Chichester 🇬🇧

A beautiful town with Roman walls surrounding it and a wonderful centre covered marketplace with cross and the streets North, South, East, and West radiating from it.

The bad weather had gone to start the day and the sun was shining 😊. First stop the cathedral as I wanted to see the white dove installation in the daylight.  Beautiful!  And I was able to write a peace message on a white paper dove.  The church has tapestries and artworks and a contemporary stained glass window.  

I then walked the Roman walls, looking down on the houses below! 

A visit to the Art Gallery housing British art from the last century.  Half in a modern building which is joined to a historic home next door.

The Novium museum has been built around the site of Roman baths and also houses history of this prominent Romans and Saxon town.

I went back to the hotel and collected my bike, rode to the station and caught the train to Brighton, arriving in rain 🙄. 

My new housesit is a beautiful 3 story home, at the top of a hill, with lovely views.  The kitty is being shy so far but is a cutie.

Looking forward to the next two weeks exploring.

Petersfield - Chichester 🇬🇧

My UK travel route (have divided it off from the Europe travel part)

https://tiffstraveltales.travelmap.net/uk-travel-2023

The BNB had beautiful.giant bunnies that I was able to feed this morning ❤️

The storms across the UK have delivered rain, winds and lots of local flooding.  I caught a couple of trains to Chichester.  Train delays and cancellations due to flooded tracks and wind control slow speed for all trains.  

Had to carry my bike and bags up two sets of these stairs as lift broken

I arrived at my hotel and they kindly let me check in early, and bring my bike up to the room.  I had thought I would get out of wet cycle gear and into clothes and raincoat but decided to stay inside instead.  Lots of research and planning for the next 6 months and applying for various opportunities.  An afternoon well spent.

I ducked out to get some dinner and found that it had stopped raining and just icy winds.  A wander through the near deserted streets of this pretty town.  

I saw people headed to the cathedral and decided to follow.  A beautiful, limited time, evening art installation!  The community had written messages of peace onto paper doves and the these have been hung from the ceiling of the cathedral with soft coloured lighting and relaxing peaceful music playing.  What a treat 😊

Looking forward to exploring early on foot before I need to check out.  Will catch the train again tomorrow as too much local flooding.

Reading to Petersfield 65kms 🇬🇧

https://tiffstraveltales.travelmap.net/uk-travel-2023

I've had a big day on the bike...  rain for most of it, flooded roads and I had to do rerouting and in the end I just said stuff it and rode through water more than halfway up my wheels multiple times, hilly, sun did come out for half hour or so, rode up hills with torrents like rivers running down, oh and fierce headwinds all day.  Had a section of thick muddy single track, busy A roads with trucks and cars and zero shoulder to get over, and finished in the dark (including the single track bit).  A hard fought 65kms!

Cute villages though, so many autumn trees and detoured to see Jane Austin's home.

Gale force warnings tomorrow with people encouraged to stay indoors!  May put my bike on the train.

I've had such a fortunate trip with hardly any rain while riding, most storms and rain overnight.when I was safe in my tent.  Today made up for it 🤣

Warm, dry, fed and happy in my cosy bnb 😊

Oxford - Henley on Thames - Reading 🇬🇧 50kms

A cruisy bicycle touring day though villages, rural settings and the Chiltern Hills bathed in Autumn colours.  One steep hill that I pushed my bike up, but it gave me time to look into the woods and see squirrels, pheasants and partridges.

Henley on Thames is famous for the annual Regatta and has a relaxed feel.  I had a picnic beside the Thames with some very friendly ducks.

Back on the bike and past luxury homes and a beautiful golf course.  The rain that had been threatening came down with 7kms to go.

The lovely man at my bnb upgraded my room as he couldn't believe I was bike packing alone and wanted me to be comfortable.  He locked away my bike too.  What a sweetie.

Reading has the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey built in the 1100's and amazingly modern buildings have been built right next to it.  

Reading has quite a lot of modern office buildings and shopping centres, right next to Tudor buildings - seems to be no zoning?  Fabulous Indian meal for dinner.

Love being back on the bike touring 😊