Out And About In Suffolk

We're back in Rochester as I write. We're getting to know the best times for the route and the best routes for each time so we've managed to keep it to under two hours for the last few journeys despite it being rush hour when we were travelling. We've seen some pretty long delays on the opposite carriageways so I'm probably tempting fate writing that and we'll be stuck in a jam on the way home tonight.

We managed to get more use out of the bikes at the weekend and rode down to Earl Soham on Saturday and visited the village fete. I was lucky in the tom bola although I'm  not sure if lucky is the best word to describe a slightly used gift set of Tweed perfume and talc. The cakes and refreshments were delicious and the fete was blessed with sunny skies dotted with a few cotton wool clouds - a quintessentially English afternoon.

Sunday saw yet more clear skies so we headed out on the bikes again. This time we experimented with a route to Snape Maltings. We thought it might be too far but it was only fifty minutes before we rolled into the maltings' courtyard and had a look around the vintage fair that was being held. We like Snape Maltings - there's a great food hall, some good home furnishings, an award winning cafe and a good antiques centre as well as the concert hall, walks and boat rides along the river and a very good art gallery. It's well worth a couple of hours visit.

After leaving Snape we headed back home by the same route. We were amazed at the number of bikes on the road and soon realised that we were caught up in an event as we came across stewards directing the traffic. 

We stopped and asked a steward who explained that it was the Suffolk Coastal charity bike ride and about 1500 were taking part with a choice of two routes - 35 or 60 miles. They must have raised thousands for their chosen charity St Elizabeth Hospice. We were pleased that we kept pace with the group of cyclists that we were amongst. Some were clearly pleasure peddle pushers like us but many had the full lycra gear on and some pretty snazzy bikes. If the ride is repeated next year perhaps we will  take part.

We're going to be in Kent three times this week so we've not much time in Framlingham although we are looking forward to seeing an old colleague who is visiting on Thursday.