Thursday, 18 May 2006

Concord to Wyman's Beach campsite
I'd had an early night and slept a bit better, but I still awoke congested and with a splitting headache. The free continental breakfast was much better than I expected and I filled myself up for the road ahead. (I certainly eat much more fruit when I'm travelling than I ever do at home.) After breakfast I took a couple of paracetamol and went back to bed for an hour. I didn't feel much better when I got up again, but maybe fresh air and exercise would help. I packed up the bike, checked-out and headed and into Concord. (Pron. "Conquered") It was just after 9am when I left so the library was open (the swankiest looking library I've ever seen!) and so I stopped to use the [free] internet for half-an-hour.

It was a beautiful sunny day and Concord was itself looking beautiful with tthe fresh leaf and blossom on the trees. I stopped at the Colonial Inn for a pot of tea - this sore throat means I am constantly thirsty. They wouldn't serve me out in the fresh air on the porch/veranda and lead me through to the posh dining room. I didn't like to refuse as they were so helpful. Part of me wants to push on and cycle, and part of me is determined to relax and take it easy. (Probably my bottom!) It's not as if I have any sort of schedule.

From Concord the route is mainly on quiet country roads, and with the weather warm and sunny it is very pleasant. I stopped off in Acton to buy an 'Italian Sub' for lunch and then found a quiet spot to stop and eat it. How quickly you forget the places you pass through - I already have no memories to distinguish Littleton, Ayer or Groton, save for the fact that I stopped for a fruit smoothie in Groton. There seems to be a lack of nice tea/coffee shops here; somewhere with tables outside where you can sit in the fresh air. It all seems to be plastic takeaways.

I passed lots of big swanky houses with perfectly manicured gardens. The route was quite hilly but I wasn't quuite as tired as yesterday; still not full of beans though.

I left the route at Dunstable (lots of English place names but I guess this is New England) to find a campsite for the night. Wyman's Beach campsite must be the most expensive campsite I've ever stayed at. $32 - that's about GBP 17! And it's not as if the facilities were anything to write about - so I won't.


With hindsight, I'd been lucky to arrive in Boston whhen I did; I'd had one wet day in Boston, but two lovely days of cycling weather.

Distance: 39.1 miles
Cycling time: 4:32
Total distance: 66.7 miles