Good morning! Well... i had my first decent nights sleep last night (... don't ever ask me about the challenges of noisy plumbing in B&Bs ... i can talk at length!) so i am feeling great!
The sun is shining (still!!!) and we're going to cycle up the Wye Valley past Tintern Abbey today .... when they say 'up' the Wye Valley they also HILARIOUSLY say that it's 'downhill' all the way! I've stopped listening .... basically it's all uphill - unless you get a few 'free miles' of breezy whizziness!!
I had a grumpy face yesterday .... for the first time.... i think i was just tired from lack of sleep - but i just felt flat ... even my lovely friend Charlie cycling with me didn't kick me out of it - but it was so so so lovely to have him along! And the route was stunning .... up Cheddar Gorge which was long and gentle and GORGEous.... you get a whole new perspective of its size when you're on a bike rather than in a car.... you see so much - crazy sheep/goats perched on cm wide ledges nibbling at great height .... vast crevasses into the rock ... stunning! We climbed hills and got stunning stunning views across the Avonmouth .... through crazy back lanes and villages of North Somerset .... until we came across a road block!!
Well... when i say road....
There was a Hungarian lorry jammed up a cycle path/ country lane - literally 'corking' the route! Brave souls amongst us tried to battle the nettles and get past but it was impassable ... and it was not budging! After an impromptu gathering they got the idea and moved it to let us pass... but we're left wondering what the 'deal' was that had a huge lorry in the middle of nowhere (but not too far from Bristol!) ... ahhhh the speculation is great!
All of which i would love to share photos of ... however .... somehow i lost my camera ....
Thankfully i'd uploaded photos the night before so only 'lost' a mornings photos and a lump of metal.... but ... it remains a mystery!
The afternoon was dominated by crossing bridges... The Avonmouth .... long, windy. M5 roaring within a whisper of the cycle lane ... oh and wobbly! And then the Severn Bridge... VERY LONG! Stunning views ... windy (ish) ... amazing to cycle across it ...
Both amazing experiences!!!
And then we arrived in Chepstow - a beautiful town - staying opposite the castle ... and i had dinner with friends! Charlie's wife came to join us ... Paul came up from London.... we sat by the river and had dinner - and ... it felt normal... being with good friends who know me ... a divine treat!
My grumpy face disappeared entirely ... and having slept well, i don't think it's going to reappear!
A la prochaine .... very soon i will have a photo session.... and show you this wonderful country from the perspective of a bike seat!
Love to you all... messages and encouragement are so gorgeous xxxxx
No comments:
Post a Comment