The sky was dark, with a couple of patches of blue sky to give us hope that we might have sunshine today.  Fifteen minutes later we donned our rain jackets and zipped them up tight; it was going to be a good one.  This was no quick shower, the rain came down heavier and heavier.  Even in the dark canopy of trees, we could feel the torrential rain and watch the rivers grow as we slowly pushed up a particularly long climb.  By the time we crested the hill and cautiously made our way down, the flash flooding was just beginning.  Cars were stopped in both directions, allowing us to slide through and ride the ridge of the road (only a foot deep) to get past.  Would have loved to take a picture, but it was still pouring.  Though we were still rolling up and down the hills in the rain, the flooding had backed up the cars, so for a few miles it was quiet.  The rain eased, but the hills did not.Even with the bad weather and tough terrain, we were making good time; Duckies had a Spa Day they did not want to miss.  So when we pulled up to our B & B (early check-in had been prearranged) and he said he’d overbooked and we didn’t have a room……let’s just say it was not good news.  Thankfully, we found another (better) inn just down the street that offered us their honeymoon suite, now we’re talking!  We dropped our bags and biked Duckies back to where they were born several years ago.  We got a tour and they got the works.  During our short visit at the shop, a feisty thunderstorm rolled through, but stopped by the time we headed back to our hotel.  Though we’d only biked 28 miles, it was lunchtime so we grabbed a small bite and a beer.  Needless to say, we were happy to finally be under roof and dry. Not much to see in the town,but we were happy to relax and not have to sightsee; the three mile round trip for the Duckies tuneup was enough.  The clouds were still threatening but we were in for the evening, so they’d have to wait until tomorrow.  Somehow, by dinner time we managed to gorge ourselves again, a healthy salad then another fabulous Steak & Ale pie.  Not much time left to taste them all.

Loved this church in the morning light as we pedaled from the Inn that rescued us yesterday.  We had to meander our way around the market just getting set up and almost lost me at the bread tent.  But Jerry had the wallet and was too far away to yell, so onward into the beautiful countryside.  It seemed strange to be biking east into the sun (in both respects) but we were happy to have it, as well as the quiet country road.  After much agonizing, planning and last minute changing, our navigator gets a star for this one……except for the hills.  But without rain or wind in our face, we could not complain.  Okay, maybe a little; the rolling hills seemed to roll more up, than down.  On one such hill, we stopped for a quick bite to eat.  Little did we know, that the worst part of this particular climb was just around the corner from our cafe.  With no rolling start and our tummies full, we labored to get to the top, that went on for a couple miles.

The little villages were charming,at least one church in each, but every one required a long climb, after a short downhill.  Finally, we pulled into the parking lot of our Inn without a drop of rain hitting us today.  The town of Mere is quite small with a couple pretty churches and Castle Hill.  The “hill”  was only steps from our hotel, but it closely resembled the climbs we’ve done for the last month and a half, so we declined.  All was not lost, as we had this darling and very affectionate, kitty cat to greet us when we returned.

We usually try to taper our eating as we approach the end of our trip, but where else can you get a Ploughman’s Lunch (Brie, Stilton, Cheddar and Goat cheese, plus the extras) like this (taste ferries were doing cartwheels on my tongue) and a plate of pasta to die for.  And in closing, just to give you a perfect example of the non-bicycling challenges we face (almost) daily,,,…this is the door to a room in a 16th century coach house.

Dark, threatening clouds awaited us as we pedaled away on peaceful country roads.  As we settled into our rolling hills, a girl on horseback yelled out, “Hope you had a hearty breakfast this morning, there is a big hill ahead.”  She was not the first to inform us of the very steep mile climb we were about to reach.  They were all right!  It was a bugger of a hill, once again requiring stops along the way to find our lungs and legs.  Of course, the view from the top was stellar; not to mention the sun was starting to make headway on the hills.  The rest of the morning was up and down gorgeous hills, this time the downhills equaled the effort of the up. The villages we passed we always tidy and in one, all the homes had thatched roofs.It was a planned short day, based on accommodations for a Saturday night; but Salisbury is a good place to spend a few extra hours.  A lovely coach house pub along the river, many squares filled with cafes and churches everywhere……perfect.  Of course, the Belle of the Ball is the amazing Salisbury Cathedral (we encourage you to click on the link for the history).   Superlatives abound with this cathedral.   Every inch of the jaw dropping immensity is filled with incredible detail and the ornateness of the effigies, incredible.One of the four remaining copies of the Magna Carta are housed here, but it was closed by the time we worked our way to that part of the building.  But we did find this monument along the way, which we thought quiet poignant.A pretty stroll back along the River Avon and back to our hotel for the evening.

Chester to Salisbury, England

286 Miles

3 Days with Rain

The town was quiet as we left, but even the peacefulness could not brighten the gloomy, windy day, as we headed out on the busy highway.  The silver lining is the wind was at our back.  There was not much to see on our heavy trafficked dual carriageway; and feeling a bit under the weather, it was all we could do to maintain our narrow space on the white line as we rolled up and down the little hills.  On a couple occasions we would pull offfor a picture and a break from the zooming traffic, but mostly it was head down and get there.  We had a quick afternoon shower somewhere in the mix, but thankfully not a soaker.  A last minute change in direction treated us to a small ferry from Gosportto our destination.  The quick four minute ride allowed for only a few pictures of the very scenic Portsmouth Harbour.  We had a quick ride through town and past rows of homes that lined the streets along the park, facing the water.  Even with the tail wind, we were tired from our 50 mile paddle.

We did manage to find a nice little Italian restaurant for some replenishment of body and soul.  An early turndown tonight and hopefully the Duckies will rally tomorrow.

In our headcold stupor last night, we neglected to mention (or take a picture) of Morgan, who had trained down to meet us and bike for a day or two.  We’ll make up for that faux pas later, but you may remember him as our leader OUT of London on Day 1.

So this is what Portsmouth looks like after a good night’s rest!  We woke to a crisp, sunny morning and immediately felt better for the extra dose of Vitamin C.  It took about eight miles to wind our way down the English Channel and through town before we settled into to our easterly (tailwind) course.  Twenty miles later, we reached our next stop,to rendezvous with a good friend from Cayman Brac.  Gillian suggested the perfect meeting spot, the cafe in the cloister of the Chichester Cathedral.  We did a quick catch-up and then had a personalized tour presented by Gillian’s father and new bride, Mary.  The two of them were as delightful, as the fully restored cathedral was awesome.  Most impressive was the stain glass on the southside of the church; the northside windows had all been destroyed in WWII.  We were struck by how contemporary artwork had been incorporated into various aspects of the church, such as the Chagall Window.  We (I) could have spent all day listening to their insights on the Cathedral and BellTower, but a good bit of our distance was still ahead, so we bid our farewells and headed out.

The delicious northwest wind was still at our backs as we cruised along the countryside.Our last ten miles we sailed along a boardwalk peninsula that hugged the channel as we watched the clouds building in front of us.  We missed the connection off the peninsula back to the main road, so had a one mile backtrack into the wind, proving us just how much it had helped us all day.  As Morgan will claim (still trying to amend his “muddy route guidance” on our first day), this two mile “excursion” was to avoid the rain that was currently soaking our destination.  We cruised into the freshly washed tourist town of Brighton; wall to wall buildings lined the water and the roads that ran perpendicular. It was a good days work (9:00-5:00) of 60 miles and it did not take us long to clean and regroup for a walk about town. Brighton has been likened to Coney Island and it is easy to see why, especially with a couple of blokes wearing sombreros. We strolled along the boardwalk enjoying the stormy sky in the distance and briefly (almost) posing for a picture.  We were delighted to see our Duckies had broadened their horizons, but almost got arrested “appreciating” the artwork.  Best move into the streets for pictures and dinner…..a small appetizer or two, finished by bowls of pasta.  What could be better? Good Company and a Great Evening!

The intention this morning was to bike all the way into London, but we felt “our” health would not survive the ride well. Begrudgingly, (and I do mean begrudgingly) we boarded a train back to the big city and rode the cold three miles back (past a church, no less) to Morgan’s flat.  We managed a final picture of the three amigos before ducking into warmth created by the six floors we had to climb with bike and bags.

We celebrated the evening with a magnificent spread created and prepared by our gracious hosts, Morgan and Julie.Fabulous trip, fabulous evening.

We are sorry the trip has come to an end, but are ready to be home.

Thanks Again for joining us for our jaunt around England, Scotland and Ireland!  A follow-up will be posted soon.