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Peak District - day 5
Well that was harder than I expected. Drained from yesterday, a little more climbing than expected and some routing challenges made for a slower journey than planned. The trip was noticeably less pleasant than the previous days, the roads busier, and more industrial areas. Signage and Komoot(the best app for cycling routes) routing was unusually lacking in places as well. In the end I was glad to make it to the hotel. …
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Peak District - day 4
Today was a transition day. From my campsite in the Peak District, across to near Knutsford, the halfway point to the Wirral where my brother’s wedding is. The route is fairly easy, hilly as you’d expect in the Peaks but then long downhill miles to the new campsite. …
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Peak District - day 3
Today was a lazy day. As lazy as you can be from a campsite that’s 4.2 miles from the local town, and 1.7 miles from the nearest pub. Short distances – but lots of hills. It has also been a day of bike problems, solutions and fingers crossed. …
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Peak District - day 2
Woke a couple of times in the night with a numb arm. Not over-inflating the mattress definitely helps and oddly it’s the arm in the air that’s numb, not the one beneath me. I’m going to put that down to old age. Anyway eventually got up at about 0730 when the light rain finally stopped enough to make it worth getting up. …
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Peak District - day 1
We came up North to see Billie Eilish at the Co-op Live. The concert was great and Billie is such a talent - even if there’s some more ‘club’ songs I don’t particularly enjoy. …
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Channel Islands - Thoughts
After a day of (electric) car travel, we’re back in Cambridge. I’m sitting in Bould Brother’s coffee shop, waiting to watch the new Superman film on IMAX! There’s a couple of hours to go so I thought I’d spend the time drinking coffee and writing up my thoughts from last week’s Channel Islands sail. …
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Channel Islands - Alum Bay to Cowes
A lazy morning in comparison to the last few. We left the anchorage around 0900 and motored out of the stunning Alum Bay, raising the sails as we lost the protection of the bay and we struck out towards Hurst Castle. …
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Channel Islands - Alderney to the Isle of Wight
We woke at 0600, to leave at 0700, and the wind was good, not long after turning off the engines we were once again graced with a third visit from the dolphins. Hugo really earned his Dolphin Scout badge this trip. Sadly my Dolphin Photography badge was very much not earned this trip but hey, it was great to see them and I hope it’s the first of many encounters in our sailing. …
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Channel Islands - Jersey to Sark to Alderney
Up at 0700 and Elpie went to the shops, I was slower getting going but went for coffee. Jersey is very civilised with at least a couple of coffee shops that open at 0700. After picking up one for Hugo and Suzanne as well I headed back and we cast off at 0800 as planned, for a 23nm sail to Sark, followed by a further 23nm to Alderney. …
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Channel Islands - Small Islands are Human-Sized
Woke about 8am and went for coffee and banana bread at Dandy, a small shop but very good and a very welcome coffee. Today was an explore-by-land day. Elpie and I hired a couple of e-MTBs from Evolution Bikes a few hundred meters from the marina. E-bikes are the best way to explore, particularly if you have the range the bikes we hired did. At 15mph or less you have the time to look around and take in the sights, the bikes are quiet enough to hear the birds and wind in the trees, and you’re open to the scents not locked in a metal box. You can cover more ground than running, and with an e-bike at much less effort. …
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