tour of east lothian
Wow - what a good day it was for cycling. It rained for around forty eight hours from Tuesday evening - enough to drive even the hardiest protagonist of optimism to desperation. As I haven't been doing long many long runs this year I opted for taking a third off the run and jumped the train to North Berwick. I took the road to Dunbar to warm up, passing the Bass Rock up close with fields of wheat and poppies in the foreground which made for a beautiful spectacle. I couldn't determine if the white speckles on the bass were fauna or shite. Probably the latter but I decided on the former whilst taking it all in.
Continue reading "tour of east lothian"Posted by stupot at 06:29 PM Friday 8 Aug | Post comment (0) comments
waterstones, george st
people study while hiding from the rain last month.
Posted by stupot at 06:41 PM Tuesday 5 Aug | Post comment (0) comments
Edinbara no Matsuri
When you live in Edinburgh people talk about the festival from quite early on in the year - not a lot, but it comes up a fair amount. Having lived a lot of my life 50 miles away you could get away with thinking the largest arts festival in the world doesn't exist. When you get closer and closer to summer here though, the tourists are the first give away - Edinburgh gets Glasgow's quota in January alone. On Wednesday we had our regular, alcohol aided Japanese conversation group just at the back of work, overlooking a 15 metre high, inflatable purple cow (a venue) where guys in laderhosen and a woman on stilts hidden by a bulbous 17th century style dress gave out flyers. I passed a man dressed as an elephant, walking as if going to work in an office this morning. African dancers took over a traffic island on George IV bridge. The streets are bursting. Scottish accents have to be searched for. A lot of chaos, a lot of smiles.
Posted by stupot at 10:44 AM Saturday 2 Aug | Post comment (0) comments
Real Slow
I really love trains. Seeing my dad off on the old fossil fuel locomotives with their compartments, the means of escape to the big city as a teenager, the way to travel through Europe by seeing places and meeting people, the disbelief of a shinkansen approaching for the first time, getting on one as you would a plane and seeing the sky when you bank, sitting at a table with an ever changing view and having no-where to go. gradually arriving somewhere and understanding the climate, architecture and agriculture before you meet the people.
Posted by stupot at 10:17 AM Friday 25 Jul | Post comment (0) comments
Kit
Despite it being summer, most rides in Scotland mean that you take a little extra just in case. On a few descents today it was positively chilly - the gilet I picked up in America last year is my most valued bit of kit and today I certainly needed the new knee warmers. I forgot my cap which would have been handy for the rain - or I need to pick up some glasses with various lenses (clear or yellow are what you really need here). I prefer to go out with almost nothing but for longer rides you really need to be prepared. If it's country climbing on a hot day I wouldn't take half this stuff, but maybe more liquids. The tail wind home today was a sweet exchange for a hard, slow run down the old Lanark road.
Posted by stupot at 03:11 PM Saturday 12 Jul | Post comment (0) comments
Manchester
Popped down to Manchester today for work - I used to go down quite a lot about 5 years ago with the company I worked for and I really enjoy it as a city - despite most people I speak to having little good to say about it. The office I was visiting is in Deansgate so I got off the train at Oxford road and managed to make my way past Harry Hall Cycles for what has become part of my routine when I visit. It was the first time I'd been in since his passing last year. Last time, I bought some arm warmers and as my knees have been playing up a bit I decided to get some knee warmers today. The neoprene wrap I wear sometimes is a bit too thick for summer so these look good. I was not surprised to find out that my goat-like legs equate to a size S. The amount of passengers on the train back was horrific to start with but eased up past the Lakes. I felt, for the first time in a long time that I needed to be wearing a watch so hastily drew one to get over the urge. I'm thinking about getting a tattoo without hands and adding in for appointments.
Posted by stupot at 10:34 PM Friday 11 Jul | Post comment (0) comments
Kopenhaven Torsday - Fredag
a day of trains. a peaceful roll through the countryside. helsingborg. malmo. danmark. turbines. blustery beach houses. grey to sun and back. houses growing out of fields. no roads. different rocks. feminine pylons. off at Kopenhaven. dirty air. white caps on trucks. drunk. hotel in red light district. confusing tourist information prices. beer in 7-11. manic streets. fast bikes. incredible buildings. wide streets. amusement park. timeout. side streets are needed. sit with a beer and people watch. rickshaws scream by with tanned bear chested drivers. best chicken and bacon roll ever. six quid but.
Continue reading "Kopenhaven Torsday - Fredag"Posted by stupot at 01:12 AM Sunday 29 Jun | Post comment (0) comments
Goteborg Mandag - Onsday
Another Ryanair field. very local. Big port small city. Grey. Eastern block. Clean. Ordered. No yellow lines. steep ramps. expensive. fast police exotic noises. bikes and trams from no where. mopeds on pavements. Italian meal. near the docks. change of clothes. out drinking. most with coffee under a blanket.
Continue reading "Goteborg Mandag - Onsday"Posted by stupot at 12:36 AM Thursday 26 Jun | Post comment (0) comments
summer solstice
Last night the rain swept across the coast in waves after wave, battering windows and trees. The rain wasn't heavy but the kind that soaks every crevice in minutes. Three o'clock that morning was another matter altogether though. Mist rising of the reservoir, bird song all around, a sea of dew. It's beena long winter - long live the summer!
Posted by stupot at 08:57 PM Sunday 22 Jun | Post comment (0) comments
Stafford Street
Posted by stupot at 07:08 PM Sunday 15 Jun | Post comment (0) comments