To See the Sea
Posted on Wednesday 29 August 2007 by Camille Savory
Linus Nick John Ken Paul & The Invisible Woman
Although a lowly Plan C, actually what better way to spend a sunny (whoo hoo) Bank Holiday Monday than a trip to the seaside? Some diligent last-minute homework (or was it nicked – we shall never know) by Mr Bloom resulted in a multitude of maps and options, with Mr S vrooming us out and in to Ashford.
Ah yes, we need to go along the road ‘closed, very closed, closed by 3 large gates and 6 inch deep tractor ruts closed’. You can spot an audax organiser a mile away. And now for your next challenge, descend this: \ . John sulks coz he gets stuck behind the hamster brigade. Then it is flat, flat, windy and flat, and our peloton is only scattered by the Sign of the Giant Teapot. It proves a false lure, and we continue to an idyllic lunch at Mary-in-the-marsh, with a spot of church inspecting for those that way inclined. Next stop the sea, and we steam down the coast road courtesy of Linus egging on our gullible leader. At Dungeness a stop to contemplate Derek Jarman’s garden, the general desolation, and something we haven’t quite found yet (see pic).
We team time-trial to Appledore via the invisible road, with a short stretch of A road getting us back on track. Miles of marshes punctuated by the odd church and haystack on wheels that requires dodging. Appledore’s large and friendly pub now has a benign monopoly on refreshment, the only disappointment being I can’t spot an ice-cream source. Refreshed, reluctantly, we leave the luxury of a dead level landscape, and head homeward.