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Jul
25

We took a fair amount of time over the first part of our trip today ooohing and aaahing over the spectacular scenery then had to get the lead out to get here at a reasonable hour.

We passed through Barnstaple and were in awe at the view we had as we crossed a large bridge with the Estuary out to our left some distance away and the picturesque village and port of sorts of Barnstaple to our right. Reminiscent of many old English paintings from my childhood. We enjoyed a wonderful trek down a lush and leafy Hele Valley between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe which was lovely and cool and subsequently discovered the beautiful little village of Ilfracombe nestled on the side of steep hills leading further down the valley to the beach some distance away.



Street view in Ilfracombe

The flowers on the roadside over the last day or so have been increasing in number and intensity of colour. They range from light pink through to deep purple and white to cream to deep yellow. The numbers have increased as we have headed north, don’t know if that is changing countryside or extended days of sunshine .… or both. Also many crops being harvested and hay down and being raked everywhere. Making the most of the last week’s sunshine no doubt. The locals everywhere we go are quick to tell us it is the first they have seen summer.

We have wound our way along the coastline as we headed north east to make our way into Wales. Again we were spoilt for choice with wonderful Cornwall then Somerset views across manicured farmland to the coast with increasing land holding sizes as we progressed into Wales . We also had a couple of visual highlights compliments of a local tip and also Neil Oliver’s ‘Coast’ Documentary.



On our passage through the Rock Valley Road on Castle Hill Road we found a Toll Point would you believe … right outside the Castle Gate… you have to love free enterprise…at least I think that’s what it was!



Ilfracombe mine tunnels – Compliments of Neil Oliver, Back in 1824 Miners hand dug mine tunnels through the hillside between the town of Ilfracombe and the Beach to provide 3 bathing areas (separate for men and women of course). It was a lovely cool walk through the tunnels when we visited in the morning. The first site was sandy and in full sun, the second area is now walled off and the third beach is fine black slate chips but soft underfoot and the beach itself was still in the shade so the children were having a lovely time in the water and the spectators were out of the sun. There were also a number of spots for coffee, play areas for children and some deck chairs to hire so they are having a serious go at catering for all sorts of people.



Rock Valley Road down on the coast – Compliments of a local garage attendant who supplied a bolt for Norm’s bike seat - the Woody Bay to Lynton Road. Incredible! Super narrow, barely a lane wide and thankfully only met a couple of vehicles BUT… it was all kinds of spectacular. The temperature on the lane was a comfortable cool with heavy shade overhead and the roads surrounded by lush trees and vine growth and the stone walls looked more like moss block walls interspersed with ferny / mossy blocks. Shame it was so dark and narrow, it would have made for an award winning picture opportunity….had there been room to safely stop to take it!!!. Cannot believe how fortunate we were to experience it.



The view from our lunch spot in Lynton

Our ride down a reasonably scary short cut lane into Tintern Village was spectacular although a breath holding experience…and some of the lanes we have been on today with a 25% gradient helps me to realise that our 33% gradient on the Hardknott pass in 2010 really would have earned me a big gnarly ‘Hardknott Guides Badge’ ….had I ever been a Girl Guide. Tintern itself is a tiny little Village which hugs the valley walls and welcomed us with a

Bits and Bobs:

Ever since we’ve arrived I’ve found myself ‘thinking’ about the blog …. and other things in a British accent .… I know, sounds crazy doesn’t it …but since we have been following some of the coastal towns Norm has been viewing on the ‘Coast’ Documentary, he confessed he has been thinking about it all in Neil Oliver’s Scottish accent …. so I feel a bit better about that now .... I think!

Last nights’ Accommodation:

West Country Inn, Bursdon Moor near Hartland, England UK
An original 16th Century Coaching Inn (the first when entering Devon, the last when leaving on the A39). We had a quirky but adequate room with en-suite bathroom and probably the most delicious meal we have had since arriving in the UK in their dining room last night. The road was very busy when we arrived but the windows shut the noise out ... and the traffic died away to close to nothing overnight. This was literally a Coaching Inn in the ‘middle of nowhere’ for the times it was built. Our hosts were welcoming and we were grateful for all that was offered.



A view of the West Country Inn from the A39.

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Jul
24



A late night shot after dinner in Penzance across the water to the Abbey Wharf.

We have had an awesome day! So many great sights so will let the pictures tell the story! One exception…some of the ‘tunnels’ of leafy green trees we rode through were up to 100 meters or more long and so dark that we could see our headlights shine on the road in front of us. Not bad on a brilliantly sunny day….yes that’s what I said ‘brilliantly sunny’and I even had my jacket lining out today.



The Longships Lighthouse at Lands’ End where two oceans meet and it is officially the western most tip of England.



A nice stop for morning coffee in St Just.



A fine example of Cornwall farmland nicely intersected by hedgerows and rock walls as it rolls down to the ocean.



The village of Zennor. There was something growing on the side of the road here which looked and smelt like cherry blossom but only a meter or so high...very peculiar.



One of the beaches at St Ives where we had lunch in the Café at the top of the Tate Gallery where we could view two beaches at the same time. This was after riding right around the waterfront amidst the foot traffic. Very quirky!



We got to visit Port Isaac where the ‘Doc Marten’ Sit Comm is filmed. It was just beautiful. We had a cool drink at the Old School Hotel and Restaurant……yes, sorry; it hasn’t been a school for a long time. SUCH a pretty spot as were many more little ports and harbours we wound our way through.


Bits and Bobs:


Considering the fact that this last week is the first week of fine and sunny weather in the UK instead of persistent torrential rain and freezing temperatures, we’ve been amazed at the incredible sunburn we have seen. Are we just overkill on the sunscreen or what!



The toilet doors in the Old Schoolhouse Hotel Restaurant. A great optical illusion as are the coat hooks and bags.


Last nights’ Accommodation:

Glencree House B&B, Penzance UK


We had a tiny attic room in this lovely building but had our own bathroom and also use of the very comfortable dining / sitting room downstairs so would be a nice spot to stay for a couple of days. The hosts were very welcoming and there were lots of books and guide books which we were free to borrow. Beautiful original artwork (and some prints) with a mainly seaside theme throughout the building. Had a nice feel to it.



The sitting / dining room.


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Jul
23



A snapshot of a small number of the watercraft on the River Fowey..…a picturesque view from the waterfront. Truly staggering to think that all the craft moored there can actually find their way around all the moorings to sail up river or down to the ocean.

We had a lovely dinner at the Safe Harbour Inn last night. I laughed at the name as it was literally several building storeys above the harbour level so if it wasn’t safe a good part of Fowey would be washed out to sea! The terrain is steep winding and in varying degrees of narrow which adds to the charm / difficulty in negotiating. After a convoluted trek on the bikes to get to the B&B we opted to leave the bikes and walk to the seafront and weren’t disappointed with lovely gardens and a huge variety of dry stone walls and architecture to view on our way. Spoilt for choice.



The working Harbour of Mevagissey.It was a treat to see the fish being delivered into the harbour, there was something wholesome about hearing all the talking, laughing and working sounds of the harbour.

Cornwall has proven to provide one picturesque view after another from sweeping patchwork quilt fields and crops to dappled green tunnels of trees as we‘ve wound our way down to and back from the coast as we’ve mainly followed the coast heading for Penzance.



Almost across to the shore on the King Harry Ferry on our way from Saint Mawes to Falmouth. Also saw some large ships ‘parked up’ in the inlet as they have no work at present. The attendant said the most he has seen at any one time was 27 tanker ships. Apparently once they arrive there, if they don’t get more work they are eventually scrapped…bit of a graveyard really.

The sun was out in force today and people at the beaches we visited were even in the water instead of lying about on the stones fully clothed which we’ve seen so far. We also found a couple of sandy beaches which I guess also encourages bare feet.



Snapshot view of some Cornwall countryside near Gunwalloe Cove.

We have enjoyed nearly all country lane riding today…and were grateful the roads were dry as a lot of them were narrow and steep with much dry silt on the roads from the rains of the previous few weeks so wouldn’t have been very friendly if they were wet. We have wound in and out of many little fishing villages and then found what seemed a more upmarket village in Mount Saint Michael just east of Penzance. Reminded us of Mont Saint Michel we visited in France last year. We had hoped to get a photo of the bikes in front of it as we had in France but we were getting dirty looks from the parking attendant so settled for a quick shot without the bikes.



Mount Saint Michael

Bits and Bobs:



The things you can find on the other side of a stile into a field…a biker doing his stretching exercises…..not fully convinced his problem is resolved.

Last nights’ Accommodation:

River View B&B, Fowey UK


A lovely home and welcome from the hosts with very nice glimpses of the river. The house and gardens are impeccably maintained and the home beautifully decorated and appointed and the hosts made room in their garage for the bikes..…couldn’t ask for more than that! Breakfast was delicious as well.



The welcome view to the back entry at River View.


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Jul
22



A very stony beach (Seaton) complete with bathing boxes all closed up this morning but many were open complete with deck chairs and lots of people fishing along the shore yesterday evening.

As I headed down to the beach I discovered that what looked like a walking esplanade above the beach doubles as a sea wall complete with steel and concrete gates at intervals. Very impressive considering that the sea is many meters below this level. A local told us last night that his boat was smashed to pieces two months ago in a storm so not a tame bit of water by any stretch



Branscombe Forge, quirky building and a great example of a thatched roof.

Once on the road we headed for Branscombe since we have been addressed by this name (as well as many others) over the years. We discovered a little village / hamlet which was scattered along a lush green valley down to the beach which was just delightful and it set the tone for a series of country lanes and picturesque cottages throughout the day.



Typical of the buildings and gardens we saw as we wound in and through Branscombe. Reminded me of Normie’s Mum’s gardens over the years.


We rode through Dartmoor National Park over the Moors and were staggered at both the beauty of the rugged heath covered hills and the sweeping views down to the patchwork farmland below. In the unfenced sections there were many free roaming woolly sheep, cattle and large and small ponies. The locals (and tourists I guess) were out in force. Every lay by where there was room to park was full of cars and people off trampling, picnicking, lying about on rugs in the sun and sitting in deck chairs enjoying the views. Can’t blame them, the last couple of days have been the first real summer they have experienced after a couple of months of pouring rain and flooding. We were very grateful those weren’t the conditions on some of the roads we’ve been on today. Especially a short cut GARMIN sent us on which cut off many miles but was barely a lane wide and steep and gravelly and wet in patches. Thankfully we only met one car.



Haytor Vale

Fowey (pronounced Foy) by the locals is lovely. We have a nice view down over the river and will head off soon to find somewhere to eat.

Bits and Bobs:

We stopped for a photo opportunity looking across Widecombe in the Moor and Norm got talking to another biker who was a retired local policeman on his way to meet his brother in law (who was part of a Classic Bike club descending on the town from the opposite direction) for lunch. He recommended the local Inn as a good place for lunch and an interesting building. Would you believe as we got off our bikes in Widecombe that very same brother in law got off his bike we discovered when we started talking to him, then we ran into the retired policeman and directed him to his brother in law. Still shaking my head over that one….oh and yeah there were some great old (sorry classic bikes…since most were from the 60’s).



Looking down across Widecombe in the Moor as Norm and the local biker discuss the Classic Bike gathering. The Church tower in the distance is across the street from the Inn where we had lunch.

Last nights’ Accommodation:

Blue Waters B&B, UK


A regular looking building from outside but comfortable and tastefully decorated in a seaside theme with thoughtful and quirky extras as well. Breakfast was lovely and we enjoyed the scents in the courtyard of many pots of lilies and other plants.



The Courtyard, our first view as we entered, a nice welcome.

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Jul
21

Norm realised by yesterday afternoon that the twitchy thing he had going on in his back was still not resolved and following the long flight it had gotten worse rather than better so he tracked down a chiropractor who was open this morning. He had a very thorough session and then we got some chemical cold packs and headed off with regular breaks for stretching and walking and although very sore tonight he is hopeful it is in fact a little easier ….watch this space.

I also have a very painful right elbow (I suspect from some excessive pruning of roses before our departure)…what a couple of old crocks! ….and to think I was concerned that the cortisone had worn off in my snookered ac joint in the shoulder…can’t feel the shoulder for the elbow…or the dodgy knee for that matter. You have to laugh!

Enough doom and gloom! At the suggestion of Norm’s Chiropractor we headed out to Hengistbury Head where we followed the path up through the heath covered dunes (beautiful) for a view out over the ocean and the inlet where the River Stour meets the ocean and back over the Village of Christchurch. Definitely worth the walk. Norm also had a lie down and stretch before we lunched at the Hiker Café and headed off for the day.



How English can you get…a garden dedicated to Queen Elizabeth on the edge of the recreation ground with a game of cricket in progress on Saturday morning!

Where yesterday we spent a lot of time on motorways, today we didn’t spend any time on them and it was an absolute treat for the eyes and the soul as we just soaked in one magnificent vista after another as well as some impressive real-estate around Sandbanks and Swanage not to mention a breathtaking view of the ruins of Corfe Castle. We spent lots of time soaking up spectacular countryside (not as many crops of wheat harvested and unharvested today) more rolling fields amongst hedges and leafy forests as well as heath covered hummocks and dramatic cliffs along the coastline. Awesome!

We wound our way down and out of many seaside villages and managed to stay out of the reach of wandering tourists (‘just’ on a couple of occasions…too quick to get a fright until after the event) and will head off for more of the same tomorrow.



On the beach at East Lulworth…note the absence of bathers / swimming costumes…I’ve packed mine in vain obviously…ah well, you get that

We’ve enjoyed seeing a patriotic display of flags and bunting in support of the Olympics and today also found an Olympic Village at Portland which was sympathetically built to fit well with the yachting theme and the ancient village. Very nice. From Portland we headed for Easton before coming back through Portland and the trip back down the cliff into the town was a magnificent view. We’re loving the coast!

Bits and Bobs:

The fire alarm went off just before midnight last night (someone broke something…I guess the glass in an alarm) next door in the Bailey Bridge.

Mental note: Since it is IMPOSSIBLE to think with the alarm screeching we need to check the ‘Fire Alarm’ routine on check-in (which we hadn’t) and have a torch (which we didn’t) in case there are no lights in just such an occurrence. Have bought the torch today and damn…forgot to check the routine here....but no drama, only one staircase to the outside so just run like hell down the stairs and out the door!

A Costa’s ‘large coffee’ this should surely be called a ‘HUGE coffee’ in anyone’s language. Struggled to lift it with one hand…okay so that was a woosy female hand, but huge anyway.



‘LARGE’ Costa coffee

Last nights’ Accommodation:

Premier Inn, Christchurch UK

Good sized room, well appointed, lovely comfortable bed. Staff very friendly and terrifically focused on customer service and did it well. Meals next door (part of the complex I think) at the Bailey Bridge which was a great space and food yummy and again very customer focused.



Premier Inn

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Jul
20

We enjoyed another 11 hours sleep overnight and headed off nice and early with blue skies which quickly turned largely grey however we only got a small sprinkle of rain and not enough to entice us to stop and don the waterproof gear and we soon dried off. The sun has come out this afternoon which has been nice.

We still haven’t managed to sort out our route plotting on the GARMIN so have changed our preferences on them tonight to see if we can see less Motorway and more rural roads tomorrow. We rode ‘past’ the ‘sign’ to Windsor Castle and just about every other town we had fed into the thing last night. The only reason we got to see the Cathedral was because we had added it as a via point instead of part of the route. Ah well, we will probably have it sorted by the time we get back.



Winchester Cathedral, well about half of it actually…..just typing the name starts me humming the tune!

We arrived at our hotel with plenty of time for a good walk down to the High Street and on to the Priory which was quite beautiful in rolling green grounds then headed for the quay. Lots of people about the street and also through the parklands here and the local council have made a great effort with their floral gardens which form a lovely backdrop to the recreation grounds.

Heard this afternoon that there has been another quake close to home in Gippsland (4.3) so after how rattled I was after the last one I’m happy to have missed it and staying in Christchurch tonight has made us conscious of our New Zealand neighbours in Christchurch who are still trying to come to terms with dramatically changed circumstances since their massive quake. We truly are fortunate.



A view along the River Stour to the Christchurch Sailing Club

Bits and Bobs:

Big numbers of trucks / lorries on the road today, mainly semis but some rigids as well. I was impressed to pass one car carrier with 11 cars stacked up on it. Couldn’t get a pic as I was mobile. I largely enjoy the Motorways over here. Everyone gets in and travels at or close to the maximum speed which they need to or there would be chaos and traffic volumes have been consistently heavy.

Last nights’ Accommodation:

Phil & Jean’s, Marshside UK


Lovely comfy home away from home and we look forward to catching up with Phil and Jen on our return before we head back home



St Kilda


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Jul
19

After a blissful 13 hours sleep we decided to visit the Canterbury Roman Museum (built around the ruins of a roman home) only to learn the Olympic Torch relay was going through the town so decided to give all that fuss and all those people a miss and instead headed down to Dover through Hoath ad then back up to Sandwich before heading home. I have to say this is a much prettier ride than we found it on our way to Folkestone last year to catch the Channel Train. It was pouring with rain then and the road was incredibly wet and lots of traffic. Today the weather was balmy and traffic light and road dry. Lovely!

We had a lovely lunch at the Farthingloe Farm Barn and Farm shop complex. The tearooms did a yummy lunch and we were joined by a large assortment of other travellers who discovered the place as well.



Dover Castle firmly planted on the chalk cliffs which dominates the skyline above the township

From there we rode back into Dover and eyed off the castle windows in the cliff face we had visited on our tour last year. It must have been a chilling experience during the war for the locals in this area who could literally see German occupied territory on the other side of the channel on a clear day. Mind you going on the weather this summer (wettest in 100years and temperatures like our Australian winter) there may not have been many of those clear days. We are thankful that there is fine weather forecast for the next week at this point. The temperature has been mild to cool since our arrival so comfortable to get acclimatised to. It also hasn’t been hard to get used to the prolific growth in gardens and along the roadside with beautiful poppies and morning glory and other flowers in abundance. Reminds me of a lot of the old farm gardens I knew as a child.

We managed to stay dry on our way to Sandwich in spite of rain having fallen before we got there. Sandwich is a beautiful whimsical village which used to be a key point along the trail from London to Canterbury and has many beautiful walled gardens as well as narrow streets of what looks like ‘tumbling’ architecture with ancient houses in varying states of bowed and leaning walls giving the appearance they are likely to tumble into the streets but which are impeccably maintained and still standing after all this time. We came across the Bell Hotel again where we had a cool drink on our last visit. No need of one of those today.



A whimsical street view in Sandwich


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Jul
18

Our flight over felt long which is reasonable I guess. The 9 hour leg to Hong Kong saw us getting 6 hours interrupted sleep but the 13hour leg only saw another couple of hours added so we were feeling very second-hand when we landed.



The welcome sight of our room at the Railway Hotel when we finally got there

Once we hit the airport it was clear the Olympics were in town with the sheer volume of people and there were 11 lines of people zigzagged back and forth in front of the Passport Control counters (40 plus and all working) so we had plenty of time for a chat there. Next onto the underground into London and while we first thought we were pretty clever getting a seat at the end of the carriage away from all the traffic (in increasing numbers getting on and off) that proved to be a challenge to getting ourselves and luggage extricated from our spot when we wanted to get off. Rather than having to resort to the Crocodile Dundee exercise of climbing over the shoulders of other commuter’s like a sheepdog we started edging our way towards the door a couple of stations prior to Kings Cross St Pancras so we could actually get out..…and it was still a challenge!

We grabbed a beautiful hot chocolate and a bite at the station then climbed on a South Eastern train to Faversham where we dragged our cases across the road to the Railway Hotel where we had a glorious 10 hours sleep and woke feeling remarkably refreshed this morning.



Faversham street view looking towards the Guild Hall (built 1574 – rebuilt 1814). The building looking to lean into the street really is doing that!

We headed off to the bike shop after breakfast and collected the bikes and headed for Marshside to repack some of our gear (and leave some behind….turns out I’d forgotten I left my more dressy clothes behind here last trip and collected them again before we left on our Amsterdam Budapest Cruise so have rationalised what I’ll take from here. Sadly my Amsterdam jacket will have to stay here, but the Bruges hat and scarf is coming with me.

Great to see the bikes looking so good so grateful thanks to Gareth and Tony and crew for making the impossible possible. Thanks also to Brenda this afternoon. Turns out the renewal notice didn’t arrive because most of the address had dropped off the record…...you get that with computer records apparently….no really! Anyway, all sorted now. Yay for the Bike Shop at Faversham. http://www.thebikeshopfaversham.co.uk



About to get on the bikes in the lane beside the bike shop – the smile says it all!

Last Nights’ Accommodation:

The Railway Hotel, Preston Street, Faversham UK.
Lovely old building, generous and comfortable room and friendly hosts. Was right on a busy road but nice and quiet through the night. Great cooked breakfast this morning in a really pretty room. Wouldn’t hesitate staying again.



The Railway Hotel, Faversham


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Jul
17

After a great get together with all the family on Sunday afternoon we headed to the train to start the trip to Tullamarine Airport. Ian collected us from Southern Cross Station telling us he wanted to be sure we left the country. That would means he thinks we need a break ….wouldn’t it?



First night officially on leave, dinner with friends (Ian and Annie) in a little Italian Restaurant on the way to the airport

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Jul
06

Well finally located the second UK video Clip from 2010 so here it is.

What can I say? He likes seeing me ride but we will hopefully have some more interesting ones on the next trip.

The link to find it is below:

July 15th 2010 Castle Combe UK: http://youtu.be/nH8xt0PgGQI

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