De-Nesting Diaries: Thursday, April 4th

The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best -- and therefore never scrutinize or question. -Stephen Jay Gould, paleontologist, biologist, author (1941-2002)

 

Hi Patrick. Thanks for your email and photos. You have had some petty decent rides by the sounds of it. You are putting me to shame! Actually the weather is finally improving and it looks as though Spring is finally arriving. I have pulled out my bike cleaned and oiled it so I am all ready to go. The winds here have been fierce but the outlook is much improved. The problem with our area, some would call it a blessing, is that because we are on a peninsula we tend to get very strong winds both off the Atlantic and the English Chanel. Where we live we are 4 miles from the north coast and 13 miles from the South so we get the wind from both coasts.  As you so rightly pointed out winds are a curse for the cyclist! Anyway, enough excuses for not hitting the saddle!

Your idea of purchasing a bike over here is an interesting one. If you did perhaps you could join me next year on a ride from London to Paris. They have several here each year in aid of various charities. I was going to do it this year but it can't fit in with our upcoming Vancouver trip. I will probably register for the MacMillan Cancer charity since we support it and Gayle is involved in their charity drives. These are MacMillan special Cancer nurses who support the terminally ill and end of life patients in their own homes. But back to the bikes. There are many excellent websites in England to purchase bikes. You already have your sizing and are familiar with all the brands so it should be fairly easy to purchase over the web. However, there are excellent bike shops in England who specialise in different models. There are two near us. The one closest to where we live specialise in Trek and Cannondale and the one I use specialise in Specialize! However, they would have some pretty good bike shops in Yorkshire. We did a similar thing with snow suits and snow shoes in Canada! We leave this gear in Vancouver with the kids for our winter visits. Mind you the investment is a little less than a new bike!

Sounds like Chloe is going to end up with a pretty swanky pad! Hope it is reflected in the rent! Isn't DIY fun (not).

Lovely day today so we visited a National Trust garden to Glendurgan on the Helford river. (Photo attached). This garden is in a sheltered valley along the Helford river and runs down to a little beach and the small village of Durgan. We then carried on the river walk to the village of Helford and stopped into the pub for a beer (naturally!) Problem with these walks is that you usually come across a pub so the calories one has burnt walking is put back on in the pub!

We have arranged to go London towards the end of the month to visit Gayle's step mother. We have booked into a hotel for the night and plan on visiting Wisely gardens the following day. These are gardens run by the Royal Horticultural Society. We will then drive down to Southampton to spend a couple of days with Marnie.

Krissy attended that Hen party on the island this past weekend. Hate to imagine what state they were in! We haven't heard from here since last week but, like Chloe, they are mega busy. Mark is filling in for the Director of Studies at his school as well as running the truck at the Farmers Market on Saturdays. Krissy is now full on trying to get everything organized for the opening of the new Bistro for the people she is working for. Mark has also taken on a DIY project of laying laminate flooring in their bedrooms. Apparently, one of the cats has been wetting on their bedroom carpets and the aroma is less than appealing as has been pointed out by many of their friends! House proud youngsters they are not!

Just received an email from my brother. They will be here on May 18th and have rented a very nice apartment in Falmouth. Will look forward to seeing them.

Best wishes to you both Derek

 Hi Lads!

Seems as if I'm in for gale force winds in Cornwall! I'll be dreaming of Iona, when being buffeted. Too bad you couldn't have joined us this morning, around Seawall to SP and the Prospect Hill Loop, Raymond, but pleased to hear that you are on the mend! A paltry 41.8 K, over 2:01:29, AVG 20.6 KPH, MAX, 54.6 KPH. Can always count on Whirlygig to slow me down whenever you are not ahead, Robo Man, straining on the tether!!!

Friends, Andre and Rosemary, from near Valence, south of Lyon, are coming for dinner this evening. Apparently they arrived in Vancouver a day or so ago. Hope to chat about a visit with them this coming September. They are off to Saltspring shortly but perhaps we can arrange a get-together, here, (For lattes and sticky buns perhaps?), before they return to Europe. Think you'd both enjoy meeting them. Not sure, at this point, of their schedule.

On another matter, have attached the recipe, from Rosita, using the noxious weed, kale, that I had meant to send along ages ago. I've had to be somewhat "creative" with amounts/directions as Clarisse took down recipe while watching a cooking show,. However, I don't think one can really go wrong, especially since you are both such seasoned cooks/bread makers, etc! Time for a bowl of Rosie's home-made soup. Made with the sustainable ham bone from Easter dinner! Cheers, Il Conduttore!

Hi again! Of course I forgot to attach the attachment! Cheers, Il Dementore! 

Hi Coco Chanel!

Your two updated blogs look very spiffy! Congrats!
Weather here has taken a turn for the worse, after such glorious, warm sunny days over Easter weekend. Cheers,Patrizzio!

Hi Colin and Jo-Anne!

Am quite enjoying your continuing sight-seeing and degustation adventures! Would love to try the 15.4% blend of Grenache, Cinsault,Carignan and Syrah. Cheers,Patrizzio! 

Hi Patrick,

   When we were in London, it was very cold.  In fact, the papers said it was the coldest March since 1892!!!  Hope UK is warmer for you. -Colin

Hi Colin!

No wonder you needed to thaw out your bones with copious amounts of anti-freeze! I plan to put malt in my camel-pack when cycling in Yorkshire and Cornwall, just to be on the safe side! Bit like a St Bernard with its cask of brandy, in reverse! Cheers, Patrizzio!

 Hi Brenda Louise!

Buona Fortuna with all your political work, both on the provincial election as well as with the Strata. Do you happen to live in the same place as we do? Cantankeroids everywhere, I'm afraid!!! Follow your noses. Sounds like a simply wonderful plan. Just leave the door key under the mat in case we drop by. Unfortunately, for us, not you, don't think we will have time to visit your lovely neck of the woods before we are off in July. Seems crazy but April is almost over, from a social calender bookings/obligations point of view, as well as May, (off to LA and then Wpg), and then in June we have to start readying the house for exchange visitors and pack for July 10th departure. Is it Christmas already?

Time for a bowl of Rosie's home-made soup. Made with the ham bone from Easter dinner! One of the reasons I need to cycle as far as I do! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Wally is off at the beginning of July for a motorbike trip so we won't be leaving until mid-July.

How long are you staying in Cornwall?

Hi again, Secretary Woman!

We will be in Cornwall for the month of August. Ayn is flying to London at the beginning of the month and will spend about ten days with us there. She travelled to London a few years ago, on business, but had almost no opportunity to see but one or two sites and even those, only briefly. I know she is very excited to actually be going on an overseas holiday, as such. We are delighted that she will be spending time with us, of course. We have travelled internationally, with Chloë, a number of times, but never with Ayn. Family and finances never permitted such trips in her early married life and then were virtually impossible as a single parent.

Down with pesticides! Pour cheap wine on slugs! Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Hi again, Janet!

Thanks for the links to your blog as well as to Greg's. I'll certainly take a look at both as soon as I have finished trying to catch up with the entries I missed while traveling. (I mentioned, in an earlier message, that I'd only looked a few snaps from India album. I lied. I couldn't stop until I'd seen them all. Mr Moustache was a winner, indeed!) Often find it extremely difficult do be disciplined when on the go and particularly if connectivity/time happen to be serious obstacles. I've found that if I make skeletal entries each day I can more easily flesh out the details later. Without such bare bones, (To continue the macabre usage!), I tend to simply forget what we did, when and where, and then drive my companions to the edge of screaming distraction quizzing them about menus, sites, etc. 

It isn't easy being a dedicated diarist, let me tell you. I'm sure you know, however, more so than me, given your most impressive compilations and blog efforts.  Buona Fortuna, by the way, with your retro albums, Africa and family. Exhausting labours of love but what splendid, splendid results. In fact, I needn't travel anymore, I'll just thumb through your various albums while sipping extraordinarily expensive malt purchased with money saved from air fare, etc. Cheers, Patrizzio!


Hi Derek and Gayle!

Thanks for the news filled message and wonderful snaps. How far away is Glendurgan? As well, appreciate information on bike shops, etc. However, I'm reluctant to order something over the Web as I feel I really need to actually sit on a particular bike, take if for a bit of a ride, before deciding if it is right for my body type and various infirmities! Glad you are preparing to ride. I certainly like the idea of a London to Paris ride! Perhaps I'll just stay in Cornwall over the year and train on your steep, hilly terrain, riding into fierce gales, coming and going. I'll be able to ride to Moscow at the end of it!!

Looks like we'll finally be finished with the loft tomorrow. Hope so as Coriandre is busy painting the spare bedroom and house is still a bit of a mess with displaced furniture, rugs and pictures crammed wherever there is a spot. Should be quite a pleasant room once everything is done and will give Coriandre a desk of her own. She has been complaining for years that she doesn't have room to file any of her papers. Am curious to see if this new space will actually result in a tidier arrangement.
 
Fairly big change not having Chloë around of a day and an evening. Been too, too busy, of late, to actually notice, but poor Maggie misses the attention. Of course we bear the brunt of the early morning feedings now. She starts pawing us shortly after 5:00am but we simply refuse to feed her then, making her wait until at least 7:30am, cruel pet owners that we are.

Glad that we are finished with flooring. Hope all goes well with Mark's efforts. We fly to LA on May 18th to attend Alejandro's graduation of May 21st, returning to Vancouver on May 22nd. Next day I fly to Winnipeg to attend the 100th Anniversary of my junior high school, Isaac Brock. Looking forward to seeing people I've not seen since 1961, the year of my graduation from Grade 9. 
Had a steaming bowl of Rosie's home-made soup, for lunch, after my ride. Made with the ham bone from Easter dinner! Could have downed a gallon. Settled for her left-over quiche. One of the reasons I need to cycle as far as I do! Fond regards from Cora Lee to you and Gayle. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics:  Maggster making it impossible to make our bed; couple of snaps of cherry tree outside our place, first from our bedroom window, next from the patio. 

Rose mary.What is her last name Wayne

Pat,

    Thanks for the recipe which I'll pass on to the head of food services. Not sure how to mix in the wine - 1 whole bottle? Just picked a batch of kale a few days ago.

    Sounds like a good ride today and you must have made it before the rains came.

    As for purchasing a bike in the UK - there are probably some great bike shops and with the pound around 1.54, you might get a good price. I looked up a bike shop that catered to all the local lads in cycling clubs when I was living there - Jack Hatfield's of Middlesborough - and they are still going strong but seem to have branched into a variety of sports whereas in earlier years, they were exclusively a bike shop.  The suggestion from Cornwall as to bike types is interesting. I was quite impressed with the Specialized bikes and thought the Robiaux model to be reasonably priced and good enough for my needs when last I visited  the Bike Gallery on West 10th. Ray