Tour De France Blog IV

So we dropped Matt off at Leagrave station to make a train-assisted dash to the campsite and headed off around Luton. Tim navigated magnificently although I suspect we could have just followed the blue route 6 signs on the off-road path beside the ring road - the map I have for this area dates from 1976 I think. No matter, as we left Luton we passed the sign for Hertfordshire, and I knew I was near home, like Moley in the Wind in the Willows.

Herts did not disappoint, as we dashed down a pretty valley, stopping at a village store for more refreshment, passing by old Welwyn and the railway viaduct (Tim was convinced he started his survey of the New River here - I knew better but kept schtum) on up the hill and down the other side through Bengeo into Hertford. the country town treated us kindly and we were soon on to Ware, passing the real source of the New River (neither new nor a river, having been built by King James to bring fresh water to London, and not cyclable but a very pleasant walk) with the A10 viaduct rather than the railway as the landmark. We could see the results of the survey Tim had done as various parts of the New River embankment had been shored up, and at St Margarets we joined the River Lea towpath, part of NCN1 if I recall correctly and a good cycling route into London. It was 7:30 by now and I thought it was time to check up on how Mat was doing. It transpired he was a quarter of an hour from the campsite, so we still didn't know whether we were in or not, but we carried on as well as exploring other options. Soon enough though the call came from Matt that we were in, so it was time for a last spurt. I however was flagging by now as well as thinking we should get up to the camp site and keep Matt company so was strongly in favour of getting the train, so we called in at Broxbourne (my old home town, and we passed the house I was brung up in) to check out the trains.

Having 20 minutes to go before the next train we figured we could make it to the next station along, Cheshunt, and so we did. Tediously it looked as though they weren't going to lift the level crossing gates in time for our train, so we carried the laden bikes over the railway bridge, but then of course they did. De-training at Ponders End, the campsite was a short schlepp along the off-road route alongside Meridian Way, the campsite was far from rammed out and easy to cycle in, so why the person I spoke to had given me so much bullshit was beyond me.

Matt had popped up to the local store (a giant Tescos, and of course if you believe in shopping local you have to go to Tescos in this area, as they originated in Cheshunt and their Head Office is still there) and bought a large quantity of Meat (vegebangers for Tim) and a BBQ. So we ate well with no vegetables spoiling the purity of the meal. It was a beautiful evening, a hot shower was very welcome and we all slept well.

..to be continued...