It rained much of the night and was still doing so when I got up the next morning. I didn't like where I was staying and wanted to get out. I was also a bit weary from the previous day's ride.

My first destination of the day was Spaulding. If I felt like it, I might push past it to King's Lynn or one of the town's between the two.

The way out of Melton Mowbray was 4 miles on a B road that had a few cars and some lorries. Add rain to this and you get a dreary 4 miles of up and down and "get over."

The rain stopped after while but it seemed to be threathening to return so had to keep all my plastic covers on, which made it hard to access food, camera, and other things I was carrying. I didn't take any pictures until I got to Spaulding.

Along the way, I rode under 2 RAF training jets screaming around in circles no more than 1000 feet in the air. As I was riding, I could see how air power would make a huge different in a ground war! I wondered if I was being targeted for practice as the jets wooshed by me (repeatedly).

While I was being buzzed, I got my first flat of the trip. No problem, I had a spare tube. I searched for the hole in the old tube but couldn't find it. I wasn't worried since this was my first flat.

Ten miles later, I got a second flat. As I took the bike apart, I was concerned. It was just starting to rain and I didn't have a spare tube. Luckily, I was able to find the (large) hole in the tube this time and was able to patch it. The patch held and I made it to Spaulding without trouble (where I bought 2 spare tubes).

Everyday, my route would take through small hamlets. It wasn't possible to tell from the map what, if any, services a village might have. Here is the most common type of place I rode through. This picture was taken from the "far end" of town look toward the beginning of town. Needless to say, I didn't stop here for the night!

About half of the trip was spent on the Fens. The Fens, I came to find out, is a part of Western England that was draining during the late 1900s to provide more area for growing wheat. It has been drained several times and the resulting flat land with straight lines is called the Fens. It was boring. The road was straight, the terrain was flat and unchanging, and there were no towns to break the monotony.

I arrived in Spaulding tired and ready to get off the bike after a short 39+ miles. Spaulding is another place (as are all places in the Fens, so it seems) that doesn't have very many B&Bs. But, this time I got lucky and the TIC found me one with a single room that was inexpensive and nice.

Spaulding has a picturesque river (the River Welland) on whose bank my B&B stood. This photo is from in front of the B&B.

This photo is standing on the bridge above and looking further upriver.

Spaulding (like King's Lynn) had little charm as the main part of town had been redone to look like a modern outdoor mall. Even the town's sign looks too modern.

I did find this older building in town that I thought deserved a picture.

Friday, August 9: Spaulding to King's Lynn
Return to Bike Tour page