In which Sid and Doris visit Verulamiam (more recently known as St Albans) then ride home using canal and railway paths before climbing up to pretty Perry Green.
We open with a record of the last time we will be doing our laundry in the bathroom sink, as we have every night. We are going to a house with a washing machine. [Note from Doris – you might be relieved to hear that this picture seems to have disappeared, as not everyone wants to see a picture of Sid’s Grundys. Also the pic of our valuable Mother Mary icon helmet sticker, which is rather more regrettable. Imagine it, if you will.]
Sid and Doris did not just want to bolt for home, it ain’t seemly. The first game was to find the Grand Union tow path, and as luck would have it find the only stair access for miles around. Walking with bikes, carrying bikes; no wonder cars with bike racks are so popular.
The canal path was no worse than some of the Danube paths, and not much better either. It is good to be reminded of the fun we had. Nature Notes continues with the sighting of ducklings and later in the day cygnets.
We have spent time with some big waterways. Now the Grand Union, which runs from the Thames to the Midlands, is all about craft beer pubs and live-aboard narrow boats.
The museum displays Grade One floor mosaics and many wall paintings. These survived because they were frescoes. When the town was abandoned the damp got in to the buildings and entire walls of plaster fell intact. They were then recovered by putting a plaster framework on the back and lifting them out. S is well impressed. It is a great museum that keeps you interested. The amphitheatre is just a few minutes away but our day goes by (and we have just been in Nimes, oooh). Doris paused to buy the final #virtualsouvenir, a charming snake bracelet (as opposed to a snake charming bracelet, ha ha).
Around St Albans we get the first anti-cyclist driving we have experienced on the journey when a van cuts up Doris at a roundabout with much ill-mannered gesturing and mouthing (not from Doris). Sid escaped, almost certainly thanks to the icon on his helmet.
Local driving aside, leaving St Albans proves surprisingly difficult with the bike route apparently upstairs. PIC When we do find the old Hatfield railway line (which once fed the De Havilland factory and has been closed since 1968) it all gets a lot easier.
Our route takes us to the Lee navigation around Ware from where we go up Widbury Hill for Widford, Perry Green, past The Prince of Wales and so to St Michael’s church in Bishop’s Stortford. As Simon and Garfunkel did not quite sing: Gee, but it’s odd to be back home.
We left Bishop’s Stortford on May 15th, 108 days ago. It is now August 30th. We, just Sid and Doris, rode to Istanbul and home. Including the training rides that’s about 7,000 kilometres with 50,000 metres of up. Busy, busy.
We cycled from home in the UK to Harwich,through the Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, mainland Italy and Sardinia, from the South of France to St Malo and home from Portsmouth through the Chilterns. We’ve seen some fings.
Sid and Doris say, High Paw.
Welcome home!
EPIC