|
Michaeldea to Gowerton Churchyard
|
ENGLAND – London to Fishguard Said my goodbyes for now and set out on Burton. I got on the underground at Willesden Green station and took the tube to the furthest northwest station (Chesum). I was delayed by security at Willesden Green, as they were reluctant to let me on with my bike, but eventually I managed to talked my way in. Biked 64 miles on a cool cloudy day to Stow-on-Wold through Islip and Woodstock. I am staying the night at the youth hostel in Stow-on-Wold. The English countryside was pleasant, green and bucolic, particularly after the frenetic pace of London. Unlike in the city, there are few fences here and the brick houses go right up to the sidewalk. Most villages have a park and a pub and little else. And for the most part the villages were deserted. Burton held up well under a full load. I was surprised that there were no minor mishaps as I had assembled the bike in a rush at Victoria station a week ago. The roads are generally in good condition but very narrow. Cars need to slow down if someone is approaching from the opposite direction. I did hit some heavily traveled portions today and was uncomfortable. But I think I can avoid this problem in the future with some careful map-reading. Spent the evening talking with Ron, a 62 year old English cyclist who said he had stayed at every hostel in Great Britain and was a member of the "300,000 Mile Club", a cycling club whose membership is limited to cyclists who had ridden that number of miles. He said he had had the same odometer for 40 years and that he had accumulated 380,000 miles. He also told me that the club record holder had cycled 650,000 miles, a figure I found difficult to believe. He was returning from a reunion of the club in Wales to his home in south London. May 11, 1992 57 miles from Stow on Wold to a forest outside Michealdea. Woke to a very cold morning with a strong headwind. Got to Cheltenham around 9:00 and had a breakdown on my bike. One of the supporting bolts on the front panniers broke causing the system to collapse and totally destroying the front fender. Fortunately I was going at a slow speed and was not thrown over the handlebars. Had to ride the four miles back to Cheltenham carrying the panniers in my hand. In Cheltenham I found an excellent bike shop ("Williams Bikes") where I was able to replace the fender. When I told the manager that I did not need the rear fender he gave me a spare tube in its place. He was also extremely helpful regarding touring bikes and I forwarded the information he gave me to Lynn. I then improvised repairs on my pannier by purchasing some large washers at a petrol station. By the time all of this was completed it was nearly 4:00 and I set out for Monmouth (the next town with a hostel). However, the riding was extremely tough due to the stiff headwinds. Also, the traffic was very heavy on a couple of the roads I had selected and so I ended up zigzagging on country roads to avoid it. Fortunately my maps were accurate and the roads well-posted (most of the roads are unnumbered, so the map and signposts are critical). About 7:30 I climbed the largest hill yet encountered ("Plump Hill"), about a one and a half mile climb. At the top I encountered a forested area, which was the first "untamed" area I had seen in England. This was too inviting a spot to pass up, so I rolled Burton a couple of hundred yards into the forest and pitched my tent. Feeling comfortable and at peace with myself I got into the coziness of my sleeping bag and drifted off to sleep. WALES May 12, 1992 56 miles to a cemetery at Gowerton Churchyard (about 5 miles west of Brecon). Awoke at 3:00 and found the Trailblazer/Phoenix playoff game on Armed Forces Radio. I listened for about a quarter until the station faded away and I drifted back to sleep. Awoke at dawn feeling refreshed and content. It took some effort to extract myself from the depths of my warm sleeping bag. There had been light rain all evening and it was misting with a strong southwest (head) wind. This condition persisted all day and the first five hours were very difficult cycling. Also the Welsh terrain was a series of short but steep up and down climbs. At Abergevenny I discovered a route which paralleled a canal--this was the first flat portion I have encountered so far. This 15 mile section was very pleasant cycling as it was also protected from the winds by the hedgerows (6 to 8 feet high) which lined both sides of the road. Abergevenny differed from the other towns and villages encountered so far, as it was run-down and clearly a depressed coal mining town. By contrast, most of the villages in the English countryside seem to be populated by country gentlemen with little visible means of support. The Welsh terrain outside Abergevenny is rolling hills covered with small holdings fenced with hedgerows. Lots of sheep and very few cattle. Now that I am in Wales I have encountered a few more patches of "wild" land; generally small forested areas. I was intending to ride to a youth hostel near Llendover but the wind, cold and dampness started to wear me down. When I saw a rural churchyard cemetery I stopped and waited until the minister showed up. He graciously said I could sleep in the cemetery so I pitched my tent between two rows of tombstones. May 13, 1992 92 miles to Pwll Darii youth hostel outside Fishguard. Traveled through some fine Welsh villages including Llandover, Llandelio, Llaharthy, and Cynwyl Elfed. A joyous day of cycling through varied terrain and weather. The first 50 miles were river bed terrain such as is common in the western US (This was on A-40, the main route to Wales). I was able to work up a steady cadence and ride, for the first time in three days, on the largest chain ring. At Cynwyl Elfed there was a steep 10% grade followed by an exhilarating 6 mile downhill during which I averaged over 30 miles per hour. Coming into Newport I reached possibly the highest speed I have ever attained--47 MPH! It was almost to the point where I was losing control of Burton as he was starting to shimmer violently. Nonetheless, a thrilling downhill trip! The weather was calm with high clouds until about 2:00 when a very stiff (30 to 40 MPH) SE wind picked up. This was primarily a side/tail wind and so was more of a help than a hindrance. The countryside was beautiful the entire route--more wide open and desolate than further east. I followed several white water streams and also a canal between Llandailo and Camarthan. Overhead there were RAF fighters on maneuvers, flying within a few hundred feet of the ground. One flew so low, and so directly overhead, that I was able to see the pilot! Coming into Fishguard I descended a 12% grade which was followed by an even steeper climb. I did not even attempt to cycle up this grade and had great difficulty even walking the bike up it. At Fishguard I discovered that the ferry to Ireland leaves only at 3:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. so I decided to wait until the following afternoon and spend the night at the hostel about five miles on the other side of Fishguard. Getting to the hostel involved another steep descent and torturous climb in a howling wind to a spectacular bluff above the Irish Sea. The hostel was not sign-posted and I had to ask several people before I was told to turn right at Penny's Pantry. I stopped at this store, which was open but unmanned (a sure sign of civilization!), and then followed the route prescribed down to a rustic cabin with a spectacular view of the sea. By this time I was thoroughly exhausted and looking forward to a shower and meeting some friendly people. Instead I found a curmudgeon of a manager and a hostel without showers. After I claimed my bunk I took a sponge bath and washed my clothes, leaving them to dry in the wind. The hostel was overrun with a group of 10 year olds from Brittany and, other than the children's chaperones, the only other guests were a couple of retired Darbyshire coalminers who were hiking the Welsh coast. I have been following an eating pattern of buying bread, cheese, ham (or sausage) in the morning and making it last the day (supplemented by fruit and candy bars). This seems alright for now as I seem to have plenty of energy. Today will be a day of waiting as the next ferry to Ireland does not depart until 3:00. Awoke early (5:00) and had some of the Rooibos ( South African) tea that Lynn had given me. As is fairly common on my bike tours, I am having a bit of a dehydration problem--it seems I do not feel thirsty on a long hot ride but after I stop the thirst is almost unquenchable. I've been drinking orange juice, soda and water. The tap water I've been drinking has generally been good. About 9:00 I biked down into the harbor area to wait for the ferry. Unfortunately the docks are located on a bay sandwiched between two enormous climbs into Fishguard and Strumpl Head. Rather than walk up these hills I decided to wait at the harbor. Again it is very windy (swirling winds) which makes it uncomfortable wherever I sit. Some comments on cycling in England: The roads are narrow and frequently have curbs which force the bicyclist further into the traffic lane. They are generally in excellent condition. There are an enormous choice of unnumbered roads, particularly near London, so if one has the inclination and the time one could ride on empty roads all day. The maps are accurate (if the scale is small enough) and the roads well sign-posted. I saw no evidence of vandalism of the sort one frequently encounters in the US, and the roadways are remarkably clean. The drivers are generally polite, neither honking nor waving, but giving wide berth to cyclists. I did travel on some narrow, heavily trafficked roads that were uncomfortable but I felt no sense of danger. When cycling in England and Wales one needs to be prepared for a great deal of up and down riding which causes you to alternately sweat and freeze. So, wearing several layers of clothes is usually necessary. Overall I found the riding to be similar to what I encountered in Virginia (although the countryside has a tamer, more civilized feel to it). Despite the frequent villages I did have some problem finding food. Most villages have only a pub (many of which serve good food at reasonable prices) but I prefer grocery stores, and those are few and far between. I also found few fish and chips shops (I have developed a real craving for this English specialty) and the ones I did find were open for only a few hours a day. While waiting at the dock, I spoke to an Irish couple (cyclists) who recommended a route to Limerick. I will take their advice. The woman warned me to "watch out for the Irish Lasses!" The ferry ("Sealink Felicity") departed on schedule. Despite the fact there were strong winds and 8 foot waves it was a wonderful trip. I was totally at peace with myself and, while basking in the warmth of the afternoon sun, I passed the time observing all the varied interactions that people have. It was as though I was outside the scene and looking in at this little world of travelers. I have always loved to be around travelers because there is such an air of anticipation and uncertainty to their world. CONTINUE ON TO IRELAND
|