The next day started with a statutory yummy breakfast and then we jumped on the bikes for a glorious ride in the sunshine. We chose a route using the new forest maps as a guide which initially took us through Sway (where I found a mushroom), then through some woods where there were some ponies, then along a track where a very friendly pony took a liking to JC’s saddle, and then out to a clearing near the road where there were even more ponies. But this last group of ponies had a very prominent head of the herd who warned us to back off on our approach, so I stood up to it and whooshed it away, protecting my own herd!
The ride was amazing and we saw deer, a hawk, found some beautiful paths including an old railway where we encouraged each other to cycle down the really steep bit. As the weather started to turn we picked up the pace and made it to The Rising Sun pub for scampi and to wait for the rain to pass.
We cycled back in the dark, stopping on route for some Prosecco. When back at camp we made baked potatoes on the fire, with beans and danced to amongst others, ‘working in a coal mine’, until bedtime.
The next day, we decided to do another ride on the bikes, but this time we started from Burley. After initially sheltering under a tree from the rain we set out on a cycle loop taking us past great houses framed by rainbows, more gorgeous tracks, fjords, sandy paths and river ways. It was another stunning loop and we couldn’t believe how beautiful it was. We rewarded ourselves with a scrummy lunch at The Queens Head in Burley – famed for its veggie & vegan options. It was even the popular choice of a man and his parrot who are regular guests there apparently. Before heading back there was time for one last scavenge in the woods – and you wouldn’t believe what I found?!
