View from the Lea Valley Navigation Towpath

Friday

Our last full day of cycling. We were well rested after such comfortable beds and had a good breakfast. Our target was Cheshunt Youth Hostel, although Colin was going to head back to Cambourne, where he had left his car and Ray was going to head off later to pick his car up.

This was a much more normal day for one of our cycling holidays. The first few miles were through quiet lanes and then we picked up a busier road which took is to Hertford. We stopped for a coffee at a caravan in a lay-by and then continued. We picked up Sustrans route 1 in Hertford and then stopped for lunch. Ray left us after lunch and the three of us carried on.

Route 1 was lovely. It quickly picked up the river and took us through huge meadows, some of which either had been, or still were, cricket pitches. The route then picked up the Lea Valley Navigation, which was off road and a pretty good surface. We continued our way down the Lea Valley and moved away from the river and made our way between a large number of lakes, all included in a nature reserve. Many of them had hides and viewing points, and others had people fishing in them. There were lots of birds and I can imagine there would have been lots of photo opportunities, if we had the time to stop. However, we were due top meet Ian's brother Keith in a pub near Cheshunt Station at about half past five, so we didn't stop.

At five o'clock, we were just coming out of the countryside and were about to move on to the road, when Dave got a serious puncture. Out came the puncture repair stuff, off came the wheel and after half an hour we were back on the road again. The cause of the puncture was a very nasty thorn, which had gone straight through the tyre.

We arrived at the pub at about six o'clock and met up with Keith. We ate at the pub, but it wasn't the best of food. Had a couple of pints with Keith and then he had to go, so we got back on the bikes and went over the railway to the youth hostel.

It was a very impressive hostel. Only ten years old, everything was pretty modern and new and the rooms were in a series of chalets. Ours was upstairs and had a balcony, which was really good, as Dave's trainers had somewhere to spend the night other than in with us! The bunks were solidly built and as there were only three of us in a room for eight, it meant we could all have a bottom bunk - a big advantage with the state of knees and hips and our advancing ages.

So we were pretty much there, now. Just a relatively short ride to Wormley, to pick up the cars and go home. Twenty six and a half miles today.