8-3°C, ice on Sollom Bridge. Clear sky, sun in my eyes but dry. No wind
The Raleigh Mustang feels so heavy and slow. My other regular ride bikes are not like this. Yesterday, I whizzed along at an enjoyable pace on the race bike. It’s not my legs, the bike is the problem. Maybe I’ll try riding in on the cross (Jake) before I fit the winter tyres, as an experiment.
The mist that never gets closer . That ride time is long thanks to a puncture half way. Thanks.
Kona Paddy Wagon; 15°C, sunny with light Northerly.
The Queen’s funeral is today and we get a bank holiday. This has cleared the roads and, pretty much, the only people you see are dog walkers and cyclists. Rather like a cup final, this makes for an excellent cycling day. It means I don’t have to avoid those routes that carry tricky traffic . I also means no cafes are open nor any shops. I got lucky though, about half way there was a petrol station where I got snacks.
Kona Zing, 18°C, sunny but heavy rain in the last hour.
21°C, sunny with brisk SE.
23°C, moderate NE breeze. Milky sun.
This could be my fastest ride of the year. Curious since I really struggled on the first ride when I got got home from Corsica.
Been out for a blast after working on the house windows all morning. Glad to get my cycling legs back after the last few rides. I was expecting to be faster after the GR20. But no.
The expedition has left a legacy for me. In things like sleep habits. The best one is that I lost at least a stone in weight. That’s dead weight I put on after having COVID.
Tendonitis: this came on during the last few days. It doesn’t affect cycling so it may not actually be tendonitis but bursitis (supporting ligaments around the heel). I know from previously having it that healing takes a very long time, probably over a year. Currently I’m I’m often limping. This has been my concern as I was just getting into running.
Sleep habits: waking for long periods in the night.
Fitness: this is the best one, I’m on full form. Cycling is great, speedy and much fun. I had specific muscular strains during the trip. Two I remember most – around my hip during days 4 to 6, and between shoulders during the middle week. The latter was most noticeable on descents, maybe from the heavy pack and looking down for footing at the same time.
New moon 🌑
Starting in Camping E’spiranza. I visited the nearby beach and got a snack but wasn’t impressed. So headed back to find food at the campsite. That worked out well in the end. Another GR20er arrived having finished the same day. It cost her a ton to get the taxi from Conca to here (€300). I think she was a doctor, a gynaecologist.
The change at Geneva was stressful. There was a very long queue for bag drop, over 50′. Then straight to border control for another long queue that left only a few minutes before gates close. There were stressed staff whom I said ‘you’re doing a great job. She was delighted.
It was made bearable by a conversation with a change.young English woman who’d worked in Geneva as an Au Pair. And interesting cameo unfolded too. In another zigzag of the queue, a young family filed along with 2 small girls and wheelie bags. One of the kids was sitting/riding the smallest bag, being towed by dad. He shuffled forward and the kid toppled back. Mum dove forward with both palms upwards to catch her head before it slapped onto the stone floor. That was heroic! I was so impressed, I was more pressed than any famous sports goal. I said to the other “if I ever make a film, that scene will be in it!”.
I got moved into another queue for the Manchester flight which ended the conversation. Immediately, I was in another conversation with a young American couple. It’s good this! We were interrupted again by the need to move on to gates, time was pressing.
Another queue that looks long and a Vietnamese woman who looked very unsure whether she was in the right place. I did my best (she was).
Now in the routine. Wake by 5, pack the bag and roll up the tent. Fill water and fix breakfast (macaroni cheese from a dried packet).
All morning, watched over by the eye in the cliff.
Overall, this was a long steady descent. There were some highlights, a nice Boccu, ponds to swim in. But generally, with lowering altitude came higher temperatures.
The best bit was the rock pools on the river. Cascade de Punta Pinzuta. This was the only time I actually swam in a river on the Vignt.
Right at the end, there’s a spring (source) under shady trees. It was most refreshing, especially as there was a German couple doing the same thing. They went ahead and I stopped for another drink and to pee. Doing that, I disturbed a grass snake.
Micycle 