Saturday 14th June 2008

Today we decided to do something a little different and involve some other people. We swapped our road bikes for the mountain variety and cycled the Taunton to Bridgwater Canal path. Our guests were Linda, Liz and Clive. We took our bikes by motor vehicle to a car-park adjacent to the said canal at Bathpool. The cycling needless to say was near to level with only a hill the height of a lock to contend with. Some of the path was fairly overgrown and we had to look out for pot-holes and encroaching vegetation, especially stinging nettles. Several families of swans, including cygnets, were seen at fairly close quarters. One adult male swan was keen to give Mrs Robinson a nip but the calmness and swift cycling action of the said lady meant he was unsuccessful! We enjoyed coffee breaks outward and return at the Maunsel canal-side cafe. Lunch was taken at a pub close to the M5 Motor-way near Bridgwater. This ride was a refreshing change from churning out the miles on the road.