416:Get some in

Get some in. A term often used in the military to somebody who hasn't been serving long. The British military now has only volunteers, no conscripts. National Service ended on 31 Dec 1960. For other countries, that still have conscription, there are various ways of making the service seem to pass quicker. In Russia, for example, I heard that the young soldiers get themselves a one-metre rule and for the last 100 days cut off 1 cm each day. 

How did I get onto the topic of 'get some in'? Oh, yes. I have been practising for the Oosterbeek march that I shall be doing on Saturday 1st September along with a namesake of mine - 2 Des Buckleys, can you imagine? The march, near Arnhem in Holland, attracts thousands of entrants every year and they offer a choice of distance. I plan to walk 15km, the same as last year. This morning I walked almost 9 km, from Cambrils to Salou. A beautiful walk alongside the Mediterranean, which I shared with hundreds of other walkers, runners and cyclists. A couple of points of note. Firstly the floral tribute to the victims of the terror attacks last year. If you remember there was an attack in Barcelona and another one in Cambrils. The flowers are looking a bit wilted but so would you if you were out all day in +30 degree heat. Another picture shows a view out to sea. The beach is still fairly empty as it is quite early in the day and it's between the two towns, the majority of sun-seekers beat a direct path from their hotel to beach. 

The only thing I don't like about the walk is the narrow strip between the boundaries of Cambrils and Salou where African immigrants lay out their wares on the path and sell everything from hats to trainers, from handbags to perfumes. They fill the pavement with their merchandise and force pedestrians to move onto the cycle path. I'm sure there must be quite a few crashes as cyclists come hurtling along 'their' designated track. 

The final picture, a space filler if you like, shows the IKEA bookcase I just assembled a couple of days ago and part of my somewhat eclectic choice of books. 

And a video, to finish off? Highlights of last year's Oosterbeek march. If you time the finish right, you get to 'march' in behind one of the many bands that play there.  

415: The Southern cousins

On 17th and 18th July, on the way North to Scotland, I visited as many of my Northern cousins as I could. These were all from my Dad's side of the family. Last Saturday, in an attempt to be impartial, I visited my Southern cousins - from my Mum's side of the family. Here is a sanitized picture of 10 of my Southern cousins lined up as though we're about to do the conga dance.

I've blanked their faces because I hadn't asked their permission to publish them on FB. These days, when every company seems to know every last detail about every person, I'm not sure I even had to ask their permission but it's only good manners not to plaster people's pictures all over the internet willy-nilly. N.B. my military background wanted 'tallest on the right, shortest on the left' but I was overruled and we are grouped by seniority!

It was great to spend some time with both the Northern and the Southern cousins. I missed one of the Buckleys because he now lives in New Zealand. Perhaps a little trip out there in the not too-distant future?

I spent Saturday night in the Clarendon hotel in Blackheath and early on Sunday morning got up for a run around Blackheath and into Greenwich park. It was magnificent. Stupidly I didn't take my phone with me so I've nicked these pics off Flickr. Greenwich park - the home of the zero meridian and boasting tremendous views down to the Thames and Canary Wharf on the other side of it. None of those high-rise office commercial buildings were there when I was growing up in this part of London. There's progress!

On Monday, a trip to the passport office at Peterborough to pay an arm and a leg for a 4-hour passport. Actually an arm and a leg and £6 as they wanted me to give them a different set of photos - they couldn't believe the first set! It was a bit nerve-wracking sitting in the booth watching the message "not suitable for a passport" coming up. You can have up to 3 tries before you have to press print but all 3 attempts said "not suitable". What could I do but print them off. Luckily those awfully nice passport office people accepted them and I now have two passports, in case one needs to be away to have a visa added at the same time as I need a passport to travel somewhere else.  

Yesterday I flew to Salou and had 'fun and games' with the train from Barcelona Sants to Salou. On the train, off the train, on the train. Another story for another day. Here is a pic of the information board at Cambridge railway station

Today's video is the old "Yes Minister" sketch about the European Union.

414: A bridge too far...

Went for a walk around Strath Brora on Monday. (Strath is a Scottish/English word for a broad mountain valley). A fox ran out from the side of the road and then ran along in front of the car for a few hundred metres as we were driving to the start. (Note for Gwen & Clive: this townie knew it was a fox as Alisdair told me it was 😁) 
We weren't going fast as it is single track road out in the hills. Took us longer to get to the start than we had intended as both of us had maps that stopped a few miles short of our FUP (once upon a time it was military jargon to mean 'forming up point' I see it now also means 'Fair Usage Policy'!). We eventually discovered our mistake and turned back. We parked the car, had a quick caffeine fix and set off. The walk was just over 11 miles and took a little over 4 hours. It was over a mix of road, path and track. The scenery was magnificent. The weather was kind to us all the way round. A bonus in the Highlands of Scotland. The legs were pleased when we got to the end.

Off for a pint and a game of pool in the evening, walking/waddling down the high street as if we were practising for a grant from the Ministry of Silly Walks (see video). 

 

small lakes in the hills are called lochans	the long and winding road...
	a cairn in the foreground and unsightly wind turbines in the background. They seem to be everywhere in Great Britain.