Tulip bought herself a "get out there and cycle in the country through lovely back roads and minimum time on the big roads BOOK", and already she's done a few rides from it. In fact, she had already done the ride we did Sunday on the day before ... in the pouring rain, I might add. Suzanne declined the invite for the ride (filing her nails, washing her hair or a major leak in her bathroom that was flooding her kitchen ... can't quite remember which one). Tulip enlisted her friend Renata to accompany us - and she came on her mountain bike!!
We set off from Harpenden, with the intention of doing a "loop".
It was so refreshing to ride the country roads. I breathed in the fresh air and smiled at every little outcrop of daffodils that I saw. It was lovely, and best of all Tulip was in charge of the map and directions, so Renata (who I later discovered has both no sense of orientation or recognition of landmarks) and I were just like biking in unencumbered bliss ... until the rain and hills (sorry undulations) that was!!!
We struck one killer hill, which I suspect will be similar to the "killer hill" that past London to Paris cyclists have talked about getting out of Calais ... all I can say (now that I can finally speak again) is that Renata will manage that on her mountain bike even if we don't !!!
The weather wasn't the great so we decided to press on to just beyond halfway, as the important psychological mind thingie, and stop at Streatley to have a break/lunch. We stopped at "The Chequers" where the publican told us he was sorry but all tables were booked (Mothering day) but we could have a drink and maybe be able to order something later .. so we bought a drink went around the corner and started eating our refuel snack food. Then he came around and went off about this being poor form us eating in his hotel, but of course forgetting his entire previous conversation with us that we could drink what we had paid for ... very bad form Mr Chequers of Streatley ... very bad form indeed!!! ...and if you can't cope with Mother's Day then don't do it ... and just go ahead and join the ranks of open misogynists ... perhaps
Anyway, the rest of the ride went ok .. in the drizzle .. the monotony only broken by farm after farm of watercress.. that really impressed Renata. Me .. I was really impressed that Tulip did it 2 days back to back despite the lack of a decent cake in Harpenden. At the end of the ride we did the necessary top up on the best of the cake and sugar we could find ...
... and then back to London and I thought "oh nice to be back in the city" .. that is until the complete (almost homicidal) white van driver nearly took me out, scuppered a motorcyclist and two cars as he ran a very very red light at high speed. If the car drivers had not had such good reactions I would have been squashed between the car and the van!! Yes .. White Mercedes Van rego
LYBD KWN - you know you who are!! Why you refused to look me in the eye when I banged on your passenger window just confirmed your guilt. Pretty soon you'll have family on the street on a bike that get hurt by a stupid white van driver .. see how you feel then you p ....
... so as not to end on a down note ... London and the Olympics .. and the Boris bikes are expanding all over the east end .. what fun this will all be ... are you coming ??
