Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Day 16, Lowestoft to Chatham

The day didn't start well,  raining and strong winds by the time we set off. Waterproofs on. 

First waypoint was at Southwold. The place was deserted.  Not hard to see why, as the wind was so strong here, it nearly blew Ginny over as we came to the end of the road. I've never been in wind that strong before on a bike. Quite scary. I was worried enough to avoid a right turn with the wind battering us.

Away from the gale, we wound our way through small wet country lanes, either covered in water, mud or gravel until we came to Sizewell. Again deserted, with little to see but the nuclear power station, one of several we've passed so far this tour.

Thorpeness,  Aldeburgh and Orford were all paid a visit, maybe even worth a stop under better weather conditions but we just rode through, finally making a stop for coffee on the A12 near Woodbridge. As we rode by Sutton Hoo I couldn't help thinking of my ma and my recently departed uncle Roger, who took her there years ago.

By the time we'd finished coffee we'd decided to abort the rest of the twisty road route and just head straight for our fuelling stop, then to home. We both agreed it hadn't been pleasant tiptoeing around the lanes, never knowing if you would be faced by gravel, mud or just some muppet going too fast in the middle of the road. It's a whole different experience in the dry.

The route to the fuelling stop would have taken 2 hours. We were all the way home in that time, greeted in Chatham by the heaviest rain of the day. Welcome home.

Tomorrow we are on the road again, this time headed for St Leonards. One the way I shall be having new tyres fitted to Ginny, and we hope to meet up with Paul my brother, for a spot of lunch maybe.

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