Land's End - Bath

Hello

We are through our first week of biking and have made it to Bath. The start in Land's End didn't bode well. After leaving London in baking sunshine, we arrived to a downpour and a degree of sea mist that made it difficult to see exactly where the land ended. But since then (until today) it has been perfect blue sky all the way, and a bit of unexpected sunburn, which has been the subject of many a friendly comment from passers by.

The countryside has been painfully English, with Waikato-like rolling pastures the predominating feature. We have been trying with varying degrees of success to follow a cycle route marked out with signs that takes the back roads and the occasional dedicated bike path (think Central Otago Rail Trail in Waikato, with hills). This means covering twice the distance as strictly necessary as it weaves all over the place and we get lost every day, but avoid the traffic and get into the 'wilderness'. The brochures and books have described this wilderness as "dramatic" and "spectacular" but this is perhaps taking it a little too far, and would render many an NZ paddock "unmissable".

For all the rolling countryside, the hills have been extremely steep - up to 30%! This may mean nothing to most of you but as an example, one of the hardest Tour de France mountains averages 7.8%. And they don't tend to carry panniers. So it may be 15 times as long but that's just quibbling.

The northern coast of Cornwall and Devon was really beautiful, with many a thatched roofed cottage and stone fenced lined roads. Local produce is very big here, and dairy featured highly in this region. Clotted cream was the favourite, and even came as an accompaniment to ice cream. Dairy on dairy - perfect after Asia. Have also been gorging ourselves on cheese.

Our accommodation has gone from hotels and bellhops in China to campgrounds here for the same price. One tried to charge us £19 but we showed them by biking for another 20 miles to the next one, which was closed, so then the one after that. We arrived at 6.30 at night, starving and burnt and slightly broken, but it was £6. So eat that with your £19 square of grass.

Today is cold and grey and we have been strolling around the old streets of Bath, looking at the stone buildings from the Roman days, and lunching at a quaint pub on locally grown lamb and lager. Like the English temperament, the lager was not too overt in any way, just slightly chilled and mildly fizzy. But really, again everyone is very friendly towards us, so we await another unsolicited bike cleaning.

From here its on to Oxford and north towards the Peaks district. Until then...

Ta ta

C&D