I tend to be eaten alive when it comes to any kind of blood suckers, gnats, mossies etc. The best way to describe it is that I’m everyone else’s insect repellent. For some reason they just love me. It’s like one smells me and then calls its extended family around for dinner. Yes, and long lost uncle Bob who lives on his own is invited too.

It is not really the biting that annoys me, yes I get bitten (though way more than others) and it doesn’t itch that bad. What the main annoyance is, is that they swell up like no tomorrow and then become very warm, really burning. And then there is the oozing of what ever it is, looks a bit like amber on a tree, but it is not nice to look at either.

Years ago I was on holiday in Sweden with me old folks, while my dad was setting up a picnic my mum was busy applying protection on me. She first sprayed something on me and then she used the wet towels, while she was moving up my arm with the wet towel the BB’s just jumped over her hand to land again. Needless to say that that picnic got cancelled double quick.

I have been bitten on my my face next to my eye and it looked like I had a massive shiner but without the colour. And I couldn’t see anything for the best part of that day. And when I get bitten on my hands they are out of action for up to 12 hours.

Monday just gone I got a bite on my ankle and I couldn’t bend my foot because of the swelling and it was oozing for the King and Queen.

If the Church of Parasite Warding has a holy water, that holy water is DEET. DEET was developed by the US Army during World War II to assist with jungle warfare and keep soldiers from being eaten alive by aggressive hordes of mosquitoes and other jungle lovelies.

Around 20 years ago I was InterRailing around Europe for a month with my best mate. After one night in Greece I woke up the words “what the *beep* is that” from my mate. And then we started to count and gave up counting at 85 bites on my back alone. Lucky for me the army of BB’s who had a staff meeting with free buffet didn’t have what ever it is that causes me to ooze from the bites after. We gave up counting bites on me but started on my mate and the grand total was four bites in a month.

And so I could go on.

Most people swear by Jungle Formula but it does not even help on me, ok I have never tried the extra strength ones, 50% DEET, as I have just learned about it today. I have tried eating extra garlic which didn’t work, even tried the battery powered ultra sound things, still go bitten.

The only stuff I have found working is something that contains a high level of DEET. Yes there is some side effect with it like it can melt plastic and remove paint. But when it come to the choice of getting eaten alive or a bit of paint falling off, Long live DEET.

Over the years I have only tried two repellents that have worked, one from Australia and one from Sweden, but for the life of me I can’t remember what they are called and how much DEET there was in them. I must pay more attention when it comes to stuff that works since I get bitten so much.

Lifehacker.com have a good article about how to make your garden BB proof, with a good clean up and plant some plants that have mosquito-repelling oil in their leaves, read more here. They also have a article about how to avoid getting bitten this summer and what to do when you got bitten by a biting barstard, read more here.

I need to find something that really work, since I would love to do more cycle touring, camping and that we are going to Australia and New Zealand in a few months time. Yes I have read about the sand files in NZ and I will be bringing chemicals to that war, Geneva Protocol or no Geneva Protocol.

I was in the local pharmacy the other day and was told that antihistamine would help on the swelling and the itching, why haven’t I heard about this before. The pharmacist also gave me (well I paid for it) some Herbal Insect Repellent from A.Vogel which contain stuff from the Neem tree. The pharmacist said that he have had good success with it, so let us see how it works on me the next time I’m out and about.

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Description: (From ukcampsite) Evergreen Farm is set in beautiful scenery of fields and woodland close to the medieval town of East Grinstead. Evergreen Farm has 12 pitches each with an optional fire pit (wood provided) set in 10 acres of idyllic woodland incorporating a natural pond. Natural wildlife on the site includes deer and badgers.

Site visited: 14,15,16th of May 2010.

As seen on the blog: Light my fire.

Last minute booking and since we had already booked the train tickets we had to go with the site or else we didn’t have a place to sleep that weekend. Jane at Evergreen Farm was very nice and even when we missed our train and would arrive late we were told that that would be fine. She even called up to check if we could find our way ok.

We arrived around 21:30 and were greeted by Chris and big pig and a few dogs, who are only doing their job. Chris took us to our plot, where he had already left two deck chairs, portable table along with some firewood and water. We didn’t expect the chairs and table at all, thank you very much for that, it made sitting around the fire so much more enjoyable.

We had a wander around the farm and woodland and still think that our plot on the edge of the forest was the best, since we would be able to enjoy the sunset. Though the plots within the forest look well kept and you were never right on top of your neighbour. Within the forest there is a little lake and every plot had a fire pit.

The toilet at the moment was just one very swanky, clean compost toilet, at the top of the hill next to the car park. There are no showers or washing facilities. You parked the car and Jane or Chris would take your tent and gubbins down to your plot on their quad bike. So no car driving around the site to worry about.

I must say that the price was expensive (£48 for two nights and a bag of firewood) compared to other campsites we have stayed at where there are only basic toilets (usually about £10-15 a night for two people). But if you arrive by public transport or bicycle you get a discount, which is a great idea. Chris even gave one extra bag of firewood for free to use, which made this “little” boy happy, hours of fun sitting next to a fire poking the ambers with a stick.

Contact Site:

www : No website as of yet so here is there listings on ukcampsite.co.uk.
phone : 01342 327720

The campsite was great, thanks Jane and Chris. It was worth it for the swanky compost toilet, and the big pig called big pig, and geese, and baby chicks, and horses, and miniature ponies, and sheep, and dogs, and a cat called Parsnip.

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He sent us on a nice little loop around the Weir Wood Reservoir to Forest Row and then onto East Grinstead. We stopped at the reservoir and had a look at the blue bells in full bloom before we headed onto The Swan in Forest Row. We had picked the right pub as we were greeted by smiles by five other cyclist. Who at first was very impressed by our bicycles and was very keen to know how far we had come and where we where heading with all that gear.

Them : How far have you come today ? Us : From a campsite outside East Grinstead.
Them : How far do you have to go today ? Us : To the train station in East Grinstead, was our answer to much amusement.
Them : And you are all ready, time was now 11:30, stopping for a pint! Us : erm yeah :)

They laughed at us but they told us to take the disused railway line which now is a cycle way all the way to East Grinstead and off the A road.

After a good old fry up, some tea for Peli and pint for me we headed out again for our massive journey of three miles :) We arrived at the station and found out that our tickets were open so we added another four’ish miles to our journey and got on the train in Lingfield just as the rain started to fall.

More pictures here than you can shake a stick at and read about how we got here.

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So we booked the cheapest train tickets we could find for the Friday and found a campsite that was within easy reach of the train station. Forgetting all about booking the bicycles etc and started to pack our panniers. Peli for the next morning as she would go direct from work to the train station. I would rush home hit the shower, pack and sprint to the station for the departure.

We arrived with minutes to spare and were told no bicycles on the trains between 16:00-19:00, rush hours. I was utterly creamed knackered and was quite keen on just packing it in and going home to bed. But Peli did what she does best and on our bicycles we went.

I knew a route down to around 3 miles away from the campsite off by heart, so it wouldn’t be that hard to find. Though our planned arrival of 18:30 was set back to 21:30′ish before we arrived. 35′ish miles should normal take us just under three hours but it too
us nearly four hours.

On-route down we tried out or rather avoided the new Cycle Super Highway that is springing up in London, I do so hope that this is not the finished product, as it guides cyclist to take the wrong line. And when we came near Gatwick I was a bit worried that the campsite just outside East Grinstead would be right under the flight path, but we were very lucky that it wasn’t the metal birds that woke us up.

We arrived at Evergreen Farm Woodland Camping, to a friendly smile, even the biiiiig pig I’m sure was happy to see us. The proprietor had given us a plot on the edge of the forest, with two deck chairs and a portable table for us to use. Since he was sure that we couldn’t be carrying that on our bicycles and wanted us to be comfortable.

We pitched our tent in darkness and had quick bite to eat before we went to bed. As always with camping you are up with the birds, boy are they noisy, but we still had a good sleep on our very much worth it down maths.

The day was spend with eating, reading our books in the sun under a massive oak tree. Then we had a walk around the site, good size with plots spread out in the forest so that you were never too close to your neighbour. Though we do think that our plot was the best since we had a clear view of the sunset and was not too far away from the only compost toilet on the site.

We went to the local pub, The Old Mill, with a water mill still running behind the bar and had afternoon drink. Before we went back to our plot to enjoy the sunset and a bonfire.

I was a little bit worried since it has been a few years since I last started a fire. And I had a reputation to uphold e.g. the one match rule. I set up the fire and put my match to the kindle and the fire started up only to die down again, eek. Quick thinking and more kindle and a light blowing on the ambers I got it started again, so the one match rule is still on. And I could sit down and relax to a blistering hot fire. We then spend the next few hours poking the fire, reading our books or just getting lost looking at the flames. Peli crawled to bed at midnight but I still had wood to burn for an other hour or so before I hit the sack.

More pictures here than you can shake a stick at and read about the next day 14′miles lovely ride

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Description: (From their site) Outdoor folk will be spoiled for choice at this former Victorian rectory, set in 25 acres of relaxing riverside grounds with splendid views of the Royal Forest of Dean and Symonds Yat rock. Hire a canoe and take in the picturesque valley from the River Wye or choose pedal power to explore the Forest of Dean. Walkers will find miles of footpaths to follow – we recommend you start with the Wye Valley Walk which runs past the door.

Site visited: 10th of April 2010.

As seen on the blog: What goes down must go up.

If you arrive here on bicycle to make sure that you have some oomph left in your legs because you have to ride the one and a half miles from Goodrige to the YHA. Up one steep hill then a drop down to Welsh Bickor YHA. They are not lying on their website when they say that there is a very steep hill and a hairpin down to them.

We were very relieved to learn that the kitchen would be open and ready to cook us something. Because there was no way that we would be able to get back up that hill without a rest and plenty of food, since it had been a long and hard day touring.

The YHA is located on the banks of the river Wye next to a little church, very beautiful. There are sinks and toilets outside in the court yard at the main building. Which unfortunately is quite a long walk away from the area where you camp, so you really have to plan your trips to the loo or else you will end up walking miles.

After food and shower we crawled into our sleeping bags for what we hoped would be an early night. Instead we got entertained by singing scouts around the bonfire for the first act. The second act was a stag do who talked until four am.

Contact Site:

www : http://www.yha.org.uk/
phone : 0845 371 9666

Great site at a beautiful location, though with the water and “forest” around it I’m sure that mossies will come out in force. Just be prepared to have the scout singing for you at night around the bonfire.

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Description: (From their site) An ideal holiday location especially for families or groups keen to visit The Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons, or walk the Offa`s Dyke Path. The village has The Skirrid Mountain Inn, which is the oldest pub in Wales and was used as Judge Jeffrie`s Court. The scenery is superb with The Skirrid Mountain behind and The Black Mountains just beyond the village.

Site visited: 8th of April 2010.

As seen on the blog: The roads have gone pots.

Pen-y-dre is a nice little site attached to the farm, which also is a self catering farm holiday cottages along with a farm Bed & Breakfast, so a bit of everything. We didn’t see the cottages or the B&B from the inside but from the outside they looked very nice.

I had emailed the owner to hear if it was ok to arrive a bit late since we would be on the train from London via Cardiff, which wasn’t a problem. We arrived around 19:30 and was greeted by a barking dog and a smile by the owner, the dog soon went quite as soon as we said hello, some guard dog :)

We where pointed to the campsite which is on the other side of the to the farm. The site had around eight caravans there with some of them looking like they are there all year round. The shower and loo block was very clean and had clean towels out, a nice little touch. In the shower and loo block also had the washing basing for campers and hot running water.

The site was sandwiched in on two sides by road and on the third a paddock with two lovely horses. One of the roads is the busy A486 running between Abergavenny and Hereford, which made it a noisy night.

Contact Site:

www : http://www.penydre.co.uk
phone : 01873 890 246

Not the best location if you want a quite night, but if you want a great place to start your trip up into the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons which we did on our tour up and over the Gospel pass to Hundred House.

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We went into PSM Outdoors in Hay On Wye where we had a great service and had a look at what they had. I didn’t want to spend a lot on a mat which I only had to use for 2 days.

So I settled for the Trekmates Mummy camper lite, which weights in at 900g and is 183cm by 51cm and 2cm thick. The mat rolled up is pretty much the same size at the Exped I got and is around 500 or so grams lighter. And also it is smaller than me, but I have become used to that there aren’t many beds that suit me at 194cm (6’4″).

It was very easy to roll out and pump up not that I had to do much since it did the most of that by itself. Since it had been rolled up for a while I let it lay for around 20min before I blew some air into it. Rolling it up and packing it up was very easy, just one roll, not like the Exped where I have to roll it up a few times to make sure that all the air is out.

It does feel nice to the touch and the quality is tip top too, I’m sure that it would last a while.

Sleeping on it now that is a different matter, since I have become used to the bed that is the Exped Downmat. It is not warm, just about kept the cold and damp ground at bay when I used it in early April. I’m sure that the temperature don’t have to be much lower before you can really feel the cold ground. If the ground was harder and more rocky then I wouldn’t have slept at all, the soft grass helped a lot. The Exped DownMat was warm to the touch where the Trekmates was cold. The only reason why I managed to sleep on it was that I was knackered after a day of fully loaded hilly cycling and had my Alpkit SKyeHigh Down sleeping bag to keep me warm.

Plus sides : It is light, easy to roll out and pack up and cheap.
Minus sides : It is not wide, thick or warm enough for me.

Rating:

I’m sure that the Trekmates Mummy camper lite would do it for some, but it is not good enough for me since I have become very used to the Exped DownMat. I’m very happy with the idea dragging the extra weight around on tour because I know I will have a good night sleep after a long day in the saddle.

LINK: Trekmates mat, Mummy camper lite

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In Croatia we were ready to go on the dot 9:30 every morning no matter how fast or slow we were getting ready. This trip it was a 10am start no matter how much we faffed.

We managed to cycle up the hill, it is amazing how steep things are when you are tired.

After two days of nearly hot weather and plenty of sun we had a bit of a cold start into the wind.

Even with our tired legs we then made good time to Newent where we had a long pub lunch and probably the best sticky toffee pudding with ice cream we ever have had.

Just as we had had enough of the busy B4241 we found a cycle route for the last few miles into Gloucester. Though there was a bit of confusion at the junction of the A40 and something other big road thing. But we managed to find our way via the “scenic route” which looked more like a left over building materials land fill.

In Gloucester we managed to have a quick look at the docks and the cathedral before we retired to a pub while waiting for a train back to London. No, no, we didn’t eat again, just semi slept and relaxed after a brilliant mini cycling tour.

Day 1: The road have gone pots
Day 2: What goes down must go up
Day 3: Into the wind
Photos : Click her to see all the photos
Route : Click here to see the route

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We had good night sleep bar one peak outside at midnight looking at the stars. The Trekmates mat, Mummy camper lite, I got yesterday did the job but I wouldn’t sleep on it for more that the two nights I’m doing now.

Got up to glorious sunshine and cooked our porridge and a cup of tea. This campsite is one that we come back to again and again. George the proprietor said that we were brave to do what were about to do.

We set out and climbed the highest hill of our tour at 542 metres, well the road next too it. At Whitney-on-Wye we paid 10p pet bicycle on the toll bridge over the Wye.

In Dorstone we had a splendid lunch, which confused the staff a bit. Since the were looking for a table for four. But is two mains, two side dishes along with a plate of chips on the side that much for two hungry cycle tourers?

If you should in Dorstone do make sure pop into the The Pandy Inn to try our their banoffee pie a true delight for a cyclist in search for some energy.

The we rolled down the Golden Valley along the B4348 to just past Much Newchurch. Just before before said village we got waved down by a para glider who had lost his ways. We pointed him to the nearest main junction where he could get come provisions while waiting for his rescue vehicle.

The we took the parallel road to the A4137 which was very scenic which made our legs ache. On one of the down hills Peli hit some deep gravel and came off her bicycle after quick shout of WOOLLY! I came to the rescue and found her in a heap next to the verge. A quick check over and it looked like the panniers had taken the bulk of the fall and the left hand hood was bent a little bit and the chain had come off.

Oh and Peli you ask, well she will be all right in a few days :) No broken bones or road rash to take pictures of just covered in road dirt where her sun cream was and bit of a whip lash in her neck, she is a tough little girl.

On route to the campsite we had planned to find a place to get stuff to cook but we found none. In Goodrich the only local shop was closed but we spotted a pub, which we agreed would do for dinner, since the campsite was only one and a half miles away.

Well that was before we cycled that one and a half miles. Up one steep hill then a drop down to Welsh Bickor YHA. They are not lying on their website when they say that there was a very steep hill and a hairpin down
to them.

We were very relieved to learn that the kitchen would be open and ready to cook us something. Because there was no way that we would be able to get back up that hill without a rest and plenty of food.

The YHA is located on the banks of the river Wye next to a little church, very beautifull.

After food and shower we crawled into our sleeping bags for what we hoped would be an early night. Instead we got entertained by singing scouts around the bonfire for the first act. The second act was a stag do who talked until four am.

Day 1: The road have gone pots
Day 2: What goes down must go up
Day 3: Into the wind
Photos : Click her to see all the photos
Route : Click here to see the route

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I met up with Peli at the station and after some delay and faffing around with the platforms we were on our way. Arrived in Abergavenny and made our way to the campsite. Pen-y-dre is a nice little site attached to the farm, but located right next to the busy A486 and the local road. Which made it a noisy night. Though that wasn’t the biggest problem, while pitching the tent I suddenly realised that I hadn’t packed my sleeping mat. So the night was spent listening to traffic fighting over space on our only mat.
The next morning we started of at 9:30′ish and headed for Hay-on-Wye over the Gospel Pass. Stunning weather made the journey. We passed the Llanthony priory which was started by two hermits back in 1108.

The Gospel Pass isn’t that bad but fully loaded and not in peak touring condition we found it hard. And the ice cream at the top was a nice treat that hit the spot. We even spotted some snow on Lord Hereford’s Knob.

And then it was pretty much down hill into Hay. Though I did have a little scare when my bicycle only wanted to gear up. Not sure what caused it but I was a tad worried that I would be stuck with the front dérailleur for the rest of the tour. I got a funny feeling that it is a frayed cable but a little fettling in Hay it was back to normal.

I had steak and ale pie for lunch and Peli had a pizza. For some reason I really do think that Hay-on-Wye is the place to buy books, just don’t know why.

We went into the outdoor store to get a new mat for me. Just a simple terma mat with memory foam, no were near as good a my Exped DownMats. But it will teach me and stop the fighting for space the next two nights.

Heading out of Hay towards Painscastle we quickly learned why it was called Painscastle as we had picked the “scenic” route to Hundred House. Hill after hill rolled by and drained our legs. But it was well worth it as the view was beautiful and weather sunny.

It is the second time we are staying at Fforest Fields and both times we have arrived there totally knackered. But this time the weather made our stay so much better.

The roads compared to last time we where in Wales was more potholey, because the snow over last winter. But still in quite good nick compared to what we are used to in London.

After two portions of Pasta’n'sause we are now curled up in our tent after a great day cycling in the Brecon Beacons, Black Mountains in Wales.

Day 1: The road have gone pots
Day 2: What goes down must go up
Day 3: Into the wind
Photos : Click her to see all the photos
Route : Click here to see the route

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