IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY......

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The book 'IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY...' is now for sale at £15 in the UK, plus post and package or 20 euros including post and package anywhere on the continent.
The book contains 103 pages with our daily distances. It includes 90 coloured photographs and also 8 detailed cartographical maps. There is also a list of our itinery.
Proceeds from the book will be used to purchase cycle parking in our village on the riverside. We live in a tourist village and bike-parking is very much needed.
(The bike-parking is now in place)

To obtain the book please email me at mblanchereedham@btinternet.com

Also available at the Fietsvakantiewinkel, The Netherlands
http://www.fietsvakantiewinkel.nl/

The book is an account of our experience cycling the NSCR back in 2004 and 2009. Although it has detailed maps of each country where we have been cycling, it is not about maps as such. You need the proper guides for that. Anyone wishing to embark on such a journey will find the book very useful. It tells you about the wonderful sights, the people you meet while travelling, the different cultures, the splendid architecture, the colourful houses, but most of all the unspoiled countryside with the sound of the birds and the scents of the forest, where you can be totally alone for hours on end and that is magic.

Book page 46 (Denmark)

Thursday, 15th July 2004
Skiveren-Skagen, Skagen-Frederikshavn 54miles/86km. (1 slow puncture)
We left a very welcoming and hospitable place for our B&B. They were such a lovely Danish family. So we left for Skagen. Wind behind us, sun shining, but still cold. We went through forest plantation, sand dunes and were very much impressed when we arrived at the most northerly point of Denmark. We set on the beach and had our lunch. There were many people here, on bikes, cars, motorhomes, coaches etc. all arriving to come and see this famous spot......

Book page 95 (Scotland)

Evanton-Lairg 50m
We have been looking forward to this ride as back in 2004 we were told by fellow NSCR cyclists we met in the Shetlands how beautiful this area is. Well, today has been the best day of all cycling days.
We soon picked up the route along the waters of Loch Shin. There were no hills, just slightly sloping minor roads all the way down with a slight wind in the back to Invershin. As we were hoping to find a place for a coffee we came across this visitor’s centre at Shin Falls. It is owned by Mohammed Al Fayed and no expense has been spared to make this a top visitor’s centre. We arrived half an hour before opening but they opened up for us and made us coffee. Wasn’t that nice! As we continued from Invershin we cycled along Dornoch Firth, again slightly sloping terrain......

A Northsea Cycling Poem

'THOU CYCLIST'

Wake up thou cyclist, winter’s over
North Sea’s calling from a grey misty face.
White clouds flying and seagulls crying
piercing through the sky to tell you of her space.
Dark and lonely, wet and shining
like a mirror framed with haze.
-
Wake up thou cyclist, pedals beckon
to roam and fly o’ land in sun and morning mist.
And share the dikes with sheep and cattle
while ‘voiding droppings in your battle
accepting sportily this necessitate of gist
with reeks of laughter and tittle tattle.
-
Wake up thou cyclist, the ferry’s coming
taking you to land not been before.
The wind is singing and the sea spray flinging
rest your legs before you’re back ashore.
Now keep on going like travelling gypsies
Tenting and meeting fellow cyclists indulging in stories.
-
Wake up thou cyclist, the going gets rougher
on sand, through gravel and the old King’s Road.
It’s Viking cycling for the strong and the tougher
amidst fauna and bird’s song… hating your bike fully load.
Yet, you will make it what come or what may
by pushing or pulling on this hilly Old Highway.
-
Wake up thou cyclist, the end’s in sight
just a thousand more miles may be left in your fight.
But first see the puffins, than back on home soil
a dram of whiskey for all your hard work and toil.
Now the wind may be against or pushing you along
with white clouds flying and seagulls crying into song.
-
Wake up thou cyclist, family’s waiting
to greet you back into their loving fold.
No more tenting, or weathers’ zero rating
you’ve done it, you’ve made it, as was you well foretold.
You’ve answered North Seas’ calling and many pounds were shed
Wake up thou cyclist, it’s now in your very own bed!
©mb