What a pleasure to be cruising at 15+ mph at last. We pick up the canal trail by the Somerset Cricket ground in the centre of Taunton. Too bad we missed a county match by a couple of days as today we would have time to relax in the sun and catch a few overs.
There is continuing debate about our daily log. Simon’s odometer reading is at least 2-3 miles less than mine per day. With my shorter legs and smaller wheels, together with the extra distance travelled to retrieve him from bird and butterfly watching in the rear, I find an explanation that satisfies.
We continue to be blessed with partly sunny weather and a light breeze on our backs until we reach the small hamlets of Mark & Chapel Allerton when we experience our first real rain showers. As we bike into Cross we see the welcome site of friends Didi & Mike in the distance waiting for us at their gate. Mike is taking pictures with his zoom lens as we arrive and has fun taking more pictures as we stretch down. We look like a couple of sumo wrestlers and their dogs look scared!
Delicious home cooked fare and an internet connection at last. Didi kindly gets our essentials washed, while I upload the first few days of blog posts, before our sunset walk in the Mendips.
It has been an easy day with a perfect ending - some 42-44 odd miles on the flat. Luxury.
Simon Sez
Day four Wellington to Cross – a mere 42 miles. Sunny and windy. Blissfully flat. The north Somerset plain is a delight (apart from the horrible A38 intoTaunton) It is flat as a pancake. Is very flat flatter than flat? Arguable!
The lovely Bridgewater and Taunton Canal is lined with reeds and yellow flagged iris. I saw a reed warbler whishing up and down in the reeds. Sedge warblers sang us all the way – scratchy, nosiy, sewing machine song. Impossible to see them.
At Kings Lock there were no lock gates. We met a lady in a canal boat who had moored there for 3 weeks waiting for new gates to be put in. They could’nt put them in because of nesting birds! She is in for a long wait.
Coffee and sandwiches at the Boat & Anchor in the sun and then on to the little village of Cross nestling under the Mendips which rise straight out of the Somerset levels. A lovely evening walk with our hosts Didi & Mike around priddy pools on the top where I picnicked as boy with my family. We were royally wined and dined.
I could murder a cigar
So pleased to see that Simon is as reliant on tobacco as ever was. However very impressed with your progress. Give my love to Bath and to Wiltshire as you pass by!
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Siena where we witnessed yesterday the passing of the Mille Miglia. We thought of you;
ReplyDeletethey cover the ground a little faster in their Ferraris and Bugattis. Yet another idea for next year. Persuade a super rich friend to give his ancient Aston Martin an airing.
Robert and Sarah