Back in the USA--for a bit

I haven't done much in the way of my blog lately. Just more of the same in the UK. Very busy trying to get the flight test program completed before the holidays. We came close, but fell just short--largely due to 6 weeks of horrid English weather.
I am currently in Philadelphia for a couple days before returning to Mesa for the Christmas and New Years holiday period. Back to Old Blighty on Saturday, 2 Jan for two or three more weeks of flight test, then several months in the states before another long stint in the UK. Keeping up OK?

4th of July

I was out enjoying the warm, summer weather on my bike when I rolled through the town of Wilton (the ancient capital of Wessex) and joined a 4th of July parade ongoing! You can imagine my surprise. The Brits really do love their American cousins. Sometimes I think they are celebrating the fact that we left.

Sunburned in the UK

The weather is great here. For a full week there was no rain! I love it. Here is a warning sign for a little "bump in the road" on the edge of the New Forest.

The New Forest

I live very near one of the few National Parks in the UK. The new forest is just south of Salisbury and runs almost to the Channel. The parks here are much less isolated than in the US. There are major roads going through the park and more than a few small towns, completely surrounded by the park. The most unique aspect of the New Forest are the wild horses, donkeys and cross breed hybrids of the same.
After a week of near daily rainfall (planned to coincide with Trix's visit!) the weather is now lovely again with moderate temperatures (15-17 during the day) and only some morning fog that burns off by 0800. Birds are now singing at 0450 and sunset isn't until almost 2100!

Gateway to Great Cycling

From my flat, just south of Salisbury, much of the best riding in Wiltshire is right out the door. 5km from the door are two massive trees that create an archway to the Chalke Valley. A short, steep descent and you are on "the road less travelled".

Most of the roads are pretty rough--they are farm roads that seldom see maintenance. They can be extremely steep also since snow and ice are very rare here. Grades over 15% are common and I found two 20% grades yesterday!

English Cottages

Just as the Emmental has its own unique architechture, old Wessex (southern England) also has an easy to identify signature design--the thatched roof. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thatched_roofs

The only modern addition that I can see is laying thin "chicken wire" fencing over the top of the thatch to keep the birds and "weed rats" from burrowing into the roof.

Salisbury Market Day

On Tuesday and Saturday, there is a Market in the Market Square in town. You can buy meat, fruit, vegetables, bread, treats, clothes, shoes etc. I think it is really quite inexpensive if you know how to shop. Everything you see on the kitchen counter is about 12 SFr. At the vegetable stand, you can see all the plastic bowls are 1 GBP (1.60 SFr). The venders yell: "Every Bowl a Pound!"

The CH-47 Chinook is what I am working on here in the UK. It is a 25,000 kg cargo helicopter used all over the world.

Chalke Valley and Dorset

The weather has been fantastic for almost two weeks. Reasonably warm (not Mesa warm, but 15 or so during the day) and the days are getting longer. Saturday was a planned 130km ride--expecting about 5 hours, but turned into a 170km 7 hour ride--perhaps I should consider a GPS? The pace of the rides is slow, and looking at the small country lanes you can see why. I tend to average between 24 and 26 kph here. The roads, the hills, the wind all conspire to keep the pace down.

pictures from the UK

A cold, muddy Brevet in the UK. Scenes from the Cotswold Corker, planned as a 100km, but rode 120km because of a few wrong turns. This ride included a climb up Cleeve Hill, with an advertised gradient of 25%. I thought England was flat, so I have a 39-25 on my bike. Oops.

Visiting the US

30 days in the UK, then a short "home trip" to AZ and PA.

Salisbury...home for now

At this time of year, even when the sun is shining, all the streets stay wet.

All the swans belong to the queen.

Stonehenge: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge

They actually take a fee from 10 sFr. for the entrance. Then you can walk closer, but you still cannot touch the stones. It is only 15 km from the house to Stonehenge. There are dozen of prehistoric artifacts near here.

Winter in Switzerland

Until this year I didn't know that crosscountry skiing is that much fun. Here you see the valley of Suld in Aeschi.

Goms