Much thought had been put to staying another day in Oxford. We had really only had an introduction but then we had told Rachel we would be in Banbury today and if we explored all of England to the detail we would like this trip would take the rest of our lives so headeofd off.
We did a quick lap of the city of Oxford for some photos while the streets were empty and then had to find the Route 5 Marker.
Using the big overview map and the GPS we headed toward where we thought we'd cross the route. On the way I posted some surplus stuff home to Mum to save carrying it, 2 pairs of shorts and a book on the Tower of London. I'm starting to get the hang of what you need to pack for a cycle tour, as little as possible :)
Out of Oxford we rode on the tow path of the Oxford Canal past lots of canal boats moored to the bank with people living in them.
The little bridges and locks are all self-operated and paint a very pretty picture as we ride past.
We veered off the towpath and headed toward Woodstock, yes that Woodstock. The path goes this way so you get a chance to see Bleheim Palace....we didnt, seen on palace seen them all. After Woodstock it was a collection of very muddy and slippery bridal trails thst saw us on to Westcote Barton and then quiet country lanes past Middle Barton, Over Worton.
We past one of the most magnificent farm houses/mansions I've seen, complete with Landrover. It showered a little here and got a bit cold so we put our wet weather gear on for the first time. The shower didnt last but it stayed cold.
A little further on I started to feel colder and sluggish so Sandy suggest I needed lunch. We cooked pasta and vegies with a stock cube in a little forest on the side of the road and I felt heaps better.
We rode on a saw a strange collection antennas....
We rode on, forgetting to take anymore photos and arrived in Banbury. Sandy rang Rachel to get her address and we plugged it into the GPS. I have the GPS routing set to 'By Bicycle' and it led as on a merry dance around Banbury avoiding the much more direct but on the main road route. We had quite a laugh at that.
Top night at the Steiger's and I exceeded by two pint quota
2 comments:
we are loving the stories!!!
keep that shower cap on your helmet.
love anthea and justin.
Hey There
Spent the last 15 mins, catching up on your adventures since the Northcliffe trip and I would just like to say I am totally jealous..........right down to the weather - today "Partly cloudy, showers with thunder over many areas in the late morning and early afternoon. High of 31, low of 24" Well, well, well just like the other 364 days of year here!! 101 Uses of a Shower Cap Tip #6 - while the use of a shower cap over one's bike helmet for those wet days is a good idea, one should remember to remove it (even if you continue to wear the helemt) on parking your bike or risk being labled a "tosser"............
Loving the opportunity to do this tour with you both via this blog! Have fun and stay safe. Love KB & Co
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