A group of a dozen or so lycra clad ( and ever so slightly grumpy ) cyclists are standing at the doocot. They've taken a wrong turning and ended up in the village. It's not often that we see pink and yellow saddle wear out here. Directions are given and the group snake off towards their destination. They are staying in the best hotel in town and will have a long restorative lunch at a good restaurant on the coast :https://www.16westend.com/ and be given a lecture on the local geology. They'll then cycle back at their own pace ( or driven back for those who have been tempted and had too much wine ) to their 5 star. " It's so good to be able to sleep and breath properly. At night we just open the windows and turn off the aircon ". The tour company has a list of coffee shops and restaurants that provide acceptable pit stops for those wanting to venture off on their own. A van is always within half an hours call in case there are tired leg 'emergencies'. I've joked about it but Coolcations really are becoming a thing.
This mornings BBC radio broadcast leaves us with much to ponder. Tariffs that had been off, are on again. Ms. Laura Loomer, who the radio informs us is an American influencer, had been anti-Ukraine but has now changed her mind and become a keen supporter of President Zelensky. Meanwhile that thing in the Gulf seems to have kicked off again and driven the price of oil back to eye watering levels.
It's cloudier this morning. Maybe there will be some rain ? After three weeks without so much as a drop we need it. The crows that are perching on the old stone field walls take to the air as the lost cyclists pedal away. Thankfully, the crows have not repeated their early morning parliamentary session on the roof of the last wee house before Denmark.
7 comments:
If I biked, that bike trip might actually sound like fun. The article on medieval children was very interesting. Your links remind me of the New Yorker - lots of things I might not have thought to be of interest but which then draw me right in. I'm trying these days to read more that is not about politics, war or finance. I feel an obligation to keep watch but there's a limit to what's healthy.
Hari OM
I met a group of about 30 cyclists in Galashiels a couple of weeks back doing much the same sort of trek with van back-up: all of a certain age, it seemed, and had started down at Tyneside! Long years back I did do long bike rides. The mind still occasionally entertains the idea, although the body would object most vehemently! YAM xx
Cheating, but à propos your quail, just got this from the BTO, and thought you might be interested.
Quail is an uncommon summer visitor, with an average of 539 singing males recorded in recent years. However, numbers are highly variable, with significant influxes occurring in some years. This year has proven to be such a year, with a reporting rate of 2% in the first week of July the highest weekly reporting rate since BirdTrack began in 2004. The reasons behind such influxes are not fully understood, but they appear to be associated with warm, dry springs. With the warming climate, one might expect 'Quail years' to occur more frequently, but this doesn't currently appear to be the case, with the rolling five-year average number of singing males remaining stable since the 1980s. We are now past the peak period for hearing the distinctive 'wet-my-lips' call, but Quail can be heard into August, so there is still time if you haven't heard one this year
Very pretty roses this morning. Have a great day.
Thank you. Our village quail are still very much with us and enjoying life. They are the source of much amusement for villagers of all ages !
We noticed that fuel prices were on the way up again, thanks to DT's warmongering. He clearly doesn't care a jot about the effect on people's fuel bills.
I always enjoy a glimpse into the "window of the house." The lovely roses do not disappoint.
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