Distance 39.0 km Average Speed 14.2 km/h Maximum Speed 27.4 km/h Got up just before 07:00 and got away shortly after 11:00. Probably not too bad considering that I wasn’t rushing. It was about -20°C when I got up, but it soon warmed up with the sun out – another cloudless day – and was probably about -5°C for most of the day. I started by heading back towards Tilsa and then went from their along the snowmobile trail (now
2024 Trip – Day 4
Distance 35.9 km Average Speed 15.6 km/h Maximum Speed 27.5 km/h No-one was around when I got up so I wondered into the kitchen and made my own breakfast. A guide turned up a bit later and provided some eggs and meatballs to as well. I liaised with Timo regarding the schedule for the week. We agreed that I would go to Kylkeinen first, then Jänisvaara and then back to the kennels for one night before being driven over to
2024 Trip – Day 3
Distance 31.7 km Average Speed 12.9 km/h Maximum Speed 27.0 km/h Slept well and got up at a reasonable time. The guides were getting ready for some guests who were doing the shortest 12km trip so I busied myself locating as many of the items I would need to take as possible. Fortunately, having visited the kennels for very many years I now know where most things can be found. There was much discussion about the state of the snow
2024 Trip – Days 1 & 2
My flight to Helsinki was about 45 minutes later departing, but made up about 30 of those apparently due to a tail wind. I took the train from the airport to Helsinki station. I don’t recall doing this before, but it was fast and inexpensive. I ate a very average burger at the station whilst waiting for my sleeper train since this would allow me to get to sleep quicker than eating on the train. The sleeper train was indeed
Ireland 2023 – Day 4
A trip to Tintern Abbey today. We started with the nearby Colclough Walled Garden which is only a few minutes walk away and can be visited on a combined ticket. The garden is large by the standard of walled gardens and indeed the walls themselves are quite impressive. There were some pleasant sections with streams running through, but the large kitchen garden area was mostly dug up (it wasn’t clear why at this time of year). Overall, we didn’t feel
Ireland 2023 – Day 3
Off to visit nearby Ferne castle. It isn’t particularly big, but entry – including a guided tour – is FREE! When we arrived a school tour was just starting and we were told that the next tour would also be for a school but that we were welcome to join on so we did. The guide was knowledgeable and managed to keep the children reasonably well engaged. She also gave us a few minutes of her time once the school
Ireland 2023 – Day 2
Our first full day in Ireland. When we arrived yesterday we heard from thecottage owners that there was to be a classic car rally today at nearby WellsHouse at which they would be exhibiting their own vintage vehicle. Since it was only a couple of miles down the road we decided to go. We got to the house quite early whilst the classic cars were still arrivingand had a look around. There were actually plenty of other attractionsincluding formal gardens
Mk4 Fiesta hyperflash
I recently blogged about my efforts to replace most of the bulbs in my Fiesta with LEDs. Mostly this has gone well, but one area where there have been difficulties are the indicators. When I installed the first LED I immediately got “hyperflash” where the flash rate increases a great deal to practically produce a flickering effect. My supplier – Classic Car LEDs – had indeed predicted this problem and investigating and solving it taught me a great deal about
LED lamps on the Mk 4 Fiesta
Recently, I’ve been trying to convert most of the lamps on my old Mk4 Fiesta over to LEDs. There are several motivations for this: A better quality of light. Reduced chance of a failed bulb attracting the attention of the Old Bill. Reduced possibility of a flat battery if I manage to leave the lights on. I have exclusively used products from Classic Car LEDs with whom I have no connections other than as a satisfied customer. They appear to
Isle of Wight 2022 Day 1
We had an uneventful crossing on the Wightlink ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth. It was so quick and easy that we really couldn’t understand why we hadn’t done so before. It was a relatively short drive to the cottage near Brighstone (but then everywhere is a short drive on the IoW) and we arrived soon after the check-in time. The cottage was clean and reasonably spacious but was one of these places with mean owners who can’t part with a