Down on the beach

A cracking day for 1st September, warm, sunny, clear skies and a gentle breeze even on the coast. Just the day for our third bike ride of the summer.

We parked at the University of Kent in Canterbury and cycled the short distance to Whitstable along the Crab and Winkle Way which follows the course of the world's first passenger railway. Once there it was obviously time for coffee and a scone, which was where this sparrow shot was captured, after which Susan browsed the shops while I sat on the beach reading the paper and catching up on blips, thoroughly enjoying the sun, sea, breezes and all the activities going on around, including a very entertaining busker with his banjo.

From Whitstable we followed the Oyster Bay Trail along the sea front through Herne Bay to Reculver where the trail links up with the Viking Trail around the Isle of Thanet (a route we've done many a time, the last being in July). This turned out to be a fine ride next to the sea, with the tide up and people enjoying the sunny weather on the beach, in the water or at their beach huts.

Just before Reculver we pulled off the track for lunch and a mug of tea, made using the Trangia stove that I had brought with me for this purpose. It was just brilliant as you can see in the extra.

Then it was time to turn around make our way back along the coast to Whitstable and then pick up the Crab and Winkle to Canterbury but not before pausing for a final visit to the beach at Whitstable where people were still enjoying, as you can see, the late afternoon; beer, wine, sandwiches, fish and chips, pizza (pizza?), oysters, seafood, cheese and bread, salads, crisps, nuts, olives, sun dried tomatoes (Whitstable is that kind of place nowadays) And the crabbers were still lining the breakwater trying to persuade crabs to take their bait.