I haven’t posted for a while despite several local rides since our Northumberland and Borders trip. It’s been a busy few months and we were lucky enough to get a trip away to Madeira in August - what great decision! A ‘green’ list country perfect for us with great restaurants, wonderful friendly people and the opportunity to get up into the mountains with some off road driving into the wilderness. On our return some family events allowing us to all get together again at last and to top it all two fantastic nights out at long awaited gigs we had tickets for pre-Covid to see Genesis on ‘the last Domino?’ followed a few days later with the wonderful Paloma Faith. I really do believe, though cautiously, we have ‘turned a corner’ with Covid now.
Last Sunday myself and Mark met at ‘Dom’s Bike Stop Cafe’ in Leominster and it was good to see full of bikes with mask free kindred spirits just enjoying the early Autumn sunshine back to having a bikers ‘brekky’ and chat again. While waiting for Mark I had a light breakfast with Andy who’d just collected his brand new Yamaha Tenere 700 only the day before, having recently passed his bike test. It was good to feel his enthusiasm for the ride and hear his plans to get out and adventure. I’m really looking forward to getting across the water next year, since it’s been a few years now. I somehow think we’ll be seeing Andy again too and maybe meet up for some ride outs into Wales.
For this Sunday, Mark and I spent most of the day winding our way through Herefordshire picking up some back road country lanes and alternative roads out across the border into Wales and South West into the Wye Valley. A brief stop at Skenfrith Castle, I do enjoy riding those roads around Pontrilas and Abbeydore and eventually we came down almost as far as Chepstow before winding back up through Monmouth with a brief stop to take advantage of a queue-less petrol station and fill up while we can on these ‘panic’ buying days before passing Tintern Abbey and then taking the backroads to Hereford before peeling off towards Bromyard. A good selection of roads today, on a warm sunny afternoon, passing through some tiny villages and having some fun in between them along the twisties. A good days ride with Mark I must say, to set my appetite up nicely for my home made Cassoulet later. Hopefully, weather permitting, we’ll get a few more in before Winter too.
