I'm sure there's a marker for these sort of things

Today was the Big Ride, big by this holiday's standards although nothing as big as the return run last year from Portsmouth when we knocked out 240 miles; today was about 150 miles. We left our hotel and took ourselves somewhat through the middle of Cambridge, just to see what there was to see, including an old man riding a bicycle in a rather wayward, jolly and possibly chemically assisted manner. Everyone was riding bicycles though, and Cambridge is full of amazing cycle lanes and even a CYCLOPS roundabout. Edinburgh might get there in a hundred years, maybe.

Not too far from the city was our second Greenwich Meridian marker, on a quiet road that made it easy to get some photographs. There was a big, beautiful tree that was planted to commemorate the installation of the marker, a nice engraved marble affair (top photo). In the village of Meldreth we located the third Meridian marker, on a grass embankment, so we broke the law by riding along the footway for a few metres to get our photo of the bikes either side of the stone (middle-left pic). A good while further south, near Ware, along a twisty and fairly narrow road was our third marker. Except it wasn't: we rode straight past it! Doubling back and consulting the Oracle (bestie's satnav and my Garmin's lat/long numbers) we rode slowly along until we reached the exact location. Hiding in the verge was our subject, a tall iron post with the words, 'Greenwich Meridian Centenary Year 198'...something. I took only one photo in a hurry because our bikes were a bit in the way.

From Ware we streaked south to the M25, which quite quickly it felt took us round to the Dartford Crossing. After a blustery up and over we arrived at the lake side cafe we visited last year. And...it was closed. Because it's Sunday, and we forgot. Bestie devised an alternative of a cafe in a nearby supermarket, where I enjoyed a cheese toastie and a bowl of chips. We had a good long stop there, picking up some supplies for later too.

And so then to Folkestone? Not just yet! We returned to Dymchurch, to say hello to a couple of stickers we added last year, then say hello to the cottage we stayed at, and since we were in the town we spent a little while at the station to watch a couple of the steam trains coming and going. Poop poop!

And so then to Folkestone and to find our cottage, zooming through the tunnels as we went. The cottage is small and cosy, so we made a hearty tea of beans on toast, and then had a wander up the hill to watch the Channel Tunnel trains coming and going, before heading back for some much needed cups of tea.