Cycling Western Europe
Day 1: June 29, 2007 (Wisbech to Harwich, England)
Route: Wisbech - Burnham Market - Hadleigh - Manningtree - Harwich
Weather: sunny (AM); cloudy (PM)
Total mileage: 80 miles
. . . and so it begins: my solo-cycling trip through west Europe from England through Holland and the Netherlands, to Belgium and France, then back.
Today didn't start off too hot with a flat tire at about mile 15, which I managed to patch (I am so amazing!), but didn't trust; so, I called my aunt and uncle whose house I had just left to pick me up and drive me to the nearest cycle shop. Boy did I feel stupid. I hadn't even made it through the first hour.
After a brief stop at the cycle shop, complete with new touring tires and inner tubes, I continued my ride south through rural Norfolk, UK in and out of quaint, little farming villages. Around mile 50, I found myself heading east (when I was supposed to be heading south) on a small country back-road. With no houses or people in sight--just extensive farmland and cows--I hailed a car along the road and asked directions to the next town on my map: Manning Tree. "Oh, you have to go back the other way," they gasped. "If you take the next lane--Hook Road--and turn left at the bottom, you will be heading back in the right direction." They weren't kidding when they said "lane". This road wound through the woods with barely one car-lane width, and covered with forest canopy. Beautiful! I felt like I was in the land of the hobbits.
Luckily, I found the correct road back south into Manning Tree and connected to where I needed to be heading into Harwich. At that point, it was only fifteen miles to go!!!!!! Climbing the last hill into the ferry town, I met an older cyclist going my way. He showed me to a nice seaside restaurant and pub, where I got some much needed pasta and prawns (shrimp for the British-English impaired) and now await the ferry at 11:30 pm. More tomorrow when I arrive in Holland . . .
Day 1: June 29, 2007 (Wisbech to Harwich, England)
Route: Wisbech - Burnham Market - Hadleigh - Manningtree - Harwich
Weather: sunny (AM); cloudy (PM)
Total mileage: 80 miles
. . . and so it begins: my solo-cycling trip through west Europe from England through Holland and the Netherlands, to Belgium and France, then back.
Today didn't start off too hot with a flat tire at about mile 15, which I managed to patch (I am so amazing!), but didn't trust; so, I called my aunt and uncle whose house I had just left to pick me up and drive me to the nearest cycle shop. Boy did I feel stupid. I hadn't even made it through the first hour.
After a brief stop at the cycle shop, complete with new touring tires and inner tubes, I continued my ride south through rural Norfolk, UK in and out of quaint, little farming villages. Around mile 50, I found myself heading east (when I was supposed to be heading south) on a small country back-road. With no houses or people in sight--just extensive farmland and cows--I hailed a car along the road and asked directions to the next town on my map: Manning Tree. "Oh, you have to go back the other way," they gasped. "If you take the next lane--Hook Road--and turn left at the bottom, you will be heading back in the right direction." They weren't kidding when they said "lane". This road wound through the woods with barely one car-lane width, and covered with forest canopy. Beautiful! I felt like I was in the land of the hobbits.
Luckily, I found the correct road back south into Manning Tree and connected to where I needed to be heading into Harwich. At that point, it was only fifteen miles to go!!!!!! Climbing the last hill into the ferry town, I met an older cyclist going my way. He showed me to a nice seaside restaurant and pub, where I got some much needed pasta and prawns (shrimp for the British-English impaired) and now await the ferry at 11:30 pm. More tomorrow when I arrive in Holland . . .
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