We have breakfast in the Gordano Services, next to the Days Inn, where we stayed the night. We buy our sandwiches and crisps in the service station, which of course means our lunch is twice as expensive as from a supermarket. As ever, though, we don't know if we'll come across another shop to buy our picnic. We like to have our lunch with us from the start of the day's journey.
I have my heart in my mouth as we cycle around the Gordano roundabout, then suddenly we're on a cycle track making our way through Avonmouth Docks and on to Severn Beach. We've been so fortunate with the weather so far - and it's already warm and sunny today.
We're on home ground really at the moment as we're still in the Bristol area and Reg knows this region well through all the cycling he's done over the years. He knows there's a little cafe in Severn Beach, and since I missed out on morning coffee yesterday, he's prepare to deviate from our route for a couple of roads, so that we can have some refreshments.
The couple behind the counter look to be in their 80's. I can see straight away that it's Nescafé or Nescafé - no fancy coffees today, and no green tea for Reg, but a welcome chance to have a break. The cafe is a bit of an Aladdin's cave - there's various bric-a-brac for sale, as you might find in a charity shop. There's slices of cake for sale on the counter and I choose two pieces for later on. The man and the woman behind the counter write the prices of my purchases (including the tea and coffee) on a piece of paper and then spend a good few minutes conferring and adding up the prices.
I have my heart in my mouth as we cycle around the Gordano roundabout, then suddenly we're on a cycle track making our way through Avonmouth Docks and on to Severn Beach. We've been so fortunate with the weather so far - and it's already warm and sunny today.
We're on home ground really at the moment as we're still in the Bristol area and Reg knows this region well through all the cycling he's done over the years. He knows there's a little cafe in Severn Beach, and since I missed out on morning coffee yesterday, he's prepare to deviate from our route for a couple of roads, so that we can have some refreshments.
The couple behind the counter look to be in their 80's. I can see straight away that it's Nescafé or Nescafé - no fancy coffees today, and no green tea for Reg, but a welcome chance to have a break. The cafe is a bit of an Aladdin's cave - there's various bric-a-brac for sale, as you might find in a charity shop. There's slices of cake for sale on the counter and I choose two pieces for later on. The man and the woman behind the counter write the prices of my purchases (including the tea and coffee) on a piece of paper and then spend a good few minutes conferring and adding up the prices.
"How long have you been running this place?" I ask.
"All my life," says the woman. She then tells me that she is going into hospital for a biopsy tomorrow and seems very anxious about it. "What will I do with all this?"
"What' your name?" I ask. "I'll pray for you."
We enjoy our drinks in the pretty garden next to the cafe and we reflect - nothing lasts forever. We don't know what tomorrow will bring - which is why we are trying to make the most of life now.
We enjoy a lovely couple of hours cycling over mostly very flat terrain, with the odd manageable hill. Reg says to me, after one long hill;
"Maybe after this Les, you might become a cyclist!" I smile at him through clenched teeth.
We stop for lunch at Ham near Berkeley. We have often cycled here from home, and settle ourselves on the park bench we usually sit on. When it's raining we sit in the bus shelter on the other side of the road.
We need to buy couple of lemons for Reg's green tea, so I pop into a shop in Berkeley. Inside the shop is an Aladdin's cave, with food and ironmongery and homewares all thrown in together; it is impossible to see how the shop owner ever finds anything in the tangled confusion of goods. There is an awful smell of decay in the store - it's hard to understand how it has escaped being closed down by the Food Standards people. The lemons seem ok though.
When we get to Slimbridge we're able to take the canal path, through Saul and on to Frampton-on - Severn, where we arrive late afternoon. Time for a cold drink and a 15 minute breather. Late afternoon is my most difficult time - I'm tired and slower than earlier in the day.
We cycle on the roads for a bit; at Epney we get back on the canal path towards Gloucester. Canal paths are extremely variable - some are good and easy to cycle on, and some downright dangerous. The canal path between Epney and Gloucester (until you approach Gloucester Docks) falls in the latter category. Undulating, gravelly, narrow and rocky, it is almost impossible to cycle on - I fall off my bike once but luckily am unhurt. My coccyx is continually jolted as I try to manoeuvre over this path, always aware that the canal is just to the side of me! It took us 1 & a half hours to cycle 10 miles.
Finally we are on a smooth surface again, as we cycle through Gloucester town centre, and make our way towards our B&B. We receive a warm welcome - the room is lovely, there's a pub just around the corner for our evening meal - and, what joy - a bath!
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