The World is my oyster

Friday cycling morning with Technophobe. We actually managed to get to Stratford. The round trip was just over 14 miles, but I did about half a mile before that to deliver something in the village, so all told, I managed about 15 miles (alright, so I had to push my bike up the dreaded hill, but I did manage further up the hill than last time, which was my goal). 15 miles is 50% further than my previous longest trip, so we're doing ok.

We cycled along the road to Wilmcote, where we joined the canal towpath and cycled alongside the canal all the way into Stratford. That was great because there are no cars on the towpath, and although it is a bit bumpy and rough in places, most of the surface was super. It's lovely along there, with lots of ducks and some moorhens with baby chicks. There were a few people walking dogs and a couple of cyclists and some narrow boats on the canal, but much quieter and safer than the roads.

But we made it. We reached the river in Stratford and both enjoyed a well deserved bowl of minestrone with focaccia bread and a coffee in Carluccio's.

Nikonabike had told me that if I can manage to reach Wilmcote on my bike, then the world is my oyster.

This photo was taken just coming into Wilmcote on our return trip, with Technophobe ahead of me. Just after this we saw some really lovely long-horned cattle in a small field at the side of the road opposite Mary Arden's Farm (incidentally this was the field in which Anneke Rice landed in the helicopter in one episode of Challenge Anneke; do you remember - she was the "rear of the year" ?).

The weather was a bit overcast initially, but then it became really warm just before we arrived back.