Monte Carlo Rally 2018

The Historique, Classique and Heritage classes of the Monte Carlo Rally departed from Paisley this evening. I didn't think I'd make it, the weather was horrendous - hail, snow & thunder - but it backed off so I got there. 

Triumph Herald driven by Austrian father & son team of Mateo & Andrzej Szmidt.

Porsche 914/6

Classic '60's rally car. This Mini Cooper S is from Malta with a British crew.

What a grand old bus! - a 1955 Mercedes Benz 220A. The owner is from Northern Ireland and he imported the car from Tasmania.

A pair of beauties, a Jaguar XK150S…..

…..and a 1935 Aston Martin Mk II

Chevrolet Coupe from Belgium

The humblest of cars go rallying like this Ford Prefect…..

…..and Ford Popular "Flying Tortoise"

Lancia Fulvia

Hillman Imp - made near here in Linwood. The owner bought it from a lady in 2001 in poor condition for £50 and made good on a promise to take her for a run in it once it was restored.

The cars gather at the Abbey

In the News - Detectorists Disappointment.

Metal detectorists Paul Adams and Andy Sampson thought that they had literally struck gold when they found what they thought was a hoard of Roman coins in a field in Suffolk.

Doubt set in when they showed their find to an experienced detectorist. He correctly recognised that the coins were fake. They were, in fact, props left behind from the filming of the BBC comedy series "Detectorists". 

Paul & Andy (above) and Toby Jones & MacKenzie Crook (below)....or is it the other way round?

The "gold" being buried by the Romans, as depicted in the series.

 the story 

Note that someone who detects is a "detectorist", a "detector" is the instrument they use. This forms the basis of a standing joke in the series.

A Run to the Capital & the Coast

Well the snow's gone so I thought I'd better get out on the bike. I looked at the map for somewhere not too far away - it is still cool - so I took a run to Edinburgh. I don't think about Edinburgh as a coastal city but it is and I thought I'd explore the seaside.

My first stop is the western suburb of Cramond.

Here I'm looking north across the Firth of Forth with Camond Island on the right

 

There is a walkway to the island but it is underwater at high tide. These are the tide tables.

 

You have been warned!

I have a knack of visiting the coast at low tide but this was an advantage today. Beside the walkway are a row of concrete posts.

These were war time defences that partially closed the estuary as part of measures to protect the naval base at Rosyth which is upstream from here.

Like a pro I make sure to get myself in the shot!

There are many impressive buildings in this area. This is Muirhouse Mansion built in 1832 in the Gothic Tudor style. I'm not sure what it's used for now - rented apartments maybe. The dumpster out front spoils it's grandeur a bit.

Of course I have to include an old bridge. This is the Victoria Swing Bridge at Leith Docks.

Sunshine on Leith! - it's 2pm but the sun is low in the sky.

The SV sparkles in the winter sunshine

The beach at Portobello….

…..and Musselburgh

The "Auld Brig" over the River Esk in Musselburgh

The town from the bridge

Canada Geese graze at the river bank

For lunch I had chips and sauce. The sauce part seems to be unique to Edinburgh (salt & vinegar usually being offered). It's just brown sauce that has been watered down to make it runny. A bit messy to eat with your hands and not something I'd usually consume, but when in Rome…..

I was expecting it to be cool but it was tolerably mild (10C/50F) and with some sun and no wind it was quite pleasant and it was great of be out on the bike again.

All Quiet on the Biking Front….

Sorry, no "Tales from the Road" for you. I usually get out and about for the odd short run even in winter but a spell of snowy weather has made that impossible.

My street.....

.....and back garden

 

A Christmas Visitor

Urban foxes are common in this country. In the past we've had foxes visit our garden looking for scraps. I've not seen one for a while but this healthy-looking specimen seems to have decided we are part of his (or her) domain. Foxes are generally timid and avoid humans but this guy (or gal) is very bold and was unconcerned by my presence.

Some people are down on urban foxes but I've no problem with them. They scavenge anything that's left for them then go.

 

 

White Christmas

Snow at Christmas is fairly rare here but we got some this year (just) It has been mild recently but snow started to fall late on Christmas Day. I went for a short run today to get some snaps. It was a short run because I wasn't convinced that the roads were ice-free and, as the sun began to set and the temperature dropped, I wasn't convinced that my heated grips could keep my fingers ice-free. The pain as they thawed out was pretty intense. But, hey, I do this so you don't have to.

 

2:45 pm and the sun is about to set.

 

 

Every Picture Tells a Story #11 - Down on the Rhine, August 1986.

I was sent into the attic to extract the Christmas tree and I found a box with some old photo albums. These had probably been there untouched since we moved in, 16 years ago. There were lots of photographs of biking trips we had done years back and these certainly brought back some memories. 

This photo is of me on my Suzuki GSX750 in August 1986. Of note is the blue inflatable cushion on the pillion that Gwen brought to make things more comfortable for her. Maybe too comfortable. After one large German lunch of (I guess) sausage, sauerkraut and beer we were back on the road when I was hit of the back of my helmet. Gwen had fallen asleep and headbutted me!  

Also I'm wearing a satchel. This was to carry my camera since, from experience, they fall apart if carried in a pannier.

(picture from Wikipedia) On the back of the photograph it only says "The Rhine" but I tried to find out where this is exactly. I hoped that Google Street View would help in this but, due to privacy laws, this is not available for Germany.

I then typed "church with twin steeples on the Rhine" into Google and it came up with Church of St. Severus in the town of Boppard. From my notebook I still have I found that this was on the 4th day of the tour en route from Koblenz to Würzburg. Boppard is a very pleasant town in a winegrowing region and attracts many tourists (like us)

This tour followed a familiar route for us. We took the ferry from Hull to Rotterdam then south through Germany to the Alps, into Austria, then back via Lake Constance, Heidelberg, then into France to get the ferry from Calais to Dover.

I recall a funny incident at our destination that day in Würzburg. The campsite was some way out of town. We got the bus in for some food and drink and a taxi back. I didn't know the name of the campsite so I told the driver to go to the campsite beside the river. This he did but it was a different site. When we explained this he switched off the meter and took us to the right one. When it came to paying the fare there was a slight argument because I thought he was trying to cheat us. Turns out it was my fault for thinking he wanted fünfzig (fifty) DM when he was asking for fünfzehn (fifteen) DM (about £4)

At the German/Austrian border

 

I started off this ramble with a Christmas tree so here it is and this seems a good time to wish all you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.