Charlbury to Olney - 84k - Tues 19 June

We woke to what appeared to be the first blue sky we had seen since leaving Paris. It didn't last very long though, although it looked like the day would nevertheless be fine. It was dry overnight, and the tent came up looking dry by morning. We were certainly dry inside! We always enjoy a great breakfast. This morning was porridge with sultanas and bananas, then a near full english breakfast of pork and apple sausages, baked beans and eggs, followed by coffee late made on full cream milk (and we still lose weight!!).

It was Julie's birthday today, and we were headed to a B&B at Colchester House in Olney. We chose Olney because it is where the Church of St Peter and Paul is located, where the Rev John Newton was Curate for many years, and where he wrote the song of his life ''Amazing Grace''.

We skipped the showers this morning because they were too cold for enjoyment. We rolled out on the roiad north at about 9:30am. The toll of miles was accummulated in our legs. Neither of us felt like any more hills today. The news was though that for the next few miles it would be more hills, then we hit the flats for several hundred k's. We hit the hills rather unenthusiastically, but the views of the Cotswalds were spectacular. We went through the Tews, then turned east into a strong breeze on the B4031, all the way across country to Milton Keynes.

This was actually slow going, but as each village came and went we enjoyed the ruins, the beautiful lanes and even the canals that ran across this part of the country. We stopped on top of a small arched stone bridge to discover beceath several canal boats that just looked so lovely, with the large paddocks of sheep in the background, looking further back over the distance Cotswald country. It was all a very pretty picture.

We then passed through Croughton, where we came across a RAF airbase. The main entrance looked wonderful, with two US fighter jets parked on display out front. We stopped across the road for M&M's (part of our mid meal diet, with peanuts of course, or occasional snickers bars!) and fruit, while Julie took photos of the Fighter jets and the entrance of the Air Base generally. We then pressed down the road.

Minutes later we were passed by a Police car, and then a mile or so later we came across the Police car which had just pulled in to the drive way of a local Pub. I watched the Police get out of the car as I approached, but becasue they didn't go into the pub, I had feelings that something was up. They were waiting for us. We stopped ever so politely, and they asked us if we had been taking photos of the air base. Of course we had, and we thought there would be nothing wrong. They said they had been alerted by the US authorities that ''some teenagers on bikes were reported taking photos of the Base'' - hence a security alert went out!!

We said we were flattered to be considered teenagers, but by this time even the Police were smiling. I asked if we could take their photo, so the last memory we have is the Police posing just immediately the last photo of the US Fighters! We waved them goodbye, wondering what they will tell the US authorities (who, bybthe way, have taken over the RAF AirBase for their purposes.

We eventually made it to Olney, visited the church where JohnNewton served, and sat beside his grave reflecting on his life and the words that are now world famous. I want to say more here, but am told that my time on this computer is up.

We had a lovely dinner with Julie, a great B&B and were really sad to make our way out of town the next day.