A Beautiful Day in the New Forest

Well, my bike felt very pert this morning as we set off. Rhod had cleaned, oiled, tightened and pumped all the relevant parts. It felt brand new again. Sadly, Sue wasn't quite so pert and after 12 miles had to return home. I decided to carry on aware that I'm behind in my training schedule. With no map to hand, I had a vague sense of where I was heading. Over the last weeks I had been used to the A roads around Bristol, with the roar of traffic and grime. The New Forest was a complete pleasure: purple heather was in full bloom everywhere I looked; ponies stood peacefully under the shade of trees or, in some places, in the middle of the road. Cows chewed the cud and happy cyclists bid me good day as they passed. Soon I had made it to Ringwood where I had a lovely danish pastry from the first bakery available. I got a little lost then eventually found signposts to Burley. From Burley to Brockenhurst was a great ride with the Forest spread before me. In Brockenhurst I stopped for my mid-morning couscous. Fennel and courgette with Branston Pickle and egg. The village was bustling with tourists in flipflops soaking up the last of the summer. Next it was Beaulieu. A truly delightful spot but sadly no chip shop and I really fancied a big portion of them. Then the home straight to Marchwood. A grand total of 50 miles.