic of Tom, Tomás and his daughter Fani.


















Then in the evening to a cocktail do at another bike shop called espaibici who were launching their own folding town bike. Drank wine. Ate tapas.














Called in on Dirk at imensajeros and organised new rear wheel for said bike. He and his Mrs run a bike messenger company and he has a bike workshop in his gaff. Need deliveries in Barça? click here.













Had a snack at Sandwich&Friends then dined out with Tom & Carrie and the rest of Barcelona's beau monde.

Next day we called in at Santiago Bagué SL which is a little workshop down a narrow side street off the Passeig de Colom. I asked for advice on polishing cranks. The boss gave me a big lump of polishing compound for free and showed us his polishing machines and how to use them. Need polishing? try restauraciondemetales.es here is a pic from their website.


















. . . . and just before catching the EuroMed home went to see where Carrie does pottery.

#203 eBay sales

Sold! stem$81 and wheel $710

#202 flor-i-col

Beatriz, Sally, Chelo, Jose Luis having sunday lunch. Chelo prepared a traditional paella at home with cod and cauliflower - delicious.

Cauliflower is coliflor in Spanish but, I think, the nicer translation is the Valencianan (our local language) flor-i-col.

#201 New seats for old

We bought this beautiful Josef Hoffmann sofa 20 years ago and as you can see it *did* look its age. Now! de-greased, de-siliconed, de-waxed, re-coloured with matching leather dye, re-sprayed, creamed, polished, highlights and a blow dry it's ready to accept bums once again!

#200 Langster Highbury

I've submitted my new bike to www.fixedgeargallery.com/
It can be seen on the thursday 28 Feb postings.
(but it's just the same as here).



















Originally this bike was a Langster London which I bought to ride the 20k round trip to the swimming pool. However, I've changed it so much that I think it should now be called a Langster Highbury. The bars have been flopped and chopped and covered in transparent tape. Saddle and pin swapped for a vintage white Concor together with a Campag record pin and the black collar changed for a chrome one.















I couldn't get on with the graphics, a bit-mapped plan of the London Underground and a Specialized logo which looked to me more like the stars and stripes than a union (jack) and also, who really really wants "God Save the Queen" plastered on their chain stays? So, I sprayed them out and put an Arsenal FC home-made sticker on the top tube. Probably does want something on the down tube . . . . . . . (thinks).















Lastly, I replaced the white chain, varnished the blue Sugino chainring a distressed red and then fitted Speedplay's Frog pedals.














I need some advice from you viewers. As you see I have two tyre options. Red or white? Could you please send in your votes; if you prefer the red, press the red button on your remote, if the white Zaffiro's is your thing - press white (btw: bought them direct from Tsukumo Cycle Sports in Japan - and only 8000Yen including shipping).













It's an excellent bike for the money, a big ¡gracias! to Cicles Extrem in Denia who don't fall about laughing when I come in for weird bits . . . . . . . . . . they wait till I've gone out ;-)

Oh, one more thing, I've just found an Arsenal bidon on their shop website, so that's ok, but I still lack a red cycling jersey with white sleeves, preferably in merino wool, to complete the pose, anyone any ideas?

#199 New White Zaffiros

I just got a pair of white Vittoria Zaffiro tyres which came all the way from Tsukumo Cycle Sports in Japan - and only 8000Yen including shipping. Excellent!

Now, which bike shall I put them on . . . . . . ?



















. . . and they sent this nice badge :-)

#198 Guapas!

#197 Six Books

So that I won't go hungry in France while watching football,
I bought six books from Amazon at Christmas (they arrived to-day).


















The Discovery of France Graham Robb
Speak the Culture: France Andrew Whittaker
Further Adventures in Search of Perfection Heston Blumenthal
How Football Explains the World Franklin Foer
Football Against the Enemy Simon Kuper
No Reservations Anthony Bourdain

#196 Beefheartian Mastermind

Actor Paul Bradley appeared on Celebrity Mastermind answering questions on Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band. Did I grin? Yes!

Was just able to pip him to the answer to question 4 - which was, of course - Winged Eel Fingerling. Hurray!

#195 . . . . . its a tetrahexahedra! (I think).

Christmas gift from Mascha's dad.