Sunday 7 August 2011

An August Summer Sunday

Today in Surrey is divine, it's the sort of day that if you're not in a wood, on a mountain, by a river, by the sea or some other countryside place then it feels like you're wasting the time that you've been gifted on the planet! So, this morning I decided to go for a bike ride.

I ended up traveling through some amazingly quiet woodland, through some beautiful little villages and over a large stretch of Heathland. All within a 2 hour ride of my house, what a lucky boy I am. What amazed me on such a gorgeous day was that in 4 hours I saw 15 people, an outrage on such a day really, however I wasn't complaining the countryside seems so much more enjoyable when it's quiet and peaceful.


From Godalming, I cycled along the old railway line to Shamley Green, rode past a pub stopped and stared at it for quite a while wishing that I could go in and grab a glass of orange juice (note to self, buy a new bike lock for next time). I rode past a field full of tiny Christmas trees I presume growing for the festive season in a few months. Then into a very very quiet piece of woodland in which I found this wonderful toadstool.

After passing a few riders on horseback I stopped for my lunch on a piece of heathland, the kind which is always at it's best at this time of year, covered in colour. In fact there's colour (why does my computer want to change colour to be spelt color?) everywhere in the British summertime. Most prominent of all are the yellows from the flowers to the left, no idea what they are as I'm no horticulturist, but the look spectacular in the meadows.



Lunch spo
Anyway, as I was saying I stopped for lunch and to read for an hour. The whole time I was there only two cyclists and a horse rider came past ... I repeat, why were more people not out enjoying this spot!!??!! Finally, down a hill past a cricket pitch (one of the most picturesque I've ever seen, so civilized, the centre of the community) and around St Martha's hill. St Martha's is a very very old church cut off from pretty much everything at the top of a hill south of Guildford, it's wonderful, such a beautiful spot and I get the impression completely unchanged for I don't know how long. A fantastic ride, but man did I enjoy the glass of apple juice when I got back. (Photo's on the Flickr link above!)

St Martha's on the Mount
PS. I AM SADDLE SORE!!

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