has passed, but we're still eating leftovers!

Well not leftovers as such, rather dining on the excess that still litters the freezers and cupboards!

So, we've completed the first week of 2021 and aside from Covid we've already had an airliner crash and an assault on the US Congress! Looks like hopes of a quieter year are already in tatters.

As usual, I've been doing my daily exercise, combining that with essential shopping trips to reduce potential Covid exposure. The wind has been swinging about a bit in this corner of the UK, a westerly on Thursday directing my ride to my regular seaside stop at Weston Super Mare. The forecast suggested the freezing fog early on would lift at lunchtime, I delayed my departure accordingly and set out for the coast @ 11.30. However, far from lifting the fog seemed glued in place, as I approached the coast I was coated in rime as was the bike, the temperature firmly in negative c.

Tea and chips on the seafront revived me, the temperature having risen a couple degrees by the sea - not that you could see it just 100m away through the mists. It was too cold for any fancy return route so I set off back inland and sure enough the temperature plummeted again and I started collecting a new coating of ice. Luckily it stayed off the roads so other than cold the ride back was uneventful - well apart from the little bit of road ice I did encounter, just a short stretch at the bottom of a climb already greasy and exacerbated by a dosing of diesel, spilt no doubt by a passing tractor - great fun.

With the late start it was dark by the time I got back, 110km after setting out.

Friday was perhaps a little warmer but even so, I kept my exercise to a combined walk/shop trip.

By Saturday the wind had turned to a northerly but it looked to be a fair if cool day. I took the familiar roads northwards out of Bristol into the almost deserted lanes of Gloucestershire, shadowing the river before turning east from Slimbridge for the Cotswolds. It looked a bit misty higher up and indeed the stiff ascent of the western edge took me up into a grey world of swirling mists and traces of snow littering walls and fields alike.

The sandwich stop was quite brief, it being the wrong side of 0c, too cold to dally. Back on the road it was a generally southbound route to Westonbirt before turning more westerly back towards Cabotville, the temperature rising a little as I lost a chunk of metres. Although still over 100km, the ride was relatively short, the will to go further having evaporated with the temperature.

Which brings us to today. We awoke to sunshine and plus numbers on thermometers so I made an effort to get out for a longer walk - not a huge job like last summer but longer than a typical shop 'run'. I had a vague idea of a fairly urban route, down towards the city centre before looping northwards to Purdown and back to base across the Frome.

14 kilometres in all, with nothing else to distract them, there were plenty of other walkers, especially across the down and along the river. Todays hike has taken me to over 40km of walking for January so I'm well on the way for my 100km January walk challenge, the bike rides are on target for the month too, I'd like to get a bit ahead but the cold this week has dampened any resolve for being out longer than I have, perhaps this next week?

Today's Gaby is part 28 of Avoidance, Down Town has the girls heading into San Seb to see the sights - or not!

Well that's it for today, stay well,

Madeline Anafrid