August or bust....

[Bierzo Baggie]

The running has dried up, just like the stream that runs through Toral de Merayo. August's often a dry dry month and some years I don't start again at all until mid-September. Know the feeling anybody?

[Seafront Plodder]

I suspect many of us do Bags.

Hence lack of posts here lately.

[Riazor Blue]

I'm plodding along, just not too much to report. I even done a race last weekend, but as I don't know what the distance was or the result it's a liitle wierd.

[Bierzo Baggie]

August or bust? Looks like “bust” to me.

A truly torrid few days for the mountains of El Bierzo and their sparsely populated villages. The biggest forest fires yet started on Wednesday. Four yellow fire planes roared overhead all day making endless shuttle runs between the reservoir and the source of the blaze, some hidden point beyond the jagged range of limestone cliffs that we can see from the kitchen window. But the smoky clouds merely mushroomed and multiplied, the unstoppable wall of fire fanned by the wind and at night the silhouette of the mountains was highlighted by a devilish fiery glow. We could see the flames from almost 20kms away. The blaze gnawed its way eastwards and blotted out the sun, coating our window sills with fine particles of ash. So much smoke it was difficult to make out where one fire started and another finished. Sunday, and after four days ablaze things finally seemed to be “under control”. Or maybe there was just nothing left to burn. The teletext said that 4000 hectares had gone up in smoke. Translate that into about 5000 football pitches and then take into account that it was probably a lot more and you’ll start to get an idea of the scale of it all.

Apparently, not far away in the north of Portugal it’s been even worse. Horrible images on TV of village folk running for their lives as their houses burnt to the ground. Who’s to blame? Pyromaniacs? Negligent picnicers? Incompetent politicians? Or are the increasingly long, hot summers which turn whole mountains into tinderboxes simply another inevitable consequence of global warming?

[Bierzo Baggie]

After considerable belly-scratching, got in my first running for a couple of weeks. Crossed the river Sil in the usual place and ran towards Otero, pushing it up the steep bit past the crumbling little church. It’s too early for mass but I do pass a fellow blackberry picking above the vineyards. This brings back memories of mum’s blackberry and apple crumble although I’m sure we didn’t collect them until September. There are early ripened grapes hanging from some of the vines as well.
Headed back down to Ponferrada crossing the road bridge and passing a pilgrim en route to Santiago dwarfed by her enormous rucksack. Back home along a path on the other side of the river.
34 minutes. Finished relatively unscathed.

[El Gordo]

Well done BB. Interesting post about the fires. We heard that some people perished after findng themselves trapped by the flames. Imagine it - racing through the forest, trying to keep ahead of the flames, never sure that there isn't another fire coming towards you. Sounded truly terrible.

Well done on the run. The lanes around me in Berkshire are full of ripe blackberries at the moment. I've been having them on my cereal for the last couple of weeks now.

[Riazor Blue]

I checked the blackberry situation this morning in Cambre, one of the villiages close to La Coruña, we still need a couple of weeks before they are ready, which gives me time to dig out the recipe book, you cannot beat a good apple & blackberry crumble.

[sampedro]

Riazor when you have one jar ready just post me a message!!!!! I will be glad to taste it.....

[Bierzo Baggie]

Sampedro...careful with RB and his jars....
No more running last week but did manage to get out on the bike a couple of times. Much pleasanter cycling than running during these days of intense heat.

[Bierzo Baggie]

Sunday morning run. Ran up to Otero passing the little church halfway up the hill. The church bells were summoning a procession of over-70s (some accompanied by their grandchildren) to midday mass. Wonder how many of them will still be around to keep the church going in 10 or 20 years time. Up above the village I could see the devastating effects of yet another wildfire which we saw raging from Ponferrada yesterday afternoon. It was probably the result of livestock farmers burning to clear land for grazing. Problem was that they almost took a couple of villages out in the process, not to mention the expense of the helicopters and land-based firefighters who had to risk their lives to put it all out. And the empty expanse of blackness that now underlines the Montes Aquilianos is simply depressing. Especially for anybody in the business of attracting tourists this way.

For the second time in succession I chickened out of the longer run that I’d originally intended and exited the Monte Pajariel trail to drop down to San Lorenzo where a small dog nipped at my ankles. I have a long running feud with the dogs of San Lorenzo. Back home again via the road.
Total running time: 51 minutes. Hard work.

[Bierzo Baggie]

No midweek running again. Just a couple of escapades on my bike, a bright pink racer which I bought second hand from a village shop in Devon a few years ago. It has served me well.

Saturday morning run around the river. Counted three fishermen out in waders and one of them was reeling in a fairly decent sized trout. The river in question incidentally is the River Sil, which from its picturesque source on the Asturias/León border nourishes more reservoirs than any other watercourse in Spain. Or so I’m told. One of the reservoirs is just north of Ponferrada. I passed it on my bike last week and estimated that it must be about half empty although there’s an entire village submerged underneath and there’s still enough water to cover the church tower so in retrospect maybe it’s not so bad.

Anyway, got back home in just over 38 minutes. Only the third time out this month.