759 miles to be precise..
For some time I had had it in mind to make a trip to East Anglia, a recce really, to find campsites close to Rivers or Broads where I could use the canoe that I made some time ago. My son stirred me into action by hinting that the canoe was built when I was 81 and he pointedly told me I'll be 83 next birthday..
I've paddled about here in Wales but fancied a change of scenery. Original plan was to go on my Scooter but after loading my camping gear on board early on the morning of departure I discovered that Gremlins had struck in the night and I had a slow rear tyre puncture fortunately felt/discovered about a mile from home...A quick recip and chuck my Panniers, tent and bag into my van and head for Norwich.
The beginning of a nightmare..They have dug up the countryside around Gloucester and planted round-a-bouts, diversions and miles of ' Road Works slow- 40- mph' and similar. The same mob have also been busy around Oxford. Eventually, 9 hours later, I arrived at a very nice quiet campsite West of Norwich.
Temperature high 20's low 30's ? Like many places the area was almost bleached by the hot sun so the Lake close by and big Willow trees were most welcome. The long drive in the heat and traffic earned me a rest day the next day, so I flaked out in the shade with a couple of local maps and the company of some very adventurous Mallards which marched in column around the tent, no doubt wondering if the old bloke was good for some free grub later.
The camp site had once been a working farm and I spent some time just wandering around the extensive acreage. I sense the present owners are much in favour of 'Re-wilding ' type activities including allowing large areas to lay fallow and undisturbed.
Chest high Ragwort, Hedgerows heavy with Sloes and what promises to be a good Blackberry crop later.
Digging days are over..
The next day I day drove to a couple of potential future camping places but to be honest, 30 degrees, heavy traffic and the 'Let's dig this up and put some junctions in ' mob have discovered Norfolk too
My good deed while at the campsite was to entice a young Wood Pidgeon that had I suspect made it's first flight and was feeling lost, heat affected or just unwell, and had taken to roosting on the bonnet of my van about 15 feet from where I sat. I know Woodies..that is not normal behaviour.
Just to the right of the door mirror.
Some water in my mess tin lid, a couple of hours rest and he flew a wobbly course away. I'm sure it wasn't my cooking that attracted him. For some reason Noodles form part of my camping diet...about 85 % probably..They suit my cooking abilities as I can throw something in the mess tin with them and the result is almost edible...
This..
Becomes this..which was Curry Chicken flavour...I think.
For the drive home I let myself be guided by Sat Nav instead of my AA Road Atlas that I used outward bound..Ha! The Sat Nav lady was having fits, 'at Traffic Light turn right '...Nope, it's a Round-a-about now lady...
Leaving Ross-on-Wye it was head lights on as thick smoke from burning Welsh hillsides obscured the the roads.
The Sat Nav got me home 23 minutes quicker than the Road Atlas, all be it by a slightly different route. Isn't Technology progress wonderful ?
For some time I had had it in mind to make a trip to East Anglia, a recce really, to find campsites close to Rivers or Broads where I could use the canoe that I made some time ago. My son stirred me into action by hinting that the canoe was built when I was 81 and he pointedly told me I'll be 83 next birthday..I've paddled about here in Wales but fancied a change of scenery. Original plan was to go on my Scooter but after loading my camping gear on board early on the morning of departure I discovered that Gremlins had struck in the night and I had a slow rear tyre puncture fortunately felt/discovered about a mile from home...A quick recip and chuck my Panniers, tent and bag into my van and head for Norwich.
The beginning of a nightmare..They have dug up the countryside around Gloucester and planted round-a-bouts, diversions and miles of ' Road Works slow- 40- mph' and similar. The same mob have also been busy around Oxford. Eventually, 9 hours later, I arrived at a very nice quiet campsite West of Norwich.
Temperature high 20's low 30's ? Like many places the area was almost bleached by the hot sun so the Lake close by and big Willow trees were most welcome. The long drive in the heat and traffic earned me a rest day the next day, so I flaked out in the shade with a couple of local maps and the company of some very adventurous Mallards which marched in column around the tent, no doubt wondering if the old bloke was good for some free grub later.
The camp site had once been a working farm and I spent some time just wandering around the extensive acreage. I sense the present owners are much in favour of 'Re-wilding ' type activities including allowing large areas to lay fallow and undisturbed.
Chest high Ragwort, Hedgerows heavy with Sloes and what promises to be a good Blackberry crop later.
Digging days are over..
The next day I day drove to a couple of potential future camping places but to be honest, 30 degrees, heavy traffic and the 'Let's dig this up and put some junctions in ' mob have discovered Norfolk too
My good deed while at the campsite was to entice a young Wood Pidgeon that had I suspect made it's first flight and was feeling lost, heat affected or just unwell, and had taken to roosting on the bonnet of my van about 15 feet from where I sat. I know Woodies..that is not normal behaviour.
Just to the right of the door mirror.
Some water in my mess tin lid, a couple of hours rest and he flew a wobbly course away. I'm sure it wasn't my cooking that attracted him. For some reason Noodles form part of my camping diet...about 85 % probably..They suit my cooking abilities as I can throw something in the mess tin with them and the result is almost edible...
This..
Becomes this..which was Curry Chicken flavour...I think.
For the drive home I let myself be guided by Sat Nav instead of my AA Road Atlas that I used outward bound..Ha! The Sat Nav lady was having fits, 'at Traffic Light turn right '...Nope, it's a Round-a-about now lady...
Leaving Ross-on-Wye it was head lights on as thick smoke from burning Welsh hillsides obscured the the roads.
The Sat Nav got me home 23 minutes quicker than the Road Atlas, all be it by a slightly different route. Isn't Technology progress wonderful ?
