tunnels, paths and tarmac........and two tea rooms

tunnels, paths and tarmac........and two tea rooms, a photo by rOcKeTdOgUk on Flickr.

you may have read a couple of rides ago that i rode to Stratford upon Avon via the canal, well the conditions then got me thinking, if i wanted to do another long canal ride i'd better do it sooner than later before the wet autumn weather set in and made it an all together more unpleasant experience. Following a similar route to the other ride i made one different turn and headed to Warwick this time. They obviously pay extra tax in Warwickshire as the towpath was bone dry almost all the way in comparison to closer to home which was greasy and puddle strewn. this made for rapid progress and before i knew it i was sat eating apple pie at Hatton Lock Cafe in Warwick. the return route was mainly road and i found a much quieter alternative route than the one i've used before just by following my nose and trusting my sense of direction. On the way back, having spotted it's potential on the outward leg i stopped at the Earlswood craft centre cafe. proper tea pots, enormous cake ( i can't comment on the quality) and very cyclist friendly (they even have a cyclists menu) even the sun made an appearance in the last 12 miles. it couldn't have gone better really.
ride 119
46 miles
total 2536
Sept 222
commute 1013