It's not Brabyns Park is it?

Pigface, I see your Stockholm and raise you to the 2.5million population of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, it's winter and 27 degrees right now. Dang 😯 One in particular of course 😳

Brazilian women's cycle collective : )[/url]

Dumfries, Edinburgh, Frome, Buckingham, Nottingham, Ipswich, Hampton Wick, Ealing, Hampton, Varanassi, Buckingham, Holyhead, Dumfries, Leeds, Gibraltar, Totnes, Belo Horizonte……….next move is two months back in Dumfries to finish my MSc, then to where the work is, hopefully still in Belo Horizonte as opposed to Sao Paulo.

I would happily live down in Devon again having been there for 6 months.

Well yeah no Kelly Le Brook but they have just been accepted into Lambda Lambda Lambda! 😀

I had an email from the one other Simon Ralli on there. Turns out we both have Edward as a middle name. What are the chances of that?? I am the one that does not have a profile photo of sunglasses on a dog's bot. 😯

Deffo cream first for me but to be honest if someone else wants to have it the other way around I am all for free choice and that. But then I am not from Devon or Cornwall and my whole essential being does not hinge on being right about this one small topic.

Ah, just for clarification I am talking about a cup of tea and a scone, not the early evening meal also known as "tea"!

* cough * not all tourists are dreadful! 😳

Yeah – I would say the classic time is 4pm, although it could be served earlier.

Is it just me or has anyone else not heard of "tea at five"?

Oh – and in my family we had supper at 6!

Not ridden since March due to traveling abroad. Can't complain but also I have 2 months free to bike in Scotland August and September but I have a pretty bag leg problem and so may not be able do that much 🙁

Simonralli1 flew on Concorde as part of a corporate jolly but now Simonralli2 is an ecowarrior I feel a bit guilty about it 😳

But yeah, I used to live in Hampton near Heathrow and loved watching it fly over. I also went to Richmond to watch its final landing.

Well meandyuk, in Brazil it is perfectly OK to have chocolate cake for breakfast. Me and my GF went out for a late breakfast, and I went for this. No sponge, just pure chocolate, dark and milk. Oh and some token fruit thing on top for the vitamins 😀

Thing is, they are nice and chilled trails with some amazing views of Africa of course. However, I used them more for fitness when I wasliving in Gib, but they would make a very interesting part of a larger, longer ride of the region. There is some nice singletrack in Pinar del Rey, and there are also some lovely B roads with zero traffic if you know where to head.

The castle beyond San Roque town (aka Rooperville) also makes an excellent stop-off point, with good views across the reservoir.

Alan

Hi – the start is simple enough – have a nice easy ride to the top, enjoy the view, and then look for the steep steps by one of the feeding stations about 50m from the cable car.

From there, the singletrack kind of zig zags a little as you cross the many roads going down. At the bottom of those steps, the track only lasts for maybe 100m. You almost do a u turn to your left, and then another u turn shortly after to your right. This takes you on to the main singletrack.

The next trick is to then go along the road but before you go into a mini tunnel, look for the signpost for the rocky singletrack into town.

To be honest, there are better routes here

Just outside of Algecieras (photos featuring Roper and Mr and Mrs Agreeable)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/sets/72157614923191036/

Straights of Gibraltar
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/sets/72157606139591208/
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/sets/72157605266547539/

Montes de los Barrios (a superchilled location that probably only Roper and myself have explored in detail!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/sets/72157618327393908/

If you are going to ride Gibraltar, there are a couple of loops over the boarder that would make an excellent ride, for example
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/sets/72157615663132963/

or

Pinar Del Rey May 2008

or

Riding My New Bike Around Gibraltar and San Roque in November

Waterfalls, preferably ones with pools at the bottom that you can swim in 😀

I've been thinking about this too. I don't know if I should do this but a couple of days ago I created a photo set called "Chasing the Dream" to kind of give myself a boost as I gave up work just over a year ago and I am now getting a bit stressed trying to get back into work but do something constructive and with people who get where I am coming from. I think I'm doing ok considering 🙂

http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonralli/sets/72157624425503762/

I think I would try and do something to help the rainforests if I didn't have to worry about money in the future. Right now I am looking for sustainability related work in Brazil.

Bloodynora

Ay? What game were you watching? 🙂

And we're off! Who's supporting who then? That there psychic octopus has gone for Spain 😀

Hi Roper – how's tricks? Are you still thinking about heading home at all? Hope all's well 🙂

Did you ever find that monastery in the end?

I lived there for 2 years. Gibraltar is a day trip destination and three nights is a waste! Don't do it.

Gibraltar's old town at night

Gibraltar's hidden DH singletrack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4cl2-sNmns
😀

Cheers Druidh

I am surprised no one has posted this yet!

Great rendition of Flower of Scotland

Well I think I can drop this tune which follows on nicely from Slimtubing's choice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DHJZrm4Dac

I know an environmental folk song doesnt sound promising but this is a corker, especially if you really get the lyrics.

I think it is fair to ask for permission. For my dissertation I wrote to one person to ask for permission to use a photograph of a plant I never managed to photo myself, and also to someone I met whose artwork I wanted to reproduce. In both instances they were happy that I had asked first, and I am also ensuring that the photographs are fully attributed. I am also in the process of getting permission from a film producer to use screen grabs for one of his films, but this is taking a little longer than hoped.

So yes, it would not have hurt for them to ask permission.

is she very beautiful or perhaps an alien interloper ?

Do aliens now have to register their UFOs with the DVLA???

You have to right click, then go to one of the sized photos, then right click and then save image address.

GGGGGGGGOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!

So let me get this straight. You booked a holiday in a cottage in the countryside, and one morning, just the once, some cows went moo?

Am I missing any more information?

If that is your idea of hell, I simply cannot wait to die and end up in your idea of heaven!!

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two saved penalties both ends!!!!!

the fiends of the person engaged

Are you asking us because you are not entirely on speaking terms with these fiendish people and can't simply pick up a phone and ask?

This should make everyone feel better. Popped into my LBS, and saw quite a few bikes made by a Brasilian brand – I forget the name. They did have one or two Scott bikes and I asked how much for a Scott 70 Scale HT. Brazilian taxes are something like 50% compared to our 17% vat. So it came out at pretty much twice the price it would be in the UK, around £1600 for what would be an £800 bike in the UK.

OMG mental end to extra time!!!!

An even worse handball than Tierry Henri!!!!!

Well here's a report from Brazil. I can't speak too much Portuguese but can report some very choice language from their supporters. Those two Dutch lasses went down very well, especially from the male contingent in the crowd. And I am now in the doghouse after sending my GF (who is in the south of Brazil right now) a text saying "Welcome to my world" after the final whistle. She texted me back saying I should be a lot more supportive and I really don't think she was joking 😯

You can hear the goal celebrations all across the city from my balcony – fireworks, horns, screaming you name it 😀

Here's her wedding photo to the English lad

I've been looking through a few of the related videos. This is a mad body surfing one where a guy at the end really takes a hammering.

Body surfing's equivalent of Dalbeattie's The Slab!!

Well if you need to feel superior to anyone feel free to come and ride with me some time 🙂

For what it's worth, today's Sun is covering the bust up between Gerrard and Terry at the world cup, and hints strongly that more may come out now their world cup is over.

I think Brookside at Bovey Tracy should certainly get a mention for the cream teas there. The cream is so organic, that the manager knows the cows, and it changes depending on if the cows have been outside in the summer or inside in the winter.

But that cake in the OP really does look like a triumph of cake technology.

I'm hoping for a Brazil – Argentina final.

Here's a hint – if you are in a crowd of a few hundred supporters, and the other team scores, and even though you are supporting their team, dont throw your hands up in the air and shout 'oh no!'. Many could think that you are actually cheering the other team and it can get a bit hairy! 😯

Also, forget Vuzuvas or car horns – Brazilians specialise in setting off uber-loud bangers IN the crowd!

But yeah – I am sure being in Spain will be top if they get through to the final.

I only have live updates on the Guardian! Can't see the actual play. off out for lunch in a bit so I guess it will be all over 3 sets to love by the time I get back 🙁