DAY 32 - MAID MARION IN SHERWOOD FOREST!

WORKSOP TO MANSFIELD

Today was back to the bicycle and it was a very gratefully received change to walking of which it has kind of lost its sparkle over the last few days in case you had not noticed?!!!

Breakfast was ok, served by a lovely lady a little hard of hearing but she can cook great bacon and poached eggs so at least i could begin the day high on protein!

I cycled to Clumber Park for starters which took only 1/2 hour to cover the 5 miles instead of the 1 hour 30 mins yesterday!!  The weather was amazing and i could tell it was going to be a scorcher so had already lathered on the Factor 30!

With my 50p map in hand we navigated around the outer Boundary route of Clumber Park and covered another 10 miles on this scenic journey with a mixture of flats and long gradual hills which were a killer for the stamina!  After a brief break at the Natrional Trust loos and shop and a walk around the edge of the lake, it was onwards through Sherwood Forest to follow the Cycle Route 6 another 7-8 miles until exhaustion set in and my legs needed a long rest under the massive oak tree in the photo above!  It was easy to imagine being Maid Marion in days long gone by but with no Robin Hood in sight (or Friar Tuck for that matter!) it was back on my bike rather than a trusty steed with only my own legs to rely on for transport back!

A necessary Magnum icecream stop back in Worksop concluded the 33 miles travelled today so at least it can go a little way towards my reduced mileage this week!  It was so easy to strap the bikes on to my new Thurso Ride on Bike Carrier and as its been nearly 3 weeks since i have been in a car, it felt a bit odd driving to Mansfield instead of being on the pavement!!

Thankfully i adapted and orientated myself swiftly and 25 minutes later and hey presto, my next B & B - Mansfield Lodge Hotel!  Once checked in, a much needed shower later and i was suddenly ravenous to after  completing a few emails, its definitely time for some tea! 

Much better mood today, inspite of the new Budget announcement increasing Capital Gains Tax, but heyho (!) as my good dad would always say, there are only two sure things in life - and hat is death and taxes .... i will stick to the latter today!