Due to the offspring doing the most inconsderate thing of falling off his
bike, breaking bits of his body and growing lumps where there shouldn't be
in the form of massive bruises, it's felt like ages since I've been out on
my bike. I planned to go out yesterday, but due to waking at 4am on Saturday
morning with the mother of all migraines, the put the kybosh on that idea.
Thankfully this morning heralded another fine day and husband said he'd stay
in with the offspring.
So I headed out. Headed north, up through Whissonsett and Colkirk and then
took a right to go over to Great Ryborough, and then swung up north again.
Through some stunningly lovely North Norfolk villages full of flint
cottages, with garden walls covered in flowers, past many an ancient church,
past manor houses, halls and fields full of cattle & horses. All on quiet
lanes, undulating up & down & round & round. Hardly a car about, and loads
of kids on bikes, people out walking on a gloriously sunny day. I made Wells
in just over two hours. Wells was heaving with grockles, so I only stopped
long enough to eat an ice cream & headed back. Slightly different route -
down to Walsingham and then to Great Snoring, Little Snoring, Kettlestone,
back to Ryborough, Colkirk and Whissonsett but rather than straight home,
did a detour to Mileham, Litcham and Beeston before getting home having done
100.71km on 3 energy gels, a few dried apricots and two big bottles of
water, oh, and the ice cream at Wells. The day was perfect cycling weather.
I saw a marsh harrier swooping low over fields just outside of Wells. Had a
horse join in by running alongside as I cycled past its field. Birdsong, the
sound of bees visiting wildflowers in the hedgerows. Sheer joy. My soul
sang.