Launceston to Crediton - 66k - and Glastonbury 96k)

It rained heavily all night at launceston, and this morning we headed off in the rain on a very gloomy morning. Actually, the disappointing thing about our two weeks so far has been the weather. \it certainly hasnt been summery, with mist most of the day, cold mostly and only occassional sun for very short appearances.

We climbed out of Launceston and hit the highway to Okehampton, but shortly after took the B road across country - just a series of more hills. Okehampton was a pleasant sight, but the drissle kept us with our heads down. Okehampton is a lovely village with historic castle ruins and lovely churches. For lunch we tried our first cornish pastry, eventhugh we were now in Devon. That and the date surprise made for a very delicious lunch in this lovely town. We were aiming for Tiverton for the night, a day of about 80k, but on checking at the TIC we discovered no camping grounds for miles. The one the dear lady could find was at the Salmaon Hutch at Crediton (actually near the tiny village of Uton). So we went there. Well - no showers, were there! But the lady in charge quickly assured us there was a cold water tap!! So on a day that was rain all day, and we worked very hard to find the Salmon Hutch out in the sticks outside Crediton over hills and down through ditches, and after confronting a loose, frisky cow on this narrow, grotty farm road (Julie said "I dont like cows"> I said "just ride straight for it". She said "but I dont trust coes". I said "Just keep riding". Well, the cow stared us down until about 20m range then when it was either her or us she bolted off down the road then disappeared somehow up through the hedge and out of sight.! Having dealt with the cow we resumed trying to find the Hutch with the one cold water tap. It was a nice setting beside a Salmon pond, but that was about it. We went to bed giggling away at the situation we found ourselves in. The cold towel wash was something we might recall for a while!

We left next morning again in the rain and the mud of the farm lanes, over the Salmon pond bridge, a railway line and then climbed the hill back into Crediton and out of town for the 100k to Glastonbury.

Ecery one we ask directions from adds "But its hilly, you know!" We say "we know, thanks!". On the way out of \crediton we asked directions to Tavistock. "Its this way - but its really hilly, you know!" Ah, they never fail! It was hilly!! It climbed from 4k out to about 14k with very little respite. We were at the very northern end of Dartmoor National Park, and we were high. We met some road cyclist coming up to our height from the other way (we were about to descend). One of them was walking!! So down we went and into Tavistock eventually, and passing in to Somerset. The country changed immediately. Gone were the beautiful fields, the lovely hedgerows, and......the hills.

We asked at Taunton which way to Glastonbury, and the garage man said "this way, and its a beautiful flat ride all the way!! And it was. So after 2 weeks of hills, and after about 65k so far today, we could put our heads down and really feel like cycling again. Julie did so well on this stretch, and when you consider her relative minimal miles on a bike before this trip, to have her rolling at 20-30kph all the way to \glastonbury was really quite a thrill.

However, she had three (!!) flat tyres today, so after the third we took time (we were just a few k from Glastonbury) to examine the tyre yet again, and this time found a small piece of wire about the size of half a staple embedded in her tyre.

We 'camped' at the King William Hotel last night at Glastonbury (a very new age place these days, the burial place for King Arthur and Queen Genevieve at the local Abbey) and have a short 40k to Bath and a day off as well.