Hi folks
Well i missed doing a blog last night as it was late when we finished but we are just between things right now so lets get you up to date.
Yesterday, thats Friday, i made the long trip by train and bike to Dorset from Yorkshire. Boy it was a hard ride, headwind and not a little up hill involved! Once on location and suitably freshened up it was time to meet with Ang, Anne, Bev and Martin for the traditional first night get together which we did in a classy Italian restaurant in Dorchester centre. Before we all headed for our beds Ang (she of Bike fame) gave us a run down of todays (Saturday) itinery which sounded great.
This morning we all met in the town where we looked at the Roman town house before four of us mounted our bikes to ride up to Cerne Abbas, Martin acting as emergency 'bonk' wagon! There were a few drops of rain as we climbed up the valley but not enough to worry about and we were soon at the viewing point for the Giant (do a wiki search for Cerne Abbas Giant.) where we found Martin and late arrival Ben waiting for us.
We took a few pictures of the chalk figure then repaired to the cyclist friendly cafe in the village for tea and teacakes. By now the sun was out so before heading back to Dorchester we took a quick look at the remains of Cerne Abbey - not much to see but pleasing in its own way.
Back in town we decided more tea was in order so we descended on the car park cafe where both beverages and light snacks were comsumed before we crossed the town to Maumbury Rings for some reading. We perched on the top of the monument whilst Ang read from her first volume of Gaby's Dorset tales and i supplied a chapter from Gaby book 4.
It was turning into a lovely afternoon so rather than cut things short we moved the mile or so out to Maiden Castle, the huge hillfort that overlooks Dorchester. Ang treated us to a guided walk up onto the hilltop for tremendous views and a little understanding of this pre Roman site.
Thats it up unto now, shortly we shall be going out to eat and both Ang and myself have some more reading to do to entertain the troops!
So TTFN, i'll do another update tomorrow.
Mads
Comments
Wish I could join you
as I come from the posh bit to the right - Hampshire. I'm a Cheshire lass now!
Maiden Castle, Dorchester, Wareham, Swanage, Lulworth, Weymouth, Lyme Regis; all old stamping grounds.
Eyesight now means I'm more of a liablility than an asset. Never Mind; I shall be there vicariously. (NO, not the Church of England - wrong type of vicar).
Susie
Darrrrrzet
Another here who knows that area well. There are some monster hills to ride up down that way, though!
My Old Stamping Ground Too
The first time I "met" the Cerne Giant was in 1953 during my first term at a posh boarding school in north Dorset, when I cycled down to Cerne Abbas for the purpose of viewing the famous chalk figure. In those days he was a bit shabby, but when I visited him in 2003—fifty years after my first visit when I took this pic—he was looking much smarter.
Legend has it that a barren woman who spends the night lying on the giant's member will become fertile.
As for hills, south Dorset is famed for them: my grandmother used to come and take me out for the day on the occasional Sunday and we would go down to Lyme Regis in the car to have lunch. The journey entailed several notable hills, and Gran's car—a 1934 Standard Ten— could manage them okay so long as she was able to take a run at them. The hill out of Charmouth was particularly steep—if I remember it was something like 1 in 4— so if we saw a lorry ahead of us, we would wait at the top of the hill at the other sisde of Charmouth until we saw that it had reached the top the other side. Then we would soop down the hill to gain momentus to climb the other side without the necessity of changing down into bottom gear—there was no synchromesh going from 2nd to first—when climbing the other side.
Ah, happy days.
Gabi.
Gabi.
*sighs*
Somehow, I don't think my spending a night there would make me fertile... Not that it would necessarily be a good idea at my age. LOL
Sounds fascinating.
Anne
Have a good time.
Funnily enough SWMBO and I were in Cerne Abbas 10 days ago and had tea (actually coffee in my case) in the cafe you probably used. We then rode up to the Giant viewpoint where we ate our sandwiches (notoriously tight-fisted, us) before riding a very hilly route back to our base just south west of Sherbourne. Lumpy round there innit? We were glad of the granny ring on the tantrum I can tell you. Getting old, too - 140 years on one bike :)
I suspect we had the best of the weather because it was just turning when we decided to retreat to Derbyshire. It's a lovely area. Hope Ang's knees are holding up OK.
Robi
We've been there!
I have proof that we have been there, I have a picture showing all of us! (at Maiden Castle)
Unfortunately nobody else was nearby to take it so I had to use a little trick to get everyone in one picture...
M
Martina
It's
Cliff Richard and the Shadows! Congratulations and jubil... oh f'geddit!
Angharad
Angharad