Isle of Wight - the Island

Once we got to the Isle of Wight, it was time to explore. (yes, the posts are out of order - this is after the Ferry!)

We first stopped at Jeeves' father's house to drop off his gear as he was spending the night. This isn't actually his father's house - but the house across the street from it. I just thought it was very, very cool so needed a photo. Notice the blue skies? A beeyooteefull day.

After the pit stop it is off to do a little riding and head towards the opposite end of the island. As we start rolling along, I become aware that the Isle of Wight is actually quite hilly. Nobody told me that. Oh no. They didn't mention it. Needless to say, this was the last time for about 6 hours that I wasn't going up or going down.

We had some 'fun' uphills and downhills by the water. You can just see Darran and the rest of the gang in front of me. I'm last for a couple of reasons. One, taking photos while cycling tends to not put you in the most aerodynamic position and two, I really am quite slow on the descent. It is sometimes a bit scary.

After putting in a few miles, we stop for a quick pit stop. I loved the view up this street with the big stone church at the end.

John shows us how the scenery looks in the middle of the island. You saw the coastline above, but admittedly, it is pretty, but not much to see when you are stuck behind 7 ft hedge rows.

Thankfully, Jeeves is confident in his skills and is able to check the map. We didn't have to ask for directions (it is an island after all) but we did consult the map a few times.

Once out of the hedge rows, a few of the old castle walls. Not something you come across in your forays across the States, that is for sure.

Lovely countryside and a funny road name. Not sure if this is named after something that actually happened.

Hi Darran! Yes, he got a little close to me before I took the picture.

Finally, our destination. Fish and chips on the opposite shore.

Darran decides to make love to the picnic table. Or possibly, he is stretching. It really is 50-50.

Our next stop was equally lovely in view but came with another fun treat.

Jeeves is just as adept at reading the map as he is at ordering the beer. Top man!

Although I may have been heard to complain/whine/comment on our hilly ride that day, drinking a pint with friends on a lovely day sure made it worthwhile. Here, we are fueling up for the journey back across the island.

Unfortunately, 50 metres out of the pub, John gets hit with a puncture. How many men does it really take to change a tube? 6 apparently. More from the rest of the weekend in the next post.