24th October 2016 A martyr to tunnels.

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Monday 24th 40-48F, 4-9C, still. Today's forecast is sunshine and very light winds and might reach 50F. I walked a dogleg around the fields and woods in bright sunshine with decorative mist hanging in the hollows. My wandering disturbed a single deer, one buzzard and lots of pheasants. A bit soggy underfoot after overnight rain.

 Pigs in mist.

Having consumed the traditional milky morning coffee with two rolls thickly coated with marmalade I left just after 10 am. to ride to Odense. As usual, I carried 4lbs/2kg of Abus locks to secure my mount against city theft. I compensated by taking only my saddlebag and left the huge sports bag at home. There was a noticeable light headwind building on the way but not too bad. Having purchased my goods I stabbed myself on a packaging staple outside the shop and bled all over the pavement! I took the clumsiness as a signal to enjoy a snack while I staunched the blood flow by applying compression with a tissue.

Coming home was slightly less dramatic, apart from swerving around some picnicking swans beside the large pond and a wayward, but willowy blond hogging the center of the same cycle path. She turned and glared at me when I politely requested if I might pass in my best pidgin Danish. I then accelerated and left her far behind on the long drag up to Sanderum. Well, you have to, don't you?

Silly season.

A white police[?] helicopter and sirens disturbed the peace as I navigated the complexities of the Odense cycle system. I rode via two dark tunnels and between a multitude of rather large sheds with small gardens. Not unlike British allotments, but these are more like miniature summer houses with bars. These are normally equipped with beer and snaps gardens with assorted plastic seating. Socializing is obviously more important than actually growing veg or even flowers.

The shed inhabitants have a nasty habit of parking on the narrow grass verges on either side of the [now much] narrower cycle paths and causing a mud bath. Though spacious, off-cycle-path parking is readily provided, these areas are often empty. Besides, parking properly might inhibit the easy carriage of heavy, beverage reinforcements to the drinking sheds.

I should also mention having to coax several bunches of  pheasants out of my way to continue forward progress in the rural lanes. The pheasants are having their silly season. As are the magpies, but we wont dwell on their lurid, rural behaviour on the village green. Sunny at times but still rather cloudy for most of the day.

Five hours later, including an hour wandering the aisles of several DIY superstores, I had managed 42 miles. No ill effects thanks to sensible eating and drinking: Two thick slices of wholemeal bread as a mature cheddar sandwich, one banana, one Corny, muesli, dark chocolate bar and a small box of pure apple juice. I ate some pineapples with a digestive biscuit and a refreshing cup of tea on my return before enjoying a warm shower.

Not another dark and damp tunnel?

All this text to cover only one day's activities? If this gets any worse I shall have to join Twitter to practice my art of précis. Lets see now: Arose, muesli, walked, coffee, triked to Odense, shopped, swans, wayward blond, pheasants, home, 42 miles, showered. Will this do?

Are pictures allowed? A picture being worth at least 140 characters.[Allegedly] Why would anyone voluntarily imprison their thoughts in an undersized coffin? Are Iron Maidens the new, 21st century diary? Each word individually impaled on an evil, digital dictator's pike for all to see? Publish and be damned? Or publish and become an overnight [virtual] billionaire.

Tuesday 25th 41F, 5C, calm, very misty, still dark at 7.45 am.. The forecast is much like yesterday's but with even less wind. First frost due tomorrow morning. A Danish billionaire wants to build the first Danish gated community. Wouldn't a baseball bat and a Rottweiler be cheaper? Isn't it odd how different members of society 'enjoy' completely different freedoms and restrictions depending entirely on their status? I bet the gated community won't be  built right beside a motorway for "better access to the global markets." Why are billionaires entitled to privacy and security but nobody else is? The most important question, I feel, is how will the billionaires avoid each other within their self-imposed, concentration camp. ;-)

The mist hasn't cleared so I had better go and put lots of lights on my trike for the ride into town. By which time the mist suddenly cleared. Which was lucky because I have mislaid my clamps to the 'Smart' lights. Three stock items missing from the supermarket shelves. Endless items discontinued for a "better" product which tastes absolutely awful after years of long term loyalty to the previous item. What about some loyalty for the customer from the supermarkets themselves? Only 7 miles under largely grey skies with hardly a breath of wind.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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