After a fantastic ride with Duane round the stunning homes of Suwanee (near Roswell), we set off for the 5+ hour drive to Beaufort. After some van singing, sleeping and eating (White Lightening is our 2nd home), the girls got to experience some Kiwi driving…In New Zealand we drive on the other side of the road and our cars are right hand drive, so they thought their lives may have been endangered letting me behind the wheel! However, we safely arrived in the gorgeous, historic, seaside town of Beaufort.
Beaufort is quintessential Southern style with beautiful old homes- hundreds of years old, with fantastically big surround terraces/porches on two or even three levels of the house. We have named them lemonade terraces as they are perfect for sitting in rocking chairs, taking in the view, sipping on home made lemonade or iced tea. We have tried this activity several times and can highly recommend it as an effective relaxation technique!
We were warmly welcomed in Beaufort by my friends Nora and Charles, who hosted me to stay in 2007. It was so fantastic to see them again and they promptly spread the table with healthy, homemade snacks before we took a walk around the historic town – many of the huge, big old homes have been in movies (eg, ‘The Great Santini’, and ‘Cape Fear’) – I took lots of photos so will try and put some up.
On our return home, Nora cooked up one of THE most delicious and healthy meals you could ever imagine, using local seafood. So much so they we decided the recipe warranted an appearance on the blog!
Sauteed Shrimp with Tomato and Basil
1 pound of fresh or frozen medium shrimp (could also use chicken)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup thinly sliced onion
3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup chopped basil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups baby spinach
1) Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp then rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add shrimp(or chicken if using this), cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque, turning occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside. If using chicken, ensure chicken is cooked through before removing.
2) Add onion to skillet, cook about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute more. Return shrimp or chicken to skillet. Add basil and vinegar and heat through. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
3) Divide spinach among four dinner plates. Top with shrimp or chicken mixture.
DELICIOUS!!!!
We can’t really express enough how wonderful Charles and Nora are, how welcome they have made us, how much fun we have had and how sad we will be to leave! We have been spoilt beyond belief and I know we can’t wait for them (as with all our host families along the way!) to come and visit us in our part of the country and world so we can return their hospitality!
Today - race day, we had a healthy breakfast of fruit, cereal and multigrain toast before heading out on an easy ride to explore the district. I think every second person waved out, tooted hello or wished us luck for the race – we love this town!! The atmosphere in town is electric –everyone is excited about the race and right in behind it.
Race Report:
Well now we have sung the praises of Beaufort and the race is done and dusted, I can fill you all in on how it went!
Our plan was to take a more aggressive approach to this race, however the pace was so high from the start that we were hanging on for dear life for the first part of it (well, I am speaking for myself here!). We eventually settled in and set about trying to ‘mix it up’ a bit.
Kate rode fantastically, took a mid race prime and positioned herself well, coming in 11th in the final sprint.
Anna, for whom the plan was to look after herself in the bunch a little more today and try to go with something a bit later in the race, rode very smartly and while the later break didn’t work out, she was once again so strong, coming in 10th.
Once I finally got used to the high pace, I had a few go’s off the front before getting swallowed up. I struggled to recover as the pace increased for the finish of the race but hung on to roll in 27th….my legs are starting to feel a bit faster!
Jenette didn’t start today, her injuries needed rest and I was proud that she recognized that recuperation was more important than any bike race. She stepped in as our super helper and was fantastic in getting us ready on time and making sure we had everything we needed.
So, there you go! We are continuing to have a lot of fun, laughs, enjoying the racing loving each others company and the company of the people around us, and appreciating the opportunities we have! Life is good!!
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