East Anglia Tour

We recently went on a cycle tour around East Anglia. It was a bit shorter than expected due to other commitments, hence the train journey at the start, but still an enjoyable break. Here is our diary and some photos:

Monday 13th September.
Early start to get the train to Norwich. We were had advance (non-flexible) tickets so couldn't afford to be late. The bikes felt really heavy after not carrying luggage for a while and Grace's new handlebar bag was pressing against here brake/gear cables causing her gears to shift unexpectedly. Norwich Station seemed nice and the staff were actually friendly! Andrew spotted a shop so we had a bacon, egg and sausage baguette to help get us going. We navigated to the campsite with only one wrong turn. As we are classed as backpackers we even got a part refund on the night! We got setup in backpackers area but had to go down a muddy path and walk a long way to get to the facilities.

We re-mounted the handlebar bag onto Andrew's bike where it wasn't going to interfere with the cables.We set off our our Norfolk Broads route. The campsite was just to the south of central Norwich, so it was several miles just to get out to the east to the Broads. What are the Broads you ask? Well, as far as we know, as series of bodies of water (lakes) connected by rivers and canals.

Probably best explored by boat, but should be equally nice travelling around on land. We planned our route to visit some 'scenic points' according to the map and also one of the British Cycling Quest (BCQ) questions we had for the Norfolk county. For a part of the county which was meant to be quite pretty, we found it quite boring. Maybe it's better if you're exploring by boat, but by road we only saw a few broads and crossed a few rivers. They were usually hidden behind some form of vegetation. Also, the weather was pretty grey/dull so even when we did see a broad it was nothing exciting. We ended up going along of a section of byway which was unsuitable for our bikes so ended up having to walk for a bit, whilst getting the bikes covered in mud! Not particularly impressed and must really avoid those byways! We stopped at Filby Broad for lunch and did a quick walk which led to a bird watching area. Not being birdwatchers, we didn't really know what we were looking at but pretty and pleasant enough. We eventually got to Sutton mill but couldn't figure out the BCQ question. So decided to just take a few photos and left.

About this time it was looking very grey and sure enough proceeded to rain. It was a quick ride to Horning where we were going to catch a foot ferry before 5pm that would save us having to go the long way around. We almost missed it because we couldn't find it and got given some misdirections. We were feeling wet and a bit miserable by this point. Just wanted to get back to camp for dinner and a warm bed. A quick stop at supermarket for food on the way into town and back to camp to cook in dark.

Tuesday:
Packed up (but not very quickly). It was still raining on and off so trying to get the tent dry-ish and packed away between showers was difficult. We stopped in Norwich to look for maps and a waterproof map cover because the MemoryMap app on Andrew's iPhone decided to not work. AT ALL! We tried Cotswold Outdoors and a cycle shop but they didn't have a suitable case OR the correct maps, although the cycle shop did advise us about the local cycle paths. We bought maps from WH Smith in the end and eventually set off along the old railway path to the north. It was nicely paved to start with but eventually was dirt, mud and sometimes boggy. Luckily the weather cleared and as we headed to Swannington for another BCQ we were feeling slightly better. Even took off the waterproofs! Unfortunately we went past the point but found it (old water well/pump in the centre of the village) then continued to Reepham.

This was a nice village and we found a nice bench for lunch. It showed signs of raining again, so it was back on with the waterproofs. Another question answered on the way through Stibbard. A few miles further Andrew heard a loud hissing sound from his rear tyre. While changing the tube it rained even harder as a small storm passed through. There was a hole in the tyre and the tube had burst as it was squeezed a bit too much. With 90psi and extra luggage weight, there is a fair bit of strain on that poor inner tube. He replaced the tube but couldn't do much about the tyre (note: add duct tape to the packing list!).

 Picking Blackberries

Not to far from Stiffkey and Andrew's bike went all wobbly. Another flat, same tyre. He found a sharp object in another place so patched that hole but in the meantime Grace went ahead to see if she could buy some tape to temporarily repair the damaged tyre. They didn't have duct tape but had tyres available (small village general store: milk, bread, bike tyres?!) Andrew fixed the tube and we were back on the road. We finally arrived at the campsite in Stiffkey, near the marshes on the North Norfolk coast. It was getting very windy but we were nicely sheltered behind a hedge. We were relieved but tired after a long day so headed to the local pub for dinner. Very nice food and a welcome change to being in the rain.

Wednesday:
Today we planned to take a day trip to Cromer (about 20miles east along the coast). We stopped at local store which was a lovely shop/cafe with nice selection of home/gift stuff and also some groceries. We grabbed a few things for dinner and had a hot chocolate (what a luxury). The shop is only open for half the day on Wednesday which seemed a bit old fashioned at first, but they are also open Sunday mornings and they need some time off! We then headed back to the store that sold bike tyres and asked for a tyre. The man was confused by the metric dimensions and said that Andrew 'wasn't a real cyclist' because of that, but seemed to understand 28 inches. He then rummaged through his workshop and found one. Andrew's tyre was holding some pressure so we decided not to change it yet and just keep the pressure topped up. We noticed these ruins which turned out to be an old priory in the town (which shall now be known as the not-a-real-cyclist-spare-tyre-town).

We finally set off east with the wind behind us and even the up-hills weren't too bad. We walked around Cromer and stopped at a cafe for lunch and and ice-cream by sea. There is a pier (typical English sea-side town) but the sea was very wild the wind was cold.

We took the coast road home as it was shorter and less hilly, but as we anticipated it was hard work cycling into wind. Despite this we were back by 5pm with time to relax and cook dinner. Andrew's slow leak meant that we had to stop and pump up the tyre every 5 miles or so. We were very glad for our Topeak Multi Morph pump which is small but easily achieves 80psi.

Thursday:

This morning Andrew decided to try changing the tyre to avoid the regular top-up stops! The new 28" tyre that we were sold was too big (diameter) for the rim. So much for the 'expert' at the shop with his imperial measurements. More patches and Andrew was running on the old tyre again.

Just west of Stiffkey we stopped at Wells-next-the-Sea. They were psyching up for the Tour of Britain which was about to pass through the town this morning. Lots of people asked us if we were in the Tour. Little did they know that racing cyclists don't ride cheap hybrid bikes and carry 20kg of luggage!!

We stopped at Castle Rising on the way, where there is a historic castle ruin.

Good trip to Kings Lynn, though as we arrived in town had to dodge all the mothers on the school run, walking and parking all over the place. The centre of town seemed a bit bland, but there was a really nice park and great cycle routes. After a stop at the supermarket we made it to the campsite south of town which was quiet and had nice facilities.

Friday:
Down the busy road for a bit then onto national cycle route towards Ely. It was supposed to be an easy (flat) but long day. It was actually hard work with a lot of wind. Andrew had another puncture so he plastered the tyre with patches as well as the tube. Ely could be seen from miles away because of the massive cathedral.

 

Ely was a small, but nice city. The cathedral was amazing, and it was disappointing that we didn't have time to take a good look through. They charged for entry too, so we just took a quick peek:

We topped up on maps (iPhone still not working properly) and headed on to Cambridge. As we entered the city centre it was amazing seeing all the beautiful architecture, seeing people punting on the river, smartly dressed academics meeting for coffee, and bicycles everywhere! It would have been nice to stop for a while but it was already 5:30 and we still needed to get food for dinner and set up camp. The campsite was quite busy, but big. The staff were friendly and amazed we had come 56 miles today. They joked that Grace would get a boyfriend with a car next time. Little did they know that camping was probably more her idea (and it's too late, we are already married).

Saturday:

Homeward bound today. After a cold (4 degrees) start the sun warmed everything up and it was a lovely day. It was a long(ish) ride to Castle Hedingham by which time we were really starting to get sore bums and needed a rest. This route took us through Steeple Bumpstead, only notable for its funny name. We had lunch at the pub we went to last time. Good food and the lady at the bar was about to head to NZ for a year to work, starting with Paihia. She noticed our NZ cycle jerseys. Always a good conversation starter.

The final 20 miles to home were hillier and longer than we remembered, but at least the weather couldn't have been nicer. What a relief to shower and sit on our lovely sofa!

An enjoyable trip, despite some bad weather and punctures, and a great sense of satisfaction to have completed our first (short) tour!

Now, time to order a new rear tyre (700mm, not 28" this time!)

Isle Of Wight

We caught the 8am train (arrived at the station just on time), quick ride across London (having practised the route a few weeks ago), just in time for the next train to Portsmouth, a short ride to the car ferry terminal and perfect timing for the next ferry. We waited near the sign for pedestrians and cycles (but not in the middle of the road where we would get run over) watching cars driving onto the ferry, only to see the ferry ramp get raised. We asked the attendants who were directing vehicles when we were going to be let on, but they said we'd missed that one. Basically it wasn't their job to instruct pedestrians and the guy whose job it was said we weren't waiting in the correct place (the correct place being in the middle if the road in front of the sign) so he couldn't see us. The guys who could clearly see us didn't care. They said that this has been a problem in the past and that they needed another member of staff just to direct the pedestrians. We were only two of four bikes and at least five other pedestrians who were also flummoxed by this attitude and disbelief seeing at the departing ferry. The next ferry was only about 15min wait so we we made sure to block the road and wait in the correct place this time.

It was a minor setback that was mostly annoying because of our lucky run so far. On the island before 1pm, already fed on the train/ferry, we set off. One of our concerns about this trip was hills. Our concerns were justified as the carpark/exit from the ferry at Fishbourne was a steep hill! It flattened out but there were many undulating hills which with 25kg of bike and luggage was hard work! We made regular snack stops and enjoyed the scenery. There is a 'round the island cycle route' which is clearly signposted and usually avoids main roads. We were surprised by the volume of traffic but figured most people have to drive to get anywhere (there are buses and a short section of train line) and the population isn't small.

Our biggest concern was the detour up Culver Down - a hilly point which we knew was a steep climb. We made it to the top (after a short rest part way) and enjoyed great views at the top. It followed a few small hill climbs which meant we were already tired. This was the site of one of our British Cycle Quest questions, otherwise we wouldn't have thought of climbing that hill.

Almost there!

What we thought was not far to the campsite near Sandown was a long 5 miles of hills. We were very relieved to arrive, set up the tent and enjoy a hot shower. Andrew prepared dinner (chorizo and tomato pasta) Grace did the laundry (you don't carry any more clothes than you really need - an additional change of clothes = more weight!).

Our setup

We slept pretty well thanks to our (light) inflatable mattresses and (light) pillows. Our (light) tent kept us warm and dry (when it rained at 6am in the morning). Luckily by the time we has made our porridge the weather had cleared. Our laundry had not dried much and subsequently got rained on but the tent dried out. We were on the road by 10am on our way along the south of the island. Not too many hills to start with, although we detoured to the village of Godshill to get another question answered. The name Godshill gives it away. It's on a hill! We missed the small 'Chapel' on the way through some roadworks so headed for the 'Church' thinking that may be where the answer was. We bought some local chocolate from a chocolate shop which gave us a good sugar boost for the steps up the hill. The hill wasn't much in the end. A service was about to start but a very friendly man (who has relatives living on Waiheke and around NZ) said we could look around for a few minutes (wearing our cycle gear, carrying helmets!). We asked about the chapel and he explained it was back down on the main street. We were glad we missed it though, because the church was really nice and the walk back down via the street took us past several thatched cottages.

We stopped for lunch on the side of the road where we could conveniently lay out the wet clothes to dry!

As we neared Freshwater in the west, we had two long steady climbs. It was great to reach the top and enjoy the views again (chalk cliffs to the west and beaches back to the east). It was also a good chance to finish our sandwiches (we had lots of food breaks rather than filling up all at once).

 

It was a nice ride downhill to Freshwater and to the campsite. We quickly put up the tent and rushed off to the supermarket before closing (Sunday trading hours in the UK) only to realise that the Co-op and Sainsburys Local where not 'real' supermarkets and were open until 10pm! Back to camp, drop off food then we cycled out to the most western point called The Needles, a series of chalky lumps off the point.

Near the point was a carpark and amusement park (the typical tacky British seaside kind) and a chairlift down to a beach which seemed a weird thing to have. We cycled to the very tip where there is a National Trust site called the Old Battery, an old defense battery, but as we were quite late this was closed. The best view was from further back at the 'amusement park' anyway. We enjoyed dinner (same again!). This time we had our own picnic table at the campsite which was very convenient (sitting or crouching on the ground isn't comfortable for long).

Monday morning, 6:30am and it rained again. Fortunately it cleared and the sun dried out the tent before we packed up. Our ride started on a pleasant quiet cycle/walking path up to Yarmouth, then east to Calbourne to visit Winkle St. This is a quaint little street next to a beautiful clear stream. Another great spot to stop for a bite to eat.

Next we headed towards Cowes in the central/north of the island. Our final question was along Victoria Parade but we couldn't find the plaque with the answer to the question. I took a photo of a plaque but figure this wasn't the correct one and that the question was probably out of date. After some fish and chips we went back along the parade to look again but couldn't see anything else. Later I looked at the photo on the camera and realised that the answer was there, at the bottom of the plaque that I had photographed!

There was a 'chain ferry' across the river to East Cowes, free for pedestrians and cyclists. It literally cranked itself along two very chunky chains across the river. Up the hill towards Fishbourne with our final stop at Osborne House, which was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's summer retreat that is managed by English Heritage. We ended up joining EH as this was then an incentive to go and see more sights, and a special offer for 6 extra months free. The house was very large though we only saw part of it. As usual very decadent and elaborate for a royal home, with one wing decorated in Indian style as Queen Victoria had taken a very keen interest in Indian culture. There was also a Swiss Cottage built to teach the children how to cook and each of them had their own garden patch of which Prince Albert would pay for the things they grew. As it was rather warm, we treated ourselves to ice creams and went to look at the bathing machine, yes the Queen had a contraption which allowed her to bathe in the sea without being visible by anyone else. It wouldn't be proper for the Queen to be seen in a bathing suit, now would it. More of a novelty than a practical contraption.

Then it was time for the final run to the ferry terminal. One hill near Fishbourne we were dreading as we had seen in on Saturday, but after all the hills we had climbed, it wasn't bad at all. We were just in time for the next ferry, arrived to Portsmouth slightly early which meant we made the next train, got across London without problems, then had to stand on the National Express train for an hour to Colchester because a person had been hit by a train and caused a large backlog of passengers. As a result, we had to run from our carriage half-way down the train back to the storage coach to retrieve our bikes, otherwise the conductor would have assumed everybody was off/on the train and departed with our bikes and luggage. Home in 4 hours!

It was a tiring weekend but very enjoyable and we decided that we will continue with the cycle touring idea. Next trip is a week-long tour of East Anglia.

Lubeck - Hamburg

Long weekend in Lubeck and Hamburg visiting Leeds & Dave. Lots of churches and other sights which names fail us now.... Also checked out the Hamburger Dom (public fair with lots of eating and shopping stalls)

Lubeck

 

Holstentor

Marzipan Shop

Amplemen:

 Bretzel

 The Elbe Tunnel

Hanging out with Leeds & Dave

 Miniatur Wunderland: Miniature world of different cities and places around the world