A wasted week

Well that was a wasted week... it started with the car breaking down and having to be recovered (again)... this time it was fatal, as the cam belt inside the engine has broken and took a few of the valves etc with it... so I contacted the beakers yard and eventually it has been taken away. Then, having purchased another car, we finally went to collect it but something wasn't quite right with the engine..... Bugger. So handed it back on the Tuesday and waited for it to be sorted.... I waited all day wandering around Southampton until they announced that they needed it for another day or so.... they then phoned to say that they think they have located the problem and are awaiting the parts. So it is now Saturday and still no car... maybe Monday then!!

In the meantime Debs car had a problem with the heater fan.. it stopped working and so the screen steams up when driving in the rain and no way to clear to de-mist it, a nightmare drive... so I am waiting for Monday to go and visit the same breakers yard to see if I can pick up another fan unit... (a new one is about £260...). The only good news is that I had the bike serviced and all is good.

Now with all this going on I have managed to strain a muscle in my back and can hardly walk, and I'm like a stranded turtle when trying to get out of bed.... it is so difficult trying to do stuff when attempting not to use a whole muscle group in your lower back... so today I am staying in bed as much as possible. It's the Overland event in Oxford in two weeks and I really don't want to miss that.

All of this has meant that I was unable to attend the 3 day Malle Mile event in Kent this weekend.... what a bummer.. Although not as bad as David's situation as Roz his partner fell down the stairs and broke her arm in two places and he could not go to the Malle Mile either.

I suppose I had better unload the bike as I hope to be delivering stuff for the #MytimeYoungCarers on Tuesday.

Ahh well life goes on......

3 August - Wales

I think this is on the B4343 heading south to Tregaron - aka the middle of bloody nowhere....

I stopped of at the Honey Cafe at Bronllys for a full English breakfast - excellent.   Then rode for about 5 hours over miles of hills and valleys.   Gertie Garmin was doing her best to keep my on the very narrow country lanes.   Now at a campsite south of Beulah   ///along.blackbird.wool. Is the What3words location.  

The sun is shining and I am charging up the phone via the Goalzero solar charger I purchased in the USA in 2016 - never thought I would be using it in Wales...    

Now back to the book before supper “Twenty Thousand miles through South America” by Kirk Wilson....   Tomorrow I head for home the long way.....   N

Sunday 2 Aug - Herefordshire/Welsh border.

I had a very sadate ride up to this campsite, via Tintern Abbey, although it was busy going over the bridge at Chepstow and a little breezy too. 

Gertie Garmin lead me up a very dodgy farmers track - that’s my off-roading for the day...  This site is so very quiet and there are a flock of Red Kites circling above - I will certainly be using this site again.

The problem with winters and lock-downs is that shopping on-line is still available - so I now have to test out any new kit that Santa sent me.... sleeping bag, floor mat and fold out chair etc.   I shall resist any temptation to review these items....

Tomorrow I will be making an assault on the Brecon Beacons - once I have located breakfast and then another campsite - I am led to believe its next to a river...

It’s now 3pm - so it must be time for a cup of tea and plan supper.....   then a couple of hours quiet reading....

Bugger - the family at the end of the field have just broken out the football ....   “on me ‘ed Mate.....   f&@£.”   Ahh they have given up - great..

What3words location is:
///speaking.shows.speeded. 

Later.....