Broom Wagon

Story Bridge Adventure Climb

2007-01-18T19:15:00.001Z

Six Years Later and We're in Dublin

2006-11-30T19:14:00.000Z

Monument

2006-11-22T19:13:00.000Z

An afternoon to kill and a clear autumn day in London.

AFL

2006-10-24T19:13:00.000+01:00

Stonehenge

2006-10-17T22:34:00.001+01:00

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Run London

2006-10-10T19:20:00.000+01:00

While I've been on the bike a bit lately, I haven't exactly been keeping up with the running. So, the idea was to sign up to Run London in an attempt to get myself doing some regular training. Commiting to a race normally does it for me.

Not this time. Training: zilch.

Still, I managed to knock out a 10 km run on the day in just over 50 minutes, which, considering I'd run approximately twice in the last year, really ain't so bad!

Glasgow, Edinburgh and K2's Wedding

2006-10-07T19:11:00.000+01:00

Croatia

2006-09-27T21:59:00.000+01:00

Best. Holiday. Ever.

Go to Croatia. Spend the week on a boat. Do nothing resembling hard work for 8 days. Swim in the moring. Enjoy a beer (or two) at lunch. Don't be afraid to take an afternoon nap. Sail from port to port. Hop from bar to bar.

Oh, and keep an eye out for the Hoff...

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Alex Lloyd

2006-09-17T21:58:00.000+01:00

Alex Lloyd played at the Islington Academy just up the road the other night. With infant son in tow (that's his kid, not mine!), Lloydie belted out an acoustic set complete with a couple of Chisel covers for the (largely) Aussie audience.

Good night all round.

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Wales

2006-08-30T21:54:00.000+01:00

Nearly 2 years after arriving in the UK and not camping a single, solitary time in that entire stretch, Karen and I spent the long weekend in Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. The weather was a little variable (as were the campsites) and the summit of Mt Snowdon was a little disappointing (when after hiking to the summit we found ourselves surrounded by screaming tourists who had caught the train to the top), but the rest of the trip was fantastic.

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French Alps

2006-08-23T18:59:00.000+01:00

After tackling some of the classic Pyreneean climbs last year during the Tour de France, I'd been keen to try my luck on the other side of France and try out some of the classic Alpine climbs.

It took a summer of procrastinating and the impending autumn to finally get me organised, but eventually Karen, Kelly, Liam and I found a weekend that would work for us. Unfortunately, the weekend we picked didn't exactly work for Pete and Kristi, but at least that gave me an excuse to go back again next year.

We flew into Geneva, on the France/Switzerland border, grabbed a hire car and drove late into the evening (and right into a storm). I'd booked a couple of rooms at Chalet Michelle, a lovely chalet run British ex-pats Brian and Michelle in the village of Venosc. Just a 10 km ride to the base of Alpe d'Huez it's perfectly situated for some seriously good riding in the summer and is served by a gondola that whisks you straight to Les 2 Alpes for some skiing action in the winter.

After the storm of the night before, the weather on the Saturday morning was nothing short of spectacular. We awoke to clear blue skies and spectacular views all the way up and down the valley. A decent breakfast, 15 minutes assembling the bike and I was off. I'd brought my bike with me so rode the 10 km to Bourg d'Oissans, but Liam hired one from a good bike shop in town and had gone on ahead to get things sorted.

It wasn't long, though, and we were off. The plan: tackle Alpe d'Huez on the Saturday and see just how under prepared we were before committing ourselves to anything sillier. While there's certainly more demanding climbs out there (not to say it's easy!), Alpe d'Huez brings with an incredible history and a fantastic natural setting that makes it such a good ride. Sustained, but constantly peppered by the light relief of the switchbacks, we made our way towards the summit.

Sadly, even the perfect ride can be marred mishap and when I heard my rear wheel blow, I wasn't exactly a happy camper. Somehow, though, when you're changing a tube half way up Alpe-freakin-d'Huez, you can't really complain.

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Pushed on by the delay and with a couple of rabbits to chase (thanks to those guys who passed while I was fixing my flat!) I gave the second half of the climb a good nudge and reached the top feeling tired, but not spent.

Filled with optimism, Liam and I took a side road on the descent and rode along a cliff face high above the valley floor. Roads like this are just too small to support the Tour de France, but are spectacular for the cyclo-tourists like us. Soon enough, we made our way back to base for a sizable dinner and a couple of wines before turning into bed.

Sunday brought with it more spectacular weather and the promise of another great day's riding. The agenda: Col de la Croix de Fer with a brief detour to Col du Glandon on the way back. Both mountain passes at more than 2000m elevation and both regular climbs in the Tour de France. A little more demanding, I think, than the previous day's ride, we set off at a steady pace not wanting to destroy ourselves before the day was over.

While not undulating, there were certainly a couple of spots where the hard earned gain in elevation was quickly lost by a minute or so descending. Still, once at the summit, the views made the ride worthwhile. Plenty of photos to honour the occasion, a chat with another Aussie cyclist and we were off to Col du Glandon before stopping for some lunch (and a beer!).

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The ride home was straight back the way we'd came, but for all the hard work on the way up, we only had miles and miles of smooth, fast roads pointing their way back down the mountain. Liam dropped his hire bike back at the shop while I road on back to the Chalet. Talk over dinner that night tended towards the exploits of the day - Liam and I boasting about our incredible ride while the girls made sure we knew all about their day of hiking and shopping!

Our final day was off the bike, but that didn't mean we were just sitting around. We caught a gondola from Venosc up to Les 2 Alpes and then another gondola from Les 2 Alpes and then another and then another and then a subterranean train before emerging at well over 3000 m to be surrounded by snow and skiers in the middle of summer. An hour ago in the valley, we were plenty warm enough in shorts and T-shirts. Now, I was glad I'd brought a jacket because we spent the next hour or so in an ice cave!

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Eventually, it was time to move on and we made our way back to our car, on to the open road and back to reality.

*Sigh*

Wimbledon

2006-07-05T18:57:00.000+01:00

The day started at about 4:30 or so, from what I can recall. It's all a bit blurry and I'm hardly at my best early in the morning.

Karen was away in Australia, but I was off to Wimbledon with Liam, Kel and Jono. We drove across to Wimbledon, given that neither the tube or busses were running at the time, to arrive around 6:00 and join the queuing masses. Having not bought tickets ahead of time we found ourselves 2000 or so people back from the front of the line - behind those who'd slept overnight or arrived even earlier!

Thankfully, London had turned on a real summer's day. It was a rather nice change to sit around with nothing much to do other than enjoy the sun. By 10 o'clock, the line started moving and we eventually came to find ourselves inside the grounds of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

With a general admission ticket we made our way towards court 2, where Lleyton Hewitt was set to play only to find the stand full of Aussies thinking similarly. After queuing for another hour or so, we eventually managed to actually see some tennis.

After Lleyton cruised to a comfortable win, we caught the beginning of a Venus Williams match before adjourning for some refreshments! Feeling refreshed, we caught a couple of doubles matches on the outside courts from the comfort of some courtside seats in the shade.

Day soon gave way to evening and we ended our stay by watching Wayne Arthurs and Alecia Molik battle it out with Lukas Dlouhy and Eva Birnerova. Sadly the Aussies weren't the victors on the day, but with the sun setting we headed back to Angel for a well deserved night's sleep.

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Eye, Eye

2006-06-25T16:47:00.000+01:00

"Will we? Won't we? Ooh, I don't want to go on a day with bad weather. Yeah, but the weather's good. Oh, it's not any more. Oh, it's good again!"

Despite the rediculously changeable weather (some might even suggest it was rather Melbourne-like), when we finally committed to going for a ride on the Eye, it was well worth the trip.

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Bruges

2006-06-11T11:20:00.000+01:00

In no particular order:

Beautiful town (with plenty of tourists, but without a lot of the usual tourist traps)
So many snacks (frites, moules, more frites)
Canals a la Venice
Mmm, Belgian beers (including the occasional Mad Bitch)
Oh, and Belgian chocolates
Cycling to Holland (that's a whole different country!)
Food poisoning

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When iPods Go Bad (And Then Good Again!)

2006-05-02T23:18:00.000+01:00

Some mindless work ahead of me prompted me to pop my headphones in the other day and spin the click-wheel to some Snow Patrol. It was only then that I realised things weren't all well in the land of iPod.

With no joy from the obvious troubleshooting tricks, I was all set to justify some retail therapy and get myself a shiny new 60 GB toy. Just in case, though, I figured I'd Google just a little bit more in case any out of the ordinary solutions popped up. Most of the posts were dead ends, but a couple of users reported that a swift kick (or hit, or drop) managed to right the wrongs. With nothing left to do, I gave my trusty friend a hefty knock and guess what?

I can now happily listen to Snow Patrol (and all my other music for that matter). Good as new!

Easter in Stockholm

2006-04-19T22:33:00.000+01:00

Cheap flights, 5 star hotel, 4 days away from London and a Scandinavian Easter. Welcome to Stockholm.

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Shiny, Shiny

2006-04-02T10:55:00.000+01:00

I was pretty excited back in May last year when I got a great big box from the States that had in it a shiny, shiny new bike. It saw me through some great rides around Scotland and a fantastic trip to France for a little bike race they have over there. But it was on my first ride since arriving in London that I noticed a harline crack in the downtube. Maybe it was just in the paint, or maybe it was symptomatic of something more structural, but either way, it was right where the downtube met the headtube. I've read enough about carbon frames to know it was worth getting looked at, but having bought it from the States, I wasn't sure how I'd go about getting it looked at under warranty.

After a few emails to Competitive Cyclist in the States and to Fisher Outdoor Leisure here in the UK it turned out that a local bike shop would happily take a look at it under warranty. So, I made the 5 minute walk to Mosquito Bikes where I dropped-off my bike and waited. And waited. And waited. And waited some more.

To be fair, Fisher, the UK distributor was going through the right steps. My old frame was sent back to France for x-rays, no less, to see if the crack was structural and there was a bit of to-ing-and-fro-ing with my US paperwork, but in the end, I was told, 'Yep, you'll get a new frame and you'll get an upgrade to the new 585.' Nice!

After a quality fit-up from the guys at Mosquito Bikes and a few trips back and forth to the shop, I got a very, very nice new toy.

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Yesterday, I diced my way through London traffic through to Richmond Park for my first ride onboard the new frame and ooh, baby, it's good!

Greenwich

2006-03-25T10:35:00.000Z

London turned on a beautiful winter's day for a little outing to Greenwich on the weekend.

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Prague

2006-02-27T10:54:00.000Z

I've come to the conclusion that there's nothing wrong with turning 30. Not that I've turned 30. It's just that next year I will. For the time being though, I'm now happily 29. To celebrate the (rather unspectacular) passing of time, Karen organised a local dinner with Liam, Kel, Pete and Kristi before the two of us headed off to Prague for a long weekend.

I wasn't really too sure what to expect of Prague - other than roaming hoardes of English stag parties. And on that front, I was happily disappointed. Prague was a genuinely pretty city (with not a single stag party spotted for the entire weekend)!

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Stratford-Upon-Avon and Warwick Castle

2006-02-19T16:41:00.000Z

Just when we were getting used to the idea of London being our new home, Karen and I ducked off to the English countryside for the weekend. We decided to make a break for Stratford-Upon-Avon a couple of hours North-West of London for an early Valentine's Day.

Famous for one thing and one thing only (namely being the birthplace of one William Shakespeare) Stratford is a surprisingly pretty little town with plenty of pubs, restaurants and attractions - the majority of which tout some link to the playright. My favourite amongst them, for no other reason that its fantastic name, was The Shakespeareance - I kid you not.

Stratford-Upon-Avon

After the night at a B&B and having taken in just one of the many Shakespearean attractions (for the record, we saw the much modified house of his birth), Karen and I headed down the road for some more tourist excitement.

Having spent last year in Scotland, we've seen our fair share of castles. For the most part, they were beautiful historic buildings set in rugged locations in varying states of preservation. Some were little more than ruins, others were well kept and maintained. None, however, included a display of torture equipment, 20-odd rooms of wax manequins and hoards of roving over-acting arts students in period costume. Yes, proudly brought to you by The Tussauds Group (of Wax Museum fame), Warick Castle is where history meets tourism.

Warwick Castle

To be fair, Warwick Castle is a beautifully preserved piece of English history and certainly worth the visit should you find yourself in the area. It's just hard to concentrate on the history when you're watching comedy troupes perform mock torturings.

A note on the photos. As mentioned briefly in my last post, I'm now hosting my photos at flickr. I won't be posting as many photos inline, instead, you can click on either of the photos above and be presented with a slideshow of shots for that day.

First London Ride

2006-01-26T21:11:00.000Z

Even though the temperature was still well down in the single digits, Pete and I headed off for a ride on the weekend. After the hills around Glasgow, things are pretty flat around London. We didn't complain too much though!

PS I've moved hosts for my photos. I'm now a convert to Flickr.

Pete and the Wee Beep-Beep after our first ride back.

New Year 2006

2006-01-03T10:58:00.000Z

With Liam and Kel in town and Christmas behind us, it was time for some London New Year action. Admittedly, we weren't the party animals of old - the evening largely consisting of hanging around the flat for some dinner and enjoying a couple of beers. We at least managed to get out of the house and brave the weather (not to mention the crouds) at Waterloo where we saw in the New Year with the fireworks on the Thames.

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Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow.

2005-12-27T18:39:00.000Z

Just a few days after we moved into our flat and only a couple of days after Christmas, snow hit Northern London and our street when from a dull grey to a slightly less dull grey.

Grantbridge St.

From the living room.

From Brisbane to Singapore to London to Glasgow to London

2005-12-24T21:54:00.000Z

I guess there's a few things to write about since my last post! Somewhere in the blur of November and December, I somehow managed to:

Pack up all our worldly possessions in Glasgow;
Move out of our flat;
Fly back to Brisbane;
Catch up with everyone back home (including meeting some new additions to the Howard and Sulisz families!);
Celebrate Jac and Rod's wedding;
Fly back to Glasgow;
Get all our bloody possessions out of storage and cram them into not one, but two cars;
Drive convoy-style from Glasgow to London (should you ever have the option of doing anything other than embarking on this 9 hour drive the day after flying from Australia, I'd suggest you do that instead!);
Dump our stuff with some very generous and forgiving friends (thanks Bron, Pete and Kristi);
Have an accident in a hire car (not my fault and thankfully no damage);
Stay with Bron for a couple of weeks and delight in the joys of Homechoice.
Celebrate our 5 year anniversary (can you believe it!);
Stay with Pete and Kristi for a couple of more weeks;
Find and start a new job;
Welcome Liam and Kelly to London;
Move into a new flat.

I think that's it. Not much really.

First Day, First Test Match

2005-11-25T15:31:00.000Z

It was a tough day for watching cricket.

Liam and Sean.

Sean and Damo.

The view for most of the day.

Isle of Arran

2005-10-17T15:01:00.000+01:00

With our time in Scotland rapidly coming to an end, Karen and I spent the weekend on the Isle of Arran. Arran is significantly more accessible than some of the other islands off the west coast and easily explored in a couple of days. You still need to catch a ferry from the mainland at Ardrossan (captured eloquently by the Lonely Planet: "The only reason for coming here is to catch a CalMac ferry to Arran"), but in about 2 hours you can go from your desk at work to a B&B by the sea.

We spent Saturday doing a loop of the Island in the car. Happily stopping for a couple of castles, a couple of walks and a couple of beers. On Sunday, Karen endulged in some retail therapy while I re-traced the loop we had made in the car on my bike. It's about a 100 km loop and (despite some nasty, nasty headwinds) I managed the up and down road in about 4 hours. Thankfully, you'll see no photos of me in lycra this post.

Brodick Castle.

The sheep take priority over football.

Lochranza Castle.

Stone skimming.

A balancing act.

Karen getting close to the water.

Machrie Moor.

Standing stones.

Standing Dave.

Standing Stone.

Standing Kaz.

Karen, near King's Cave.

Going underground in King's Cave.

View from inside the cave.

Afternoon sun.

Google Earth

2005-10-13T15:25:00.000+01:00

I've been wasting waaay too much time playing round with Google Earth lately. It's really kind of addictive being able to zoom right in on all the places you've lived or to check out places you've visited. But the other cool thing is that you can zoom right out. Far enough out, in fact, to see a 20 hour flight condensed into a single straight line from one side of the globe to another. And, when you put together all of the flights you've taken over, say, the last 5 years, you get an interesting spider web of journeys. Pretty pictures below.

South-East Asia.

Europe.

North America.

Berlin

2005-10-13T14:59:00.000+01:00

Almost as soon as we were back from Canada, it seemed, we were off to Berlin (okay, we had a weekend in between, but still). I'd wanted to go to Berlin for a while and after a sneaky Friday afternoon departure we met up with Rich and Susie. Now usually a weekend with Richard and Susie would invovle generally eating and drinking, some occassional touristy-type activities followed by another meal. Berlin was no exception.

It's an interesting place to see. Old and new at the same time. Eastern communism next to Western capitalism. Tasty beers with local sausage. Ich bin ein Berliner!

Sunrise over Germany.

Whacky street theatre.

The Reichstag.

Cupola.

Sun shield and mirrors.

Self portrait.

Me, Susie and Richard.

German flag.

From the top of the Cupola.

Richard, Karen and Susie.

Karen and me at the Brandenberg Gate.

The Holocaust-Denkmal.

Checkpoint Charlie.

"You are leaving the American sector."

Berlin Wall.

Former location of the Berlin Wall at Postdamer Platz.

Savouring some other German traditions.

Brandenberg Gate at sunset.

Berliner Fernsehturm at night.

Berliner Dom.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Richard, me and Susie at the Siegessaule.

We could walk...

Or we could get a rickshaw instead!

Fat Cyclist

2005-10-07T15:44:00.000+01:00

Cycling can be a weird sport. It's got a lot of history and more than its fair share of etiquette, but its also got high-tech gadgets and shiny new carbon fibre toys. It's got teamwork, but the winners are almost always individuals. It's got hairy-legged sprinting giants and tiny climbers half their size (man, Rasmussen is seriously skinny).

All of this can provide some seriously good comedic value - the best of which I've seen in a while is the Fat Cyclist. Anyone who can deconstruct an Assos ad and capture group ride etiquette so well deserves a mention.

Thankyou for filling in a lazy afternoon at work Fat Cyclist, thankyou.

Modern Glasgow

2005-10-06T23:40:00.000+01:00

Just to prove that Glasgow isn't all sandstone and tenements and council flats, here's a couple of shots from around the Science Centre and Convention Centre. The Tower claims to be the worlds only aerodynamic building. It apparently turns on its axis to point into the wind. If only it worked.

Bells Bridge and Armadillo (The Scottish Exhibition and Convention Centre).

Science Centre and Tower.

Tower closeup.

Tower, Science Centre and IMAX Theatre.

Vicki and JP's Wedding

2005-09-24T23:26:00.000+01:00

Despite all the touristy goings-on in Vancouver, there was another reason we'd travelled half-way round the world: Vicki and JP's wedding. I'm not even going to begin to describe the day, but thanks to all involved. We had a great time, and here's to many great times for the happy couple!

We arrived in style.

The Bogden clan.

The Tickle clan.

Vicki and JP.

Proud Mums.

The name's Tickle... Warren Tickle.

Brock House Restaurant.

The crowd gathers.

The Groom looks on.

Waiting for the Bride.

Vicki and Dad, walking up the aisle.

Wedding ceremony.

Exchange of vows and rings.

Husband and wife!

Bridal party.

Dad, behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce!

Cutting of the cake.

Awwwww.

Father of the Bride.

Best Man.

Appreciative audience.

The lovely ladies.

Adrian, Colleen and Niall.

Ray Stardust and Tina Colada. Oh dear.

"Heathcliffe, it's me. I'm Cathy. I've come home!"

Thankyou, and goodnight.

Vancouver

2005-09-24T23:05:00.000+01:00

Mum, Dad and Colleen arrived in Vancouver a little later then expected, but largely intact. It was good to have all the Tickles together for a change... and not just in the rumpus room at EP! With just over a week before the wedding, there was plenty of time take in Vancouver. Here's a couple of shots.

Totem poles in Stanley Park.

Lighthouse, Lions Gate Bridge and North Vancouver.

Across the Burrard Inlet.

Lions Gate Bridge.

Friendly construction workers high above the roadway.

Karen, Mum, Dad and Colleen out for a wander in Stanley Park.

Inukshuk on the sea wall.

Burrard Bridge from False Creek .

Granville Island (in case you handn't already worked it out).

Doin' the grind.

Almost there!

Summit of Grouse Mountain.

Sunset and gondola.

Vancouver on the ride back down.

Whistler

2005-09-24T22:56:00.000+01:00

After landing in Vancouver and catching up with Vicki and JP for the evening, we hit the road with Luke and Abi. Recently arrived from a 20000 km road trip around Canada and straight from a solid stretch of apartment hunting, they offered up 2 seats in El Capitan and we made for Whistler. It was a beautfiul drive through Vancouver, along the Sea to Sky Highway and into the mountains. While not ski season, there was still some snow on the higher peaks and the village itself attracted a healthy crowd of visitors.

With the strength of the British Pound behind us, we all stayed at a nice hotel and made good use of the in-room jacuzzi (don't worry, you won't see any photos of that on this page... that is, of course, not unless you want to). Our chefs (Luke and Abi) kept us well fed and we soon turned in for the night. Next day, we were out and about (or should that be oot and aboot) for a couple of hikes - Cheakamus Lake the highlight. No bear sightings, but plenty of RVs. Man, they love a big car over there.

We had one more night in Whistler before heading back to Vancouver to meet Mum, Dad and Colleen at the airport. Details of our time in Vancouver to come!

Fine dining in Whistler.

Steady on.

Abi and Karen at Cheakamus Lake.

Abi, Luke, Karen and Me on the shores of Cheakamus Lake.

MacLaurin's Crossing suspension bridge.

Luke and me... way down below.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

2005-08-27T17:47:00.000+01:00

Edinburgh and Glasgow are about an hour apart. You can drive there from Glasgow like you'd drive from Brisbane to the Gold Coast. The M8 practically joins the two with business parks and towns scattered along the motorway. But they're two very different cities. Weegies will tell you, sure, Edinburgh's pretty, but you wouldn't want to live there. Edinburgh locals (when you can find them amongst the English and Aussies) will tell you Glasgow's dirtier and rougher. And you know what, they're both right. The heart of Edinburgh is genuinely beautiful. Glasgow is rougher, but it's bigger and there's a lot more for the locals to enjoy.

Anyway, that's a long winded introduction to what amounts to a handful of photos from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This thing takes over the city for a month. Inner city flats are turned over to tourists and rented by the night. Street performers crowd the Royal Mile almost as much as the touts handing out flyers for their shows. But amongst some absolutely terrible acts are more than a few incredible shows. Karen and I, along with Bron up from London, caught a few from both categories when we popped over there for the weekend.

Karen and Bronwyn relaxing by the Spiegeltent.

Sun! In Scotland! Can you believe it!

A Fringe Festival club in the old town.

Festival lights.

Edinburgh to the East.

Edinburgh Castle and Princes St.

The Scott Monument.

Scott Monument detail.

Karen and Edinburgh skyline.

Edinburgh Castle and me.

World Pipe Band Championships

2005-08-27T17:22:00.000+01:00

The Boghall lining up.

Marching on.

In the circle.

Hard at work.

The crowd watches on.

A cheeky smile.

Carl's Visit

2005-08-27T16:48:00.000+01:00

Carl dropped in for a few days on a round-the-world trip a few weeks back and, in the space of just over 2 days, we managed to take in a fair bit of Scotland: Edinburgh (including a show at the Fringe Festival), St Andrews, Loch Lomond, Glen Coe, Oban, Inverary and Glasgow.

I suspect, somehow, that this pace was sedate by Carl standards, given how he described his trip to that point! Carl, if you're out there, I hope the Contiki trip didn't do you liver any permanent damage and that you were able to secure the McDonalds and Coke required to keep your body functioning on a day-to-day basis!

Carl at St Andrews.

Dunnottar Castle.

From St Fillans.

Sunset across Loch Lomond.

Luss, on Sunday morning.

Heading north.

The approach to Buachille Etive Mor.

Yours truly.

Karen on a summer's day.

Reflections of the highlands.

Summer vs winter.

Mmm, windy roads.

Castle Stalker on Loch Linnhe.

Connel Bridge.

Oban bay.

McCaig's Tower.

Karen, high above Oban.

Carl and Karen.

The boys.

Me, at McCaig's Tower.

There's only one way down.

Inverary Castle.

Tourmalet vs Coot-tha

2005-08-15T20:26:00.000+01:00

Last Tour de France post, I promise!

Ever wondered how those big those climbs in the Tour really are? Ever wonder how they compare to the rides round home? Well (for the Brisbane readers, anyway) wonder no more.

Check out the picture above. The outline of the large yellow area is the Col du Tourmalet. The little squiggle just visible above the x-axis - that's Mt Coot-tha shown on the same scale!

The scary thing is I didn't calibrate the altimeter on my heart rate monitor on the day I rode Tourmalet so the altitude readings on the graph are slightly lower than in reality. That makes Tourmalet even slightly higher than shown here. The sign at the summit reads 2115 m.

Tour de France

2005-08-02T15:19:00.000+01:00

I've finally managed to put together some words (and more than a few photos) from my recent trip to the Tour de France. You can find more details on each day of the trip below:

Day 1, Arrival in Paris
Day 2, Road-Trippin
Day 3, The Pyrenees
Day 4, More Climbs
Day 5, Still More Climbs
Day 6, The Finish
Day 7, The Feed
Day 8, The Start
Day 9, Individual Time Trial
Day 10, Finish in Paris

Tour de France, Day 10

2005-07-31T22:07:00.000+01:00

After more than 3 weeks of hard racing, the first half of the final stage into Paris is really little more than a procession - a chance for the riders to enjoy their spoils, safe in the knowledge that they can put their feet up for a few days. As the boys get closer to Paris, however, the race heats up. Sure, the general classification is very, very rarely decided on the last day, but there's been more than one occasion when Aussies have sprinted down the cobbles of the Champs-Élysées to claim the green jersey.

So, armed with this knowledge, we wandered up to our seats under an unsettled sky, safe in the knowledge Armstrong should come away in yellow, but quietly hoping Robbie McEwen might manage to grab green on the line. Through Bikestyle's contacts we'd managed to secure some seats on the finishing straight about 250 m from the line. Not a bad spot considering Paris was an absolute madhouse and the crowd was 4 or 5 people deep along the length of the Champs-Élysées.

While we didn't know it at the time, the overall classification was officially decided before we had even set eyes on the riders from our vantage point. Due to the changeable weather, the powers that be had effectively stopped the clock before the riders hit the cobblestones in order to reduce the likelihood of a pile-up in the race for the line. I'm still not sure if points were on for the sprinters in the race for the green jersey, but in the end, it didn't really matter. Ever-attacking Vino out-foxed everyone with 500 m to go and comfortably claimed the stage victory ahead of the out-and-out sprinters.

In the end, it was Rasmussen in the polka dots, Hushovd in green and a man named Armstrong in yellow. Seven times straight is an incredible achievement and there's been much speculation since Armstrong's retirement on whether anyone will repeat such a feat. There's been plenty of chat, too, on whether he'd beat a Merckx or a Hinault while at their best. In the end though, who cares? Armstrong's story is his own. It's the stuff of sporting folklore.

Kristi and Pete on the Champs-Elysees.

The crowd waits.

Here they come.

And off they go!

And back they come (I'm getting dizzy now).

Rabobank celebrate.

The King (of the Mountains) enjoying his spoils.

T-Mobile thanks the crowd.

Jan's still smiling.

Discovery take their applause.

Armstrong gets thanks from all around.

It doesn't take long for the party to start.

Landis looking for a way out.

Basso looking pleased with his efforts.

Popovych, the best young rider.

Will his record ever be beaten?

Sunset on Paris.

Tour de France, Day 9

2005-07-31T21:10:00.000+01:00

Even though the Tour had one more stage to go, stage 20 marked the end of racing for the general classification, and offered Armstrong one last chance to take a stage in his final trip round France.

Having opted against a ride, we instead headed straight for Saint-Etienne - the start and finish of the final individual time trial. After watching a few of the slower few riders set off for their 55km race against the clock, I took some of the unofficial advice proffered by those in the know in our tour group.

Normally, the Gendarmes ensure that you've got to have just the right security pass in order to get close to the riders before the start of a stage, but on the day of a TT, there's a lot of people coming and going all day long. So, if you're feeling confident and the boys in blue are looking the other way, it's not too hard to jump the fence and take a closer look. Once you're inside, all you have to do is look like you belong there and you're set!

After getting dragged into a press photographer scrum when Lance turned up to visit Sheryl and his kids, I thought better of it and decided it was time to secure a good vantage spot to watch the race unfold. Thankfully, Pete had already wedged himself against the barrier about 100 m from the finish line. With some deft footwork, then, I too got myself in a prime spot.

If you followed the race at all, then you'll know that today was the day that Rasmussen lost 3rd place in the GC (courtesy of what seemed a countless number of crashes, mechanical issues and flat tyres). It was also the day that Ullrich showed the world he is still an incredible rider by setting what was, at the time, (though not by the end of the day) the fastest time on the course. More importantly, though, it was the day Armstrong clinched his first stage victory of this year's race and his 7th straight Tour de France title.

If you didn't follow the race, well, you missed part of cycling history.

Jolly pink Giants.

The world watches on.

Last minute checks.

Sheryl Crow taking happy snaps of Johan Buyneel and John Kerry.

Lance, the kids and Sheryl.

Tania and the Devil.

The start ramp.

Brad McGee on the way to the start.

Jan Ullrich on his way to claiming a spot on the podium.

Armstrong amongst the security guards.

Looking relaxed.

The finish line.

The crowd watches as Rasmussen loses third place in the GC.

The final corner.

Rogers in World Champion colours.

Here comes Dad.

On his way to stage victory and 7th Tour de France win.

The winning time: 1:11:46.

Just one last formality.

Tour de France, Day 8

2005-07-31T13:08:00.000+01:00

The Bikestyle gang did a great job of making sure we saw plenty of the race. Today was no exception. The plan: Grab the bus to the start of Stage 19, snap some paparazzi-style photos of the riders as they get ready for the day's racing, then sneak in a climb up the Puy do Dôme in the afternoon. As it turned out, we didn't make it on to our bikes as the Puy du Dôme was closed to cyclists. Still, we had a great opportunity to see some of the riders up close and relaxed before the start line.

Interesting Tour de France fact: The start line isn't really the start line. It's the départ fictif. To prevent the potential carnage of a standing start, the race doesn't start in earnest until the départ réel. This is normally a few kilometres down the road and once the riders have got up a reasonable speed. It's kinda like a rolling start in motor sport.

The start at Issoire.

Obsessed? Much?

So, Vino, do you plan on attacking today?

Jan, don't you think the pink jersey is, well, a bit girly?

Which way to the start?

Oh, it's over there.

Thor Hushovd wearing green.

Baden and Brad. Go Aussies!

Hey Stewie!

Over here, Robbie.

Time out for the fans.

And on to the start line.

And they're away.

Tour de France, Day 7

2005-07-31T12:55:00.000+01:00

Another day, another ride. This time, we caught the riders as they slowed (but only ever so slightly) during the feed zone on stage 18. Like yesterday, we rode along the course ahead of the caravan so were in position with plenty of time to spare.

If you've ever wondered how these guys can stay out on the road for 5 or 6 hours a day without collapsing in a heap, then nutrition (that, along with incredible fitness) has got a lot to do with it. During the tour, the riders need to eat, eat and eat. They churn through more calories per day than climbers summitting Everest. And they do it for 3 weeks on end. And they do it in the middle of just about every stage without hardly slowing down.

For example, on today's stage, a stretch of road 1 or 2 kilometres long was designated as the feed zone. Team cars park alongside the road in this stretch and get take-away lunches prepared for the riders. Then when the race approaches, riders pick out their support crew and grab a bag (musette) filled with food and a couple of water bottles.

A surprisingly large number of fans hang around these feed zones. Why? Free stuff. You see, once the riders pick up their lunch for the day, they throw out their used water bottles, or the food they don't feel like eating, or the bag that carried it all. And don't the fans love it. Mums and Dads fight over an energy bar while kids push other kids out of the way just to get a domestique's phlegm-filled water bottle. And they say the French are rude. They're just really suckers for free stuff.

Don't mess with these guys.

Funny hats are what tourists do best.

But I'm not the only one looking silly.

Is that Sheryl and Lance?

Team cars getting set up.

Lunch, anyone?

Do you want fries with that?

Here they come.

Eat in or take-away? Take-away.

What are you having for lunch? Want to trade?

And away they go.

Tour de France, Day 6

2005-07-31T10:54:00.000+01:00

We left the mountains behind today for what was described as a flat stage (note to self, flat doesn't really mean flat, it just means not as bloody high as the Pyrenees).

Still feeling solid after 3 days in the mountains, I opted for an a ride that covered the last 80km of the course into the town of Revel. We were again greeted by perfect conditions and typical French country-side, farmhouses, small towns, sunflowers and rolling hills. It was up and down the whole way, not unlike the rolling hills between Samford to Dayboro (for the Brisbane readers out there). And then with 10 km to go, the organisers put in a Cat 3 climb just to make you hurt a bit.

Having arrived in Revel a few hours ahread of the race, we had time to drop our bikes back at the bus, grab some lunch, a beer and find a good spot to watch the sprint to the line.

Sunflowers on the road to Revel

The finish of Stage 17.

That's a mighty big bus.

And look, it's Sheryl Crow, just hanging around.

Meanwhile, Pete is all set for the race finish.

Arvesen, Savoldelli and Hinault with 400m to go.

Sevilla only a few spots further back.

Armstrong might have come in 22 minutes back, but so did Basso, Rasmussen and Ullrich.

And the yellow jersey goes to...

Tour de France, Day 5

2005-07-31T00:15:00.000+01:00

After the conquering the Col du Tourmalet the day before, I was keen to tackle yet more mountains. Sure, the legs were a bit heavy, but they were still feeling strong. What made today better, was that this time, there was a race to watch.

We decided to ride an 80km round trip from our hotel in Lourdes in order to intercept the race as it rolled across the last two serious peaks of the tour: the Col d'Aubisque (another Hors Categorie climb) and the Col du Soulor. Our ride had us meet the race route at the Soulor, then ride against the direction of the race to the Aubisque and then back to the Soulor for a well earned rest stop.

For me, this was the most spectacular day on the trip - great weather, lush green valleys surrounded by snow capped peaks, narrow roads cut into the side of mountains and tunnels gorged out of the rock. If you've ever watched the coverage of the Tour on TV and were wowed by the scenery, today, we were riding it in.

Like 2 days ago, the fans were out in force, even at a mountain top with nothing more than a restaurant the serves skiers during the winter and the odd hiker during the summer. Unlike 2 days ago, this time, the Aussies had something to cheer about. Cadel Evans led a small bunch over the course and later that day went on to claim nearly 3 and a half minutes on the peloton by the end of the stage. Hard riding today saw him move into the top 10 in the GC.

Let's roll!

Pete and I on the way to the Soulor.

Al, me, Doug, Tania, Pete and Jon heading upwards.

Not a bad view.

First climb of the day over and done with.

And it's on to the next one.

Col d'Aubisque in the bag.

Emerging from the tunnel between Col d'Aubsique and Col du Soulor.

A well deserved food stop.

I just don't think the views were quite spectacular enough!

A Basso fan makes his mark.

Could there be a better place to watch the race?

There's a few of us up here.

Terry cheering Cadel on.

Watch out for the chopper.

And here they come.

It's Cadel Evans out in front.

And he's working for it.

Armstrong's group is not far behind.

And he's looking composed.

The bunch trickles through behind them.

And it's hard work just to hold on.

Tour de France, Day 4

2005-07-30T23:51:00.000+01:00

The 4th day of our trip corresponded to the 2nd rest day for the tour's riders - lazy buggers.

With no race to watch, we had our pick of a number of classic climbs in the Pyrenees that this year's race didn't happen to include. Ever the suckers for punishment, Pete and I opted for the daddy of them all, the Col du Tourmalet. With a climb of over 17 km at an average gradient in excess of 7% it made for a good day out. Oh, and did I say it was 2115m high? That's only 100m or so below the summit of Mount Kosciusko. Bring it on!

Training for climbs like this is next to impossible in Australia or Scotland. Not that I was out training much at all before the trip, but training for big climbs is tough. The advice we were given: "Just take it at your own pace. Don't try to keep on someone's wheel, you'll only blow up if you do." So, when we hit the base of the climb proper, I was happy to slip the chain into 39x27 and take it at my own pace.

Now, some people like them, and some people don't, but the French are good at signposting climbs for cyclists. Every kilometre we were greeted by a sign informing us just how steep the next stretch of road was, what our altitude was and how much further we had until the summit. For me, it helped, knowing that with each sign I was one step closer to the summit, but I could imagine that when you're not feeling too flash, they're just a reminder of how little you've come so far!

So, when we passed the 17th of those signs, I knew I'd made it. Pete was still looking solid and we hit the summit side by side. It was time, then, for some happy snaps and a quick freshen up at the restaurant before enjoying the 50km of downhill to come. Oooh, yeah.

The weather didn't seem that bad at the time. Maybe I was distracted by the 17km of climbing still to go.

Keep on going.

The summit's up there somewhere.

Pete at the summit of the Col du Tourmalet.

I made it!

Let's head inside for a while.

Time for a drink.

There's only one way down.

And off I go.

See you at the bottom!

Tour de France, Day 3

2005-07-30T23:36:00.000+01:00

After the some serious time on the bus yesterday, everyone was keen to get out on their bikes and tackle some serious hills today. The plan was to ride the last 40 km of Stage 15, taking in the final 2 climbs, Col de Val Louron-Azet and Saint-Lary-Soulan (Pla d'Adet).

We set off reasonably early as we were riding along the route of the course and had to stay well ahead of the publicity caravan and the race itself. The Tour organisers are a force to be reckoned with and if you don't keep in front of the rolling road closures, you can get stuck for a good 3 hours.

With a clear sky, plenty of enthusiasm and a more than a fair share of adrenaline, we set off and before long we were at the base of a decent climb. I say decent in sense that it was nearly 3 times the length of Mt Coot-tha and just as steep. At this point, I was glad I'd swapped out my cassette for a 12-27. I'd be needing those extra teeth in the coming days.

40 minutes later I'd topped out over a Category 1 climb and had a long sweet decent before pushing on to a Hors Categorie climb (literally, beyond category). Thankfully, we ended up stopping short of the summit of the Pla d'Adet and found a good place to watch the race go by.

It's the publicity caravan proceeds the riders, normally by about an hour. Think the Ekka on wheels. Think random free stuff you'll never, ever use again. But, hey, when they're giving it away for nothing... suddenly nothing seems as precious as a plastic keyring from a company you've never heard of or a novelty hat 3 sizes too small.

Soon enough though, you can hear (and then see) the television choppers that follow the riders from start to finish. A minute or two later it's cars and horns and motorbikes and officials and announcements in French that you can't understand and whoosh and man, they are really moving (even on a climb like this after having already ridden 200km)! It turned out to be a small group consisting of Pereiro, Boogerd and Hincapie (Hincapie would soon go on to claim the stage). Not far back though, and it was the bigger names: Armstrong, Basso, Ullrich, Rasmussen. Then, a pause for a few minutes, and then a hundred or so riders clinging together to just make it to the top.

Because the finish was at the summit of a mountain, with only one road up and the same road back down, it wasn't long before some of the riders started decending the way they had come. First it was Ullrich, in black, flying past. Then more. Then more still. We were already doing the same, heading back to the bus, but the pros sliced their way amongst the thousands of fans - darting around kids on mountain bikes, past Mums and Dads with pet dogs, beside crazy Basque fans pushing shopping trolleys, in between the drunk Germans and Dutch. In was in that simple, casual ride back down the Pla d'Adet that I gained a newfound respect for the bike-handling abilities of these riders. If they descend like that after the race was over, I couldn't imagine how quickly they decended in the heat of battle.

Unloading for our first ride in the Pyrenees.

One climb (Col de Val-Louron-Azet).

One descent.

And one more climb (Pla d'Adet) to go!

Time to stop and fetch some more water.

And then settle in to watch the race go by.

Meanwhile, the locals kept an eye on proceedings.

Here comes the caravan!

Novelty cars are our specialty.

Ahh, water.

Even better, free beer!

Oh, it's non-alcoholic.

Thumbs up, Pete!

First riders through: Pereiro, Boogerd and Hincapie.

Armstrong and Basso.

Armstrong in yellow and in control.

Ullrich a little further back.

Rasmussen on his tail.

Vino in there fighting.

Go Aussie! Allan Davis working hard.

Moreau doing his bit for the French fans.

And here comes the bunch.

Tour de France, Day 2

2005-07-30T23:18:00.000+01:00

Today, I realised that keeping up with the race was going to take a bit of effort... even on a bus.

The Tour de France is called that because, well, it's a tour of France. And today the race was in the Pyrenees and we, well, we were still in Paris. So, along with the masses of Dutch, German and French holiday-makers, we set out on a road trip that would end 13 hours later in Lourdes.

With a bus like this, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, we could always lose a tyre.

At least we can watch the race on TV while we wait.

Tour de France, Day 1

2005-07-30T23:14:00.000+01:00

Day 1 started early. Very early. Ever since missing a flight to Oslo a month or so ago, I've been strict about getting to the airport in plenty of time. And with an extra 20kg of oddly shaped bike luggage, I made sure I set off nice and early. Thankfully the check-in staff didn't even put my bike box on the scales. In due course I arrived in Paris, collected my bags, got met at the airport by the Bikestyle crew and checked-in at the hotel.

Pete arrived a little later and after a few 'ut-da-da-da-da-to-see-ays' for old time's sake, we put our bikes together and went for a roll around Paris. Dear God. If you've ever driven on the wrong side of the road, then you'll know the mild sense of panic you get when, after looking in what you think is the right direction, a car appears as if from nowhere and then misses you by just millimetres. Imagine that while riding on a bike... amongst peak-hour Parisien drivers... without a map... and on a round-a-bout circling in the wrong freakin direction.

Still, I'm here to write this entry, so it can't have been all bad and after eventually finding our way, we tucked into a welcome dinner and got set for the rest of the trip.

"I think the hotel's back that way."

Eiffel Tower at night.

Corporate Touch Football

2005-07-04T22:38:00.000+01:00

Somehow, a little visit to Newcastle to catch up with friends and family involved playing 5 games of touch football for my ex-employer!

Cheer squad.

Susie, with ball in hand.

Rucking up the middle.

Look at that defensive line!

Try time!

Coaching squad.

Richard with a burst of speed.

How many games do we have to play?

He's away!

Post game debrief.

The team.

Hadrian's Wall

2005-07-04T22:29:00.000+01:00

Karen, at Houseteads Roman Fort.

Hadrian's Wall.

Ruins of Roman column.

Ruins.

The locals.

U2

2005-06-22T22:51:00.000+01:00

What a show! U2 played at Hampden Park last night (if you could call it that with the sky still bright at 10:30!) and Luke, Abi, Karen and I all got along to scream, sing along and be blown away by a great live band.

Luke managed to do the hard work months ago and secure some general admission tickets and then with some crafty work on the day, got us nice and close to the stage. U2 were in fine form, playing a great set of songs - playing them so well I've been prompted to go back and have a closer listen to a few tunes I haven't listened to much in the past. This was the third time I'd seen them live and they just keep putting on great shows. I'll be back for more!

Luke and Abi made it back just in time from Eastern Europe to catch the show with Kaz and me.

"Unos, dos, tres, catorce!"

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Adam Clayton.

U2, front and centre.

Bye, bye, balloons.

Bono (and half of Glasgow!).

Yours truly.

We were pretty close!

Larry doing what Larry does.

Bono doing what Bono doesn't!

Bullet the Blue Sky.

Running to Stand Still.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Seeing double?

The boys.

Proud supporters of Make Poverty History.

Zoo Station.

The Fly.

With or Without You (It should have been you, Abi! You were robbed!)

Yahweh.

"Hello! Hello! I'm at a place called Vertigo!" Twice!

Thankyou. Goodnight.

St Andrews

2005-06-20T22:13:00.000+01:00

St Andrews Castle.

Loo with a view.

Going underground.

The anti-mine.

Ruins of St Andrews Cathedral.

Graveyard, Cathedral ruins and tower.

Cathedral ruins.

The 18th on the Old Course.

London

2005-06-13T19:20:00.000+01:00

With summer (ha!) on its way, the weekends are becoming precious, precious commodities. Karen and I were looking through the calendar the other night when we realised that if we didn't get down to London soon, we mightn't get down at all! So, with a birthday party to attend, a sister to visit and umpteen friends to catch up with, we headed down to the big smoke for the weekend.

On our way to London-town.

Happy birthday Kristie!

Smile, girls.

St Paul's, all scrubbed up.

The Gherkin and London City skyline.

Across the Thames to the Tate Modern.

The Thames and London Eye in the distance.

St Paul's.

Angelia and Vicki.

Oooooh kaaaaay.

Captain Pants (a.k.a. Matto) with Karen and Vicki at the Duke of Cambridge.

Doctor Dave and Captain Pants.

And back to Glesga.

Inverness

2005-06-13T19:15:00.000+01:00

I've been doing a bit of travel up to Inverness for work, lately, and just to prove that the world really is a very, very, very small place, who also happens to be working up there at the moment? None other than Sutto!

Kickin' it with my home-boy, Sutto.

Across the River Ness towards the Columba Hotel.

The office... oh, and Inverness Castle.

From Inverness Castle.

Inverness Castle and Flora MacDonald.

What can you see, Flora?

Back towards Inverness Castle.

Pedestrian bridge.

Inverness Cathedral.

Scottish Pipe Band Championships

2005-05-21T21:41:00.000+01:00

Karen played in her first major competition of the season on the weekend - The Scottish Pipe Band Championships at Dumbarton. I managed to squeeze through the crowd (really, these things are huuuuge over here!) and grab a couple of shots. Sadly, it's a little tough to spot Karen amongst the band.

They are the Boghall...

The mighty Boghall!

Massed bands.

It's Arrived!

2005-05-18T20:48:00.000+01:00

After missing the UPS delivery guy twice, I finally managed to arrange delivery of one very big box, all the way from the States. Sure, the box was cool and all, but the bike inside was way cooler.

I was a little concerned with buying a bike over the net (despite the cost savings), but I couldn't be happier with the sizing, the finish or the ride.

All I have to do know is wait for the weather to clear and get out there!

Oooh, I wonder what's in the box?

Could it be...

A new bike!

All put together.

Ready for the first ride.

And off I go.

The Wrong Side of the River

2005-05-16T21:28:00.000+01:00

Sure, you could spend the better part of a weekend swanning around the West End, but there's plenty to see on the South side of the river. Despite catching the subway under the Clyde every day to work, I'd never ventured too far from the office. This weekend, Karen and I took a wander aound two of the larger parks in Glasgow - Pollok Country Park and Bellahouston Park.

Pollok House Gardens.

On the lawn of Pollok House.

House for an Art Lover.

Nebo And Glorious Don't Really Cut It Anymore

2005-05-16T20:54:00.000+01:00

While waiting for my bike to arrive, I've been checking out some of the stages in this year's Giro d'Italia. Like it's bigger brother, the Tour de France, the Giro is one tough race. This year, though, they've really gone and done it.

On the second to last day, after having ridden a good 170 km and topping 2 2000m cols, the 19th stage takes the peloton to a mountain-top finish at Sestriere. The final climb is a good 18 km long at a gradient of 9.1%. That's tough enough by itself, right?

Now just imagine if the last 7.5 km of the stage was on a dirt track.

Shiny New Toy

2005-05-12T20:35:00.000+01:00

I just wandered over to Competitive Cyclist and spotted my shiny new toy on their website! It's been built up, has cleared customs and should be in my hands tomorrow or Monday. Ooooh, yeah!

The Waifs

2005-05-07T16:28:00.000+01:00

We headed down to The Arches on Friday night to check out The Waifs in concert. I think it's fair to say there was more than a couple of Aussies in the crowd. Great night and great band. (Even if I did only know the one song!)

The Waifs in action.

More Waifs goodness.

We're in Glasgow, still.

Luke and Abi's Farewell Party

2005-04-26T22:58:00.000+01:00

Luke and Abi put on a little shin-dig before heading off on their Eastern European Road-Trip. I think the photos say more than I can!

Looking good, boys.

Abi and Kaz.

Luke's leftover rum takes its revenge.

Musical hats (and wigs).

Oh dear.

Luke, the rock and roll star.

Our Neighbourhood

2005-04-24T12:34:00.000+01:00

And why stop with just our street on such a fantastic weekend. Here's a couple more from around the West End.

Spring flowers (and a blue sky!)

The University of Glasgow.

Karen and the university.

Towards the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Croquet, anyone?

The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Karen and the Kelvingrove.

Afternoon sun on West End tenements.

Our Street

2005-04-24T12:29:00.000+01:00

Righto, Dad. As promised, and only a good 3 months late! Here's a bunch of photos from our street on what was one of the nicest days that Glasgow has seen in a while.

Our street.

Our number.

Our front door.

Our place (second from the top).

Our side of the street.

Our street!

The other side of the street.

Tenement closeup.

The other side of the street.

Our garage!

And our backyard!

Oslo by Night

2005-04-18T21:47:00.000+01:00

After a solid half-day's tourist-ing, a belly full of Norwegian hotdogs and some good old fashioned foreplay we hit the town for some overpriced beers. After getting up at 4 in the morning, I reckon we did alright kicking on until 3.30. And for those of you in the audience who spent a week at Thredbo back in 1999, a certain face might look familiar - I caught up with Jens Laurits (Jay) for a beer or two! Great to see him on his home turf!

Getting ready for a big night out.

A couple of beers later.

And a few more beers.

The people you meet on a night out in Oslo!

Starting to lose count of the beers, now!

Oslo by Day

2005-04-18T21:45:00.000+01:00

The only thing worse than missing your flight, is just missing your flight.

Our little getaway to Oslo didn't start out the best when upon entering the terminal, I looked to the departures board to find out where to check in only to see 'Closed' written beside our flight number. Not the best of starts to a weekend away. Despite protests to airline staff (they must really hate their jobs sometimes!) that the flight had only just closed, it soon became pretty clear that weren't going anywhere on the Friday afternoon. Thankfully they were willing to squeeze us in on a flight first thing on Saturday morning, so all we had to do was wait!

In the end, we rocked into Oslo around 12.30 on Saturday and caught up with Sarah at her place. She played a wonderful tour guide that afternoon, happily taking us places she'd no doubt been a hundred times before! Thanks, Sarah!

At the Holmenkollen Ski Jump.

Me, Karen and Sarah at Holmenkollen.

It's a bloody long way down!

Getting to know your local Trolls.

Whoops!

Oslo from on high.

The Monolith in Vigeland Park.

Staring at the sun.

Karen and Sarah trading hair care tips.

Heads together.

Statue closeup.

A grumpy little girl.

Statue closeup.

The old men of Oslo.

Statue profile.

Grumpy Tickle.

On the harbour-front.

Edinburgh

2005-04-11T20:34:00.000+01:00

Karen and I ducked across to Edinburgh on Sunday to play tourist in our own backyard. We managed to have a good look around the Castle before devouring some calorie packed 'lunch' at Chocolate Soup. Continued to have a wander around both the Old and New Town before tucking into a pub dinner and heading back home.

Across The Mound towards the Scott Monument and the National Gallery of Scotland.

Edinburgh Castle from the top of the Royal Mile.

Continuing inside Edinburgh Castle.

Foogs Gate.

Inside St Margaret's Chapel.

Ready. Aim.

Yep. It's mine. I do a bit of tower work in my spare time.

The Sword of State projected beneath the ruins of David's Tower.

Wall detail.

Scottish National War Memorial and Tower.

The Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood.

Holyrood window detail.

Easter with Richard and Susie

2005-03-31T22:41:00.000+01:00

Karen and I spent the Easter long weekend with Richard and Susie, eating and drinking our way around the Isle of Skye. Here's a smattering of photos from the weekend!

In Luss, on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Richard, Karen and Susie walking up Fort William High Street.

The first whisky of the trip.

Glenfinnan, on the road to Mallaig.

Mallaig harbour, while waiting for the ferry.

Heading to Skye.

Looking back to the mainland.

Picnic on the beach.

Free (well, included in the price of admission!) whisky at the Talisker distillery.

Across Loch Harport from Carbost.

Karen and I with Cuillin Hills in background.

Approaching clouds.

Heading across the Trotternish peninsula.

Tulm Island from the ruins of Duntulm Castle.

Kilt rock.

Across Loch Duich to Eilean Donan Castle.

Richard and Susie at Eilean Donan.

Karen and I at Eilean Donan.

Vicki's Visit

2005-03-15T21:10:00.000Z

Vicki popped in for the weekend for her very first visit to Glasgow. After a sleep in on Saturday, we headed up to Balloch and along the Eastern side of Loch Lomond. It was a bit of a change to be able to catch up on a weekend after being on the other side of the planet for so long, it was cool to realise how close Vicki and I really are... if only for the next few months anyway!

Karen and me at Balloch.

Vicki and me at Balloch.

Hooland coos!

More hooland coos!

From the Eastern side of Loch Lomond.

Don't fall in!

Not the best of beaches, really.

Newcastle

2005-03-08T20:54:00.000Z

Another weekend getaway!

Some tentative plans turned into a roadtrip proper and Karen and I headed to Newcastle for the weekend. We caught up with Rich and Susie who showed us the sites, the locals and a few pubs inbetween. Karen even managed to meet up with an old work mate, Alex, from her days back working tables while at Uni.

The angel of the North.

Markets on Armstrong Bridge.

In Jesmond Dene.

Alex, Karen, Rich and Susie on the Millenium Bridge.

Gateshead Millenium Bridge and Sage.

Gateshead Millenium Bridge and Baltic.

It sure does tilt (even if it's just for the tourists).

Gateshead Quays.

Tour de Tickle

2005-02-28T21:46:00.000Z

It's confirmed. Pete and I are off to the Tour de France this year. Lance has confirmed that he'll be riding for his 7th straight win. I'll be aiming to manage a few stages from the Pyrenees down into Paris for the finish.

For now, though, it's only just stressed how much I need to start training!

More Courchevel Photos

2005-02-24T21:48:00.000Z

Luke managed to wrangle access to a slide scanner and shot through a bunch more photos from the trip to Courchevel. Here's just how spectacular the place looked on our first day skiing.

Credits to Luke for the piccies.

How cool is that! Hang-gliding from the Alps!

Emma and me on day one.

Luke and Abi while the weather was still good.

Kaz and me on the lift.

Lukus, the action man.

Abi, doing all the hard work to get us down the mountain.

The gang on the last day.

Glencoe and Munro Number One

2005-02-22T21:35:00.000Z

Last weekend the extended hump-day gang headed up to Glencoe for a weekend in the highlands. Between the vodkas, the dodgy local beers and the Alcatraz-like hostel, I somehow managed to bag my first Munro.

Twas a great weekend, marred only by having to get out of bed on Monday morning!

Friday night at Glencoe Youth Hostel.

Luke preparing for Buachaille Etive Mor.

The approach.

On the approach.

Danny on his way to the top.

First Munro in the bag.

Karen on the summit of Stob na Broige.

Abi on the summit.

Girls on the summit.

View from the summit.

On the way back down.

All back down in one piece.

Rallying the troops at the hostel.

Karen and me in Glencoe village.

Broadband At Last

2005-02-21T20:45:00.000Z

At long last I now have broadband enabled at home. Expect more posts and more photos.

I'm Employed!

2005-02-14T14:40:00.000Z

Got word today that I'll be working for a living... for the first time in 4 months or so.

Ben Vorloch

2005-02-13T22:11:00.000Z

Luke and I got out of the city to clear our heads after the housewarming party and had a chop at Ben Vorloch. The weather, while great down low, sucked up high and we had to turn around before we made it to the summit.

Still, it was an awesome day when the sun was out.

A little bit of snow.

Say 'Hi', Luke.

The weather's not looking too good up here.

But when the sun's out, it's not bad at all.

Loch Lomond from Ben Vorloch.

Loch Lomond.

Housewarming Shenanigans

2005-02-12T21:12:00.000Z

After managing to go a good 18 months and 2 flats in Canberra with no housewarming party, Karen and I pulled off a housewarming party practically a month after moving in to our place in Glasgow.

It started small, got a little crazy and ended with drum lessons at 4 in the morning.

Oh, and the last guest didn't leave until noon or so the next day.

All smiles.

Karen and Luke.

The local boys.

Mmmm, sweet, sweet whisky.

Luke, Abi, Jason and Dave.

Happy Birthday Luke!

The kitchen's getting crowded!

Oh. My. God.

Dave and Anna.

Ah, what a happy couple.

The girls.

Beer, anyone?

Steady on!

Bodhran lessons.

Getting the hang of it.

Sleeping beauty.

The Lakes District

2005-02-07T21:43:00.000Z

Kaz and I shot down to the Lakes District on the weekend for a classic 'mini-break'. Here's a couple of photos from the trip.

On the road again... in a manual.

Valleys, clouds, stone walls. This is England.

On the way from Bowness on Windemere to Ambleside.

On Lake Windermere.

Ambleside.

Ambleside YHA. Not a bad spot.

Lakes District mountain pass.

Courchevel

2005-01-25T21:18:00.000Z

Just back from 6 days solid skiing in Courchevel. It almost felt like hard work getting out of bed towards the end, but there was just so much snow to be had. The weather was on day 1 was spectacular but the cover a little dodgey, but from Tuesday onwards the snow just kept falling and falling. Sure, it was a little tough getting down the mountain after the lifts had stopped running and the wind had picked up and the visibility had dropped to next to nothing, but hey, that's half the fun.

A bunch of Luke's mates also dropped in to fill our little pad full of talk of bouldering in the Italian Alps and re-living pranks from school. Was a cracking night!

Only trouble was we had to head home... and what a journey home. The constant driving snow closed Geneva airport but we were bumped on to a train to Basel, then a bus, then a plane to Edinburgh, then a bus to Glasgow and finally a cab ride home. Still, no broken bones and no lost luggage. Can't really complain!

Warm and toasty.

Party time!

"Frosty the snowman was a jolly, smelly soul!"

Night scene on the road to 1650.

Snow! So much snow!

From our pad, towards 1650.

Pine tree close up.

Our pad. First floor. Front and centre.

On the way down the mountain.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking."

The ice scraper returns!

Spooky French tunnel.

Looks like we might be stuck here for a while.

Killing time in Geneva airport.

Nothing but the finest of Swiss cuisine.

Madrid

2004-12-20T20:24:00.000Z

After visiting Madrid no less than 3 times prior, we managed to actually spend some time in the Spanish capital before heading home. It felt like the Spanish Sydney compared to the Melbourne we saw in Barcelona. And a Sydney without a harbour. It's big. And there's plenty to see. But there's only so many art galleries and Cathedrals you can see in one trip!

Last, but not least.

Sunset through the grounds of the Palacio Real.

Catedral de Nuestra de la Almudena.

Karen at the Plaza Mayor. All the festive shopping and whacky wigs you could ask for.

Palacio de Communicaciones. Not bad for a post office!

Plaza de la Independencia.

Felicidades! And a happy new year, too!

At the Palacio Real.

Dinner, anyone?

"Drugs?" "Thank you, no, I'm straight." "I meant, are you in here for drugs?"

Sunrise over Madrid rooftops.

Salamanca

2004-12-15T20:20:00.000Z

Salamanca was a pretty little place. A university town, but big enough to keep you occupied, every way you looked the pedestrianised streets around the university colleges seemed more beautiful. The Oxford or Cambridge of Spain?

And on to Salamanca.

Towards the Plaza de San Isidro.

Plaza Nueva.

Universidad Civil.

An astronaut? Carved into the facade of the cathedral?

Karen and me at the Catedral Vieja and the Catedral Nueva.

Granada

2004-12-14T19:51:00.000Z

Two things in Granada surprised me: The extent of Muslim influence on its architecture and the quality of our hostel!

Walking the streets of Granada seemed more like walking the streets of Morocco than walking the streets of Barcelona or Madrid. The buildings, the locals, the smells, the sights - they almost didn't seem Spanish. It seemed much, much older and, in some ways, it is.

On the other hand, our hostel couldn't have been more modern or luxurious. Not often have I stayed in a double room that locks with a smart card, has a big screen TV with remote, bar fridge and electronic safe for hostel prices. If you ever end up in Granada, check out The Oasis. Highly recommended.

Oasis. Our aptly named hostel.

From the rooftop terrace of Oasis.

On the streets of the Albayzin.

Markets on Calle Caldereria Nueva by night.

Alhambra at dusk.

The Sierra Nevada from the grounds of the Alhambra.

Alcazaba ruins.

From the Palacio Nazaries through to the Albayzin.

The Albayzin.

Patio del Cuarto Dorada in the Palacio Nazaries.

Palacio Nazaries carving detail.

Palacio Nazaries tile detail.

Patio de la Acequia in the Generalife.

Seville

2004-12-12T19:43:00.000Z

So we went from the south of Spain to the north of Spain and then back again, but ultimately we ended up in Seville for a few days. With a hostel in the middle of town, we walked everywhere there was to go.

The highlight of the stay, though, wasn't the attractions but rather the crowds that flocked to see the procession for La Immaculada Concepcion (the feast of the Immaculate Conception). Apparently, on the very day we wandered into town, a statue of the Virgin Mary makes her only appearance for the entire year, does a lap around the Cathedral and then returns home not to be seen for another 12 months. And didn't the locals love it.

And on to Seville.

The AVE (now with free headphones)!

Fountain close up.

Oranges with Giralda in background.

La Immaculada Concepcion at the Seville Cathedral.

Karen and the locals.

Choir stall detail in Seville Cathedral.

Seville Cathedral and Giralda by night.

Karen in Barrio de Santa Cruz.

Plaza de Espanya.

Fountain in forecourt of Plaza de Espanya.

Alcazar ceiling detail.

Karen at the Alcazar.

Alcazar tile detail.

Banos de Dona Maria de Padilla.

Alcazar gardens and wall.

Bilbao

2004-12-07T19:27:00.000Z

With our sketchy travel plans even more out of whack, we ended up in Bilbao after a cross-country excursion. With no accomodation in the middle of a long weekend, we managed to spend 3 nights in 3 different places.

I never would have thought that Bilbao would have offered as much as it did, but it really showed how different the Basque Country is and the level of independence that the locals feel. For a tourist, the drawcard is the spectacular Guggenheim (apologies for the number of photos, but it really is an amazing building) but the city itself was alive with people. Was it the time of year or the city itself? Who knows, but it was 3 days well spent.

Teatro Arriaga by night in Bilbao's old town.

Basque Christmas lights.

There's always time for a beer at the Cafe Bar Bilbao in Plaza Nueva.

Bilbao! Public transport capital (and, did you know, home to the world's most modern subway system)!

Guggenheim reflections.

Karen and the Guggenheim.

Guggenheim entrance by night.

Puppy!

Guggenheim by night.

Guggenheim by night from Ria de Bilbao

Valencia

2004-12-04T19:19:00.000Z

After deciding to push on from Barcelona, we headed down the coast via train (well, a couple of trains) to Valencia. We'd hoped to stay for a day or so before pushing on to Granada or Seville.

Unfortunately, our travel plans to depart Valencia also corresponded with half the Spanish population heading out for a 5 day long weekend. So we stayed a little longer than expected, and ended up somehwere different afterwards but the hostel sold beers in a vending machine. It wasn't all bad.

And on to Valencia.

First summit in Spain.

What?! More photos?!

Karen at Museo de las Ciencias.

Museo de las Ciencias Principe Filipe.

Museo de las Ciencias detail.

Palacio de las Artes and the Hemispheric.

Time for a nap at the Plaza de la Reina.

Migulete bell tower and Catedral.

Plaza de la Reina at sunset.

Karen and Valencia sunset.

Me atop the Miguelete Bell Tower.

Barcelona

2004-12-02T18:56:00.000Z

Barcelona was our first stop in Spain and as far as cities go, it was really quite spectacular. Maybe it was just the change from the rain and darkness of Glasgow, but Barcelona is a beautiful place. We ended up staying a day longer than expected (making it 4 in total) and we still managed to miss some of the highlights. Guess that's just an excuse for a return visit.

First stop, Barcelona.

Day one and I'm already annoying Karen with my camera.

But she's still smiling.

Passion Facade of La Sagrada Familia.

Door detail.

I can see yooou.

Sculpture silhouette on Nativity Facade of La Sagrada Familia.

Flying high above Barcelona.

Around and around and around and around...

Nativity Facade of La Sagrada Familia by night.

View from Palau Nacional de Montjuic to Placa d'Espanya.

The two of us!

From Montjuic.

Placa d'Europa in the Anella Olympica.

The trusty Lo-Net helps out again.

Go Kazza!

Crown detail on Monument a Colom.

La Rambla from Monument a Colom.

El Corte Ingles Christmas lights.

Christmas light close up.

The Museo Picasso.

Roman walls.

Noosa Photos

2004-11-16T22:21:00.000Z

Here's a bunch of shots from the weekend. There's a heap from the crit race the day before the tri. Robbie McEwen grabbed it on the line. There's also a few of yours truly on the day. Enjoy.

Steve Moneghetti out front.

Heading towards the start line.

Ready to roll.

The man in green is at the front.

First lap round.

And again.

Starting to stretch out.

Robbie doing his turn.

And what a turn it was. First with the throw over the line.

Yours truly, some short guy(!) and Jonesy.

Swim.

Bike.

Run.

I Didn't Die (In Fact, I Did Alright!)

2004-11-16T08:59:00.000Z

It's done. I made it. I didn't die. In fact, I felt surprisingly good for almost all of it!

The results are up for the Noosa Triathlon and I managed to sneak in with a time of 2:28:11 (the swim leg came in at 0:28:13, ride at 1:11:02 and run at 0:48:56). The swim felt easier than expected and the bike and run were about on the money. It's a good feeling having completed an Olympic distance tri - something I'd wanted to do since completing the bike leg in the team event a couple of years ago.

Pete and Jonesy came in third (can you believe it!) in their corporate category of the team event with a time of 2:13:53. Not bad stuff at all. They even managed to get a medal out of it apparently! Nice work lads.

It's Not About the Legs

2004-11-05T06:01:00.000Z

It's the Noosa Triathlon this weekend and despite previous suggestions to the contrary, I'm now a good half kilo lighter.

I don't know why I did it. I said I'd never do it again. I even told others of the pain.

And yet here I am.

Thanks and Goodbye

2004-11-02T13:01:00.000Z

Yesterday, I said goodbye to 4-and-a-half years of working for a large technology and management consulting company (it seems you can't get away with naming names on the web these days, so instead, I'll let Google find one for you).

Today, well, I slept in and watched some TV. Hardly the stuff of new beginnings!

After completing what must have been the most complicated of time and expense reports in history and watching my Corporate American Express card be unceremoniously dismembered in front of me, I sat down for what was a reasonably honest exit interview. I talked about how plenty of people have had some nasty, nasty times: 70 hour weeks on end, bastard managers, bitches of clients, budgets of zero. For me, though, I never really had those horror experiences. Work still interested me and the rewards were definitely there, but still, I had to move on. In the end, I cashed it up in Canberra - spending up on shiny toys while even managing to save a few pennies along the way.

What now? Not having to work until the new year for starters, travelling to Spain, France and Scotland... oh, and a girl called Karen.

Suntory Times?

2004-06-08T12:01:00.000+01:00

For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.

The Start of Something

2004-06-08T11:33:00.000+01:00

Google toolbar brought me here.
Curiousity made me stay.
Vanity made me post.