Day one of our bike trip

We left Plymouth on Sunday at 4.15pm, thank fully we had a calm crossing and a cabin so I made the effort to get up early, 6am to be precise, in order to go up to the top deck for a spot of whale and dolphin watching - or not as the case maybe - 2hrs later I gave up, cold and in need a cuppa!!  I had seen some common dolphins but we were so high up they were tiny and they move  very quick, this was the best I could do with a 400mm lens and this is heavily cropped, still at least I saw some!!

We had no trouble getting off the boat in Santander, considering the number of bikes that were on there.  It was lovely to be on the bike in the sun but it soon turned into discomfort as the temperature rose and rose to 36 degrees. Usually this would be lovely if in shorts and t shirts but we were in full motorbike gear, plus I had a pair of leggings on underneath, never thinking for one minute it would be so hot! I can only say I must of loss a couple of pounds in perspiration that day!!

Camalerio - I had every intention of going up in the cable car until Mick said he wouldn't be going up 

as he did it last time he was over and he clung to the poll in the middle of it!!!!!!

The fact that I am abit scared of heights put me off going on my own plus the thought of having a wobbly half way up in the company of strangers convinced me I would have to miss out on this experience.  

The circle at the top is the cable car hut.

The circle in the middle of the photo is the cable car going up, hopefully you can gain a sense of scale. Apparently the last part of the cable car goes up vertically like a lift.

I would like to say Mick chilling but there was no chilling involved lol

La  Pernia - stopped on route to our first hotel to take this shot. 

Vanes - drove through a small hamlet where we spotted these on roof tops, telegraph poles and chimneys. 

We arrived at the hotel and as Mick had stayed here before with the boys he asked for a room at the back,  when we got in the room I could see why as this was the view from our room  was our belated 25th wedding anniversary treat to ourselves. 

I shall post photos from each day as I get them edited. 

September already

Last Sunday I said to myself I shall get back into blogging and do a post everyday in September, even if I just post a photo and no words........... well here we are the 9th and I have done nothing!!!  Life has been extremely hectic to say the least this summer with one thing and another happening, so much so I really can't remember everything that has happened to tell you about.  I guess the main things are - as you know Bernadette graduated and then managed to get herself a job with a law firm in Bristol, she started yesterday and so far she seems to like it, as I said to her it will be a big shock to the system, working 9-5, 5 days a week from now on, restricted holiday and the biggest crunch - being financially independent!!!!! 

 

Amanda past her first year exams after a couple of retakes - in her words "I have had a wake up call, nearly lost my dream because I spent too much time enjoying myself and not studying" !!!  Hopefully she will remember that for the next two years lol, glad she did realise it though. She is in Bristol as well in a work placement.

 

Mick has just come back from ten days in Switzerland (boys and their motorbikes) had a lovely time.  So that meant I had ten days completely on my own, only one word describes it..............bliss  lol

 

Our toilet project made it's way into the local newspaper much to my amusement and that of others, Mick and Bernadette are still trying to come to terms with why I would want to photograph toilets!!! Since that we have been contacted by the British Toilet Association and asked to write an article about our project for the magazine, which we have done!!! 

 

Once again we are undergoing changes at work, we won't know how they will affect us until Oct.  In the meantime I have decided to undergo some training  and shall be starting a number of training courses so that by April of next year I should have more avenues open to me.  It will be pretty hard going fitting it all in, but it has to be done - though my main worry is teaching myself to focus longer than five secs on any one subject!!!!! 

Tomorrow I am off to the docs for a steroid injection in my hip, hoping it will sort out the inflammation there and I can get back to some form of exercising!!

Some photos of what I have been up to over the last few months.

 

Dolphins spotted by The Nare.

British jetski championships,

Men's British Athletic Champhionships