So here I am, tent packed and on the train to Leicester, in the middle of the school holidays, the Olympics, and amid outbreaks of civil unrest in many English cities. Leicester had a dispersal order in force last night, but no actual riots.
My plan is to meander around Leicestershire, exploring and camping, and maybe take in parts of Lincolnshire if I run out of Leicestershire. I've packed light, only two panniers for the first time since I discovered all those extra bits and pieces you can buy on AliExpress or Decathlon. I'm not sure how I managed to get round most of the GB coast with only this much stuff.
I arrived in Leicester mid-morning and skipped the city tour, heading straight out of the city instead. It all looked peaceful, and I was soon in the even more peaceful countryside. Heading east on gently rolling countryside, it was all lovely, with empty lanes, a few combine harvesters at work in the fields, and a tail wind to keep me company. I passed by Frisby and Gadby where the exclamations "By Gad!" originated, at least in my version of history. I turned south towards Market Harborough, and the landscape became more crumpled, with steep crinkly valleys.
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| Traffic-free lane |
Just before Market Harborough I met another cyclist, heading home after his morning ride. He recommended a cafe in Great Bowden, where I had possibly the best bacon roll ever, complete with mango chutney, tomato and chilli cheese. Also the most expensive ever.
From there it was especially beautiful. Market Harborough is a lovely town, approached along a riverside cyclepath, and with a beautiful market street, nice looking buildings and shops.
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| Market Harborough |
Then along the canal to Foxton, where there is a ladder of locks, bustling with people; two cafes, two pubs and a museum. Unfortunately they were having a water emergency; one of the lock reservoirs half way down had been overfilled and was overflowing into the lock and also into the museum, sadly. Lots of Canal & River Trust people doing stuff, letting torrents of water out here and there.
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| Grand Union canal |
After that it was mainly west, across the M1 towards Hinckley, near Nuneaton. Nice riding, again very quiet roads. After a while I found a nearby campsite at Stoney Stanton with a fishing lake - a bit like Henfold Lakes, and pitched my tent.
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| Gated roads... |
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| Tent, sweet tent |
It's forecast to rain early tomorrow, so I may wait till it clears before packing up - but dry and maybe less humid after that. I haven't bought many cold weather clothes, so I hope it stays warm overnight.
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