to which my standard reply is 'klein'

Why is this pertinent? well todays Gaby chapter has rekindled memories of doing the self same trip to Germany that they are doing a couple of years previous to writing these chapters.

Oh I'd been to Germany and indeed Switzerland a few times previously, holidays with family and by coach, trips where your interaction with the 'natives' is very much polarised to a few shops, hotel / campsite staff and the occasional guide. I've flown many times since but the trip to Friedrichshafen with a couple of work colleagues was something of an adventure at the time - i'd never stayed in a German b&b before or had to use taxis/public transport to get about when abroad - there is just no reason to do so on a package trip. Everything in this, and the following chapters is based on fact, the fashion show, the travel - even the country restaurant although we stayed in a b&b rather than the posh Ibis!

Indeed, that trip was the catalyst to the independent trips i've been doing over the last twenty years, 2020 was the first year since that i've not travelled to Germany at least once and often up to a handful of times. Hopefully i'll be able to return later in 2021 - if mainland Europe manages to get a grip on the pandemic instead of trying to get political points out of it.

Its been an odd week so far, the weather is at least more settled, a little warmer without the strong winds and the Sun has made regular appearances each day. Monday, as i've mentioned previously, i went to get my first vaccine jab - a short wait, a couple of questions, roll up your sleeve, done - from queuing to out of the door maybe 15 minutes, barely five minutes in the vaccine 'centre', in my case a pharmacy in the neighbouring township. By the time i got back i'd done some shopping and walked almost 6 miles so i killed three birds with one trip!

To be honest, Tuesday i awoke with little enthusiasm for doing anything, let alone going for a ride! I hadn't any specific plans so rather than set off with an ominous destination i dragged myself out as much to force myself into action as anything. Off down to Bath it was then, looping past the centre before heading away from the Avon valley northwards.

At this point i should really clarify things for those of you not familiar with the UK, on a global scale our islands are tiny but within them we have landscapes ranging from craggy mountains to pan flat expanses below sea level. Variations that in the US or Europe could be a day or more travelling in the same terrain can be crossed in an hour, we really are a geographical microcosm. Having lived on the side of the Pennines for 40 years, i tend to consider anything less high as 'flat', terrain with a horizon below 45 degrees above horizontal is at best, rolling in my terms.

That doesn't mean there are no hills, steep gradients can be found even in the flattest of counties and the area about my current domicile certainly has its fair share even if the hill tops rarely reach above 200m / 600ft. And so i started to climb northwards up into the Cotswolds, just a couple of miles but the laney route chosen included some double figure % pitches and the up hill segments rarely dropped below 7%. Hard work at the best of times, not made any easier by the lack of lower gearing that my steed has installed!

I got to the top, continuing along the western crest of the plateau. over the M4 motorway (a direct translation of autobahn!) before dropping through Old Sodbury and a roundabout route back in. 66 Kilometres, no break other than catching my breath on the ascent so short for me but a fair tangle for most velocipede users. I have some vague plans for Thursday but we'll have to see how it goes.

Today - well i'll go to the shops later, is fairly quiet. I did 'assist' Bev completing the kitchen lighting upgrade earlier and we'll do some 'gardening' later.

I've already touched on todays Gaby chapter, Bike Show, part 13 of The Visitors, is another double length chapter which i'm sure you'll all enjoy. Of course, things don't go entirely to plan, how could they?

That's it for today,
Adios mon amigos.
Madeline Anafrid