I can now reveal that I am retiring from my firm and returning permanently to the UK. The tandem and Tri bikes in Bahrain are sold, and the other two bikes are packed and looking forward to joining my bike stable in the UK.
So the title of this blog is now redundant. I will retire it, and start a new one 'mafimuskala', linking back to it for the historical record.
Thank you for letting me share my journey to date with you. Happy stalking for the future!
Stuart
1 - 12 June: Recovery and Return to Bahrain
Well, we made it back. What a great trip - much like LE2JOG but without the short sharp climbs of Devon and Cornwall, not rain to speak off, good french food and wine, sunny hot weather, glorious scenery, no brake failures, no new tandem. So in fact nothing like LE2JOG.
Working in London office this week, then back to Bahrain on Monday 7 June.
. . . I spoke too soon. Thanks to BA Unite Union strike, I am now flying back to Bahrain on Saturday 12 June.
Working in London office this week, then back to Bahrain on Monday 7 June.
. . . I spoke too soon. Thanks to BA Unite Union strike, I am now flying back to Bahrain on Saturday 12 June.
15 - 30 May: Channel to Med
We will be tandeming (supported by Bike Adventures again) across France, and attempting to blog our progress on:
http://channel-to-med.blogspot.com/
Please pop over on this link and see whats up.
http://channel-to-med.blogspot.com/
Please pop over on this link and see whats up.
7 - 14 May: BtoB (Back to Blighty)
Fri -
Thu -
Wed -
Tue - Work for the day in London. Brompton and train in.
Thu -
Wed -
Tue - Work for the day in London. Brompton and train in.
Fri - Mon: Off to Isle of Wight with Stoker, her Mum and Nigel to stay in Bembridge. Lovely time and we took our Bromptons which we used every morning to see the seaside.
30 Apr - 6 May: Still in Bahrain
Thu - Woke up at 4am, thinking what had I forgotten to pack? Nothing. But got up and checked in online. Went to Ritz gym before work for 1 hour cycling on a spin bike, worked up a good sweat and left feeling energised. Soon brought back to earth with filling in budgets at work. Blues show/buffet at Dilly tonight, then off to airport around 11:30.
Wed - Felt exhausted, must have been having to be sociable with my guests. Normal work day and in evening checked I had packed.
Tue - 20 mins swim. Took Pascale to lunch at Coco's then the famous Tree of Life and No 1 Oil Well experience. Then off to drop off at airport, and dash back to catch choir. Decided that I won't be able to perform in the concert due to not attending enough rehearsals.
Mon - Picked up Pascale and friend from airport in morning. Spin booked up so did solitary cycle at Ritz gym for an hour after work dinner with them at Trader Vics. We started outside, then it thundered and lightening and rained so we went inside. Very pleasant evening.
Sun - 6:30 at parking after bridge 1 on the Durrat highway to meet up with J, I and M from work. We then cycled to the coast to Al Dar to the end of the jetty, down to Durrat for a food stop at the Alosra there and to sit next to their 'beach' to eat it, then back to car. Wind variable, overcast yet hot. I felt good and powered back. 59km.
In the afternoon went to Saar Cinema to see Iron Man 2 (thats as exciting as it gets on a cloudy blustery day in Bahrain). A load of tosh, but it did keep me awake. The best bit was the trailer for Gladiator 2 aka Robin Hood with Russell Crowe reprising his Maximus role.
Sat - Feeling much better this morning. Up at 6:15 and over to Awali. R. was feeling too well, so we had a 20km recovery cycle round the desert to the Golf Club and a bacon and egg butty. Wind was the same as yesterday, cloudy and threatening rain. Spin/Abs tonight.
Fri - Full of good intentions, I had stated the night before I was going to do 100 miles. So up and out at 5:10. It was cloudy and spotty with rain. Riffa, Alba and down the highway to Durrat. Average speed 28kph due to tail wind. My back had a slow puncture which I pumped up twice but checking at Durrat I heard the valve stem was hissing and had come away from the rubber, so changed tube no probs. Then it got grim cycling back into the strong headwind it was also still cloudy and dusty (so not too hot). I was clearly not going to do 100miles as I was pushing hard with the legs all the time. Pulled into the Golf Club for a bacon butty (usual yummy) and recovery. Started well again down the highway to Zallaq, but that was just being fooled by it being downhill. Hamad Town was head down and push hard into the wind. T 112km in 51/2 hours. Now feeling absolutely knacked.
Wed - Felt exhausted, must have been having to be sociable with my guests. Normal work day and in evening checked I had packed.
Tue - 20 mins swim. Took Pascale to lunch at Coco's then the famous Tree of Life and No 1 Oil Well experience. Then off to drop off at airport, and dash back to catch choir. Decided that I won't be able to perform in the concert due to not attending enough rehearsals.
Mon - Picked up Pascale and friend from airport in morning. Spin booked up so did solitary cycle at Ritz gym for an hour after work dinner with them at Trader Vics. We started outside, then it thundered and lightening and rained so we went inside. Very pleasant evening.
Sun - 6:30 at parking after bridge 1 on the Durrat highway to meet up with J, I and M from work. We then cycled to the coast to Al Dar to the end of the jetty, down to Durrat for a food stop at the Alosra there and to sit next to their 'beach' to eat it, then back to car. Wind variable, overcast yet hot. I felt good and powered back. 59km.
In the afternoon went to Saar Cinema to see Iron Man 2 (thats as exciting as it gets on a cloudy blustery day in Bahrain). A load of tosh, but it did keep me awake. The best bit was the trailer for Gladiator 2 aka Robin Hood with Russell Crowe reprising his Maximus role.
Sat - Feeling much better this morning. Up at 6:15 and over to Awali. R. was feeling too well, so we had a 20km recovery cycle round the desert to the Golf Club and a bacon and egg butty. Wind was the same as yesterday, cloudy and threatening rain. Spin/Abs tonight.
Fri - Full of good intentions, I had stated the night before I was going to do 100 miles. So up and out at 5:10. It was cloudy and spotty with rain. Riffa, Alba and down the highway to Durrat. Average speed 28kph due to tail wind. My back had a slow puncture which I pumped up twice but checking at Durrat I heard the valve stem was hissing and had come away from the rubber, so changed tube no probs. Then it got grim cycling back into the strong headwind it was also still cloudy and dusty (so not too hot). I was clearly not going to do 100miles as I was pushing hard with the legs all the time. Pulled into the Golf Club for a bacon butty (usual yummy) and recovery. Started well again down the highway to Zallaq, but that was just being fooled by it being downhill. Hamad Town was head down and push hard into the wind. T 112km in 51/2 hours. Now feeling absolutely knacked.
23 - 29 April: BtoB (Back to Bahrain)
Thu - Stayed latish as work to have a meeting with Y. Then went straight to Paul Entwistle's in Sar for a Wheelers party. Great braii and nice to chat to othe other and meet Paul's generationally extended family. However the chicken tikka massala made the next days ride interesting.
Wed - Good Spin/Pump with Walid. Tooth is like new, no issues, strange feelings or pain, so thats over.
Tue - No exercise. Had permanent crown put in to replace temporary one that has survived a week longer than it was supposed to due to the flight delay. Now I can bite on both side of my mouth, a strange feeling at first. Choir in evening. Am not finding African Sanctus uplifting, its not Mozart. With a month away for the France ride coming up, I don't think I will be up for the concert. Lets see.
Mon - easy 20 mins swim in morning. Spin/abs at Ritz was a good workout. Feeling in reasonable condition, shame about the weight not moving. Typed up some childhood diaries we found when clearing out Mum's flat. You can read them on the link on the right, and find out how I learnt to swim and ride a bike, how much Christopher was not well and skipping school, and how often it rained, especially on holiday in Wales. But looking back, it was idyllic very very mild 'Just William' (I was a real goodie at school).
Sun - BtoWork. Decided to stop being miserable, and accepted offer of dinner at Bapco Club with S&R and Lucy. Had a good time.
Sat - BA 10:50 flight BtoB. 6 hr flight on time. Weather breezy but not too hot. Villa looks clean. Miserable to be back alone
Fri - Stoker had a meeting at Mt Vernon in the morning, so I got the bike ready and we cycled to the Cafe at the Aquadrome for breakfast, as recommended by Stalker and P. It was awesome, a lovely setting (wooden cafe) and great food. We didn't cycle long enough to make up the calories though, but did deserve a hot tub.
http://www.thecafeinthepark.com/#
Stoker went doctoring again, then off to Cambridge in the afternoon to catch up with P&M and go with them to hear Montiverdi Vespers at Girton. A Magnificat performance with very strong voices seeming to be effortlessly generated.
Would have got back by 11:30 but J18 & J17 closed with no warning, so had to detour via J16 and Denham back. At least they were all working on the motorway with large mchine steaming away.
Wed - Good Spin/Pump with Walid. Tooth is like new, no issues, strange feelings or pain, so thats over.
Tue - No exercise. Had permanent crown put in to replace temporary one that has survived a week longer than it was supposed to due to the flight delay. Now I can bite on both side of my mouth, a strange feeling at first. Choir in evening. Am not finding African Sanctus uplifting, its not Mozart. With a month away for the France ride coming up, I don't think I will be up for the concert. Lets see.
Mon - easy 20 mins swim in morning. Spin/abs at Ritz was a good workout. Feeling in reasonable condition, shame about the weight not moving. Typed up some childhood diaries we found when clearing out Mum's flat. You can read them on the link on the right, and find out how I learnt to swim and ride a bike, how much Christopher was not well and skipping school, and how often it rained, especially on holiday in Wales. But looking back, it was idyllic very very mild 'Just William' (I was a real goodie at school).
Sun - BtoWork. Decided to stop being miserable, and accepted offer of dinner at Bapco Club with S&R and Lucy. Had a good time.
Sat - BA 10:50 flight BtoB. 6 hr flight on time. Weather breezy but not too hot. Villa looks clean. Miserable to be back alone
Fri - Stoker had a meeting at Mt Vernon in the morning, so I got the bike ready and we cycled to the Cafe at the Aquadrome for breakfast, as recommended by Stalker and P. It was awesome, a lovely setting (wooden cafe) and great food. We didn't cycle long enough to make up the calories though, but did deserve a hot tub.
http://www.thecafeinthepark.com/#
Stoker went doctoring again, then off to Cambridge in the afternoon to catch up with P&M and go with them to hear Montiverdi Vespers at Girton. A Magnificat performance with very strong voices seeming to be effortlessly generated.
Would have got back by 11:30 but J18 & J17 closed with no warning, so had to detour via J16 and Denham back. At least they were all working on the motorway with large mchine steaming away.
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