This gallery contains 9 photos.
Lots of other people are doing it, so I have been tempted by the Christmas holidays to to try and find at least one photo per year from the last decade that made me smile, or brought back a memory. … Continue reading
This gallery contains 16 photos.
We were looking for a real recharge on this holiday and that means finding a location where we didn’t have to try too hard to do anything. Half a day travel from home, walking, cycling, sightseeing, great food and wine … Continue reading
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It has been 36 years since I first took a bike onto the rural roads of France for a short cycle tour, out from the site of my summer job near the Mediterranean. Since then I have been many times … Continue reading
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I spent Friday and Saturday of last week at the centre of one of the news stories of the weekend – the invasion of Paris by “gilets jaunes”, the yellow jacket protestors against the French government. However, our group of … Continue reading
This gallery contains 16 photos.
The sun is glaring down, baking the land in Belgium and Northern France. The landscape is fluffy clouds and blue skies above golden fields which have begun to be harvested early because of the heatwave. But across one set of … Continue reading
This gallery contains 40 photos.
Trying to find a way to summarise 2017 I reminded myself that this year almost every blog post has a unique header photo – some interesting shots, but only used once. So for my personal journey down memory lane, here … Continue reading
This gallery contains 9 photos.
While we were on holiday in the South of France recently I told our host that one of the rides I wanted to do was up a climb called Col d’Eze. “Why do you want to ride up that one?” … Continue reading
This gallery contains 24 photos.
“Well, anyway, it’s looking like a beautiful day Throw those curtains wide! One day like this a year’d see me right”* From the moment I threw open the curtains and watched the sun rise over the headlands reaching out into … Continue reading
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There’s no finer way to plan a trip to France than to watch a few hours coverage of the Tour de France. The tourist authorities of each region pay a small fortune to have the helicopters fly overhead and capture … Continue reading
This gallery contains 17 photos.
For our holiday in the Cevennes we are staying just away from the main tourist hot spots of the Ardeche and the Tarn Gorges so the area seems to be little discovered by cycle tourists. When I searched on line … Continue reading
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Morning coffee and a croissant at the market in La Grand Combe. A seemingly timeless scene. We love local markets when we are on holiday because the produce just seems brighter and more interesting than at home, and because of … Continue reading
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After the long trip to the South of France I was of course itching to get out on my bike. We are based close the border of the départements Gard and Lozère, which means we are at the Eastern edge … Continue reading
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Idonotdespair is off on holiday – to the south of France for some sunshine, food (and maybe just a little bit of cycling). En route we broke our journey at Metz, a city I had heard of but might have … Continue reading
I was just checking through my photographs for a few final shots when I came across a short sequence which caught me by surprise.
Officially this was a session where author Carlton Reid was expanding on his recent book and suggesting that without bicycles the car industry as we know it today would not exist.
To help illustrate the point he brought a prop, which he shared with moderator Connie Czymoch. All perfectly fine, but the body language in the photos just took it down a whole different line.
At some point the video will be streamed. Then you can check whether the words are exactly as I remember them.
This gallery contains 12 photos.
As usual I will be giving my professional reflections on last week through the channels of ECF and the feedback procedures for the conference. But just as I have done for the past 3 years in Vancouver, Vienna and Adelaide … Continue reading
I Do Not Despair 