My day started with a ride to work. A journey that always begins with me tussling with my old foe Bunker Hill. It was a stunning morning on what turned out to be a bright Christmas Eve. My first fly in the ointment was arriving to discover a doctor had volunteered me for a home visit in Rushden! Oh well I got it all sorted and was lucky enough to finish everything by 3. So Time for a few miles before it got dark
I did the Kettering classic Deeble Road and set a personal best, which is nice! From there it was Warkton and then the beautiful Grafton Underwood. In Grafton the ducks were being overlooked by Christmas Yoda and Vader. If you click on the pivture below to make it big you'll get a better idea.
From Grafton I headed to Geddington, the sun setting over the Boughton Estate was just stunning.
Into Geddington, possibly my favourite village. It's got it all. Pubs, thatched cottages, stunning church once graced by royals, a ford and of course that stunning cross built on the site of a Roman Well most likely still holding artifacts left as offering to the gods, You can't top that really can you?
There are no crosses on any of the Elanor Crosses because it's a name lost in the translation. Elanor was a Norman Queen and it was a french phrase marking a crossroads. I was told one of her resting places was in the church behind and Geddington wasn't chosen by accident. It was a firm favourite of the King.
From Geddington I went over the A43 through Newton, then Rushton and Desborough. On my approach to Harrington the sky was amazing and there was a slender crescent moon. You can make that out if you enlarge the picture but to be honest I'm disappointed I didn't get a better shot.
I'm not sure what it is but I've always loved the tree on the hill into Harrington that was used as a Queen of the Mountain in the Women's tour. It framed that moon perfectly but once again that's not so clear in the picture. I was having one of those rides. It was a totally mindful experience, the fresh bite of the winter air, the whirr of my gears, the rolling noise of my tyres on the road. It was bliss. I guess this ride marks the end of four months solid of hard work since we got back from Australia. I really am ready for a break!
It was dark when I got back to Rothwell and that was spectacular in itself. The Town Council has made a real effort with the lights and the avenue leading to the famous old church is particularly good. it was nice to get home.
So on the one hand this marks the start of a break from work, on the other it's the start of some quality family time and finally it's the opportunity to achieve some cycling challenges. Over the next week I'm hoping to get the December Gran Fondo and the Festive 500 chalked off.
Happy Pedaling
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