May 20, 2022
Norwich to Lincoln
train back and up to the Morning Star
Historic Norwich is a super place to visit with a host of interesting sights, but today I just feel like getting home and walk back across to the train station and buy a ticket to Lincoln. There's a two-hour stopover in Peterborough, where I can get late breakfast.
A couple of other cyclists board the train and we sit in a group. Ian, who's heading on a long journey with his titanium mountain bike up to Scotland, does most of the talking. It seems like he's ridden every track and Audax in the UK.
Bicycle path signs point the way to town from Peterborough's station and it's just a five-minute ride and I soon come to a cafe called Dessert Lounge where I sit alone and enjoy a cappuccino and croissant. It feels like today's a whole lot better already and it's not even 11 o'clock.
There's enough time to get to see Cathedral Square and a few old buildings before having an early lunch in Subway and heading back to the station. I call Dave to let him know I'm heading back to Lincoln and being Friday, we agree to meet in a traditional pub called The Morning Star that's near the Cathedral at 4:30. I call another close friend called Mark and he says he'll pop in on his way home from work, while my younger brother, Pete, will also be there. It's his second home.
Once off the train in Lincoln, I ride less than 10 minutes and call to see my older brother, then spend some time relaxing in the shade of mature trees in the nearby Arboretum. There's enough time to call in to see an old friend called Tig for a quick chat and from his house it's a short walk up to the pub .
The Morning Star is one of those increasingly rare English pubs that rely on locals who appreciate a decent pint and eschew pipped music or jukeboxes and a bank of TVs playing sports. It's nice to chat with friends after what turned out to be a tour that didn't end quite as planned and I opine on the cost and checking-in rigmarole of hotels now, bemoan my Canon getting smashed and not rendezvousing with friends in Norfolk, and question the accuracy of weather forecasts. In short, I put the world to righst.
Today's ride: 4 km (2 miles)
Total: 449 km (279 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 7 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 4 |
Makes me thirsty to look at your mates. Our local bar/restaurant is run by an avid cyclist, which sounds ideal except when you know the bar is closed in the afternoon so Marcel can be out with us. He makes a great French lunch, though.
Cheers,
Keith
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