Hello hello hello! Here goes another weekly blog episode. This time I am writing (or at least starting to write), this random rambling post whilst sat on my sofa with my right foot elevated, balancing my laptop on my knee. You see, earlier this (Sunday) morning I gave the bedroom doorframe quite the kicking, and my little toe is being a wuss about it.
And by being a wuss I mean that it’s gone a lovely shade of black – along with a portion of my foot – and is rather swollen and stiff. Yea, I’ve broken that, haven’t I?! Honestly, I can be so clumsy sometimes, what an idiot.
I checked the NHS website to see what I should do about said broken little toe, and it appears the advice is – and I paraphrase – ‘suck it up’. I mean, the actual line they use is ‘treat at home’ unless it’s your big toe, a bone is sticking out, or your toe is at the wrong angle. Lovely. Thankfully it’s none of those things!
Hopefully by the time you are reading it in a few days, I’ll be able to report that I’m no longer in pain and the bruising has started to clear. Keep reading to the end of this post, I guess…!
On Writing
In other not-so-clumsy news, I’m happy to report that my aim to set aside 30-minutes each day to do some focused writing is having the desired effect. Since I started that a little over a week ago, I’ve published three blog posts – last week’s Weekly Blog (Episode 122), Two Short Walks From Brecon, and the next in my Cotswold Way Adventure Journal series (Day 4).
Clearly, these posts have taken more than those daily 30-minutes, and two of them were already underway, but the idea was to use the small daily target as a starting point, and that does seem to have worked. I know it’s not a habit yet (a handful of instances does not make a habit), but I am happy to have made a good start towards that. If nothing else, it’s a very good way to relearn the practice makes perfect lesson; the words flow much easier when I write regularly.
Anyway, in this weekly blog episode I’ll continue to catch you up on what’s been going on over the last month during that unintended long break from writing. I think I’ll cover something of our motorcycle road trip around Benelux, a meet up with some Ordnance Survey friends, being inspired to run, and a Food Festival that made my purse weep.
Biking Benelux
Earlier in July we packed up the motorbikes and headed over into mainland Europe for a week-long road trip in the Benelux area. We rode 1,500 miles (ish) through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and the Netherlands. As this is a weekly blog episode I will give you a very quick overview, and may or may not write a more detailed post about this trip (let me know if you want that).
We took the train over to France. LeShuttle really is a great option for motorcyclists. It’s just so easy and quick – and much nicer than a ferry in my opinion. We have never failed to meet other interesting bikers when on it. On the way to France, we chatted with a lady riding a GS who was off to explore the Balkan coast, and to whom we were able to provide some future adventure inspiration (she was asking us about Iceland). And on the way home we chatted to a couple who were returning from a ride through Norway and who it turned out we had some mutual friends thanks to Globebusters – they did the Southern Africa trip last year.
I’m often asked how I plan road trips and whether we book everything before we go or choose overnights along the way. I like it both ways; plotting routes and booking accommodation ahead of time helps to build the excitement and takes some of the stress out of the trip itself, while leaving things to chance provides heaps of flexibility and allows you to see how you feel each day.
Planning Ahead
But in all honesty, it’s getting harder and harder to leave road trips like these to chance, especially when you only have a handful of days to play with. Accommodation seems to get booked up well in advance, and places with vacancies see the potential and ramp their prices up to ridiculous levels. This is certainly the case in the UK and some parts of Europe (although Spain and Portugal were fine last year), and I’ve heard North America is also a bit like that these days, too.
With that in mind, for this short trip we booked our accommodation and had routes more-or-less planned in ahead of time. We once again made use of Simon Weir’s book of routes, along with a suggestion published in Ride magazine, giving us some liner and a couple of circular routes to help us enjoy our time away.
The highlight of the trip was certainly the winding route through Mullerthal, Luxembourg’s ‘mini-Switzerland’, with its dense woodland, rushing streams, sandstone formations, narrow rocky ravines, caves and gorges. It was stunningly beautiful, with a few options for very short walks see the rocks a bit closer, something I definitely want to go back and do more of. I can see myself returning to Luxembourg – for more road tripping and some proper hiking.
My New Rev’it Suit
The weather was certainly changeable. From 11 degrees and pouring rain one day to 31 degrees and bright blue sky the next. That’s travelling in Europe, right?! It meant it was a good opportunity to give my new Rev’it suit a real-life test – thankfully it does look like I (eventually) made an excellent choice.
I can’t remember if I told my weekly blog which one I bought in the end? The pain that was trying to find one that was the right combination of spec, fit and price is something I whinged about in this post about the World’s Largest Female Biker Meet. I was advised to try Rev’it by the owners at Motolegends (as the brands they stocked didn’t work for me), and so tried the brand-new Horizon 3 H2O textile jacket and trousers, which turned out to be just the ticket (I got mine from Sports Bike Shop and it was even on offer). Thankfully Rev’it do a short leg length and provide enough material for my wide thighs!!
My next motorcycle road trip will be a really big one – I’m riding to Morocco in the autumn. As in from my home, my own front door, to north Africa! I honestly cannot wait. There’s something about crossing a border where you have to buy insurance on entry that makes it feel like a bigger adventure to any of the trips we’ve done so far. The trip will include the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert – so exciting. But I won’t be wanting this new suit for that trip, so I’m on the lookout for a mesh jacket now! Oh dear.
OS Maps Bootcamp
I was back at work for just a few days before escaping off again for a couple of nights in Brecon with my Ordnance Survey friends. You know this already though, as you have read my Two Short Walks in Brecon post, right?! We haven’t had an official OS Champions meet up since way back in 2019, and while I was able to see a few people at the National Outdoor Expo in March, I jumped at the chance to catch up with some old and new outdoorsy friends.
This event was all about the OS Maps app; a workshop to get involved in the development and testing of some new features due to be introduced later this year. It was day of brainstorming, thinking, sketching, talking – and even trig bagging (had to be done!). I’m very excited to see what the team do with all our feedback and ideas… we’re all watching this space! I’ll definitely left you know which new features were my idea if any of them make the final version!!
Of course, the best bit of the workshop was that I got to spend time with some of my OS Champion friends. Some I’ve known for a few years, others I’ve only recently come to know. The scheme is made up of a hugely varied bunch of outdoorsy people, all enjoying getting outside in different ways (and at different levels!). I never fail to come away from spending time with members of this special club inspired and motivated to get outside even more than I already do.
Cook Out
It would be remiss of me not to mention that one of my fellow Champions – Harrison Ward (also known as Fell Foodie) – has just launched pre-orders for his upcoming book release. Cook Out includes some fantastic-looking recipes, along with information about cooking outside. The recipes have all been consciously developed and designed for single burners and camp stoves, and look absolutely delicious.
Pre-orders are open over on the Vertebrate Publishing website now, where early birds will receive a signed copy and be entered to win some outdoor cooking kit (also available on Amazon without those perks). I very much intend to feature a mini book review in a future weekly blog episode!
Three Runs a Week
On her way home from the OS Maps bootcamp, Emily (tinkadventures) went for a run. That particular Friday morning there was torrential rain and strong winds in the south west, but Emily is training for the Dragon Back Race, and wanted to check out part of the course while she was in the area.
Her resolve to go out in that weather – and that she ran 20km in those conditions – inspired me to get back out and run again. I mean, she didn’t quite inspire me enough to get out in torrential rain and storms (!), but you know, to at least go out. I was reminded during our conversation over breakfast the age-old lesson that it is my own excuses that are stopping me improve my fitness, nothing else. Not exactly a massive breakthrough, but sometimes it’s good to recap.
I’m not a runner like Emily is, but my three 20-30 minute runs a week are a great way to improve my hiking fitness, and that’s what it’s all about for me. Not doing this for a month or two has been for all kinds of legitimate reasons. And it’s not that I haven’t been active; in that time, I hiked the Cumbria Way, spent a week away on my motorbike, and did all kinds of other fun (and not so fun) things. So yes, excuses, but legitimate ones.
So, thanks Emily. Because of you I got out for six short runs in the last two weeks. It’s a start.
The obvious curve ball here is that I’m scuppered because I broke my toe, and so I’m back to making legitimate excuses again this week. Another reason to hope I heal quickly!
Food Festival Fail
I know food is expensive these days, but it made my eyes water to see a portion of poutine at the Gloucester Quays Food Festival a couple of weekends ago was £12. Poutine isn’t even a full meal… if I wanted something with protein it would have been at least £17. For street food!! Even the churros were £8 or £9 a portion if I wanted chocolate sauce with them.
Which was a shame. We’d headed over to the food festival in the hope of finding some tasty eats we wouldn’t normally be able to get locally. I love food (almost as much as I love shoes…), and thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to try new things. There were apparently 150 street food stalls, and it did feel very busy and with a lot to choose from.
While I’m not suggesting that all the street food vendors had overpriced their wares – they all charge around the same price (it’s been a very long time since you could get a bowl of curry or paella, or even a decent burger, for £6) – it does feel terribly expensive. At least we hadn’t paid to get in. Maybe I’m just getting old and grumpy?!
Anyway, we decided against spending all that on poutine and churros, so we instead headed around the Docks to pay On Toast a visit. I’ve mentioned this place in my weekly blogs before – it’s by far my favourite place to buy lunch in Gloucester. It was much better value than the Food Festival, my freshly made and stuffed-full toastie cost me £4.25 (plus £5 for my husband’s). If you are in Gloucester around lunchtime (any day), and fancy supporting a little local independent place, then I vote for On Toast!
See you Next Week
I shall stop my weekly blog ramblings there this week, but I think I’ve just about brought you up to date. Except the fantastic delivery I had from adidas, some of which you may well have seen if you have been looking at my Instagram stories. Yes, more shoes, I am quite addicted. Oh, and I had my eye test this week, which is always a little anxiety inducing. I’ve also not mentioned Threads on here yet, have I? I’ll let you know more about those things in my next weekly blog episode.
As it’s now Wednesday evening and I’m about to prepare and schedule this post ready for you to read tomorrow morning, I’d better do as I promised and provide a little toe update… Yea, I definitely broke that. The bruising is lovely and colourful, it’s still painful and I don’t much like putting shoes on, but the swelling has definitely gone down a bit.
Not only did my little toe go black, but so did quite a lot of my foot. I’ve managed to continue to get around without too much difficulty (whilst taking a lot of care!), but walking any distance has been off the cards so it’s been a pretty sedentary week. Hopefully in a day or two I’ll be walking normally again, and then I can see about a little jog next week. What a clumsy Zoe I am!
I hope you have a great week – see you in my next weekly blog.
Buy Me a Cuppa?
If you enjoyed this weekly blog episode and fancy supporting me and my mini adventures this year, you can “buy me a coffee” for £3 (well, a cup of tea, if that’s okay?). Head over to Ko-fi to find out more. Thank you.