Tag Archives: Cycling

As time passes by our interest change – activities and hobbies I’ve outgrown or lost interest in

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Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?

– Jetpack prompt

As I reinvigorate my blog I’m experimenting with different approaches to posts. In my early stages I used regular prompts as an approach, so here I go.

Riding in Sicily

There are many activities and hobbies I’ve grown out of. No surprise there, I’m on the wrong side of 65.

The one that quickly came to mind was stamp collecting. As a primary school child and early teenager, I was an avid collector. I wasn’t the beneficiary of a parent or grand parent’s collection, so I started from scratch. I say that because I used to look on at envy at those who had old albums full of interesting stamps. Mine however was just ‘bog standard’. Aussie stamps collected from envelopes, swapped and bought over time. For a while my sister and I went to a local stamp club where we’d buy a few stamps, as my own swaps weren’t of much interest. I also built up a collection of First Day Covers. However, as I grew older I simply lost interest, and today I’m not sure I even know where my stamp collection is.

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The Diary of a Slow Traveller – The Southern Fleurieu, South Australia

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Sunset at Second Valley

Recently South Australia has been getting some attantion as a hidden gem. AS a local I can only say to those who are thinking of visiting SA – come on down.

We have just had a couple of days on the glorious Fleurieu Peninsula, where we are lucky enough to have a beach house. I love it because our beach house is in a quiet little town, Second Valley where we can hide away  and with the start of winter relax by the fire.

I also love the opportunity to ride up over the range and toward SA’s major tourist town of Victor Harbour about 60 kms away, across to Cape Jervis where the Ferry terminal is for the short trip across to Kangaroo Island or to ride a loop that takes in the range, Torrens Valley and then the stunning coastline at Lady Bay.

I thought for this post I’d let some pictures I took tell the story…

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Two Years of “What’s Next”

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It is now two years since I commenced “What’s Next”. I am no longer the man in the suit peering over the fence to see what’s there. I am living, and dare I say loving “What’s Next”!!!

Source: http://innovationpov.com/evolution-of-concept-stimuli/

I am well into my PhD, with my Supervisors telling me I am on track. There is still an enormous amount to do, however it does seem to be coming together. I have completed my Major Review, a year one milestone. I have written more than 20,000 words, some of which might even make it into my thesis!

We have enjoyed a significant stay in Italy, a cornerstone of my planning for “What’s Next”. We have also had a short trip to the USA, courtesy of a paper built on my Honours research and are now planning another trip.

My bike riding has been consistent, but I am not riding as often as I’d like. I read Jim’s Fit Recovery Blog  and realise how much more I could be doing, buy hey, I am out on the bike!!!

I have continued with my blog. Continue reading →

The Diary of a Slow Traveller – Close to Home – The Tour Down Under

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Silver Sands Beach – Willunga Stage

My hometown of Adelaide, South Australia hosts the Tour Down Under each year- race one of the UCI World Road Cycling Tour. Now in its 19th year it is well established and patronised by locals and tourists alike.

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The Tour Village – Victoria Square, Adelaide

In 2017 we are lucky enough to have the Tour Village at one end of our street and the criterium that provides the introduction to the 5 stage race at either end of our street.

The criterium provides an opportunity to see the riders close up as they stretch their legs ahead of the TDU itself. A warm summer’s night greeted the race in 2017 and more than 100,000 people turned out to watch.  What a  thrill to see not just our local heroes, Caleb Ewan, Richie Porte and Simon Gerrans but also the World Champion, Peter Sagan. The sprint finish just a couple of hundred metres from my front door came down to the wire as expected with Ewan first , and Sagan third. Continue reading →

Riding on the other side of the road – Siracusa

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Today was an opportunity for me to get on the bike for the first time and go for a ride. It had been over a month since I’d had my last ride so I was definitely looking forward to it.

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I had toyed with the idea of riding the roads around Lake Como and had explored hiring bikes before we left. I very quickly dismissed that idea once I saw the narrowness of the roads, however in Siracusa the roads are wider even if there is a lot more traffic.

Our amazing Airbnb host doubles as a tour guide. He set a course for a ride around the big harbor, to the lighthouses, old World War Two lookout points, some of the beaches and the general surrounding area. We covered just over 50kms on hybrid bikes.

As it was my first ride in Siracusa, I set new personal records for each and every segment on Strava! I don’t plan to publish my time or average speed as they were at best slow. It really didn’t matter.

As we stopped at destoyed World War Two sites, I had the realization that this had been foreign soil that the Allies had to win from the people who were now our wonderful hosts..

World War Two observation post destroyed before the Allies arrived.

World War Two observation post destroyed before the Allies arrived.

We stopped for coffee at a couple of bars, the second of which was a lifesaver for me as I was exhausted. Coffee and a ricotta pastry that gave me the energy to ride the last few kms back.

It was a most enjoyable ride and I had managed to ride on the right hand side of the road the whole time!

It was windy!

It was windy!

Looking back to Siracusa

Looking back to Siracusa

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