Day 5

Wednesday, June 14
Monmouth to Wentnor
113km

Cool day today with a surprising amount of climbing early on.  Someone with an altimeter said that we had climbed almost 1,000 feet in the 13 km between Maypole and Bagwyllydiart.

I had a bit of trouble getting to sleep last night, as there were other people talking loudly when I went to bed.  Until now I've slept very well, likely due to full days of sunshine and exercise as well as cool night air in the campsites.

After the early climbing, we stopped for some snakes at a cornerstore in Madley.  Lunch was cheeseburgers and fries ("chips") at the Red Lion pub in Pembridge.  Pubs are definitely the dominant cuisine in rural England.

The scenery today was lovely.  There were large valleys with checked fields of crops; steep climbs through lush green woods (where the trees cover the road entirely, making a natural tunel); and, of course, twisty single lane roads with tall hedges on both sides.

I also ought to mention some of the wildlife we've seen so far on this trip.  In addition to numerous incidents of road kill, we have seen a lot of live animals as well.  We've chased a hare, five chickens, and a cat (on seperate ocasions) down the road after we spooked them and they took off in front of us.  A few days ago, Roe almost hit a free-roaming horse that walked out onto the road in front of her, and today I did hit a tiny little rabbit that did the same.  Today we also were delayed by a flock of sheep that was crossing the road, and we were briefly chased by a barking dog (until Roe scared it away with her yelling).

Roe' comment of the day:
I am impressed by our campsite tonight. Until now the sites have all been in wide open fields.  Tonight there are trees, birds and a bubbling stream beside the tents.

We did a load of laundry at the campsite tonight.  It cost four pounds (eight dollars) for one load.

I have circled the word "climb" 3 times on tomorrow's route sheet.  Not too bad.  Today's sheet had 12.  (And he only ever mentions the really steep ones.)