Riding on a train

Indeed,  I am riding on a train towards Lauren in Norfolk after two delightful nights in Nottingham with Lawrence and Lyn whom I met on the ride from Lands End to John o Groats two years ago.  They will also be doing the ride through France, as will another couple,  Murray and Sue, so it will be a reunion of sorts.
The weather holds fair and warm so I have enjoyed a walk around Nottingham, a beer in England's oldest pub cut into the rock below the castle, tea and cheese toast at at a fishing lake as part of yet another good days riding,  dinner at the local pub,  dinner at home and a walk to the local village centre for coffee before getting on the train.  A highlight was a visit to Woollaton Hall, a beautiful house in magnificent grounds which extended green in all directions, but the real delight was the natural history museum inside the house,  it was so unexpected.
Whoever reserved the seat next to me didn't show up so I had plenty of room for a nap.  Lyn kindly supplied me with a sandwich and a lunch treat and away I go to Norwich via Ely where the train changed direction. At Norwich it's all change for Diss then a short ride to Manor Farm.
I love train travel,  so relaxing and interesting.  In this instance once again the countryside is green and lovely thanks to the rain a couple of weeks ago after a long long dry spell.
And then I changed trains, or I would have if there hadn't been trouble with the level crossings and my train cancelled. Got the next one and though the announcements were all about the delay we would experience there was none. I love train travel.
I rode from Diss station,  all of three miles to Manor Farm where I am to join Lauren and the family for a few days. It is late afternoon on a sunny day and there are quiet country lanes to ride on.  Brilliant.

Monday, museum day

I had not yet been to St Pancras station so did a recce, picked up all the tickets for the next week and was glad to have done so. It is wonderfully spacious and interesting and even though I had now seen it I determined to get there in plenty of time for my train the next day. 
I planned to look at a few smaller museums, and it is a good thing I am coming back to London in a week as all three are closed on Monday. Fortunately there is plenty else to do, so I head off to the British Library close by to read the Magna Carta and then to he British Museum following cycleway signs and just having a good time looking round as I go.  There is always something to see. Hours later I leave the Museum, having seen as much as I could, especially in the Egyptian section with the mummies, sarcophagi, etc. It was a marvel to me as there were so many and so much else to see,  including the Rosetta Stone.  These after things we learnt about in school,  but there's not a lot of diverse antiquity from other countries in Australia. .everyone else got there first perhaps.
Later I rode back towards the station to travel along the canal towpath for a while.  This was a little dodgy in parts as the path narrowed under bridges and it was not always easy to see what our who was coming towards you.  Of course riding there at peak hour as people headed home was not the best idea but delaying my ride with a pint in a canalside bar improved everything.
Home to pack,  ready for the rural excursion catching up with friends.

A perfect day for it

Another day of brilliant sunshine, and another train ride. We inadvertently got the wrong train, but to the right destination. Ours was a stopping all stations, the other was express. All that happened was we missed our connection and got a later train. That left us time to have a  cup of coffee between trains. Anna has the map and we head out of Headcorn station only an hour later than we thought, heading straight for the country roads. 
No too far out we saw a sign about a tractor rally so stopped to have a look and watched a few tractors come onto the road ahead of us. That was interesting, until someone told Anna there were 120 of them. As they seemed to be travelling at our place we just joined in for a while which no one seemed to mind. Our paths diverged a bit down the road but we passed them again travelling in the opposite direction later in the day.
The countryside is stunning, green and beautiful with picturesque villages just as you would anticipate.  We came into Woodchurch stopping to admire the windmill before de iding on lunch at The Six Bells The adjacent pub had a  catchy name, but there seemed to be no one dining there so we went with the numbers. Turned out just fine,lovely garden to sit in, friendly staff and a good beer ... Timothy Taylor's.  We had plenty of time so added a few miles to our journey to go along the edge of the Romney Marshes. Later we added a couple more miles a time or two when we took an unplanned  turn or two only to return to the right junction.
By the time we go to Sissinghurst Castle to see the famous gardens we were hot and thirsty so tea ahead of anything. As we approached the garden entrance we saw a sign that announced the gardens closed. Anna spoke to the guide nearby telling him that we had ridden 45miles to see them and he kindly allowed us to step inside and have a very quick look. We were just inside when we were accosted by a woman asking if we had tickets, she didnt chuck us out when told that we weren't really going in.  We ran across the courtyard, looked through the gates at Vita Sackville-West's famed white garden, took a couple of guick pictures and departed. We then had a good view of the garden from the other side of the moat as we rode off.
You cannot get lost in England I've decided because you always seem to be able to see the next village and with that in mind it's more like taking an alternative route unexpectedly.  If you are trying to make a train you will probably feel a little differently, as we did. We made the station, but the train didn't come so we got the next one and areived home to a beer and dinner cooked by Ian. A great end to a very good day. Thank you to both Anna and Ian for making it so.

War, what is it good for ..absolutely nothing.

Sunshine at last, glorious sunshine.  Back on the bike following the signs of CS7 (Cycle Superhighway 7) out to Clapham Common for brunch and to catch up with Sallyann, whom I have not seen for a couple of decades  not that we are counting them.  Enjoyed a walk with Sally round the local area, then before heading home  a ride round the common. On the way in I managed to follow the signs and do a circle somewhere, astnished that I had arrived at the same point as a few minutes earlier. God knows how that happened, and I managed to avoid doing it twice. 
Sometimes under these circumstances I keep an eye out for other people who seem to know where they are going and follow them for a bit. It has led to some interesting places but this time it worked in my favour, as I started to recognise streets and headed in the right direction. At one stage I saw an arrow to a cinema museum but found that the museum was closed, indeed it did not seem to have any regular opening hours so I  won't be back.
The Imperial War Museum is an imposing building set in wonderful gardens a visit recommended to me by a couple of people.  Inside is a wonderful space several floors high around a large atrium. I started in chronological order with the First World War, and that took ages as it was a fascinating display and collection. There is a gallery at the top housing a large private collection of VC (Victoria Cross) and other medals with stories about the people to whom they've been awarded. Finally I visited the Holocaust section which, as one would expect, is very graphic and very moving about the plight of the victims and the survivors. A comprehensive section through which all move in a sombre mood.
Before heading off I had a cup of tea in the cafe, deciding that what I had seen was enough for one day. A return visit is on my list.

Seeing the sights

The weather over the last few days has not been conducive to riding everywhere sadly. I spent a day walking around, which is no hardship in London, I love doing just that.  I spent a day on the bike seeing out on a sunny morning only to return in the afternoon in the rain, taking notes that I should not leave how without a raincoat.  Walking again the next day and it didn't rain until I was in sight of home.  It's like being in Melbourne and the temperatures are about the same.  A better weekend is forecast.
I got to the Tate Modern (gallery) quite late in the day as in my meanderings I came across an extensive photographic exhibition in a wonderful dockside building that had not been tarted up and the exhibition was spread through multiple rooms on several floors.  I will have to go back to the Tate to see more there.
On my cycling day I managed to navigate my way through some hideous traffic diversions around Parliament Square but for the most part was on bicycle paths or signed roads. Cycling in London was a bit hairier than cycling through Melbourne and that was due only in part to being on unfamiliar roads. It was quite a relief to get to my destination at Kensington Palace via Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.  The white garden I had come to see was in the throes of replanting but still worth a quick look. Afternoon tea served with chipped china less so. The staff seemed totally uninterested when I quietly pointed it out.  Black mark. And that is when the rain started - staying until I got home.
A quick change of clothes and off to a book launch with Anna and Ian at the Freemasons Hall. Wow, what a building. We went in via the main entrance to get directions to the launch, greeted by the sight of many men exiting the building, all I think in a black suit from the same tailor. The launch itself was held in the foyer entrance to the Temple which we were allowed to see.  So much for a secret society.
One of the delights of walking is coming across something unexpected and changing one's plans on the run. That is how I came to spend an hour or so in the Bank of England Museum. I had not found that on my internet searches. The public are not allowed, you will be surprised to hear, into the enormous gold vaults. Indeed the public are not really allowed into the bank, save for a small counter where old banknotes taken out of circulation can be exchanged for new ones at face value.
Lunch from a van at the Old Spitalfields Market, delicious duck wrap,  then onto the Geffrye Museum which describes itself as a Museum of The Home.  Sadly the gin event that evening is sold out but the room displays are interesting and the upholstery exhibition also of interest. Several artists have contributed pieces, some a little more straightforward than others. There is a burnt armchair suspended from the ceiling in front of a video of said chair on fire so that may give you an idea of the scope of the exhibition. 

A flying start

To have an empty seat next to one on a flight is a bonus, to have the same thing on both legs of the trip is a huge bonus.  I flew Emirates via Dubai to London and was comfortable all the way - slept a fair bit on the first, dozed some on the second. Arrived mid-evening, never saw customs as I had nothing to declare except that I'm thrilled to be here again and headed for the train.  Disappointed in the cab from Victoria, well with the driver who seemed to take too long with the meter running to find the address, but it was a short run and now I'm happily ensconced in Anna's flat.

Having packed a while ago I  should have resisted the temptation to put all the chargers and other Electronica in a different bag.  I left it behind on the spare bed.  I realised before I got off the ground so replaced the vital ones in Dubai and life goes on.

Next interesting discovery was that I had some time ago given Anna the wrong date for my arrival (typing error) and neither of us had ever referred to the date again.  So it was a surprise to her to get my call a day early, but not an insurmountable problem as she and Ian, and their dinner guests, welcomed me warmly.  There was just one slice of delicious rhubarb tart left ... but not for long.

Then bed called,  and I slept very soundly undisturbed by the trains through the night.  Fran,  they pass at the same level as my windows just across the road on an elevated section.  The jets going overhead make more noise but there are not many of them.

A grey morning which will not deter me, I'm off

If the bike fits ....

England's green and pleasant land

A good m I rning to put the bike together again