A Parched Land

Netherlands & Belgium: Stage 15 – Maldon to Harlow 58 Km (Fri 22 July 2022)

Weather: 12⁰C min – 21⁰C max, afternoon showers

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“Cyclists are good people, even though we like to dress funny.”

I really enjoyed my stay in Maldon last night. The town is delightful and the White Horse Inn is one of the best pubs I have stayed in, well run by John and Wendy, good facilities, and excellent dinner and breakfast. I wish them well when they take over Sandrock B&B, Clacton-on-Sea, in a couple of months.

Retrieving my bike from the secure shed at the back of the pub, I headed off at about 9 am and soon found myself enjoying England’s quiet country roads and lanes. But never have I seen England so parched, unlike Sydney which has had almost continuous rain since the start of the year. It seems as if England and Australia have swapped climates! From a selfish point of view I hope England stays parched until after I finish my tour tomorrow, then in can rain as much as it likes.

Lack of green grass did not detract from my ride, because a canopy of trees and green roadside hedges shielded me from the sight of dead grass most of the way. One couldn’t help but feel pity for the farm animals though, trying to find tasty pickings.

My morning coffee break was at a pretty little coffee shop in Danbury, where I chatted for a while with some local cyclists. I don’t know how they guessed I was from Australia!

After 20 km I passed through the significant town of Chelmsford, which was a real surprise packet. I was not expecting such a vibrant city centre with interesting canal-side cafes and coffee shops, lovely parklands, good bicycle paths, and a nice lake with fountains of water spraying into the air.

For the last two days I have been reunited with the National Cycle Network’s NCN1 cycle route that I enjoyed in Norfolk. It has never failed to deliver an amazing cycling experience and today was no exception. It took me on a wonderful path right through Chelmsford, through Writtle University Campus, past the Writtle Sunflower Shop, on traffic-free roads through several charming villages, and past countless houses with wow factor to burn.

My penultimate day of riding on this tour will be remembered as one of the most enjoyable yet.