Day 3

65 miles under our (slimming??) belts today.

Brief interlude at Sandford Retirement Village just outside Churchill where we sang a few tunes to the residents. "Courage" (pronounced the french way) was required of Susie when she was faced not with the upright piano w

e had expected but a two tier mini electric organ thingummy with that wonderful in built few seconds delay between pedalling and sounding. Made our renditions of some show time favourites wonderfully eclectic :-) but the residents still loved it and dug into their pockets for the cause.

Swiftly back on the road for absolutely gorgeous bike ride in perfect conditions through Somerset and Gloucestershire via Bristol and a brief sunbathe on the Clifton Downs. Who needs to go abroad when you've got the lush, rolling meadows of Gloucestershire on your doorstep?!

The only blight on the canvas today was an encounter with a vast and hairy bum crack hanging off the side of a picnic table bench at the roadside Traveller's Rest we chose for quick en-route lunch. I have a photo of that too :-) for anyone who's interested in a little gore. You'll need to zoom imaginatively.

We arrived in Cheltenham this evening at Nina's stunning abode - like a mini mansion, mein Gott I can't say we're being deprived of luxury yet on this trip! Thank you Nina for your hospitality. I'm writing this entry as Susie exercises her fingers on the Four Last Songs in Nina's drawing room.

Unable to negotiate the town centre's one-way system we plummed for a Bella Italia in the town centre and had a window seat on the sophisticated lads and lasses passing by for their evening's entertainment at the local Wetherspoons. Only when negotiating our way home did we come across Cheltenham's answer to the Champs Elysées along the Promenade. Oh well. At least our window seat inspired us to come up with the prize-winning onomatopoeic word of the day....FAT!