Cuba Day 3. Wednesday A great day again with a following breeze and a sunny 27 degrees becoming 30 as the sun rose higher. 51 miles today with 660 metres of ascent and the first and last thirds interesting and middle bit on boring busier roads. As we were leaving Havana we stopped at a fishing area community who had tile mosaics around their houses with a nautical theme and they were selling various bits to tourists. I bought 7 fridge magnets for 5 CUC (£4.50). We now need a bigger fridge at home, just for the trinkets. We are keeping in a group on this tour since the route seems to be variable at a bit of input from me and the whim of our guide and we run with a mechanic and coach behind ... read more

Oregon 2018 Portland Resting and overview. A lie in at last with an 8am breakfast. A route march then to catch the tram into town. After several false turns we managed to catch the tram to Down Town Portland at $2.50 for the geriatrics. A deal. A slope around town into various shops and then a cycling shop where I bought some padded cycling fingerless gloves . These are the first I have found since Jackson Wyoming 4 yrs ago. Then a look around the largest bookshop in the world, Powell’s, and it is massive with a great selection of books in about 8 large rooms. Bill and myself found a sew-on badge here for our saddlebags after trawling the whole of Portland. We called at the Pendleton Woollen shop, since Richard W bought his Pendleton ... read more

Oregon 2018 Cascade Locks. The Dalles Hotel was nice and the meal at Baldwin’s Saloon, although expensive compared to previous establishments, was good too. As we ate we saw a goods train go past with approximately 130 carriages on, which could equate to 3000 tonnes -serious stuff. Away at 8am into brilliant sunshine again in 12 degrees of heat taking the cycle way heading west along the river for 6 miles or so. This was the perfect time to travel west as the sun was on the hills across the Columbia creating the most amazing shadows. The cycle track was in very good condition with sweeping bends and smooth tarmac passing the International Garden (which was just in front of a tarmacadam plant which you will all have been pleased to see, of course). It ended ... read more

Oregon 2018. Maupin 68 miles to go today so early breakfast and away at 8am into sunshine, blue skies and 12 degrees of absolute heat. Much to our chagrin we retraced our steps of yesterday for 5 miles up some nasty hills before turning right and heading north. We passed a big solar farm on our left side which we thought was perhaps the best use for much if this scrubland. Down we went for two miles straight with a tail wind, which was giving us ideas of an easy day. Don’t be silly, it turned out to be the most climbing of any day yet, 1350 metres. I got dropped half way down the hill when I stopped to photograph a rusty old Model T Ford truck with a hand built cab and flatbed, which ... read more

Oregon 2018. Sisters Town Day off cycling today so wandered around town looking at the many art and craft shops typical of any tourist town. The bike shop got the most interest with a lot of purchasing going on and bartering with the owner. The girls seemed to get the better hand of their husbands and walked away with bulging bags of clothing whilst the men walked away with hardware. Sisters is typical of any American town with wide roads diagonal parking on either side and single story shops with false high fronts. Coffee shops, restaurants, bakeries and cafes enough to fatten up any passer by. Much interest was shown in the antique shops with old kitchen ranges and cowboy boots, plus much interesting steel sculptures made from scrap farm mowing machines etc. We went into ... read more