IOM Parish Walk

 We cycled to Mol back on 24 May, and have done quite a lot of cycling since, based at a friends lovely apartment in the town.  It has been refreshing for Sharon and I to have friends close to us for the last week.  Sometimes, though we are together, it can get a bit lonely on the road, cycling to a new destination each day. Though Parish walk is now firmly in our minds, we haven't done a lot of walking.  We did participate in a 50km event which started and finished in Geel, about 15km from where we are staying.  This was completed with our friends at a conversational pace, much of the time in rain and more often even than that wading through thick mud and slush. Unfortunately, that wet and muddy walk exacerbated some of the issues with Sharon's toes.  Blisters from the continental centurion walk became hot and red and sore, and with careful treatment since she is just now getting these back to a place where they are comfortable.  We will probably walk...

Shaz and I settled well when we arrived in the Netherlands nearly one week ago.  It was terrific to reconnect with friend in the small city of Woerden.  It felt familiar and homely, after the last 18 months were spent in very different places across Africa and South America. We cycled to Rotterdam on Thursday, then rested on Friday.  We felt good, and thought we would do well in the continental centurion, due to start at 12pm on Saturday. Weather was perfect, with no rain for the event and a starting temperature about 16 degrees.  Mostly cloud in the sky, this meant the maximum temperature of 25 degrees never felt hot to us.  Some of the Dutch would have preferred a cooler maximum temperature though.  The wind was also generally very light, apart from a few hours where it was necessary to lean slightly to balance against it. Sharon and I started well, sitting on a pace between 7:30 and 7:35 per kilometer.  We ate every 3.805km lap, and drank just enoug...

Our world has sure changed in the last two weeks. We had a lovely 10 days in Rio de Janiero, and managed a few of the standard "tourist" activities while we were there.  A cycle and hike up Cristo Redeemer, a cruise along Copacabana beach.  An attempted hike to the summit of Sugarloaf Hill, and a few walks in and around lovely parks and gardens. We visited the science museum, did laps at Maracana, and in general had a terrific time. One last solid walk of 20km was complete at the nearly right on 2.0km loop at Maracana on 7 May.  That was nicely under 7:30 per kilometer pace, and felt comfortable. Our flight with Portugal Airlines to Amsterdam in the Netherlands happened without much fuss.  The first flight was delayed an hour, but once moving, everything went like clockwork. We arrived on the tarmac at 2pm, and had received our baggage, reassembled our tandem bicycle named Happier in the parking lot, and cycled 40km to our home for four nights in Woerden, to the east...