Let's all go to Majorca..

pottssteve

...for our holidays.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/expat/2009 ... =Expat0910

Shame on you British cyclists...

deptfordmarmoset

Another one who's bought the Jeremy Clarkson Cut-and-Paste book of journalism.

I had a little smile when I read her ''Ode to an Organ'' piece, though. With no trace of irony, she writes:

''Back in my salad days I remember my Maiden aunt, Della, rushing off to tackle the monster of an organ that heaved and spluttered in the dark recesses of the musty, old local Catholic church.''

I suspect her father was the priest.

Anonymous

just mailed her, she may expect some James Martin style publicity.

softlad

I think she's right. It's a huge pain in the ar5e to be stuck behind a big group of riders - especially when they refuse to single out to let traffic pass. I always thought that was a basic rule of courtesy (and safe riding) to give way periodically if you were riding in a group...??

pottssteve

I would agree with you, softlad. However, I suspect that the reason she's most annoyed is that her arse is considerably bigger than the cyclist's...

APIII

When I was there a few weeks ago, one of the things I noticed was the numerous road signs advising cyclists to ride in single file. If those are their rules, then you should respect them. However, a story about being held up in traffic? Do people really get paid to write this sh!t?

Anonymous

I have mailed the author and she does have a point. She does say that sometimes the cyclists are 6 abreast which in any country is dangerous. This not advocating our chosen sport very well but she also adds that her article was done tongue in cheek and she did not mean to offend anyone.

deptfordmarmoset

Her ''buddies '' at the local tourist office seem pretty keen to welcome the 35,000+ cyclists, pro and amateur, that play a important part in keeping the island's economy afloat. Now, while as she says, ''we locals in the mountains shudder'' when the bikes arrive, I wonder who these locals actually are - she admits on a blog 2 or 3 days earlier that she can't even speak the local Catalan without the aid of a dictionary - so locals is unlikely to apply to them. She must mean the local expat NIMBYs.

Incidentally, road rule and regulations, pulled off the tourist board's site:

''4. Ride as far to the right as possible on roads. Cyclists can ride in columns of two abreast. Ride in single file in places where visibility is poor.''

Now, she says she's found herself behind a six pack of cyclists. I personally cannot believe that these 6 cyclists were all riding abreast. It's about as true as when she says that cyclists are frightening the birds of the trees.

ednwireland

Why are the writers in the daily mail such w***ers, i know its the reason for the daily mail to exist but they should really install a moron filter, mind probably wouldnt sell many papers with 40 (or whatever it is) blank pages

pottssteve

ednwireland wrote:

Why are the writers in the daily mail such w***ers, i know its the reason for the daily mail to exist but they should really install a moron filter, mind probably wouldnt sell many papers with 40 (or whatever it is) blank pages

I agree with you entirely, except this one's in the Telegraph!!

Pross

All I can say is be grateful she hasn't retaliated by wearing lycra herself! :shock:

STEFANOS4784

pottssteve wrote:

ednwireland wrote:

Why are the writers in the daily mail such w***ers, i know its the reason for the daily mail to exist but they should really install a moron filter, mind probably wouldnt sell many papers with 40 (or whatever it is) blank pages

I agree with you entirely, except this one's in the Telegraph!!

Thta's what i was guna put, or something to that effect 8)
I can almost guaruntee she's exagerating. 6 abreast? With Traffic behind? Surely no-one is that arrogant and selfish. Probably just trying to justify her lack of patience with exageration. :x

DavidBelcher

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

Probably just trying to justify her lack of patience with exageration. :x

"Journalists say a thing that they know isn't true, in the hope that if they keep on saying it long enough it will be true" - Arnold Bennett

Nuff said.

David

Pross

She doesn't say 6 abreast she says 6 pack so maybe she means arranged in 3 rows of 2 columns like a 6 pack? In that case they were doing nothing wrong in accordance with the above posted rules although it is good manners to single out in the case that vehicles are struggling to pass.

Just another 'journo' perpetuating the myths such as all cyclists jump red lights, ride the wrong way down one way streets etc. etc. etc. which unfortunately gets given credence by the minority that do.

mrushton

That would be Majorca and the 35k + cyclists who pump 1000s of Euros into the local economy. The Deia/Soller rd is narrow and bendy so perhaps she should be taking her time. I appreciate that the cyclists may be impeding her but for how long is she delayed - 1 minute,3?,5? Generally the standard of driving is quite good there - ie they give you some room as long as the cyclists don't act stupidly. I presume she is an ex-pat Brit. Probably bleating about all those 'foreigners' back home and how dear Margaret would have sorted them out

bigjim

I'm in Mallorca up to 6 times a year. I have family [who all speak fluent catalan, though mallorcan is the native language] that live and work there. We have never seen 6 abreast cyclists. There are often a lot of cycling teams there and this is probably what she is talking about. I have also never had a car blow a horn at me on the island. The mallorcan people welcome cyclists with open arms and always treat them with the upmost courtesy. It's probably all her xpat mates that moan and blow their horns thinking they are in the cycle hating UK.

pottssteve

Maybe she's James Martin's Mum?!

tebbit

Know where I'm going for my hols next year, break out the touring bike and panniers

deptfordmarmoset

tebbit wrote:

Know where I'm going for my hols next year, break out the touring bike and panniers

Sóller is definitely the place to go for you then. But if ever you end up with a car on your tail, don't you ever consider doing what her brother-in-law did....

''The Scotsman [i.e. her husband] was delighted to clap eyes on his sporty brother, Geoff, from Scotland’s far north but disaster was lurking a day before he and his lovely wife, Ali, were due to depart from the Sóller valley. Off on a gentle bike ride to nearby Fornalutx village, Geoff pulled ahead of his wife and sped round a corner…and quite literally disappeared. Ali puffed up the hill, wondering where on earth he’d gone to. Perhaps it was the Bermuda triangle of Fornalutx? A bevy of builders revealed all. One had apparently seen the bizarre image of a man toppling over the wall into the torrente 5 metres below with his bike on top of him. He’d apparently pulled over to let a van go past, lost his balance and fallen over the shallow wall. Luckily for not-so-sporty Geoff, he landed in a clump of canes and was saved from serious injury. (http://www.anna-nicholas.com/newsletter ... e-lift-off)

ps. It might seem vindictive of me to gather this kind of info on her, but I haven't even got started :twisted:

rhext

"...bearing their rumps....."? What are they supposed to do with them? Leave them behind.

Normally I wouldn't bother with the 'grammer' debate, but since she's a professional writer, I reckon she's fair game!

Mark Alexander

Well, as said already, she may be a winging ex-pat, she may be regurgitating writer's block, she may be exaggerating (not in a million years) and, dare I say it she may even have a point but she's allowed to voice an opinion. Even if it is wrong

I'm looking forward to my first club training camp there in March (I missed the inaugural one through a cracked rib) 8)

I need to train for the training camp :!: The buggers did 100+ a day last year :shock:

bigjim

100 a day on mallorca is a lot easier than 100 a day here.

Mark Alexander

I doubt it rains as much, better food no work the next day etc. etc??