Saturday, August 30, 2008

Cycling holiday -- day 3


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A dull start, much as yesterday. Detour from the designated route to visit my parents at Sudbury, arriving early-ish morning, and staying for an early lunch, before heading out via the cycle track along the disused railway line a bit after 1pm, rejoining the suggested route at Liston.

Sudbury

Sudbury

The cloud had burned off during the morning, and now it was a glorious afternoon, and the dappled shade of the track was pleasant. Out in the sun was a little more hard work, and still sticky. A brief stop at the Crown in Glemsford -- entirely deserted, with the landlord watching the telly -- then on into Bury.

Large town cycling is less fun, weekend late afternoon more so, and on top of it hot and sticky, trying to guide my way by the 1:50000 OS maps and avoid oiks on low-saddled bikes.

I wheeled through the one-way system, dead-reckoning to being in sight of the hotel, where I found I'd been put in a 2-room suite, the ground floor of an old 2-up/2-down. And for the first time, internet (not counting the £6+ charge scam at Milsom's) -- though the signal only worked in the bedroom, rather than the lounge.

Dine at the Brasserie Chez Gérard, on pork terrine, lamb tajine with cous-cous, and the coupe "baie des anges" -- vanilla icecream, strawberries and lemon sorbet. Wander back through the twilight with alarms and sirens going off behind me, to catch up with my on-line life and get a peaceful night for once.

This was the only evening of the summer where I could feel the stonework gently radiating heat in the twilight -- there was a lack of evenings where it was pleasant to sit out this year.

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