Wythenshawe parkrun number 541. I renewed acquaintance with Bianca, who I met during the Altrincham 10km race (reported on here). We set off at the back and after a chatty run we finished in positions 212 and 213 out of 288 participants, in 32:52. Andy, Robin (the composer), Owen and Jenny joined us for post run coffees, and it turned out that Owen was going to watch Sale Sharks, for whom Bianca's husband plays rugby, later in the day. We hope he enjoyed the Sharks' victory over Caldy.
Postcard from Timperley
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Sue and Martin in Mallorca 2019

On the Archduke's Path in Mallorca
Sunday, 1 October 2023
September dissolves into October - some weekend running
Saturday, 30 September 2023
Friday = Isabella Day (56)
Isabella is now three years old. This means that her car seat can be set up for her to face forwards, so she can see what the driver can see. She can also see the sunroof, and duly demands that it remain open. No problem on a warm day like this.
Once at Timperley, there were cards to open and a Duplo toy to unwrap. It was a good choice of present as she quickly assembled it and kept coming back to it in order to quell the imagined flames that seemed to afflict her various other toys, as well as having to rescue the cat that was firmly stuck at the top of a tree.
Thursday, 28 September 2023
October 1977 - A European Road Trip (Part 4)
See here for Part 1 (Days 0 to 7)
See here for Part 2 (Days 8 to 14)
See here for Part 3 (Days 15 to 21)
Start: Kartal
Finish: Kartal
Mileage: 0
Cumulative Mileage: 3681
Weather: Fine
Visited the Fortress (Rumeli Hisari Fort).
Start: Kartal
Finish: Kartal
Mileage: 70
Cumulative Mileage: 3751
Weather: Fine
Went to Surije for the day with Tayfun's family. Lots of traffic. Very slow. Continuous jam verging on gridlock. Signs ignored. Visited casino to watch singers and belly dancer. Sunday family outing.
Start: Kartal
Finish: In car, 50 miles over Yugoslavian border before Nis
Mileage: 527
Cumulative Mileage: 4278
Weather: Another beautiful day
Start: In car, 50 miles over Yugoslavian border before Nis
Finish: In car near Maribor just before Austrian border
Mileage: 622
Cumulative Mileage: 4900
Weather: Foggy, then fine, then overcast, then very foggy
7am start. Lots of lorries. Mist at 8am. Stop for breakfast 9 - 9:30.
Start: In car near Maribor just before Austrian border
Finish: Salzburg
Mileage: 260
Cumulative Mileage: 5160
Weather: Foggy start, then sunny before clouding over
Foggy 6am start from Dravinje. Maribor is a nice place, but a bus crash is a bad sign. After buying fuel I only have 10Din left. 7:30 - cross border after 39 miles, in Setinje.
Start: Salzburg
Finish: Hostel in Meiringen
Mileage: 343
Cumulative Mileage: 5503
Weather: Beautiful sunny day, rain after dark
Gave a lift to an American - Reed. Fun driving over the mountain passes, but dark after Chur.
[That's the extent of today's notes. It appears from the photos that we went: Salzburg > Lofer > Innsbruck > Fluela Pas > Meiringen]
Start: Hostel in Meiringen
Finish: Beyond Provins (in the car)
Mileage: 364
Cumulative Mileage: 5867
Weather: Wet but not raining
Spanish omelette for breakfast in Interlaken.
Start: Beyond Provins (in the car)
Finish: Lay-by near Beauvais
Mileage: 101
Cumulative Mileage: 5968
Weather: Very overcast
Start: Lay-by near Beauvais
Finish: Blackley, Manchester
Mileage: 412
Cumulative Mileage: 6380
Weather: Improving to become a nice day
Last day. [No photos were taken; I may have been out of film.]
Up and away by 7am. Still dark - it's staying dark until late these days. Lots of traffic. I pick up a hitch hiker who has literally just emerged from the ditch and is very smelly. He is a New Zealander returning to the UK after a holiday in mainland Europe. We debate whether to go to Calais or Boulogne for a ferry. [My notes are unclear, and pictures end in Paris. I think it was Calais, either 11am or 1:30pm.]
My hitchhiker was refused entry to England and it took a while to get him back in. It needed confirmation from a senior partner at the law firm where he was working, that he was who he said he was.
I had another hitchhiker, Chris, and we stuck with the NZ lawyer, Rich, until he was allowed in. Eventually we got through Customs (all other vehicles were long gone) and had a meal in Dover at 4pm.
I left these last two companions at 6pm and got home at 10pm. Work tomorrow.
[Back to auditing Ferranti!]