Life is not a Practice

Years ago Alison brought some twigs back from England and planted them in a row at the top of the garden. Despite cutting "the hedge" back two years ago ( http://neill.blogger.de/stories/1802961/ ), it was turning in to a forest.

Today the gardener came to cut it, took a look at it and then sent his mate off to the forester to get some serious machinery.



It is good that the locals have "industrial grade" gardening tools.



Some more pictures at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5946929316201764097?banner=pwa

Halloween grilling in Frenchie's meadow.
A fox joined us next to the fire. Really weird.

With a group of business partners and associates, we went zip lining again today. It is still amazing.

A sunny bank holiday Thursday in a week of mist. Gertrud and Jon rang and asked if we wanted to go out for a relaxing bike ride with the twins and them. Yes please.



Rode to and through the high moors in Oy and then on to the Schwarzenberger Weiher. After coffee and cake we rode back home.



29km and 416 mters of climbing
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=kxczonghwdqsxkzq

Today was our 25th wedding anniversary so we celebrated by going "ziplining" at the Alpspitz Kick. Whizzing down a steel rope through a cut in the trees at speeds of up to 130kmh is a great way to spend 40 seconds.



http://www.alpspitzkick.de/

The fourth day in Cortina and only five of us did a quick "road tour" up the hill for a coffee.



11 kms and 430 meters of climbing. Track is at
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xgzohscueqmupxsd

My pictures are at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5921707781848663521?banner=pwa&authkey=CPumgJP8gZGkqwE

Jon's pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/100547066824249637955/albums/5921540097943142497

After the huge tour yesterday, and after Jon had rebuilt my bike at the local bike handler, we did a "nice gentle" Dolomite tour through the Val de Gotres.



Only 33 kms and only 860 meters of climbing but what a great day. The perfect follow on to yesterday.

Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=jfmgpmewfmiudaas

My pictures are at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5921705411362024705?banner=pwa&authkey=CNaKwIK-idTsPA
Jon's pictures are at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/100547066824249637955/albums/5920913105040886065

Wow!
It took 11 hours but we did it. Once round the Tofana Massive in the Dolomites. Stunning scenery, incredibly rocky tracks and some amazing single rails to finish with.

Broke my bike but I survived in one piece.



"Only" 55kms and we used the cable car for the first 500 meters of climb but still a really hard day.
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=wvjzykkvnljdlbbc

My pictures are at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5921701433081116897?banner=pwa&authkey=CPzD-YXqktCoQQ

Jon's pictures are at https://plus.google.com/photos/100547066824249637955/albums/5920615267498635201

First day in Cortina. we stopped on the way to the hotel and cycled up to the foot of the "Drei Zinnen".



Once we were back at the car I had to drive car and trailer to Cortina while the rest rode.

20kms and 870 meters of climbing
Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=dffnwhrzxanhjvqj

My photos are at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5921697511266403633?banner=pwa&authkey=CO_986yx6ebeWQ

Jon's photos are at https://plus.google.com/photos/100547066824249637955/albums/5920173938618210641

Max was out with the heros in Group 1. His reports and links to his pictures are at http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2013_09_01_archive.html

The usual four of us (Heidi, Moni, Jon and I) doing the normal training run on a Tuesday night.
Once round the lake and then home via Maria Rain.
We needed to save our energy for the coming weekend in Italy :-)

27 kms and 300 meters of climbing. Track at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=zevcsammdqcdqpao

Dorothee was visiting from Milan so Heidi, Hermann, Alison and I took her to the Roßbergalpe for lunch.



Pictures at https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5853746597235744401

The evenings are getting shorter so we need to stay a little closer to home or be sure we do the dark part of the tour on good tracks.
Tonight we chose the second option and just got down off the Beichelstein before dark.

Great picture from Jon


My (three) photos at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5903015570987104113?banner=pwa

32 kms and 570 meters of climbing. Track at
http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=xgpjyczgwbqluyzq

Jon's photos at https://plus.google.com/photos/100547066824249637955/albums/5865862959006086625/5917865466616081458?pid=5917865466616081458&oid=100547066824249637955

Thursday evening and seven of us were out with our mountain bikes.
After climbing up to the Bayerstetter Köpfel and then trailing back down, we enjoyed a variety of paths near the Grüntensee.



20kms and 500 meters of climb
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=lqlwolvukczzkcrf



Photos at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5903015570987104113?banner=pwa

Three of us out on our race bikes keeping away from the big black clouds in the mountains.

We actually planned a completely different route but Jon and I missed the turning in Gschwend as we were chasing a car.

39km and 519 meters of climbing.
Track is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=fzafhaxudquroycm

After over a week of lounging around on a boat it probably was not the best idea to go and do a long race bike tour with the super fit Jon. But that is what I did.



My GPS batteries ran out during the trip but Jon has posted the route to GPSies http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=sjpffwvnbevobmgd (58kms with 920 meters of climbing!)

Max had my camera on his weekend tour to Italy so I have very few pictures. I did however take this panorama at the top of the Jochpass.

The original is at https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5903015570987104113/5913700661952478722?banner=pwa&pid=5913700661952478722&oid=103827427036815679772

Once we got back I had to drive to Italy to pick up Max and Nico who had spent the weekend cycling from Nesselwang to St. Leonhard. At least they bought me an ice.



Max's description of his trip to Italy is here http://maxhogarth.blogspot.de/2013/08/timmeljoch-day-1-familiar-territory.html?spref=fb

The whole family spent a week boating on the Erne and Shannon in Ireland.
We started in Northern Ireland and then passed along the canal in to Eire. Later we returned to the starting point in County Fermanagh.



My pictures are here https://plus.google.com/photos/103827427036815679772/albums/5912802555955779201?banner=pwa&authkey=CPrW1OvF8-3SowE



The track we followed is at http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=esviayrvlmrukinm