17 February 2008

Same old, same old...

Another very quiet week this week, but the weekend has been a little busier...

The weather has continued pretty much as it was last weekend - very clear, bright days with temperatures then falling below freezing each night. This has meant that I have been able to use the bike to get to work every day - something I haven't managed since the middle of last year. With luck, and a few more clear days, I should be able to start and use the longer, riverside route home in the evenings soon as the early evening light improves.

Thursday was, of course, Valentine's Day. I had arranged for a dozen red roses to be delivered to Lynda's work for her - I didn't think that they'd fair too well if I brought them home in my rucksack on the bike!

On Saturday, we had a trip into Derby. After a bit of shopping, and me getting a haircut, we retired to the Standing Order for lunch! After a very nice rump steak each, a bottle of wine, two coffees and also two muffins we headed for home! It was the first time I'd been in the Standing Order and I must say I can think of a lot worse ways to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon! Luckily, we left the car at home and travelled on the bus... as Lynda said "It's not good is it, this drinking at lunchtime!"

This morning I was successful in talking Lynda into coming out on her bike with me. I wasn't all that convinced she would come out as the weather wasn't exactly warm! Overnight the temperature had dropped to minus 7c and as we set off at 10:00AM it was still minus 2c! Being as Lynda hadn't used her bike in a long, long time I chose a nice easy route, with nothing that could be called a "hill".

A frosted tree in Elvaston Castle Park.

We rode through Alvaston to Elvaston Castle, out to the river at Borrowash and then back towards Derby. We stopped off at Alvaston Lake to have a quick check on the birds there but, due to most of the lake being covered with ice, there wasn't too much to see.

Lynda riding through the grounds of Elvaston Castle.

Riding past Alvaston Park lake.

From there we headed on to Pride Park for a refreshment stop. The newly opened Starbucks could well prove to be a regular stop off in future!

Coffee break!

After our coffee break, we retraced our tracks back to Alvaston Lake before joining the cycle path back home.

Lynda, happy to be heading home!

1 comment:

  1. Good call to the one who decided it would be a good idea to take pictures of each other riding the bikes. Great shots. I'm glad the two of you had a decent day for your ride.

    xx S


    ps I've been neglecting my blog reading duties.

    ReplyDelete