It was a bit of a tough week in Betchworth. We found out on our way down that my step-father Graham Power passed away. He had been ill for sometime. I was hoping to see him while we were there but alas. I am glad we able to give support to my mom and perhaps keep some spirits lifted.
We arrived Sunday afternoon and parked the bikes. Monday was a day off the bikes, a day to simply chill and hang out with my mom. She has a gem of a spot in Betchworth, a quiet, little English village complete with a lovely garden in the backyard that joins on to a farmers field. In the distance is Box Hill of the 2012 Olympics fame which called to Leigh and I. We rode up to the top Tuesday afternoon. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did (climbing without panniers helped). It's a steady, moderate, picturesque climb with a couple of switchbacks leading up to Salmons Memorial lookout, a view that I cannot even describe. I don't get to see my mom that often and other relatives I touched base with have not seen my face for over a decade (so they hadn't even met Leigh yet). We started each morning with coffee and goodies in the garden. My mom caught on to Leigh's hankering for Pain au Chocolat and soon had fresh baked pastries from the local bakery on the table before we were out of bed. I had dropped a very large hint... ok I pretty much begged my mom to whip up a batch of her decadent sausage rolls. Add on the fish and chips that we had and you get the picture: we're not exactly losing weight here! I didn't get to see as many relatives as I had hoped to as they are quite far apart so it wasn't really do-able. My cousin Louise came by for a visit and we had a good catch-up chat. I hadn't seen her in 14 years. We did manage to meet several of the neighbours who have been very supportive. Later we took a guided tour of Denby's Vineyard which was accompanied by a glass of their very own bubbly. Very nice. That evening, more fish and chips. I insisted we have something healthy with it so I fired up a citrus spinach salad and we had a superb dinner in the garden. Leigh and I are big fans of English history so we simply couldn't leave the UK without a proper tour of the Tower of London. Construction of the White Tower started in 1066 on the remains of the original Roman fort which was established some 800 years before. We were exploring and learning for most of the day before heading to a nearby pub. Back in Betchworth Friday evening at the Royal Oak pub, we meet up with mum and Graham's daughters Becky and Sarah and their partners Jon and Tony for a bit of merriment. Saturday morning we were up eating pain au chocolat before they had time to cool. Riding back into London we had to navigate the busier streets to get to the train station that would lead us to Harwich, our port of departure from the UK. Thankfully, London (or at least the city planning committee) has embraced the idea of cycling. Along the sides of major roads you will find a bright blue strip of paint designated as a 'Cycling Superhighway'. We zoomed right into the heart of London without so much as a honk. In summary, travelling through England by bike was an awesome experience. We could have spent the entire year meandering down the National Cycling Network of designated bikeways. I still can't believe we enjoyed riding right through London. Visiting with family added a personal element to our trip which was top notch. Now it's on to the country known for cycling: The Netherlands