E - Vida

In a moment of 'skoon frantic' (as my Dad would call it), I hoisted my bag up without adequate knee/arm prep and my back shouted "ouch!" Given that it was early morning and I had to catch my train to Norwich, I let it slide - even though it hurt. For the reward of getting to Norwich as planned, would be the Weber family waiting for me on the other side. And they did not disappoint. Country side dodgem cars with Uncle Ed, baking with Aunty Lynne, cricket with Dan, long overdue catch up with Tim and even a running Whatsapp commentary with Chris who was on a coach back to Cardiff. A little more family time squeezed into this two week business travel trip. Yay! By the time midnight rolled in, I was moeg. But my tank was full with new, rich memories of Norfolk - not forgetting the tastes of the day: cranberry, raisin and pumpkin seed bread, spinach-creamcheese-leek-bacon swirls, crispy fried chicken wings and coconut tart.  I reshuffled a few things in my bag, in preparati...

We had to set the alarm for quite a bit earlier today, given that we were on duty from 9am. Having someone to talk to on the train made a big difference to the travel and at one point I'd lost track of what I had done with my phone and purse! Mild heart attack moment. Arriving just on 8:45, we set up the stand for the final day of exhibition and gave our best effort for the next 8,5 hours. My smile muscles are slightly more stiff than my feet! Breakdown at 17:00 was quick but left us all wondering about our luggage weight restrictions, having collected souvenir bells, bottles and books over the duration of the show. Terri and I met up with Dave and then took a different route back, due to the now overcrowded train platform. At my host's recommendation, we went for dinner in Elephant​ & Castle. Chinese - yum! Veggie spring rolls, sticky bbq spare ribs, DIY crispy duck pancakes, sweet n sour pork, beef with black beans and lemon chicken. Mayyyyy bru. Pics to follow soon. ...

It's the second day of us doing the Expo dance. Caught out dozing on the train to the venue, I'm just glad that I didn't end up in Beckton with no more train track ahead! A regular reminder of why I prefer being behind the scenes, we fielded many questions, South Africa-specific comments and a few complaints about the wind! But we also met many local and homesick expats​ with a special love for our country, custom and events. I think they find our accent quite entertaining too. The trip back to Oval was at a chilled pace and Terri even met me at the top of the road for some company. Dave was back home preparing dinner - their Friday ritual. On the menu tonight was pizza (including charcoal sourdough - a first for us all!!) Followed by salted caramel and chocolate torte with clotted cream ice cream. What a treat!

Today is the first day of the Prudential Ride London cycling show (expo) at London ExCel. I've got the graveyard shift - the things you do when it's light outside until late! HotChillee (Cape Rouleur) is sharing a stand with Cape Town Cycle Tour and accommodation partner, Tsogo Sun. I travelled from Oval tube station (on the Northern Line) to Bank, crossing on to the Docklands Light Railway line towards Beckton - getting off at Shadwell - to cross onto a new train that would take me to Prince Regent, just outside the venue. The entire trip took less than an hour. Pretty handy having it here as reference in case I forget for tomorrow! There was a steady flow at lunch time and then it picked up again after 6pm, as to be expected with the locals popping in after work. I suspect that tomorrow will be busier as the weekend starts and possibly a last big push on Saturday for all the last minute riders. (It will be interesting to see if that behavior is exclusive to Capet...

Determined to put in a good day's work, Terri and I moved over to a spot around the corner from her home, where we could chat through some stuff and meet another colleague to debrief some more. Dolcezza is simple yet 100% functional - comfy chairs and tables, plug points, coffee and snacks and strong wifi. It's going to be a good day.  By 16h00 it was time to stretch them legs before we tackled the last task of the day - rooming lists. I'm only 1 event into it, and even I already know how hard you need to concentrate to get this one right! At 19h30 our brains were cooked, I grabbed a jacket and my bag, did my dash for the tube station again and found dear cousin Chris on the other side. Also visiting London for a brief stint, we took a walk around Leicester Square (and after resigning to the fact that that carnival teddy stalls of 2005 that we both loved, were long gone), we got a bite to eat, posed for a few silly pics and then hugged goodbye again as we went o...

Who knew that 6 hours of sleep could produce such marvelous results?! Feeling much better rested and a little less nomadic, I donned some sandals as we walked Rapha and Izzy (Terri's miniature Schnauzers) through Battersea Park and over Chelsea Bridge to their groomers for a suitable Summer cut. While waiting for them to be done, we popped into a little Argentinian cafe called Bueno and enjoyed empanadas, chorizo, chimichurri and chicken lunch. By the time we'd finished lunch, fetched the pups and made it back over to the car, we'd been on the trot for 4,5 hours - and my legs could tell! But no time to waste, I speed walked down to Oval tube station, took the Northern Line to Elephant and Castle and then the Bakerloo line to Picadilly Circus to meet some familiar faces at Hamleys. A lovely evening walkabout was enjoyed, including a visit to the M&M World (just to look) finished off with a Subway dinner and gooey chocolate cookie (now to taste). Walking home ...

My time in France has come to an end and I depart at Gare du Nord in comfort - on the Eurostar! Spare a thought for the crew who had to drive back to Calais and board the Eurotunnel again. A beautiful station building (although severely under construction again) and I'm getting used to the non-smiling, face talking facing at Passport Control. If I had £1 for every time I had to fill in a Landing Card, I'd be rich! We disembarked at Ashford International and rode the coach back to Imber Court to help with the last of the bike collections and pack up. I heard the radio playing for the first time in a week! By 16h30 we were finally on our way 'home' - I'm kindly being hosted by Dave and Terri, my generous colleague and her husband. But there was no time to rest yet - the Weber's had arrived in London and were waiting at the Wilcox's for me to arrive so that we could all tuck into the final roast dinner at 135A Windmill Crescent. I boarded a train from Cl...

When you wake up at a decent hour and have nothing to rush off to, you will catch a bout of the post-event blues. Fact. The first half of my day was a little rough around the edges - last few arrangements, packing of event vehicles to be sent back to London and the odd Q&A. When it all fizzled out by lunch time, I was reduced to a hungry, tired, homesick cry. The kids were a little moany and the call quality was low too - which added to the mood I guess.  I'd almost climbed into bed, when a last minute lunch invite and a group walking down the TdF Finish saved me!  (Will add pics later) Getting there involved some heavy duty navigating by foot and then standing in the rain - but absolutely no regrets. The vibe, the cyclists, the landmarks on the way... I am SO glad that I didn't stay in bed! Aurevoir! 

It was a drizzly start to Stage 3 - Amiens to Paris. Riders prepared for cold, wet weather and our crew went ahead of the others to prepare for their Grand Arrival. Hitting Paris was quite surreal - a popular tourist destination with iconic landmarks, traffic like downtown Joburg and clouds of cigarette smoke. We had a quick lunch to refuel and then proceeded to check room reservation details, haul the riders' luggage off the DHL lorry and organise by ride number, set tables for the dinner and prepare the reception for Prize Giving at 8pm. I kid you not - we put the last confirmed room card in it's alphabetical place as the first coach of riders arrived! After a few takes, we had a smooth system going - but we couldn't do much for the traffic at the lift (or the fact that we had another cycling group being directed to us as well). We ticked lists, rolled in bikes, carried bike bags and boxes, clapped, smiled, fixed, phoned, followed up, waited for the lift - then took...

We started off a little bruised from the eventful day before, but ever hopeful for a fresh start!  Once we'd sent the riders off on Stage 2, we packed up in Calais and head for Amiens...and when we arrived, we found truck loads of freshly baked baguettes and warm apple pies being laid out for the riders' lunch. How's that for incentive?! We welcomed the first 2 groups into the lunch stop and then set off for the hotels to prepare for their pending arrival. A much smoother day logistically, there was time to take a quick duck into the City Centre tonight, see the Cathedrale and watch the locals kick back after the work week. I learnt that it's against the law to send work emails after 5pm. I could think of a few people who would definitely benefit by relocating here on that basis alone! Summer nights along the river with live music, light shows ... This Town reminds me of Buenos Aires - both in the buildings and in the vibe. I wish that dear Husband and the kids could se...

This is me getting ready to tuck into a beautifully baked chocolate fondant dessert after a loooooooo-ooooooong day!  Standing next to me is Justine, front of house manager at the Ibis Novotel in Calais. Today Justine showed me that excellent customer service still exists and working hard with a smile is still possible! Good reminder too and just in the nick of time, after climbing a logistical Everest on very little sleep and just a few Euro!  The event kicked off at 5:15am in London - 380 riders, some rain, some sun, a few falls, a few hundred rider questions, a few 'hoopla' cheers, and much more. I'm not quite ready to relive some of them through this blog - another steep learning curve for sure...did I win King of the Mountain yet?? I hope to always remember my first day in France! 

When I set my alarm tonight I had all of 2 hours and 59 minutes to get some rest. One thing I'm getting good at is hitting my pillow hard - not to mention enjoying sleeping without baby interruption! Based at a warehouse in the nearby industrial area for the final day of Sign On, we setup gazebos, bike racking, PA system and crate loads of gear for the 12-6 session. Our event partners (and venue hosts) braaied our burger and banger lunch - and the sun even came out! What a treat. We followed on to the final pre-event Crew Briefing and finally returned to our lodge around 10pm, to find Sir Tom Jones in concert on the lawn!  I met many more people today and I continue to piece together this event in my head. Wheel hub, front fork, bike repat, chit... I'm learning!

Well, what do you know? I slept for most of the flight. I missed the supper round (and only woke up already 2 hours into the flight). The movie was playing to no one and my fancy-schmancy neck pillow from my sister was still tied to the bag! I was out like a candle. I dozed in and out for most of the flight, trying my best to stay conscious for the breakfast round, with just 100 minutes until landing. I waited almost as long as the assisted passengers did, to disembark. I walked slowly through Terminal 3 as I jumped onto the free WIFI to let the family know that I had landed safely. Passport control was scary as ever, but quick and done. My heart sits in my throat regardless! I pushed a trolley with one hand and skid the bike box with the other through the narrow gates and then promptly found my lift to Esher. The ride was quiet and I enjoyed feeling warm - even hot - so early in the morning! I felt a little sorry for my fellow Saffas back home, in the freezing cold that I left them in...

Travel Day - 17 July With just 20 minutes until take off, I'm juggling feelings of excitement, exhaustion and trying my best to navigate the lump in my throat. I'm so used to walking the halls with no less than 2 extra people and at least a couple more bags, that I felt like a proper lost fart in a perfume shop. This time I could mosey on down from the check in, through passport control and onto the plane in one swoop all without breaking a sweat or even uttering a Mommy word. I found myself greeting anyone who made eye contact, just to feel normal again!  I'm seated between a youngster,  donning shorts in a icy cold Cape winter wind (handing his blanket back to the cabin crew, nogal) and a Gogo donning a full length fur coat! I must be the Equator.  The kids have tested my tear duct hold strength, sending voice notes of love and well wishes. I'm wondering how they'll sleep tonight and how they might grow in 2 weeks. I have never been away from them ...