Renewing old friendships
First, I have to say this and then I'll be done with it. As Dave would say, I was absolutely "gob-smacked" by the cost of living in the UK. My first fill up outside the airport cost $47 US for a little over 5 gallons. (insert mental picture of Munch's "Scream" here) To everyone in the USA, you should be thanking your lucky stars that you don't have to pay almost $8 a gallon for gas. Okay, vent over. Now back to our regular programming....
Far beyond just meeting good friends here (Dave and Maggie), the experience of England was overwhelming. I didn't see any of the major tourist areas, and stayed as far away from the major cities as I could. Instead, I found far more joy in the two days of back country riding that Dave led me on. Meandering over the Pennines and throughout the rural countryside around Lincoln, I felt as if I had fallen into a chapter of "All Creatures Great and Small".
In every direction, with the unnaturally warm weather, the earth was awakening. It seemed to be stretching it arms out, shaking off a long winter slumber, and shouting to the glory of spring. The early work of the farmers had half of eastern England covered with a tapestry of bright yellow. Miles and miles of farmland were dedicated to rapeseed and the bright yellow flowers on the plant were stunning. Waist high and with the flowers covering over half the stalk, the rapeseed fields were as pure a condensed color as imaginable.
Competing with that, wildflowers were blooming along the hedgerows that lined the tiny, curving country roads, while rock walls built before the USA was founded divided fields of new green grass. In the towns it was as if each home was in competition with the next to produce the most perfect combination of color and design in their gardens.
The animals and birds were out too. Riding over the Snake Pass in the Pennines, we found sheep grazing along the road. Not to be out done, we also had to stop for a "rare" mountain duck and her duckling to cross the road. What they were doing at that altitude I'll never know... Occasionally we'd see Ringed Neck pheasants the size of peacocks feeding just yards from the shoulder of the road. The fields of new, green grass were soft and warm for the spring lambs frolicking about. Everywhere bees were busy, doing what bees do, and pollinating the millions of flowers on fruit trees and in the fields and gardens. The warm weather had a similar affect on the human population too. In the little villages and in the parks, young ladies were out in their bright colored summer outfits, and the young men were buzzing around them like those bees to a flower, seemingly hoping to do some pollinating of their own. Ah, the weather and the time of year was spectacular.
In my short 48 hours in England, I wanted to overwhelm myself with all things British and Dave ensured that included food and drink. Maggie prepared an incredible roast beef and Yorkshire pudding dinner my first night there, and then I had the traditional fish and chips for dinner the next. While walking around Lincoln and enjoying the cathedral, we popped into a bakery for meat pies and a scone. My final meal was a traditional English breakfast of sausage, bacon, egg, mushrooms, tomatoes, baked beans, and toast. Hmmmm. As for the drink, have you ever seen someone actually pull a pint of ale? I did my best to keep the pubs in business too. If you really want to know, the next time you see me ask about what it feels like to indulge in a bit too much of the Bishop's Finger..... and I quote from the label,
"At 5.4%, it's near the knuckle!"
As for "Round and round and round she goes...." that would be for the roundabouts that seem to be at every intersection in England. At first, when combined with the discomforting feeling of being on the wrong side of the road, they are intimidating. But soon you get use to the unique flow of traffic around them and you realize they are a great idea. With every roundabout they eliminate the need for a traffic light. What a great concept.
Finally, to give me a special treat, Dave showed me how to ride from New York to Boston in 15 minutes. He offered to take me to California too, but that was over an hour away so I had to decline. There were just too many other things to see and not enough time. Funny how it always seems to be that way.
