July 15, 2013
Fourteen miles doesn’t sound that far, especially as I’m used to kilometres – and in my head 14 miles = 14 kilometres.Of course, it’s not so. More like 22 km, so it’s just as well I didn’t take up the offer to go walking. Notwithstanding all the walking I’ve been doing of late, I probably would have collapsed after about 10 miles (16 km). So it was on the bike instead.
Central (read old) Cambridge is just gorgeous. There’s lots of reasons why it attracts so many tourists. Given that today was yet another gloriously sunny and warm English summer’s day (certain people told me to expect nothing like an Aussie summer, it would be cold and rainy all the time) I thought I’d head away from the crowds.
It’s a while since I’ve ridden a bike any great distance so I wanted to have an easy excursion. Fulbourn looked just the ticket. And it was a direct route from the end of the street so I couldn’t possibly get lost. Ha! And it’s true, I did find the town quite easily, cruised around until I found the only shop open, bought some lunch and headed off to the Fulbourn Nature Reserve. Surely it wouldn’t be too hard to find.
I stopped by this church. It had a LOT of gravestones, just about every one worn with age. Illegible. Lovely church though. Pleasant grounds. Hardly anyone around.
So off I went looking for my lunch spot. I stopped by an elderly man and asked him directions. he duly walked me to the bridle path giving me a history less on the way and instructions of what I should look out for – visit the woodland, don’t miss the grassland flowers. See the Roman road. When I thanked him he said today’s church sermon had suggested everyone find a way to help a stranger. You’re welcome, sir.
The nature reserve was lovely. Peaceful too. I saw 6 people in the hour or so I was there.
Then it was time to head back to Cambridge. After a while the road didn’t seem quite right. So I headed back into town. Sure enough, I’d missed the turn-off. I suppose if I took more notice of these I wouldn’t get lost as often!
And I am still taken by the wildflowers.
