June 18 – 24, 2023

Sunday, June 18 (Day 89). Imagine driving from Flagstaff to New York City. That’s basically the distance we’ve covered in the last 88 days. People say, “You must be in really good shape!” Thank you! Most days we do feel in good shape…for “biking.” We’ve lost some weight. We may have toned up a bit. But – I can’t say the whole body has gotten on board with the program. Seems like any movement other than cycling causes a great deal of grunting and groaning. So the forecast of heavy rain today was more than enough excuse to spend an extra day in Oxford doing as close to nothing as possible.

Monday, June 19 (Day 90). Sarah and Sharon first met in grade school in Neenah, Wisconsin. After high school their paths diverged, with Sarah landing in England. After a career and lifetime in London, she and Julian have settled an hour north of London. We set off from Oxford, and fifty beautiful, tailwind assisted miles later, we arrived at 35 Church Walk Lane.

If we were in a movie about American cyclists on an adventure in England, this is how Hollywood would have portrayed it. Sarah and Julian live in an idyllic little village, in a modern home with 300 year old bones. Their view is a broad, neatly trimmed park. Across the way a properly old church rests amid centuries old gravestones.

Sharon and Sarah had fun playing catch up, recalling people and events from their childhood together. Finally it was time for a pint at the village pub.  With Sarah as our point of contact, we quickly fell in with the local cast of characters. I felt like we were in the English version of “Cheers.” Again, Hollywood could not have scripted a more perfect evening. It was magic!   

Tuesday, June 20 (Day 91). Yesterday was catch-up day with the ladies taking a leisurely stroll down memory lane. Today, we got to know the Sarah and Julian of today. Sarah pursued a career in telecommunications. As such, it was fascinating to learn of her role dealing with the crisis of 9/11. At the time, almost all lines used for airline communication were routed through the World Trade Towers. When the buildings came down, crucial links were disrupted. As you can imagine it was rather important to be able to talk to airlines and airplanes! Sarah spent the day helping coordinate the effort to re-establish those critical links. For his part, Julian has had careers in both military and industry. I was blown away by mention of a true “007” moment during his military career. With classic British understatement, he passed it off as “interesting.”

We spent the day touring the area. We were shown beautiful and historic sites, and treated to excellent pub grub. Along the way, we had long conversations about life, politics, issues facing both our countries, work, travel, and on and on. We ended the day with another trip for pints at the Elwes Arms pub. Thank you both for being the perfect hosts.

Wednesday, June 21 (Day 92). The clock continues to tick. We have more to see and fewer days at our disposal. With the aid of local knowledge, we chose to spend the remainder of our time in the Peaks District. After our farewells, we rode to Kettering and caught a train north to Matlock. It is a beautiful town on the edge of the national park, but a bit frantic. We were happy to find a quiet spot along the River Derwent to enjoy a pint. With that important piece of work done, we retreated to our camp site in a closed campground. (We had permission and paid for the privilege.) From there, we planned our next few days. With the numbers of tourists and a weekend approaching, we realized we couldn’t do our usual seat of the pants non-plan.

Thursday, June 22 (Day 93). For the next several days we planned to get off our bikes and onto the local hills. We found both a campground and several trails near the village of Bakewell. Upon arrival we realized that this village deserved a thorough inspection. Along a side street at a seeming dead end, Hazel assured us that we could, in fact, cut through a nearby court yard. That brief exchange led to a longer conversation. Eventually, we ended up in Hazel and John’s living room, sipping prosecco and trading stories. Like many Brits we’ve met, they are seasoned travelers. John has visited, lived, and/or worked in fifty different countries. Hazel has a similar resume and (among other places) lived a year in India and thirteen years in Paris. In the space of three hours, we talked and laughed like old friends. These are absolutely the best moments. Thank you, Hazel and John!

We arrived back at camp to watch the spectacle that is Friday night in a UK campground. A steady stream of vehicles rolled in. The caravans and vans were normal size, unlike the bloated Mad Max behemoths we see in the States. Car campers were a different story. From out of each vehicle came giant, multi-room tents, tables, lounge chairs, portable grills, wind screens. It was a sight to behold.

Friday, June 23 (Day 94) We took our first stab at English walking in the village of  Ashford-in-the-Water. We were pleased to learn that Ashford was not actually in the water, but so named because it was near the River Wye. Our walk took us over a ridge past grazing cows and sheep. After a few miles we dropped into the dale (a narrow river valley) and followed it back to Ashford. Thus, to quote the Bard, we walked “over hill, over dale.”

Saturday, June 24 (Day 95). We met James and Jane last summer in Central Turkey. A chance meeting in “Love Valley” led to an evening gathering of world travelers in Goreme. As so often seems to happen with fellow travelers, we formed fast friendships. Since then, we’ve kept in touch. So when we pitched up a short drive from their home in Sheffield, we naturally made plans to meet. They graciously picked us up with a full day plan in place to hike, picnic, pub, and chat.

We drove to the unique village of Eyam. During the plague in 1660-1665, death visited. In an incredible display of selflessness, the villagers voluntarily isolated in order to prevent the spread of the disease. Neighboring villages would leave food at a well in the countryside. Coins for payment would be left in a jug of vinegar to disinfect. Tragically, one-third of the residents would die, but the spread was checked.

James and Jane led us over hill and over dale, all the while offering up a running commentary. A Roman road here. Rock climbing there. The reservoir where the bouncing dam buster bomb was put to the test. And all around, expansive views of the countryside.

Our day with the Halls was a perfect end to this penultimate week here in England. We parted ways, grateful to have had this opportunity to connect, eager to follow their next adventure, and hopeful that our paths will cross again. We hope you’ve enjoyed this portion of the trip as much as we have. Until next week – Seize the Carp!