Which I will keep brief!

So after a leisurely day on Monday, I set off early doors yesterday to start my mini expedition. It was a nice sunny day and I made good progress despite riding into a cool, howling gale! A stop for a light lunch @ 50km in topped up the reserves for the longer afternoon session.

On past Salisbury via the water meadows and a short stretch of busy A road put me into Hampshire and the New Forest. In case you don’t know, the New Forest is the south’s answer to Sherwood Forest, famed for its ‘wild’ ponies. It’s not all woodland, there is a lot of open heathland too and combined with straight roads meant there was no hiding from that wind.

I had hoped to reach my accommodation by four, a beatvthevtarget by about fifteen minutes. But boy did I know it, 116km into the wind left me very tired indeed, so tired that I ended up tobaganing down the stairs when I set off to get some food. Nothing broken other than my pride but it’ll bruise!

Anyhoo, I got my curry and a beer, I was tired but couldn’t get into a proper sleep mode. I guess the new hurts, the after effects of the ride and a big meal were all conspiring against me.

I needed to get up before 7 today to fit in breakfast and a 20km ride to the ferry by 9.30. It all went to plan, well better than really, if it wasn’t for the new pains I’d a been really chuffed. After yesterdays wall to wall sunshine, today was a bit more mixed, by the time I’d crossed to the island it was a bit grey but at least the wind was less vigorous, and so I d see I started my planned 60km loop of the north west of the island.

First it was a visit to the Needles headland then down to Freshwater on the south coast. Then it was across the middle of the island to Carisbrooke Castle where I stopped for lunch and a short peruse. It was now 2pm which left me a bit over 2 hours to complete my trip, on the plus side the wind should be fairly helpful.

So it was through Newport then along the old rail line to Cowes where I picked up the coast road. The mileage seemed to stagnate as I headed westward on a hillier than expected route but then I was there, at Yarmouth, ahead of time for my return sailing at 5pm. We reached the mainland a little earlier than scheduled and I set off into the increasing gloom for the return to Lyndhurst.

‘Just’ 98km all told and I wasn’t suffering the exhaustion of the downward trip, it was a smaller meal tonight, lasagne with my beer, and overall I feel a lot better after a very enjoyable day across the Solent.

Tomorrow I’m heading west, a slightly later start and only a mere 90km west to meet Aunty Bev and Angharad in Dorchester supposedly for lunch. We’ll see how it goes but the forecast is warm , sunny and tailwind.

So there you go, I’ll be back on Sunday but for now, Tschuss
Madeline Anafrid