A night in the forest

As I write this, I'm lying on a grassy patch in the Savernake forest, looking at the stars.  Just a bivi bag, the Centurion sleeping bag, another sleeping bag, two sleeping mats, and several layers of clothes to keep me warm and dry.  It's 6pm, it's dark so it must be bedtime.

Today was a lovely ride, pretty hilly and tiring though.  I didn't have enough time to stop for lunch as I wanted to get to the campsite before dusk, which I did.  There isn't  enough time in the short days to do 60 miles with a heavy load and have a couple of stops (breakfast? Lunch?) and finish by dusk.

Vale of Pewsey

Crofton beam engines - pumping water into the Kennet & Avon canal, I think

Countryside was lovely, big open spaces with many tank crossing points, all the way up to the Vale of Pewsey .  Then different; smaller scale with sunken lanes and big hedges, more like Surrey or Devon.  Mucky roads too, at one point I had to ride through a big patch of muddy water right across the road, about 4 metres long, but luckily got through without having to put a foot down.

Bike handling is - interesting  - with the Centurion on the back.  You can't  swing your leg over the saddle.  When pushing the bike, it behaves more like a wheelbarrow than a bike, which can be tricky.

More tomorrow...,  if I haven't  been eaten by bears.