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The other pastries are great too! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627158659-C26I55P18LKX32OANKVQ/492bf6ae-b76e-4d49-b9ae-5194eadf40a4.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Mini Pastel de Nata The mini pastel de nata makes for a great mid-ride snack! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627161651-3U40RK58AKXIYHWKU3S5/IMG_1055.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Castro Marim Saltpans The saltpans in nearby Castro Marim is home to lots of local wildlife including flamingos and storks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627155902-H6FJ6CFHOHMI5FSGK9I3/IMG_1048.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Nesting Stork Couple The Algarve region is home to a large migratory stork population. This nest is located on our most frequent traveled cycling route. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627249009-FGEEPMQT1139DPN1IR2R/IMG_0982.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Natural Arch in Lagos Carl and I took a short afternoon trip to Lagos on the far Western corner of Portugal. Lagos boasts beautiful blue water and stunning views from the cliffs above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627269506-NO1VH4N1C6UYITJTJKTE/IMG_0973.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Cliffside Hiking Path in Lagos Despite the enticing views, we opted out of the the long descent closer to the water’s edge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627325957-STH8IZFYS9RGEC6TOBBN/IMG_5313.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Saturday Kenyan Hills Hard, steep uphill session, lasting about 40 seconds, with recovery going downhill. A Saturday classic in the squad! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627364520-BAIS4Z1RBJQH7EPZNHSO/IMG_5312.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Saturday Kenyan Hills Made easier with friends. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627453316-G5K2C6WDNII61HN3LFQO/IMG_5242.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Hill Repeats This part of the year is about getting strong. These provide a good base of strength for the rest of the season. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582628587591-FGJQVSABKF2PY2USPUJ1/IMG_0947.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Most Delicious Quiche Ever Training camp always requires a continuous input of tasty and nutritious food. Along with homemade pizza, quiche has become one of our favorite go-to meals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627430352-S78968FSQ9BGYF85WXZ5/IMG_0951.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Haribo Outlet Store Everything in moderation, right? There’s nothing quite like fresh Haribo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627398529-ICGH07YK35838QABZLA0/IMG_5156.jpeg February 2020 Gallery - Jamon Iberico Selection in Spain We made a few occasional trips across to Spain, including a grocery run in Mercadona where Jamon Iberico is always available. https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/blog daily 0.75 2020-09-22 https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/blog/august-newsletter-greetings-from-estonia monthly 0.5 2020-08-25 https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/blog/test-post monthly 0.5 2020-08-25 https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/blog/category/Newsletter monthly 0.5 https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/blog/tag/Newsletter monthly 0.5 https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/blog/tag/February+2020 monthly 0.5 https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/august-2020-gallery daily 0.75 2020-08-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319651681-HR8PW144DUYUTB9AKFWC/IMG_6038.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Enjoying our Home Despite the cancellation of racing the postponement of the Olympics, Carl and I greatly enjoyed the unexpected time at home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319651681-HR8PW144DUYUTB9AKFWC/IMG_6038.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Enjoying our Home Despite the cancellation of racing the postponement of the Olympics, Carl and I greatly enjoyed the unexpected time at home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319674645-SUMUYS2U4Q4NO2R2IFXQ/IMG_6069.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - The Start of Our Garden After returning to Belgium, we decided to start a small container garden on our terrace. We purchased spinach and lettuce seeds in addition to strawberry, tomato, pot pepper, mint, cilantro, and thyme starter-plants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597322743903-SUMAMP58N413BPE09QPC/IMG_6089.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - The Start of Our Container Garden Here is what our store-bought starter-plants looked like once potted and placed on our terrace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304550342-2AZ3COGD9XGCQMSLM0F5/IMG_1319.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Grote Markt in Antwerp For my birthday, Carl and I rode our bikes from our home in Leuven to Antwerp and back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319698182-Z510F1Y6UPG8EH3269HX/IMG_6203.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Rustic Sourdough Loaves I managed to bring my sourdough starter(started in Portugal) home to Belgium in an empty water bottle. It survived the journey and has been producing exquisite bread. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319726447-9LIEWJRVQ2M6WNKVQX33/IMG_6236.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Carl - The Pizza Man Carl and I started making our own pizza in Portugal using store-bought crust. This slowly morphed into Carl making homemade(everything but the sauce) pizza once a week. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319726341-B2JN4QUXVIR9194AC3LD/IMG_6269.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Homegrown Spinach Quiche Quiche has become one of my weekly traditions, with this edition featuring spinach from our garden. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597322712753-FJ1WR0GQSLQJ22F61VC4/61047828767__00AD1936-9CEB-4EDE-92A8-EF5960A4E42D.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - 3D Printed Tomato Support Our 3D printer came to the rescue again when our tomato plant started to need support. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597323124724-DKLI9IJ38YPC85ACAN7X/IMG_6292.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Homemade Planter Boxes As the gardening bug took off, Carl and I picked up some used planter boxes from the thrift store nearby. We fashioned a wooden frame to hang the planter boxes from our railing in order to save ground space. It worked perfectly for our spinach and lettuce speedlings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319767423-IHSO9ALFOI6JO0GOULFG/IMG_6389.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Short Weekend at the Belgian Coast In June, Carl and I managed to get a weekend away for Carl’s first trip to the Belgian coastline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597320984258-CKSPING2T8V04ZXMY3ZP/IMG_6402.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Low Tide in Nieuwpoort It was great to rediscover the Belgian coast in the city of Nieuwpoort with Carl. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319771851-WWM8REOY3S9SQZL8TPVM/IMG_6404.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Mussels and Frites Carl’s first official time eating moules frites at the Belgian coast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304551843-19JIFOSA19CCBY71V0HF/IMG_1407.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Enjoying a Hoegaarden Carl and I made sure to enjoy all of what Belgium has to offer during our short weekend away. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304577829-5C3XPPG1E85TTA253HFP/IMG_1423.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Nieuwpoort Coastline from the Pier Nieuwpoort boasts a surprisingly beautiful coastline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304574126-72DP2EJ6UW95WMU97XV1/IMG_1462.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - The Sourdough Saga Continues The biggest downside to making sourdough is that any store-bought bread just doesn’t quite taste as good, even in Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597322762461-CGE2MC262QRGFU2X7VTL/IMG_6348.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Two Varieties of Kale Seedlings These were the first kale seedlings we multi-sowed into an empty fruit tray. Despite sprouting very rapidly, they unfortunately didn’t survive the heatwave that occurred after transplanting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319645155-ZFHPU4TJ7FWRA1LS2T1G/IMG_1487.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Exploring New Belgian Roads One side benefit of spending 3 months in Belgium was discovering even more of the incredible cycling network. From bike paths, to small villages, rolling terrain and flat, Belgium has it all. Over the 3 months there, I’d be surprised if I repeated any ride. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304511556-K0TOGKREYU3IKRFTLKSU/4bbb513e-0c83-4703-b642-282a04b997e1.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - First Post COVID Race Last minute decision to race the first race back after the lockdown. Thanks to Triathlon Vlaanderen for organizing a COVID friendly time trial. I finished 2cnd to the speedy Hanne Devet. It was the perfect wake-up call to get the body back into racing and I loved every second of it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319804171-KRZS5UD566NCHVGQJXLF/IMG_6775.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Much Needed Family Time I’ve missed my parents and siblings throughout this time. Given the uncertainty of travel to the US and vice versa, i’m not sure when I’ll be able to see them next. That’s why i’m very grateful to be able to see my Belgian family more! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304516926-3BGQQARRNYJNFFACLCOR/779da0be-cea9-4e2a-bee4-764d3f2bd661.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - First Ride in Beautiful Estonia Arrived here end of July. This place has no shortage of rolling hills, forests, and wildlife. On one of our first rides here we spotted 5 storks, and 2 foxes! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304518274-2KPNAI8K4M0MK67MIM0O/6d0fb98a-b163-45b1-9557-1259f44e22c2.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Claire Bear and Val Pal I’ve never been more thankful to have a training partner! Luckily Claire and I managed to continue doing most of our swim and bike sessions together while in Belgium. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304526307-NYI30BLHO6ADZBO9VWUF/4732279e-8e1f-4efe-9dbb-e0a47631d4a9.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Another Ride, Another Forest We’ve been hosted by our lovely Estonian training partner Kaidi. We came here to train for European Championships end of August, but as a side benefit we’ve been able to finally see her beautiful country! It changes the experience knowing a local Estonian. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319836507-NZWZ19QNO67VV4Q0F05H/IMG_6899.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Long Run on Dirt Roads Rather than trails, we’ve been running on dirt roads that seem to connect for hundreds of kilometers. The surface is perfect and reminds me of where I grew up in Michigan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319828720-E5RLGHSC2DUJ3L1HQOTD/IMG_6979.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Ski Jump Lookout As you might guess - winter sports are popular here. This full size ski jump was impressive to climb up. Certainly doesn’t make me consider a career change though! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319853097-X3TCP28V330P25TBTZS8/IMG_7011.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Russian Church There’s a interesting mix of cultures in Estonia which is reflected in the architecture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319863686-PTPTP93V86883CXN8ZHI/IMG_7556.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - House and Training Mates Claire, Gillian and I have been living together in Estonia. Along with Kaidi we make up a group of 4 out of our usual 11 ITU women. It’s not the full group but it’ll do! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304526740-AQC0S3WV7I9SNQC1MA1D/8069c679-7c31-4475-a304-33d3678e771c.jpeg August 2020 Gallery - Picking Mushrooms, Forest Walks Group picture in the forest where we spotted Estonian’s ex prime minister picking Chanterelle mushrooms. 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The other pastries are great too! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627158659-C26I55P18LKX32OANKVQ/492bf6ae-b76e-4d49-b9ae-5194eadf40a4.jpeg February 2020 - Mini Pastel de Nata The mini pastel de nata makes for a great mid-ride snack! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627161651-3U40RK58AKXIYHWKU3S5/IMG_1055.jpeg February 2020 - Castro Marim Saltpans The saltpans in nearby Castro Marim is home to lots of local wildlife including flamingos and storks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627155902-H6FJ6CFHOHMI5FSGK9I3/IMG_1048.jpeg February 2020 - Nesting Stork Couple The Algarve region is home to a large migratory stork population. This nest is located on our most frequent traveled cycling route. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627249009-FGEEPMQT1139DPN1IR2R/IMG_0982.jpeg February 2020 - Natural Arch in Lagos Carl and I took a short afternoon trip to Lagos on the far Western corner of Portugal. Lagos boasts beautiful blue water and stunning views from the cliffs above. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627269506-NO1VH4N1C6UYITJTJKTE/IMG_0973.jpeg February 2020 - Cliffside Hiking Path in Lagos Despite the enticing views, we opted out of the the long descent closer to the water’s edge. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627325957-STH8IZFYS9RGEC6TOBBN/IMG_5313.jpeg February 2020 - Saturday Kenyan Hills Hard, steep uphill session, lasting about 40 seconds, with recovery going downhill. A Saturday classic in the squad! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627364520-BAIS4Z1RBJQH7EPZNHSO/IMG_5312.jpeg February 2020 - Saturday Kenyan Hills Made easier with friends. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627453316-G5K2C6WDNII61HN3LFQO/IMG_5242.jpeg February 2020 - Hill Repeats This part of the year is about getting strong. These provide a good base of strength for the rest of the season. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582628587591-FGJQVSABKF2PY2USPUJ1/IMG_0947.jpeg February 2020 - Most Delicious Quiche Ever Training camp always requires a continuous input of tasty and nutritious food. Along with homemade pizza, quiche has become one of our favorite go-to meals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627430352-S78968FSQ9BGYF85WXZ5/IMG_0951.jpeg February 2020 - Haribo Outlet Store Everything in moderation, right? There’s nothing quite like fresh Haribo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582627398529-ICGH07YK35838QABZLA0/IMG_5156.jpeg February 2020 - Jamon Iberico Selection in Spain We made a few occasional trips across to Spain, including a grocery run in Mercadona where Jamon Iberico is always available. https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/february-2020 daily 0.75 2020-08-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582626463532-ROZMY9MCYBAC0XRK56ID/IMG_5312.jpeg February 2020 (Copy) - Test Running Image (Copy) This is a test caption for a running image. Let’s see if the caption is visible. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582626389151-AE74FE93TPK7OFSKSV7Z/IMG_5236.jpeg February 2020 (Copy) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582626497605-A30TV700IKG1BMRI8UFJ/IMG_5242.jpeg February 2020 (Copy) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1582626497083-VUNKTUGY2KFO56TAVC00/IMG_5156.jpeg February 2020 (Copy) https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/august-2020 daily 0.75 2020-08-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319651681-HR8PW144DUYUTB9AKFWC/IMG_6038.jpeg August 2020 - Enjoying our Home Despite the cancellation of racing the postponement of the Olympics, Carl and I greatly enjoyed the unexpected time at home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319674645-SUMUYS2U4Q4NO2R2IFXQ/IMG_6069.jpeg August 2020 - The Start of Our Garden After returning to Belgium, we decided to start a small container garden on our terrace. We purchased spinach and lettuce seeds in addition to strawberry, tomato, pot pepper, mint, cilantro, and thyme starter-plants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597322743903-SUMAMP58N413BPE09QPC/IMG_6089.jpeg August 2020 - The Start of Our Container Garden Here is what our store-bought starter-plants looked like once potted and placed on our terrace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304550342-2AZ3COGD9XGCQMSLM0F5/IMG_1319.jpeg August 2020 - Grote Markt in Antwerp For my birthday, Carl and I rode our bikes from our home in Leuven to Antwerp and back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319698182-Z510F1Y6UPG8EH3269HX/IMG_6203.jpeg August 2020 - Rustic Sourdough Loaves I managed to bring my sourdough starter(started in Portugal) home to Belgium in an empty water bottle. It survived the journey and has been producing exquisite bread. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319726447-9LIEWJRVQ2M6WNKVQX33/IMG_6236.jpeg August 2020 - Carl - The Pizza Man Carl and I started making our own pizza in Portugal using store-bought crust. This slowly morphed into Carl making homemade(everything but the sauce) pizza once a week. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319726341-B2JN4QUXVIR9194AC3LD/IMG_6269.jpeg August 2020 - Homegrown Spinach Quiche Quiche has become one of my weekly traditions, with this edition featuring spinach from our garden. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597322712753-FJ1WR0GQSLQJ22F61VC4/61047828767__00AD1936-9CEB-4EDE-92A8-EF5960A4E42D.jpeg August 2020 - 3D Printed Tomato Support Our 3D printer came to the rescue again when our tomato plant started to need support. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597323124724-DKLI9IJ38YPC85ACAN7X/IMG_6292.jpeg August 2020 - Homemade Planter Boxes As the gardening bug took off, Carl and I picked up some used planter boxes from the thrift store nearby. We fashioned a wooden frame to hang the planter boxes from our railing in order to save ground space. It worked perfectly for our spinach and lettuce speedlings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319767423-IHSO9ALFOI6JO0GOULFG/IMG_6389.jpeg August 2020 - Short Weekend at the Belgian Coast In June, Carl and I managed to get a weekend away for Carl’s first trip to the Belgian coastline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597320984258-CKSPING2T8V04ZXMY3ZP/IMG_6402.jpeg August 2020 - Low Tide in Nieuwpoort It was great to rediscover the Belgian coast in the city of Nieuwpoort with Carl. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319771851-WWM8REOY3S9SQZL8TPVM/IMG_6404.jpeg August 2020 - Mussels and Frites Carl’s first official time eating moules frites at the Belgian coast. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304551843-19JIFOSA19CCBY71V0HF/IMG_1407.jpeg August 2020 - Enjoying a Hoegaarden Carl and I made sure to enjoy all of what Belgium has to offer during our short weekend away. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304577829-5C3XPPG1E85TTA253HFP/IMG_1423.jpeg August 2020 - Nieuwpoort Coastline from the Pier Nieuwpoort boasts a surprisingly beautiful coastline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304574126-72DP2EJ6UW95WMU97XV1/IMG_1462.jpeg August 2020 - The Sourdough Saga Continues The biggest downside to making sourdough is that any store-bought bread just doesn’t quite taste as good, even in Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597322762461-CGE2MC262QRGFU2X7VTL/IMG_6348.jpeg August 2020 - Two Varieties of Kale Seedlings These were the first kale seedlings we multi-sowed into an empty fruit tray. Despite sprouting very rapidly, they unfortunately didn’t survive the heatwave that occurred after transplanting. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319645155-ZFHPU4TJ7FWRA1LS2T1G/IMG_1487.jpeg August 2020 - Exploring New Belgian Roads One side benefit of spending 3 months in Belgium was discovering even more of the incredible cycling network. From bike paths, to small villages, rolling terrain and flat, Belgium has it all. Over the 3 months there, I’d be surprised if I repeated any ride. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304511556-K0TOGKREYU3IKRFTLKSU/4bbb513e-0c83-4703-b642-282a04b997e1.jpeg August 2020 - First Post COVID Race Last minute decision to race the first race back after the lockdown. Thanks to Triathlon Vlaanderen for organizing a COVID friendly time trial. I finished 2cnd to the speedy Hanne Devet. It was the perfect wake-up call to get the body back into racing and I loved every second of it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319804171-KRZS5UD566NCHVGQJXLF/IMG_6775.jpeg August 2020 - Much Needed Family Time I’ve missed my parents and siblings throughout this time. Given the uncertainty of travel to the US and vice versa, i’m not sure when I’ll be able to see them next. That’s why i’m very grateful to be able to see my Belgian family more! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304516926-3BGQQARRNYJNFFACLCOR/779da0be-cea9-4e2a-bee4-764d3f2bd661.jpeg August 2020 - First Ride in Beautiful Estonia Arrived here end of July. This place has no shortage of rolling hills, forests, and wildlife. On one of our first rides here we spotted 5 storks, and 2 foxes! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304518274-2KPNAI8K4M0MK67MIM0O/6d0fb98a-b163-45b1-9557-1259f44e22c2.jpeg August 2020 - Claire Bear and Val Pal I’ve never been more thankful to have a training partner! Luckily Claire and I managed to continue doing most of our swim and bike sessions together while in Belgium. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304526307-NYI30BLHO6ADZBO9VWUF/4732279e-8e1f-4efe-9dbb-e0a47631d4a9.jpeg August 2020 - Another Ride, Another Forest We’ve been hosted by our lovely Estonian training partner Kaidi. We came here to train for European Championships end of August, but as a side benefit we’ve been able to finally see her beautiful country! It changes the experience knowing a local Estonian. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319836507-NZWZ19QNO67VV4Q0F05H/IMG_6899.jpeg August 2020 - Long Run on Dirt Roads Rather than trails, we’ve been running on dirt roads that seem to connect for hundreds of kilometers. The surface is perfect and reminds me of where I grew up in Michigan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319828720-E5RLGHSC2DUJ3L1HQOTD/IMG_6979.jpeg August 2020 - Ski Jump Lookout As you might guess - winter sports are popular here. This full size ski jump was impressive to climb up. Certainly doesn’t make me consider a career change though! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319853097-X3TCP28V330P25TBTZS8/IMG_7011.jpeg August 2020 - Russian Church There’s a interesting mix of cultures in Estonia which is reflected in the architecture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597319863686-PTPTP93V86883CXN8ZHI/IMG_7556.jpeg August 2020 - House and Training Mates Claire, Gillian and I have been living together in Estonia. Along with Kaidi we make up a group of 4 out of our usual 11 ITU women. It’s not the full group but it’ll do! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597304526740-AQC0S3WV7I9SNQC1MA1D/8069c679-7c31-4475-a304-33d3678e771c.jpeg August 2020 - Picking Mushrooms, Forest Walks Group picture in the forest where we spotted Estonian’s ex prime minister picking Chanterelle mushrooms. This was a rare excursion, and an awesome immersion in Estonian nature. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1597322693653-W67X76PFKEGP7DPEHI9M/d1cdac43-15b3-4f4a-8541-e6e3045b10f6.jpeg August 2020 - Homegrown Estonian Welcome Gift Upon arrival in Estonia, we were welcomed with home-made vegetables, smoked, fish, jam, and bread. https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/instagram daily 0.75 2020-08-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d939866b61df53cb4bf27a8/1598351650598-D7QFKS9D947UMR75QDRE/20200712T174526DSC05903_02.jpg Instagram https://www.valeriebarthelemy.com/new-page daily 0.75 2025-05-12