I sincerely hope its not going to go on like this. I lost most of my time in the morning due to navigational problems (again). This time, I made sure to follow Teasi’s instructions exactly, but he didn’t seem to know himself, which way he wanted to go.

The first part was fine on fairly busy roads, but mainly suburban, so that the traffic wasn’t fast and i felt comfortable with it. There were no big lorries thundering past.

Then he kept wanting to send me down bridal paths (for those of you who are not English these are for pdestrians and horses). That was quite ok, I wanted to go off-road as much as possible. However, they were very muddy and one was even flooded.

It haf been raining, when i set out but only sort of a heavy drizzle, so this was very surprising. I had to turn around and use my intuition as to which direction to go, while Teasi protested.

Then he took me along another path and started telling me to take turnings that weren’t there! I had to push my bikethrough some thick mud and walk around it. Afterwards I had to clean Bonnie, as the mud had gone everywher. It would have sprayed all over me and my luggage and the gears wouldn’t have worked properly.

Then there’s was some more suburban on-road, but Teasi’s holder had come loose and I had to repair it. This was by a garage, but noone offered to help me! Then a couple of turns and a long downward run. Ready said the next turn-off wasn’t due for a while, so I just enjoyed the thrill. Half way down Teasi screamed at me, but I was going too fast to pay any attention. Then I found myself going uphill through an estate that I was sure I had seen before, out onto the main road, back to the gsrage and the long downward stretch, this time slowly. Sure enough Teasi told me to turn left. This was another path, a little wider and dry, but Teadi couldn’t make up his mind, which way to go, or at.least couldn’t make me understand. When there were three choices, he didn’t seem to like any of them and kept telling me to turn round. I started to feel lost, but eventually I zoomed the screen, decided on the direction and ignored Teasi until he agreed with my route (or I rejoined his).

After that it was fairly smooth going again on canal tow-paths. When I stopped for my picnic at 1:30 I still had ¾ of the distance to do. Normally I don’t stop before ive done St least half.

I made good progress after that but I texted my host that ill be at least 2 hrs. Later than i’d told him. At 8 I phoned to say that I was less than 5 miles away, but at the next junction confusion again. I finally asked a couple, who advised me to take the main road ad it was getting dark. I followed there advice and used the pavements. Teasi kept trying to send me back on the cycle paths, so I finally put the adress into the map app on my phone and used the route for cars.

I finally arrived here at 9 and my warmshoers hosts had waited for me with a lovely dinner. They made me feel most welcome. Obviously I didn’t go rushing off for a shower first, just washed my hands ans sat down ad I was. We sat talking for a while and when I finally did have my shower, I didn’t have to get dressed again, just off to bed.

In Scotland and the first part of England there were so many, daffodils. They are dying here now, but I saw tulips today, which i didnt stop to photograph, and beautiful blossom.

Tourstats for day 12 Bolton-Bradley 107 km. 665 m. ascent, 8:43 bike-time, 11:15 total.

(for those of you who don’t know/reme et while I don’t call it time in the saddle, that’s because it includes pushing.)

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