#I walked about 14km today

[alphynix]

Crystal Palace Field Trip Part 1: Walking With Victorian Monsters

The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs take their name from the original Crystal Palace, a glass-paned exhibition building originally constructed for a World's Fair in Hyde Park in 1851.

In 1854 the structure was relocated 14km (~9 miles) south to the newly-created Crystal Palace Park, and a collection of over 30 life-sized statues of prehistoric animals were commissioned to accompany the reopening – creating a sort of Victorian dinosaur theme park – sculpted by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins with consultation from paleontologist Sir Richard Owen.

The Palace building itself burned down completely in 1936, and today only the ruins of its terraces remain in the northeast of the park grounds.

The Crystal Palace building then and now Left image circa 1854 (public domain) Right image circa 2011 by Mark Ahsmann (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Six sphinx statues based on the Great Sphinx of Tanis also survive up among the Palace ruins, flanking some of the terrace staircases. They fell into serious disrepair during the latter half of the 20th century, but in 2017 they all finally got some much-needed preservation work, repairing them and restoring their original Victorian red paint jobs.

———

…But let's get to what we're really here for. Dinosaurs! (…And assorted other prehistoric beasties!)

The "Dinosaur Court" down in the south end of the park still remains to this day, displayed across several islands in a man-made lake. Over the decades they've been through multiple cycles of neglect and renovation, and are currently cared for by the London Borough of Bromley (Crystal Palace Park Trust are due to take over custodial duties in September 2023), with promotion and fundraising assistance from organizations like Historic England and the Friends of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs charity.

Just about 170 years old now, the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs represent fifteen different types of fossil creatures known to 1850s Victorian science, with only three actual dinosaur species featured. Although often derided for being outdated and very inaccurate by modern standards, they were actually incredibly good efforts at the time, especially taking into account that the field of paleontology was still in its very early days.

They also just have a lot of charm, with toothy grins and surprisingly dynamic poses.

Unfortunately on the day I visited in early August 2023 most of the statues were heavily obscured by plant growth, both on their islands and on the sides of the paths they can usually be viewed from. Since I'd seen images from about a month ago showing things being less overgrown, this was probably just some unlucky timing on my part coinciding with some explosive summer foliage growth.

The first island on the trail features a few Permian and Triassic animals which were only known from fragmentary remains in the 1850s. These "labyrinthodonts" were recognized as having similarities to both amphibians and reptiles, and so were depicted with boxy toothy jaws, warty skin, stumpy tails, and long frog-like back legs.

Today we'd call these particular animals temnospondyl amphibians, specifically Mastodonsaurus, and we know they were actually shaped more like giant salamanders with longer flatter crocodilian-like jaws, smaller legs, and long paddle-like tails.

———

Somewhere in the foliage beyond this specific "labyrinthodont" there was also supposed to be a pair of dicynodonts, but I couldn't see much of them at all and didn't manage to get a remotely visible photograph.

Crystal Palace Dicynodon when much less overgrown Left photo by London looks (CC BY 2.0) Right photo by Loz Pycock (CC BY SA 2.0)

These Dicynodon are depicted as looking like sabre-toothed turtles complete with shells. That was fairly speculative even for the time, but considering only their weird turtle-beaked-and-walrus-tusked skulls were known it was probably the best guess Hawkins and Owen had. Today we know these animals were actually synapsids related to modern mammals, but Victorian understanding considered them to be a type of reptile.

Modern reconstructions of dicynodonts have a slightly different face shape, along with squat pig-like bodies and semi-sprawling limbs. They may have had fur, but currently the only known actual skin impressions from the genus Lystrosaurus show leathery bumpy hairless skin.

———

Next time: the Jurassic and Cretaceous sculptures!

#field trip! #crystal palace dinosaurs #retrosaurs #i love them your honor #crystal palace park #crystal palace #labyrinthodont #temnospondyl #mastodonsaurus #dicynodont #dicynodon #synapsid #paleontology #vintage paleoart #art

[jandjodyssey]

Kefalari to Galaxidi

A tough but beautiful day of riding today. We descended from our little alpine stay of last night and the first part of the climbing was quite nice. Stunning views and winding through small villages and a lovely descent.

The big climb of the day came after coffee - 14km at an average of 7%. There were two deviations for road works. The first one added on about 2km, but flattened out the steepness of that part of the climb. The second deviation did neither and that was my first short walk of the day 🙄

With about 2.5-3km to go I had my second walk. The unrelenting pitch after all that climbing had hammered my legs, but after 2-300m I was back on and finished the climb. The rest of the day was pretty much descending, some of it quite steep and variable road conditions.

The day ended back down at the ocean in Aigeira. From there we caught private boats across to Galaxidi. A very nice way to end a tough day.

The bikes and our luggage came by road so were somewhat behind us. There was nothing for it then but to find the nearest bar for a couple of drinks while we waited. I have to say we made an interesting spectacle after a couple of drinks, still in our cycling gear and carrying helmets, making our way to our hotel 😙

Tomorrow is a rest day - yeah! Our accommodation is very nice so happy to be spending a couple of nights here.

Once we were showered we headed out for dinner at a restaurant Jose had spotted on the way to the hotel. We went for dinner with Charlie and Judy. Not unsurprisingly two couples from our group also dined there. Nice as it looked down on the waterfront we are all pretty bushed. Anyway it was a lovely place and we tried some of the local specialties (stuffed onions 😋). Great food and very reasonable.

[wonderingnorthwards]

29th March 2023 - Can’t all be highlights

Not going to lie, today was frustrating as hell. Freezing cold start in janky Stodys hut, (the many holes in the wall not the greatest insulator btw) through a snow covered Forrest, beautiful but my hands were too cold to take photos, down a suuuper steep and slippery section for 1.5 hours with my AirPods dying along the way. Scrambled down to the river, which when the notes talked about the “high path” and at no point did the map intersect the river I made bold efforts to not cross, even though the orange markers were directing to do so. Too cold to risk it. This ultimately let me to scramble and battle 50m directly up a steep gorge embankment before getting to where the gps said the track was, only to discover the map was absolutely lying and needing to have to ass slide and scramble back down the bank. Next up was actually crossing this river, and if you recall, it has been snowing so wasn’t the most temperate water to cross for a 1 degree outside 10am. Unlike most rivers I cross, this one was not clear, a grey murkiness resulting in an increased reliance on the poles for depth and feet placement. Discovering it was actually pretty deep and not just up to knee length, I wisely put my phone in a higher pocket before briskly walking around boulders, well up to my waist before making the other side with my pants dripping wet. Thankfulness for removing my thermals just minutes before quickly turned to despair as I get a distinct slap on my lower thigh as my AirPods case rebounds within my shorts pocket. We will see how those turn out when I get back to civilisation, but as you can tell, day didn’t start great. For the balance, I criss crossed the river probably 15 times, up and down steep valleys trying not to fall too many times and walking past 12!! Sobos, apparently they had 13 of them in the hut I am currently occupying, the 6 bed Top Timaru hut. Eventually making it here by 4:30, I missed my push time for pushing on to the next private hut 14kms on, further frustrating me, but such is life. Lemon juice to the days grazes but the hut has no available water, but has kindly supplied gumboots so you can safely cross the merky river 50m away to get to the stream which did finally have clean drinkable water. Not all days can be highlights and it’s the difficult moments that you push through that give the great times opportunity to arise.

Stat round up:

Journey: Stodys hut - Top Timaru hut

Kms: 14kms, apple says 20.5 again, 29k steps

Climbing: 222 flights

Current km: 471

[bronva]

I quit my £100K a year sales role to become a Postman at 56

I quit my £100K a year sales role to become a Postman at 56

It’s a beautiful morning – the sun is peeking through the trees and there’s a light, pleasant breeze.  If I hadn’t been out on my round, I may have missed this. I’ve already spoken with a handful of people this morning, as we passed on the street – their cheerfulness is infectious and I can’t stop smiling.  At the end of my shift, I’m physically tired. I’ve walked about 14km today, but I look in…

View On WordPress

[muntedpumpkins]

Larapinta Hike Day 1

First day of the Larapinta trek today, and it’s abundantly clear that this is something that could have been done as a solo venture. There is some regret at not taking this route, but on the whole I few that the camping experience is worth the cost. The people that I’m walking with really are quite extraordinary. Heide, from Austria and seventy six puts any idea of complaining fat from my mind. To be so full of life at that age, and ready to take in the world at any moment is just the inspiration I need to get myself going through any adversity I might face in this hike. To hear her exploits in Africa as a teacher, rebuilding a school herself during an off period for the kids. She reminds me a lot of my mother - but with a stoicism and tour de force that pushes anything impossible out of the way to achieve her goals. I feel that this would have been my mother if she had lived to retirement. 

Of course, there are lots of old ways in Heide, but a firmness that is reasonable. I see a lot of Pa in that. 

This trip is going to be an interesting one, just for the chance to interact with her more. 

The trail itself is stunning and fascinating for its remoteness. It is similar so far to the cathedral ranges - but the scope is on a far grander scale. Hiking again was more difficult than I had anticipated - with a fair amount of pain in my feet, but I can work through that. Also a muscle behind my right knee was pulled a bit to vigorously and now feels tender. I think again this is something I can work through - just being gentle on it and reminding myself that I’m a hefty person and that I can’t be jumping all over the place as if I were 20kg lighter. 

So upon arrival at the YHA, we were given a quick hello to our tour guides: Amy, Daymo, Kevin and Dean. Deans new and Kevin’s the support driver. Amy’s from Melbourne and probably around the same age as me, Daymo I’m not sure where he’s from, but he’d probably be in his late 30s

On the tour with me we have Heide, Isabelle, Richard, Tim and Colleen(?)

Just a small group of six, and all but Claudia and myself are in their sixties (or seventies!). Just goes to show my dad that if he put the work in, he’d still have a good quality of life to do these things. But I think he is happy being fat and just driving everywhere.  

The first day has been fairly easy, with a 14km walk, completed by 3pm. We started in the telegraph station, walked through the cemetery walk and then began to approach the ridge lines. We came across some honey ants, and I had a go of one of those, it tasted like a little sour bursts of lemon, but apparently they are usually more sweet than sour. This part of the track still seems fairly connected with the society of Alice springs, as we crossed under the Stuart highway and the Ghan line with plenty of mobile reception as we did so. 

It seems impossible to talk about this land without talking about the plight of the indigenous peoples, and the politics that follow them about. It does still feel like a bit of a Melbourne bubble (Amy with whom I was talking is also from Melbourne.)

To hear dad call them Bungs yesterday was startling, but I feel there’s no point arguing with him on it - this is just what he knows. 

After passing over the Euro ridge and looking back over to Alice springs we descended to a camping spot on the trail and caught up with our support vehicle. Once aboard we drove further down the track, towards ormiston gorge, and the cannon from where we will do most of our day trips. It is not to be a continuous hike, but rather one of short day trips to see the highlights of the trail. Once we reached the   Camp it was time to setup the swags inside tents and sit down to talk. 

I would have to say it’s so easy to judge people by how they look, and many of the older crew looo very privileged, but it seems they have worked hard to achieve what they have - so it is hard to resent this of them.

They always will have some wisdom to pass down, and I think that this idea that the generations should be at war with one another needs to stop. It won’t ever, for its part of the human struggle to fight with your predecessors and successors, but that doesn’t mean I would stop wishing for it to end.

We made camp (thankfully we didn’t have to pitch the tents), Amy set about cooking us delicious chicken and tofu curries, much better than I had anticipated for bush cooking - a pleasant surprise!

Many conversations over the fire and then bed. Hopefully I’ll get to see the dark emu in the sky some time on this trip. I’m looking forward to see how this all develops!

#larapinta

[theblondegoesabroad]

Day 72

Tuesday 12th July 2022

Rest day today. But not really. Rest from climbing but it was full on in every other way. We started our day with a run around the island. 14km in the heat. Although we were running around 6am-7am it was still warm and when the sun hit you it was hot. We were both thankful when we arrived back at our starting spot and could head to the beach to cool off. Although as much as we had dreamed about the cold water whilst running, it wasn’t really swimming weather and the water is very cold. But we got in anyway and gave the legs time to cool down. Then we had breakfast, tea and coffee. We planned to have last nights left overs for breakfast but unfortunately the hot weather and the lack of driving meant our fridge that is connected to the cigarette lighter in the car wasn’t cold enough and the heat got to our veges before we did. But nevertheless we still had cheese, bread and sausages so we made ourselves some packed toasted sandwiches. Today since it was still early we decided to head to the mainland to check out the beach front town that is rather popular. We decided to walk there and make the day of it. On our way there we stopped off for our second swim of the day as it was getting rather warm. And then we headed off across the bridge and off to the cute beach front town of Weymouth. It was a long hot walk so we stopped off in the shade of the trees in a park to read our books for a bit before heading on. Benoît read a few pages and then decided that napping would be preferable so he had a little siesta. When we did finally arrive at the town it was busy with tourists bu it was very pretty. Beach side and port side the views were lovely and all the little shops on the Main Street had a nice charm. After a bit more walking around and checking out a few shops we turned around and headed back to Portland. The trip didn’t take too long but we were definately looking forward to getting back to our car and being able to sit down! Once we arrived in Portland we stopped off at the supermarket to buy ourselves an ice cream as we deserved the treat and the cool down after all our walking. And then we made the final effort and got back to the car. We thought we had ran/walked about 25km today but when I checked it on my phone we had walked 38km no wonder our feet and legs were tired! When we got back to the car we quickly headed to the beach for an evening dip before returning to our camping spot for a light dinner and to read our books. Very glad to get horizontal this evening! So much for a rest day but we enjoyed it. Love kate xxx

[greaseonmymouth]

.

#I just want to whine about how exhausted I am #I walked about 14km today #my hips are killing me and I am very tired #did not find bralettes but did find new regular bras underwires be damned #also a nice jumper #and a cute scarf #the bookstore had run out of the books I wanted (damn) so got cute things instead #I think I'll dye my hair tomorrow #I have roots that need dealing with #also I can't decide which book to read next #one of the queer romance novels #one of my queer fantasy novels #or something else?

[jandjmoor]

Othello day 4 - Ourigane to Ait Ourir

A really interesting day today where we felt we saw the real Morocco. The first challenge of the day was cycling out of the hotel, it was a long steep driveway. I made the rookie error of stopping at the top of the driveway where it got a bit gravelly only to discover the road in front of me was at about 7%. Needless to say I had to walk up the road a little to where it flattened out.

The start of the ride saw us retrace back to Asni. So the beautiful descent I enjoyed two days ago was now a nasty ascent. Once at Asni we headed out of town onto a quite picturesque climb. Towards the top we went through lots of small villages. Charming as that was, the road surface had pretty much disappeared in most of the villages plus the local children loved to run along side and try to touch you. I got lots of pats on my bum this morning.

Now anyone who knows me, knows that I loathe mountain bike riding. There was a lot of that going on as the roads had been washed away by snow melt, etc. I really had to suck it up princess because after all I’m cycling through tiny villages in Morocco. I did get off and walk a couple of times but otherwise nailed it. What that did mean however, is that I was never game enough to pick up too much speed on a descent in case the road suddenly disappeared.

We finally turned onto a main road and stopped for lunch. It was a lovely spot but being a Sunday quite busy so it was a bit slow. It apparently snowed about 3 days ago so all the city folk were driving up this way to see the snow. After lunch we had about 20km of descending on this main road. It was one lane up, one lane down and no shoulder. Staying on your side of the road seems to be optional in Marrakech. This made the steep descent on quite rough road somewhat challenging. It’s now been named the road of death by the group.

Anyway we eventually turned off the road of death, passed through a quite busy town and then turned off again to wind our way through small villages with a few pinchy climbs and crappy roads. Despite the road conditions this was where you really saw the real Morocco, dodging goats, chickens and children on the road. Surprisingly the dogs barely give us a glance.

Finally we were back on a main road with a terrific surface and a bike lane for a quick last 14km to our hotel. We are quite close to Marrakech again but are staying in a smaller town with quite nice accommodation. A lovely meal tonight and I’m now sitting here writing this blog feeling like Buddha 🙄

[wingingitonwheels]

Stage 3: Tres Lagos - Gobernador Gregores

Preparation

“Good preparation is better than hoping for a miracle.”

Sunday Adelaja (I’m not religious but why is it so many quotes come from pastors???)

When I say I wing it, this really applies to my ability to be flexible with what happens on the road. Getting here was half the battle. Getting here and hopefully having the right kit, both physically and mentally was probably another 30%. I could labor on about my kit, but I’ll loose everyone! The one piece of kit I will briefly mention is the Garmin InReach Mini, which is an off-grid device that means Mark can track and send messages to me anywhere. So now he’s stalking me. Which I kind of like 😊.

Leading into Friday’s ride, on Thursday I had a relatively easy day, giving myself every chance to succeed the next day, and took to a 14km hike towards Mount Fitzroy. Having shared about my mum that morning in my blog update, Mum was very much present as far as someone who has gone can be. If I’d had more time, and didn’t have the plan to get back on route with the help of a well negotiated lift on a coach, I’d have gone all the way, but there was only one coach and that was leaving at 4pm. The dogs in the town came to wish me well and “Suerto”, and I kissed Marley goodbye as he put his head on my leg…

It’s fascinating to have time to consider how two people manage the same scenario, particularly when they’re sat 10 metres from each other, and share the same resources. One person will be charming until they see you as a problem and look to dismiss you from their sight as soon as they can. The other will see you have a problem which needs to be resolved, and will do whatever they can to find a solution. Such was the case at the coach station. Two companies, two different people. The first shut me down and would not give me any opportunity to make suggestions, the second, phoned around, asked about the first company, and eventually created a tariff based on one third of the operator’s normal fare, as I was only going to the junction of Ruta 23 and Ruta 40, one third of the way to El Calafate. They would find a way to make the bike fit, but to arrive an hour early to ensure it was prepared and would fit. The irony was that the two companies shared the same coach 😂. The second person received siete cookies from me to say thank you shortly after our transaction was complete.

The ride: Friday Stage 3: Tres Lagos - Gobernador Gregores

Today was a prime example of both winging it and putting blind faith that things would be ok, but having the knowledge and contingency plans that if all my kit tests came to nothing, riding on trails, packed gravel, ****** roads in winter, and the only unpaved section of Ruta 40 was a bigger beast than my bike could take, the options were:

A. Walk

B. Thumb a lift

C. If a vehicle that could carry was unlikely to stop voluntarily, and things were getting desperate, to build a barrier across the road with all my kit and pretend to be dead.

D. Go back to Tres Lagos and pay someone to take me past the gravel.

This particular section was the one part of any route that scared me to death. No matter how many times you zoom in with the yellow google man, it doesn’t tell you about the patchwork boulder quilt and deep sand. I’d hoped for compact mud. But alas, it wasn’t the Forest of Dean trails! Who’d have known! I did my best to get some local knowledge in El Calafate and was told it was rideable. He was right. If you had a full suspension mountain bike or fat bike.

After setting off from Tres Lagos, the gravel seemed to appear in the blink of an eye. There were no warning signs. It was just there. I’d watched Ewan McGregor on The Long Way Up, for which they covered much of Ruta 40, to their destination in Sacramento. They’d done it on electric Harley Davisons, and Ewan stacked it on this 60km stretch of road. This was as good as research I could do. Other than through Chile, whose required avoidance border was closed, there was no way of avoiding it. It was like a dark nemesis tormenting my mind.

I did what I could. Took a deep breath and started, only to get off and walk before the first summit, as the gravel and sand devoured my wheels. Swapping to trainers, and edging forward, my intentions of just soft pedalling and getting my weight off the bike as far as possible so it could roll, were soon blown along with my back wheel. My tyre changing skills which I had been honing through painful lessons (I’ve always managed them but it would seem new tyre and wheel technology has made them a little more resistant to removal) meant the tyre was switched in record time. But what now? The road wasn’t any better. So I started to walk and hoped soon I could remount my steed. I’d brought enough water and food for a 12 hour day if it came to it. I have no shame in admitting that if someone were to pull over and ask if everything was ok, I’d blah a lift if I could. I expected to be there for hours, mournfully plodding along, but within 5 minutes, I heard an engine…really close. The window was down and inside, two Argentinians were asking WD I ok, where was I going and did I need anything. Bingo. The bike gods were with me. They opened their van, looking like they were indicating they had no space(they had two bikes in there, so we were instantly friends!), but then, Gustavo leapt into action, signalled to Monica to pass the lock, climbed on to the roof and asked me to pass my bike! Two minutes lager, bike secured, me and my new buddies were bumbling along the road from hell, boulders flying like missiles, the camper rolling into the deeper gravel as he was gesticulating all sorts of happy things, for which I had no comprehension, but oh, how we laughed!!! All I could offer them was some of my dried fruit, and my daughter’s compositions on Spotify! In that one hour, I learnt Monica was a widow of 14 years, she had an 18 year old daughter, owned a children’s carousel and half size train and carriages. She was 54, and Gustav 57, and he was divorced. They’d been together 2 years and had been on holiday for 30 days. They were shocked when I told them my age. I said “no, it’s ok, wait!” I lifted my sunglasses to show my sim-worn and wind-blasted ageing eyes. I think they were both relieved as they just couldn’t understand that I could be 49. It’s easy to see how we were friends!

As the tarmac returned, I found a way to communicate that I MUST pedal now. I think they were prepared to take me to the north of the country. The hugs I gave Monica and Gustavo could not have been more heartfelt and they me. There’s luck and then there’s this. Thank you Bike Gods!

The remaining 58 km seemed peaceful and happy once I got going. People are normally good.

So here I sit, in Gobernador Gregores, whose name, no matter how many times I say it, leaves me tongue-twisted. It’s a mining town, from what I can see, and I think I’m the first British person to have ever walked the streets. I definitely feel I’m the first nutter to have ever attempted to cycle that stretch! Proper desert, not a single dwelling for the stage. Awesome!

For the most part of the last two days, I’ve been lost in this beautiful piece of music, which seems to be the perfect cinematic mood music to have defined Argentina and the journey so far, for its scenery, the arid and windswept desert, and most notably, the view of Fitz Roy…listen if you get a chance….to La Joya by Aukai.

https://open.spotify.com/track/5nbKnom4NGsUFFSqftOZhQ?si=qm98TRXITUiCP5KauVbRhg

[skinnyghosttears]

April 19, 2021

12:52 am

Planned the food for tomorrow, I'll change it depending on the number on the scale. Its 817kcal, I also planned to burn at least 1000kcal but it depends from the scale too since I walked for over 14km today (I know it was yesterday, I just feel the need to write even if I already posted today's log).

Im trying to talk with a really caring friend about this problem, I want to do it with my best friend too but its not easy at all. I just dont want to bother people around me but I need to vent and I dont trust my therapist because I know she will push me for see a nutritionist or will talk with my mom and since she's concerned for how Im eating I want to avoid them to force me to eat.

10:05 am

Im awake but extremely scared of the scale since I feel so heavy and bloated.

Ok my weight is the same as yesterday. I think it will be lower later, I didnt had a chance so check yesterday since I was the one who was cooking. Today I want to make oatmeal for lunch (I do the intermittent fast so I never have breakfast) , I planned to have in it some chocolate so I really hope it will satisfy my cravings (which btw are stronger in the evening and idk what to do since I always try to eat light for dinner). Gonna exercise later.

11:40 am

Burned 350kcal, I wanted to burn 500 this morning but I will exercise again in the afternoon. Im not too tired, but I feel really sad.

1:14 pm

60,15kg.

Probably the same as yesterday but its fine ig.

2:00 pm

The lunch didnt filled me but im craving less sweet things.

4:52 pm

I ate some chocolate bars after a discussion with my mother (she asked me if I want so go to a nutritionist) so I had to change my plan for dinner and I managed to save the day. I feel so sad. Im trying so hard but I feel like Im not doing enough.

Ok Im thinking.

Maybe tomorrow I will reach 60kg, and if I will do it and do good for the rest of the week I will have a cheat day during the weekend.

6:37 pm

Planned the entire week, certain days are pretty low so I'll add stuff day by day depending on the scale and how I feel, but I feel better now since this will allow me to eat my first pizza after 2 months and some ice cream. I almost lost 16kg so I deserve a day with those 2 foods, and Im really motivated on doing good until that day because I will feel less guilty.

10:11 pm

The nutella was tempting me soooo much, so I prepared some croissant with it for my parents :) I made a little one for me too, I will eat it tomorrow if I'll like the number on the scale.

Ngl, today after I eat the chocolate bars (thanks god they are really low cal) I felt more motivated, so ye, Im sure that a cheat day will help.

11:57 pm

Had coffee right before bed like yesterday, it really kills my cravings. I really like the sweetener I use and I hate to cancel the sensation with the toothpaste lmao.

#ana #proana #thinspiration #thinspo #thin #skinny

[atinycupofpositivitea]

Day 62 of 🦋 100 days of tiny blessings 🦋

🌈 Today I was blessed because...

I woke up feeling super great and even though it was super early in the morning, it felt like the best thing in the world. I saw the stars in the dark, the sunrise and the blue sky in the span of just an hour. I was super proud of myself, made a delicious oatmeal with almonds, read some pages from a book about poetry, got an intense workout and a relaxing yoga session. I also spent some time with my partner, which was awesome to say the least. After a good hot shower, I got started with the day and took the train to meet up with some friends and do some tasks. It was a great day, at the end of it I had walked 14km without realising it! Not to mention the great time I had with my friends and the sweet texts I exchanged with my so. It was all so good.

🐸 I feel very proud of...

Getting up so early in order to get things done.

🌱 I learned that...

Reaching our goals is just a matter of time, if we put enough effort into them.

💌 I am...

So happy to be here. I deserve to be joyful and hopeful about the future.

#note to self #positive mental attitude #positive thoughts #positivity #positive #self love #self care #mental health #gratefulness #mental recovery #you are loved #self healing

[sunnyrinusstudies]

My Rather Cursed Morning Routine

FYI, I work in newspaper delivery, this routine is not the most ideal for many people.

The Night Before

18.45: Go to sleep (this is aspirational and also very needed, my gods this sleep schedule is a hassle)

The Morning

03.00 : Wake up, hit snooze too many times

03.15: Finally get out of bed, take meds, get dressed.

03.30: Have breakfast (in reality this tends to be, , a tad later than it should be)

03.45: Head to the newspaper depot

04.00: Read the address list for today, count out my newspapers, chat with other folks, pack the Gigantic saddle bags

04.20: blaze it(jk, I dont smoke)

04.30-07.00: Start delivering newspapers, pet some cats, pet some dogs, say hi to people on their morning runs, get offered tea/coffee at the end of my route by people who are concerned about my wellbeing in the freezing cold (it's really sweet, but I think this offer is partially fuelled by desperation for Any human contact)

07.15 ish: head home! whooh!

07.30?: finally home! have second breakfast because hot dang this is 14km of cycling daily, and then some more walking

????-????: this really depends on what I feel like

09.00-10.30: take a nap

I do not endorse this as a good and healthy morning routine, but at least it pays :p

#txt #stuff i made #studyblr #maybe?? #morning routine #this is mostly cause i thought it was funny #yes it's half past 10 pm rn its saturday i dont have papers tomorrow #staying up late like a bad boy #by which i mean i took a real long nap this morning and also im dead tired now #sleeps times

[lockdownuk]

Lockdown Diary Part 3

A personal account during the lockdown in the UK due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

23/03/2020 8:30pm Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, gives a live address to the nation to, effectively, put the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain, Covid-19.

Many of us have been self-isolating for days but this latest development within the UK in reaction to the pandemic feels very serious and very scary. I decided to keep a simple diary and where better but online.

Day 61: Writing this in the afternoon on day 62. An exercise driven day. Two walks and stair climb as usual plus I popped round Jeff’s early evening. First time I’ve been to his house, 1 Garden Row, Elmington. It’s further than I thought so, with walking there an back, I managed a daily total of 14km. It was good to see him and have a social (but social-distanced) beer. When I got home, @9:45pm, I made thai green chicken curry, watch The Report (a great, if worrying film) and then TikTok-ed until gone 5am!

Day 62: Typing this on day 64! Beer round Karen’s. Missed Sam’s quiz.

Day 63: Typing this on day 64! Beer round Karen’s. Again! Well, it is bank holiday Monday! Had dirty pizza for tea and watched The Heat. Again! It is the most piss funny film.

Day 64: Well, I have been feeling guilty about treatung the bank holiday w/e l;ike a bank holiday w/e. It’s dawned on me that that guilt is way too self-disiciplned. I got up about midday, usual two walks and stair climb but that’s it. I need to clean the house from top to bottom, get on top of my online courses, get the garden done, get the car fixed, go shopping…fucking hell - if only I had the time…

Day 65: Today I swapped Amazon prime free trial for about the 5th time in my life. Same card and address - will they get wind of my skullduggery. This is all so I can finish watching Hunters and catch Homecoming S2. I went shopping at Asda near Raunds. I wish I hadn’t, it’s no good for a comprehensive shop. Received an email from RCI inviting me to a Zoom meeting with Pal Mulcahy for a business update. I fear the worst. And it’s at 10:00am, FFS!

Day 66: Logged in an attended zoom forum with Paul Mulcahy and over 250 RCI staff this morning. The message was that there is going to be redundancies. I expected this and expected to fall victim. All staff that are going to be put through cionsultation would be contacted today. I however wasn’t! Very, very surpised. meanwhile, Nick Reilly asked to connect via LinkedIn (including become a LinkedIn staff team member -  that’s new to me so I’ll see what it is but I accepted the invitation) Later, I WhatsApp-ed him and asked who has been affected from IT. All he could tell me was no one on Jon Rodger’s team is under threat. Also, Mark C emailed - I’ll respond tomorrow. I got up at 09:00ish and had my mornming walk before the 10:00am meeting. I am now, at 09:30pm, fucking knackered. Dinner and then bed, methinks but not before one more episdoe of Hunters!

Day 67: Typing on Day 68. Got pretty drunk last night. I’ve got blisters from walking (new boots) so I don’t think I’ll walk tomorrow (well, today!).

Day 68: I did fuck all today. Got up after 1pm, no walking. I did manage to clean the bathroom (and smash my little mirror) and do my 26 stair climb. I am typing at 9pm and I feel whacked!

Day 69: I have an abscess. It’s not too painful (today) but I am going to call the dentist tomorrow (Monday). I think antibiotics are in order. I watched a film, which I actually started yesterday, called The Voices starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arteton and Anna Kendrick. Fuuuuuuuuuuuucking weird. The closing credits are the most bizarre, in context, I’ve ever seen. But, in general, a very good film. Back to normal exercise regime today plus hovered the hall and stairs. Get me. It’ll be interetingh to see my Google Fit figures for May tomorrow.

Day 70: Contacted the dentist who advised salt water rinsing and ibuprofen. But, tbf, it’s a lot better today and the swelling has gone right down. The dentist I called was the Oundle House (Rodericks) one. I was not hopeful since last time I saw them they referred me to their Northampton clinic for root canal work which was quoted at over £600. However, the dentist was very nice, had my x-ray to hand from that last visit and seemed more interested in making sure I’m OK than gaining a paying customer. He still wants to see me when possible though! I must mention the weather. It has been glorious weather nearly every day throughout May (it’s June 1st today). Seriously sunny and like a holiday every day. The news mentioned it today - the level of sunshine throughout the transition from spring to summer is unprecedented, apparently. My T shirt tan is, quite frankly, ridiculous!

Day 71: Today’s ‘must mention’ is what’s going on in the US and it’s not particularly related to Trump. There was a black man killed while under arrest. George Floyd died Monday 25th May (8 days ago) A policeman, who knelt on his neck for minutes while he complained of not being able to breathe, has been charged with murder. Now there are riots and curfews and military intervention all over the country. It’s similar to the English riots of 2011. It’s worrying, sad, scary and not what the fight against the pandemic needs. Most of all, it’s racism rearing its ugly head yet again. I’ve had a normal-ish day. received an email from Jim checking in, talked to a recruiter about a promising job lead (although the hours are 8-5 which I am not happy about), talked to Barry across the road and sent Barzzy a WhatsApp. And I logged in Shaw Academy and started lesson one of module 2 of web Design. It’s been a while, so long overdue, but I only did about 15 minutes. Must try harder / do better! As I type, late (10:10pm) I have dinner cooking and a strange pain in my left side and am in the middle of No Country for Old Men. Don’t think I’ve seen it since the cinema (13 years!)

Day 72: As soon as (well, within a couple of days) I mention the weather, it turns. It’s rained a little and is a lot cooler (15° rather than mid-20s). Much better for walking, I have to say. I finished Hunters today (Amazon Prime series). While I enjoyed it, it got too surreal at the end. It is loosely based on the real story of Nazi hunters in the US in 1977 but the straying from loosely based to down-right ridiculous fiction annoyed me. If it goes to S2, I will watch it, however. Received some of my rental deposit back today (the law changed so that only 5 weeks rent can be demanded as deposit). Over £600. Nice.

Day 73: I made a short video for Marc and Clare’s 26th wedding anniversary. I ‘dressed up’ for it. I enjoyed doing it and I think it was appreciated.

Day 74: Typing on Day 75 for no other reason than I couldn’t be bothered on day 74! I received a letter either today or the day before (well, yesterday or the previous day!) from Mr Minos at the eye clinic informing me that, while there is some stuff going on in both eyes (garnered from the photo scans done at the last hospital appointment), he wants to see me in three months. Always a refief when that happens. Been getting into two series on Amazon: Alex Rider and Modern Love. One is a male Hanna, the other is soppy affairs of the heart based on real life stories (from essays written in the NY Times). Both enjoyable for totally different reasons.

Day 75: Lazyish day. Well, not really, just that I only went for one walk, alebit 6km andI got pissed on. Wehn the rain hit, it was also fucking freezing! Some of the clouds were stunning today, made for great photos. As I type, it’s 21:12, I’m listening the wonderful Phoebe Bridgiers. Now, I’m gonna make some tea and sup a few ales, I reckon.

Day 76: Done lots of walking today (over 13,000 steps) I made sausage casserole with too much chilli (scotch bonnet and birdeye). I had an online (fb) debate with Sam over whether the George Floyd murder was a racial.

Day 77: Received a new (used) wing mirror for the car. £18 with delivery, I reckon that’s a bargain. I cashed in £20 from Prolific as well, so I’m satisfied at the financial full-circle. Dropped the car off at Barnwell (Nene Valley Body Shop) and walked back - 7km. Just about to dive into tea - finishing the blazing hot sausage casserole from yesterday. Then I’m going to do some more Rubik’s cube practice with my recently acquired GoCube.

Day 78: Lots of daily walking, 26 stair climb, press-up and late nights watching TikTok (gone 3am this morning) are making for a constantly knackered Tim Stubbs. Today I made veg soup and cooked up some meatballs. Both are delish. How did I ever to learn how to conjure up such stuff? The Rubik’s cube learning is coming along except that I need good daylight to distinguish between the yellow and white faces on the flipping thing!

Day 79: Listening to Radio 6 most the day and the news is making for dire listening. Forecast of severe recession, especially if there is a second peak of the virus, which I think there will be. Plus, an offshoot of the George Floyd murder and the #BlackLivesMatter movement, institutions and town councils are being lobbied by campaigners to remove statues of anyone associated with things like slavery (one was toppled in Bristol at the w/e) and rename buildings etc. that were named after historical characters with any links to something that now is deemed wrong or offensive. I agree with it but it’s not pleasant to hear amongst other bleak news. Walked to Barnwell to collect my car - front trim reseated and new wing mirror fitted, £20 - bargain (I source the replacement wing mirror). But, also, forked out £165 on car tax! Cleaned the lounge from top to bottom. Knackering!

Day 80: Chatted with Dad and Rita - he’s pissed off with the slavery backlash but otherwise they are both OK. I saw Baz in the Tesco queue where I mentioned my disgust at the Thursday market being allowed (I found I could not maintain 2m at all times just walking to Tesco’s!) and that I really don’t want to catch Covid19 as I will probably die. Maybe a bit dramatic but he messaged me later today to say he’d been thinking on what I said and offered to shop for me. I replied that I am OK to shop but am scared at how people are taking things so much less seriously than when lockdown started yet the virus is still out there just as it was then! I am very touched at his massage. I thoroughly cleaned the bedroom and changed the bedclothes today. House work really knackers me out!

Day 81: Spare room cleaned today. Not much else to type about. It’s Friday, I making curried mince and I don’t feel like a beer. How I’ve changed!

Day 82: I did have beers last night. Ended up going to bed with daylight and dawn chorus for company. Today, when I woke, gone 1pm, I have been greeted by what can only be described as thoroughly depressing news from every quarter. This includes violence in the capital, further virus outbreak in Beijing. Fog’s political posts on FB make for depressing (but vaild) reading. I’m feeling thoroughly fed up today. Not even music can lift my mood…

…but, I am currently listening to Craig Charles on BBCR6 and, I have to say, he’s putting in quite an exceptional effort - there may be hope that my mood might lift, even at gone 8pm! I might have a beer or two and grab something postivity and enjoyment from the day after all.

Day 83: Another late one last night but up before noon today. Started watching something called Condor on Sky One. It’s OK - there’s stuff I wanna waytch on Amazon Prime but, more often than not, it keeps telling me there’s ‘a problem’ when I try to play anything. Pissing me off. I just checked and I have two weeks of the initial 12 of furlough to go. I shall started asking the questions about what might happen on the Connections website.

Day 84: Typing this on Day 85. On the way back from dropping off some shoes for Sean Davies at his brother’s (martin) I met Karen and she said why not pop round for a beer so I did. Certainly not used to a drink on a Monday so that, and the genral upheaval to my evening, while good fun and a nice change, put pay to my usual diary entry! I sorted Amazon Prime out by leaving the TV turned off for over an hour. Day 85: Tim did the garden today and it looks great. The pipes in the bathroom have been knocking loudly, on and off, for a couple of weeks now. Last night, they were so loud that today I took it upon myself to resolve it or ring Woodfords. So, having turned off the water, run the taps dry to get rid of any trapped air and then turned the water back on slowly, I discoved it’s the cistern and its pipes. Woodfords are arranging Corvee to visit. Meanwhile, leaving the water turned off at least stops the noise which is, otherwise, costant and unbearable! I emailed HR a couple of days ago about what’s happening in a couple of weeks time in terms of furlough when the 12 weeks will be up. Sue Cockimngs got back to me attaching an email Deryn sent on 15th May which I never received. Basically, they’ll extend furlough if need be and an update should be forthcoming late May/early June. Well, that time has passed, so who knows what is going to happen. The furlough scheme (CJRS) has been changed by the govenment, I’ve read, and it looks like any new people would have to have been furloughed by June 10th (it’s the 16th today) so no furlough rotation, which is annoying. The CJRS ends 1st October with employer contributions required from 1st August - that’s D-Day as far as I am concerned….so job hunting will have to step up a notch! Day 86: Pete’s birthday and he bought himself the same speaker as me. When I asked if it lived up to his expectations he mentioned it’s better through WiFi than Bluetooth. That confused me as I haven’t got WiFi available on mine…..long story short, I bought the wrong fucking speaker. I got a AudioPro AddOn T10 instead of C10. To say I am fucked off is an understatement. To think I was so pleased at the cheap price I paid. Now I feel like I have wasted  €200. Bollocks.

Day 87: Finished Alex Rider last night. Another series that started off so well and ended a litte weak but, overall, not bad. I’ve started keeping strange meal times…lunch very late (4pm) and dinner really late (11pm). I need to sort it ‘cos it’s playing havoc with my sugar levels. I had a huge hypo while having my second walk today, second day on the trot that’s happened. My late dinner was Chinese chicked curry with a quarter of a scotch bonnet and two birdeye chillies. Delish.

Day 88: I have managed to be bitten yesterday or the day before on one of my walks. There are strange, itchy lumps on my right inner forearm. And I do mean itchy. I trimmed my sideburns today, I was very pissed off with them. My hair looks just a little less shit. I did a shop at Tesco in Corby today. Mainly booze as follows: 20 cans Sam Miguel £18 18 cans Stella £15 20 bottles Bud £10 8 cans Tyskie £9 3 lrg bottles Warsteiner £5 £57 Bargain.

Day 89: Lazy day. One short walk and usual stair climb. Howard and Sue popped round to give me a pressie - bottle of Monkey Shoulder. I’m building up quite a collection of whisky!

Day 90: Dad called and we chatted for an hour or so. I had to apologise for not sending a father’s day card! Dan messaged me and offered to pay for a pizza delivery which I declined.

Football has started again this past week…Prem and Championship only. L1 and L2 season was cut short and Posh missed out on the play-offs by one place. As I type, Everton v Liverpool is on Sky Sports on a Sunday evening - it’s very strange with no crowd. There’s crowd noise being played thorugh the tannoy.

#Diary #Tumblr diary #lockdown #covid19 #lockdownuk

[happyhippystuff]

i feel sort of terrible tonight, and i can't quite pinpoint why. but i am trying not to judge my emotions and to just accept.

i'm also feeling rly rly anxious with CB coming to an end because.... idk - i.......... don't rly want to face people anymore. i think i’ve gained a whole lot of weight and i look rly ugly. i don’t want to dress up (i don’t even dress up to begin with), i don’t want to socialise, i m so comfortable clad in big shirts that covers all my rolls and flabs. 

and i'm just really really ugh bc i don't ! know ! what ! i ! want ! and i've been procrastinating job applications because of the above point + i hate the feeling of being uninterested in everything + what-if-i-make-a-mistake + i-am-not-good-enough + all the other emotions is enough to deter me from wanting to apply :((((( sigh being distressed about it makes me feel even more distressed lol

grandma has also been commenting on my looks + what-i-am-doing-in-life and it is starting to get to me - yes, i know to not take it to heart, but if someone is constantly breathing down your neck and reminding you of what you are not....... it gets to you. 

i miss australia, a lot. i miss having my own house, my own room, my own kitchen, my own toilet, my own..... space. i miss being able to cook my own food w/o having to justify, i miss being in charge of my own portions, i miss being able to walk around the city, i miss the weather and the cold. i miss the comfort of being (almost) entirely in control of me. 

i know i ramble a lot a lot a lot - i'm just rly frustrated (???) because i feel like i am going around in circles. and everything is starting to feel pointless. i'm feeling like how i used to when i shut people out.

but i made a pact with myself that whenever i feel terrible, i will also make list of things that have made me happy so: 

- made gula melaka pearls with the brother today. made a mess in the kitchen but t’was a good time. 

- had a zoom date with the bf during PH singing + learning korean + doing random things. also, i rly appreciate that the bf clicks with my mum. 

- i finished everything i never told you and it’s a good read. only finished it because i had a couple of sleepless nights and i was just stranded in bed with my phone. so thank God for overdrive :’) 

- jogged a fair bit this week (clocked ~14km) and it feels good. i realised that jogging after 10 and before 12 works for me, granted that the weather isn’t horrid. plus i enjoy running along roads more than parks, maybe bc traffic lights allow me to take a break. or maybe bc there’s actually a destination. probably the latter. 

i guess working out is always a double edged sword - it makes me feel good but also, anxious ;_; 

and I’ve been having a weird craving for beriwell, mb bc I’ve been seeing it repeatedly on instastories. Plus I don’t usually buy acai bc I don’t think it justifies the price + Idk what goes in and I don’t think it’s as healthy as what it is marketed as + it doesn’t make me feel satisfied - the trade off money and calorie wise is.... not worth I Guess

[jandjlion]

Lionheart Day 24 - Bräunlingen to Eguisheim

A beautiful day of riding today. We rolled out of Bräunlingen and pretty much went straight up hill for 18kms! However it was into the Black Forest so very shady and awesome scenery and then a nice descent down to coffee.

From the Black Forest it was s lovely ride into Alsace with lots of vineyards and some pear and raspberry trees. We were all feeling pretty chipper as we headed towards lunch when we hit more climbing that looked like a pimple on the elevation but actually went for about 3km and hit 11 and 13%!

We had a lovely lunch of salad and for everyone else the local tart (which is actually like pizza with prosciutto and the lovely smelly cheese from these parts).

From lunch we were still in the vineyards and heading toward our crossing over the Rhine and into France. It was again beautiful until I got stung by a bee! The little bugger got me through my arm cooler.

Anyway into France and again through lovely villages and past fields and farmland. It was getting quite hot by now and unfortunately with about 14km to go we had a few navigational glitches which meant gravel and a few wrong turns.

We eventually made it to Eguisheim and what a lovely village it is! Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. An added bonus was they had an orchestra playing tonight and as we were eating outdoors we got to enjoy the music - lots of the classic movie themes. So a lovely (albeit a little slow) dinner with great background music. Tonight the grappa club tried eau de vie given we are in France.

The weather is definitely hot and we’re seeing in the news France is experiencing record temperatures. It was 33 degrees when we went for a walk at 5.30pm but once the sun went down the temperature was quite comfortable.

A long day tomorrow and it’s forecast to be hotter than today but then it looks like we should have about a 10 degree drop in temperature after that.

[elastigirl72]

Day 9: Somewhere near Zurich—train to Bellinzona—Bellinzona>Como 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇫🇷🇨🇭🇮🇹

796 miles completed

Shocking: I have just looked in the mirror in the funny little apartment with the curious “professional sportsman” host. 10 rounds with the wind yesterday has left its trophy and I could be mistaken for a losing boxer. You can just about make out when my eyes are open if you look carefully! There is a wind warning for my planned destination today; it’s uphill into the Alps and the direction is head on 🙁. I have resigned myself that with snow forecast tonight and tomorrow at lower levels, a train looks inevitable for the crossing into Italy. My biggest concern is that I have very little clothing and only footwear is flip flops and cycle shoes 😳. There’s 3 seats left on the train...I better get booking...

Aaaaand...breathe...

The last 24 hours have been such a mixed bag. I guess I’m a little tired, so pleasing me right now if you were with me would be challenging but you’d either get a response of a few expletives or hugs and tears. Riding into Switzerland was another emotional moment, as I love crossing borders and other than the persisting headwind which increased to near gale force by the end of yesterday’s ride, I’ve been incredibly lucky: this trip could have been so different and was clearly risky doing it so early in the year. But when you’re tired and grumpy, any luck seems hard to draw on for inspiration.

I decided once I hit Basel to follow Google Maps cycle route towards Zurich. I’d hoped to make it as far as Rapperswil. Having raced and worked in both places several times, it’s an area I’m quite familiar with and very fond. If you can put aside the extortion for anything that involves a purchase, it is the price you pay for the back drop of snow-peaked mountains and glistening lakes. On my previous Alps crossing in 2015, I steered clear of the cities and major roads, and decided that from the three countries I’d visited, the Swiss were the least convivial. But this time, I felt positively charmed by motorists I’d not met, but who voluntarily stopped their cars anticipating my desire to cross a road or pass through a roundabout. The route I ended up on, which darted next to the German border, and across the Rheine, formed part of a Eurovelo route which are now being established across Europe. Where it landed on the Route 3 Road to Zurich, it had a marked cycle lane, and on trails, well marked - on the whole. But I still managed to get lost at a significant point on the route, and not even finishing the bag of M&Ms I’d brought for motivation brought me back to believing that not even the wind could stop me getting to Rapperswil. At 5 O’Clock and 8.5 hours after starting my day, I plonked myself down on a wall next to a (sadly closed) sushi restaurant and found the nearest, most cost-effective bed for the night at “Hotel Eric”. 14km short of the target for the day and 7km short of the centre of the city. It’s fair to say I’d had enough.

With 30 minutes notice of my booking and arrival, it’s fair to say that “Hotel Eric” (Eric) was not ready for me: not so much of a hotel but his apartment with a spare bedroom and a skanky cat. He delighted in telling me that he was having a bowel inspection the next day and would therefore be on the laxatives. I can’t say I felt super welcome in the “hotel” and he suggested that I ate my dinner in my room. His apartment was a juxtaposed set of modern and antique; a crystal chandelier and crumbling furniture, fine art and an ikea-like interior set. I didn’t feel at all settled there, but I found my slightly alarming guilty pleasure in that boiling the 1980s kettle he’d left in my room and filling my cup, the kettle didn’t switch off. I wasn’t aware of this until returning from the kitchen to see the electricity off and a red glow coming from the inside of the kettle. Ah, that’s interesting, I thought, with no sense of alarm that the electric smell now radiating from the room was very short of creating a fire. The fuse box tripped, and I walked calmly to the kitchen to fill the kettle with water and went to bed, no electricity, and waited for the smell to dissipate. I decided not to wake Eric as he’d gone to bed very early and would wake early. Instead, until I left at least, the electricity shorting would be a mystery which had nothing to do with me...considering future residents, I’d message him the next day and suggest a new kettle.

I slept terribly, worried about the wind warning and snow forecast for my initial assault on the Alps. Bernina Pass Express still seemed like the sensible option, but there were only 3 seats left. As the booking required for a printed ticket, I’d wait until the morning and call before I booked. As it happens, a wise decision, as whilst I’d previously been on the train with my bike, this lady was adamant now it wasn’t allowed. A radical change of plan was required. Risking the Alps when snow is forecast was likely to be detrimental for the rest of my trip; getting to Chur or St-Moritz with no train option and the Pass possibly being closed could leave me stranded for days. It seemed the sensible option was a train from Zurich to somewhere. So this is where I am. I guess I have to remember when in certain countries you say “I’d like the next direct train to wherever”, they won’t tell you what time it’s leaving, they’ll just give you the ticket and say “you have 10 minute to board”. Whilst slightly panicked that I’d miss it, I ran to the nearest buffet rapide and grabbed a coffee and pretzel, and as it happens, someone else’s delicious Tuna roll 😊. Both now devoured whilst travelling watching the beautiful Swiss countryside whizz by, babies gurgling and babbling all around me, and strangely, enjoying a decision I’d made, which gave me respite from wind and snow, and a well-needed rest. In one way, I’m sad that I will now not ride the whole way, but another, know that this is the right choice. It’s hard to believe bad weather is due as I look at the sun lashing down. But now, I see a flag, stiff in the wind, white horses on a mountain lake you could surf, and the train is going directly into a crazy 40kmph headwind. I feel calm...