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visibly better ü |
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Markon is a subsidiary of the Leiths-Group |
Head Office:
Leiths (Scotland) Ltd
Rigifa
Cove
Aberdeen
AB12 3LR
Tel 01224 876333
Fax 01224 876332
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Head Office: |
Leiths (Scotland) Ltd Rigifa Cove Aberdeen AB12 3LR Tel 01224 876333 Fax 01224 876332 |
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Mike Brawley |
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| Here are copies of the emails received from Markon employee Mike Brawley regarding his progress on his cycle to Spain. Mike is cycling from Hamilton to his sisters in Spain! | |
Kit1 Passport 2 E111 3 Credit card/cash 4 Insurance/CTC/Hostal memberships 5 Telephone 6 Ferry tickets 7 Camera/batteries/memory card 8 Sun specs/reading specs 9 Sun cream 10 Shaving kit 11 Toothpaste/toothbrush 12 Soap 13 Washing powder/clothes pegs/cord 14 Towel 15 Wet wipes/tissues 16 1st aid kit 17 tablets (migralieve/dispirin/cod liver oil) 18 sleeping bag 19 ipod & adaptor/charger 20 addresses/email addresses/telephone numbers/pens/note book 21 maps/compass/scale/hostel guide 22 cutlery 23 torch 24 sewing kit 25 bungee Clothes1 Pants x 2 2 Socks x 4 3 T-shirts x 2 4 Long shorts x 3 5 Long trousers 6 Cycling pants/shorts x 4 7 Vests x 2 8 Cycling tops x 3 9 Cycling shoes 10 Swimming shorts 11 Trainers 12 Flip flops 13 Waterproof trousers with cycle clips 14 Waterproof top 15 Cycling gloves 16 Arm warmers 17 Sun hat/scarf 18 Hankies Bike kit1 Spare inner tubes 2 Locks/keys 3 Pump 4 Repair kit 5 Tools 6 Oils/grease 7 Water bottles
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Possible Programme
Day Date From To Daily Total Distance Distance (Kilometres) Tues 01 May Hamilton Rosyth 65 65 Wed 02 May Zeebrugge De Panne 38 103 Thurs 03 May De Panne Doullens 100 203 Fri 04 May Doullens Forges 90 293 Sat 05 May Forges Broglie 100 393 Sun 06 May Broglie Le Mans 120 513 Mon 07 May Le Mans Tours 70 583 Tues 08 May rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day Wed 09 May Tours Chatellerault 65 648 Thurs 10 May Chatellerault Bressuire 75 723 Fri 11 May Bressuire Sigournais 45 768 Sat 12 May Sigournais St-Jean d’Angely 110 878 Sun 13 May St-Jean d’Angely St-Andre-d’Cubzac 110 988 Mon 14 May rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day Tues 15 May St-Andre-de-Cubzac Labouheyre 100 1088 Wed 16 May Labouheyre Bayonne 100 1188 Thurs 17 May Bayonne Burguete 70 1258 Fri 18 May Burguete Pamplona 40 1298 Sat 19 May Pamplona Tudela 100 1398 Sun 20 May Tudela Zaragoza 75 1473 Mon 21 May rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day rest day Tues 22 May Zaragoza Caminreal 110 1583 Wed 23 May Caminreal Sta Cruz de Moya 100 1683 Thurs 24 May Sta Cruz de Moya Ayora 110 1793 Fri 25 May Ayora Ontinyent 70 1863 Sat 26 May Ontinyent Denia 70 1933 Notes:
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Wed 11/04/2007 The last time I sent a progress report I had 16 people on my contact list. I now have 24. I will attach a couple of files to this Email. Some of you may already have seen them so I apologise in advance, but I thought that they would help to bring everyone up to date. Eileen and Eddy, particularly may read this and be thinking "Deja Vu" (that's French, Eddy!). I think it means: "Aye, heard it!" Well, 2 weeks on Tuesday I'll be off. I am getting quite excited. Final preparations are in hand: the bike goes in for a service on Friday; I've sorted my travel insurance to cover me for being out of the country for up to 60 days; I have packed the panniers with all the items from my check list; I've opened a new bank account for travelling money; I've started tidying the garden (with a little help from Ev); I've started tidying up loose ends at work; The car tax will be paid and an MOT will be attended to next weekend. Everything seems to be in order. My friend, Eddy, whom I intend to visit in Sigournais, sent me training advice from one of his cyclist friends. Unfortunately, all it did was frighten the life out of me. Of course, I have convinced myself that it was unnecessarily onerous and I've carried on in my ignorance with my cycle to work and the odd run at the weekend. Over the last few weeks I've been clocking up about 200 km per week (i.e. about 2/5 of my planned weekly mileage for the trip. My theory is that if I can manage that with all the usual family and work commitments I'll surely manage 500 km when I'll have no other mission in life but cycling, eating, drinking and sleeping. We will see! When I packed the panniers I also weighed them. Each of the 2 panniers was 5 kg and the rack pack weighed 2 kg - so 12 kg in total. It'll probably come to 13/14 kg by the time I've added water bottles, lock and the few odds and ends that I've still to get. So not too bad. Once I'm on the road I'll maybe loose a few kg body weight to help to compensate. I have enclosed my kit list. This has already been sent to Eileen and Eddy who both suggested additions which I've made. If anyone else notices any obvious omissions please let me know. And don't bother suggesting a zimmer frame! If I have forgotten anything very important and you don't notice then you are all now implicated! I had thought that the film makers had lost interest as I hadn't heard anything from them. However, my Spanish sister, Eileen, Emailed me for information regarding my ferry details to pass on to Javi (the film producer) so it looks as though the film may still be on the cards - Eddy, please note. Eileen, however, has pointed out that it is a small company and they will not be making, or expecting, a big fuss. In terms of route, I have done no further fine tuning on the vague route that I have considered from before Christmas. Generally, Hamilton-Rosyth-Zeebrugge, then generally south and west through France, passing west of Paris to Le Mans-Tours-Sigournais-Bordeaux-Biarritz-Pamplona-Zaragoza-Teruel-Denia. If you say it quick it sound OK! I don't intend to stay in large towns, if I can avoid them and the route outlined may change drastically if I find that I'm heading into strong headwinds or if the roads are very busy or if accommodation is hard to come by. You will be beginning to see how well organised I am! I think that that is all for now. Phew, do I hear you all say? Watch this space for the next epistle. Michael. |
Mon 30/04/2007 This will be quick and it will be the last report from Scotland - I hope, anyway. I finished up work on Friday for 2 months, yippee! Some of us went for a Chinese meal at lunch time and I was not allowed to pay for my meal. Thank you, I appreciated that. I also got a phone call from my boss, who said he would sponsor me if I wore the Markon logo. So I've doctored a couple of HiVis vests to wear over my cycling top. Thank you Markon. I was tidying up the garden on Saturday afternoon when I got a phone call from the film maker, Javier. It was about 3:30 pm and he was at the Avon Bridge hotel in Hamilton. Ev and I went down after hastily calling my son, Michael, to also attend. Javier's English is about as good as my Spanish. Luckily Michael was available to translate. There will be some interesting conversations between me and Javier on the trip - you know: politics; religion; philosophy, etc! Anyway, we had a good meeting. He has a problem because his driver broke his ribs just before they were due to leave for Scotland so he was on his own. He has a large estate car loaded to the gunnels with high tech equipment (Andrew, you would be in your element) Michael went out with him on Sunday morning to film the sights of Hamilton (we don't need any jokes about that, Scott!). Then they came up to the house where we were having a "Going Away" party. Thankfully the weather was great and we all managed to drink too much in the garden, rather than in the house. Javier was very good, he mingled in a relaxed way filming groups of people and chatting. We will see how it all turns out. He says he has the month free.He is returning on the same ferry as me and I understand that he'll generally follow me, go in front and wait for me, etc. I'm glad to say he has told me to totally ignore him, he will do his own thing. We will see how it goes. He is certainly a very affable guy, so I think it should work out. This morning, I am going for a haircut - a number 1 - He is coming to film that! Then he is coming to film me packing the panniers and cleaning and oiling the bike. At 4 pm Michael is meeting him at the Avonbridge hotel and he will drive for him to allow him to film me on the move, supposedly en route. He is having to do that because he has no driver and will not be able to film from the moving vehicle by himself. He showed me the small camera, which he will attach to the bike some days (mair weight!) preferably on wet miserable suffering days - he wants to see pain - it makes for a better movie. No doubt I'll be able to accommodate him with a few crashes and I'm sure that there will be days when I'm greetin ma eyes oot. He also has a headset for me to wear with a "hands free" mike so that I can keep in touch on such days. However, I think that most of the time I will not know that he is there. Thanks to all the family, friends and neighbours who came to the house yesterday. What a great day I had. I have to admit that I was not looking forward to it but I really loved it. Thanks Ev for organising it. Thank you too for all the good wishes and small presents. Most of the presents were bottles of wine - great. However, I was particularly pleased with the wee prayer cards that I got from my mum and from Yvonne. I'll attach them to my bike and I will become an invulnerable super hero (hopefully with Lance Armstrong legs!). I didn't sleep very well last night. Maybe too much booze, but, I think, more likely, I'm getting keyed up for the off. Remember when the exams were coming up you reached a point where you just wanted them to start, regardless of the result? Well I think I'm at that stage. Hopefully, the next time you hear from me I'll be somewhere in darkest Europe. In the meantime don't all be working too hard. Hasta luego, Mike. |
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04 May 2007
This will probably be short because it has taken me about 10 minutes to sign in. The French do not use a QUERTY key board.
Anyway, progress:
Day 1: Hamilton to Rosyth: Hamilton-Motherwell-Carfin-Newarthill-Newhouse-Salsburgh-Harthill-Whitburn-Bathgate-Broxburn-Forth Bridge-Rosyth.-65km. Uneventful, but, no disrespect, towns that are nice to ride away from. Day 2: Zeebrugge-Ostende-Diksmuide. Beautiful, flat Belgian roads. Beautiful weather. Beautiful towns. 70 Km. Day 3: Diksmuede-St Pol. Lovely cycle path in the morning busy French Road in the afternoon. 107 Km. Day 4: St Pol-Amiens. Got lost in the morning on rural 3m wide roads and had to retrace my way 3 times (like Sevilla, Ev). Ended up on the trunk road where, at least the road signs helped. 80 Km (although only 57 if I had stayed on the trunk road from the beginning).
So that is up to date. Amiens is beautiful, but very big. Not good for the bike. The weather has been great and, so far no hiccoughs - not even a pumpcher, Agnes. The biggest problem I have had so far is getting a mouthful of flying insects (large, like bluebottles). I managed to spit one out immediately but spent a few hundred metres gagging and spitting all over my shirt before I drank some water and swallowed the rest - it is all protein, I suppose. Oh, I also got shat upon by a bird, cleaned it off with a "Wet Wipe", put the "Wet Wipe" back in my bag to avoid littering the countryside, then later, I scratched my hand and cleaned it with the same "Wet Wipe" Arggh! Between the flies and the bird shit, I will probably get some dreadful disease.
Did you all think that you were going to get culture?
Tonight I am in a cheap hotel, but with a bath. I spent an hour soaking and listening to Bob Dylan - Chronicles. The previous 2 nights B and B. Both very good. All have been cheap, so that suits a cheapskate like myself.
The camera man has been following me all the way, so far. I have lost him a few times but we have met up again. It is not too bad. He is muy simpatico and now that I am used to the camera and microphone in my face I can ignore it.
I think that is all for now. I do not know when I will send a new update. It took me ages finding this Internet cafe and I have not seen another one on my travels.
Love, Michael xx
Regards, Mike ( for the non family members).
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Fri 11/05/2007 Hi everyone. What a day I have had today! I will ramble on, so this will probably be a bit disjointed and with the differences in the keyboard the spelling will be off too. Maybe you can edit it Martin before putting it onto the blog? This morning I was met at the boundary of Le Vendee by my friend Eddy and 4 cyclists who had come to escort me to Sigournais. I had been expecting a few guys on simple bikes to potter along a cycle path. These guys were bronzed Adonises with shaved legs, bulging thighs and calves like Popeyes forearms. Their bikes were fantastic too. Feather light and wheels like saw blades. Anyway they were very kind to me and waited patiently as I laboured up the hills behind them. When we arrived in the village, the mayor was there to meet me. The cyclists presented me with a plaque showing the Le Vendee crest and a cycling shirt that had been worn by one of them when he cycled from Sigournais to the twin town in Germany. I was overwhelmed. THe mayor then took us down to his wine cellar where we had a glass of wine. Then to the bar where we had more wine and beer.( this is at 12:00 pm!! Then we had a 3 course meal. Eddys house is fantastic. he has converted, what was a virtual ruin into something special. This weekend is shaping up to be a great rest and full of interest. Of course, this is not common. I will run through my normal routine:
So far: Belgium: I loved, flat as a pancake, beautiful hansel and gretal villages. Martin, perfect for you and Megan and Patrick. I am sure that the level only varied by about 2 metres the whole time that I was in it. France: I have liked it more and more as I have travelled south. Coming past Paris all the rivers were flowing East to west to get to the Atlantic. Of course, I was travelling North to south to get to the Med. The result was exhillerating, brakes smoking, white knuckle descents into the valleys followed by sweat dripping, snottars tripping slogs up the other side. The landscape has been changing slowly (on a bike, everything changes slowly!). The weather has been great. Only one shower (although it is raining just now). Unfortunately there have been very strong headwinds for the last week. On the bike, a hill can be a challange and there is some satisfaction in getting to the top, not to mention the swoop down the other side! However, the wind saps your strength and your resolve. Here is an advert for a bike: just South of Tours I spied a Van Gough type landscape _ patchwork fields, about 4 different shades of green and a field of blue. When I got closer the smell of Lavender was overpowering. I dumped the bike on the verge and ate a banana, thinking: all these motorists are missing this _ fantastic. I had another eposide with flies, this time wee midge type beasts. I mut have got about 10 in my mouth but this time I just swallowed them, without a drink (and you think you are hard, Martin!) I also got attacked by a dog. Just when I was very tired at the top of a hill. Luckily it was behind me because I was so knackered that i would just have lay down to be savaged. The only thing scarier than a farm dog is a scrapyard dog. Well, I will stop now as I realise that I am really ramling on (just like I do on the bike)
I do not know when I will be able to Email again as there is a real lack of Internet cafes so hasta luego.
missing you all,
big kisses to all my family members xx and manly handshakes to others.
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Sun 13/05/2007I t is 5:00 pm. I have just finished a fantastic meal: Duck with all the trimmings. The last 2 days here in Sigournais have been marvellous. I feel like a real celebrity. There are real cycling enthusiasts around here and they are all interested in my trip and in my bike: What weight are you carrying? What gearing are you using? etc. Needless to say, I do not know any of the answers. Yesterday, the local Chateau was opened specially for me and I got a personal conducted tour! I was invited to the Mayors (I cant find the apostrophe symbol on the keyboard, so you will just have to imagine it!) wine cellar for a glass of wine and everybody in the village who hears of this is very jealous. Seemingly it is a very rare occurrence. A huge clap of thunder has just occurred. The weather here has been terrible today. Thank goodness I am not cycling today. Lets hope that there will be an improvement tomorrow. I leave Sigournais tomorrow, and I will be quite sad. Eddy and Benny have been fabulous hosts and the townsfolk are so friendly. I think that there will be an article in the local paper sometime so I hope that Eddy can post it to the blog (or at least Email it to Martin to post it). I have also asked him to Email a copy of the poster that he had pinned up in the town cafe for my arrival. Incidently, Martin everyone is really impressed by the blog. I do not know how many people here have told me that they are following the progress. This morning one of Eddys friends asked him to come in to translate the latest episode. Well done! I am feeling good after my few days of gluttony and rest but it is back to work tomorrow (well, hardly work, but you know what I mean). Again, a group from the local cycling club are escorting me to the boundary of Le Vendee - I think, perhaps it is to make sure that I leave, rather than a guard of honour! Over the next week I expect to cover the last stage in France and get into Spain. I think that the hard work might begin then as it will be impossible to avoid some serious hills. However, if my calculations are correct, I am well on target and I intend to reduce my daily distance anyway. Otherwise I might arrive in Denia before Ev on the 28 May - fat chance! I do not know when I will next get to a computer so this might be my last report for some time. Please keep the Blog messages coming though, I intend to read them all when I get home and they will be cherished souvenirs. I have not read many of them but the ones I have read have been great - thank you all. Incidentally, I did note that Aimee was impressed with my poetry. Well, when I lay on the verge smothered in the sight and smell of the field of lavender I came over all lyrical: "I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high oer vales and hills When all at once I spied a crowd A host of blue lavender". What do you think? I do not think that it is quite there yet, but it is certainly got a ring to it. It rhymes OK but I do not think that it is scanning properly. I will keep working at it.
Anyway, as usual love to everyone, I am missing you all (especially, Megan, Patrick and Ella) Looking forward to seeing Ev and all the Spanish relations at the end of May and everyone else at the end of June.
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