Today marks 10 months since I left Australia for the adventure of a lifetime. I feel daily blessed to be having this trip. It's complex at times to get it all to work, and that's part of the adventure.
Today was a truly wonderful day cycle touring 🎉 The sun was shining, the birds tweeting and the scenery stunning.
I had a nice brekky with the home owners who arrived back after midnight last night after a delayed flight. They were fascinated to see my bike packed and Tim, a builder, sorted me with some conduit so that my flag could stand and wave in the wind. The doggies posed for a photo and then I was off. Crisp 7 degrees but funny how that doesn't seem that cold anymore
I followed National cycle routes 24&25 today and they have little sections of dedicated path, country lanes, gravel/muddy forest trails and usually past buildings or sites of interest. Today's route took me via a cycle.path into the Longleat estate. Longleat house is a Grade 1 listed building, built in 1568 and is the seat of the Marquis of Bath. I didn't have time (or budget!) to explore the property and the associated wild safari park that has been open since the 1960’s. The 1000 acres are immaculately manicured. I passed by not long after opening time and hundreds of cars were arriving.
The location is stunning in a green valley but, the only way out of the valley was a long steep climb. I tried but couldn't make it all the way peddling my heavy bike, and so stopped at a strategically placed bench beside the driveway and appreciated the views. I could even see lions in the safari park! and then had to push my bike the rest of the way.
The rest of the trip was scenic and colourful and quaint and lots of cyclists out enjoying the route.
I will never tire of seeing pheasants, squirrels, hearing robins and birds twittering, sheep, lambs and cows in fields, stone walls and bridges, fields of green or yellow rapesead, fruit tree blossoms and spring flowers, ancient churches and thatched cottages. England, you are a delight to cycle through 😊
I arrived into Salisbury train station and as the crow flies this shouldn't be a complex route, however the crow and the train do not take the same route 😂.
I've had to go via London, 3 trains, 3 hours to my destination beside the sea in the south east of England, Newhaven.
https://tiffstraveltales.travelmap.net
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