Parks and The Three Musketeers...

Drizzly morning, brilliant afternoon!

Set off today in drizzle. Nothing awful but just constant:

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' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
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It was just like that!

Following yesterday's rain, some of the roads were difficult to navigate.

Unless you were in a boat..

 The trail was quite sheltered and started well. Well, I started well before getting a bit lost and heading into Sarn. Then I got unlost and headed out of Sarn. Nice gentle hills today, nothing too taxing and I didn't need to get off and push - hoorah! Eventually I found the first park which I went through (or was it the second one? Went through Parc Bedford too) anyway, was rolling down a short, but steep, hill when I had a fall. My first fall. Thankfully it wasn't a serious one.

What happened was that I was going down a semi-concreted track, which was covered in tree detritus when I went across a bridge The bridge was difficult to see and was made of wide, wooden sleepers that were covered in chicken wire.

Me old mate Kev(lar) didn't like it and wheels (and bike) went one way while I made a decision to launch myself in the other direction. Well, I thought if I aim for the grass I would land on a soft bit not on - or under - the bike and it would hurt less. It didn't hurt at all, pleased to say. My wrists took the brunt and after checking (as feared) that I hadn't nicked my pantaloons and that I wasn't compromised in any way I continued.

And where did I slip you may ask

 ... ask, go on, ask... -

in the appropriately named:

Come here for a fall!

 Sadly, I could not locate 'Parc Find a bag of gold' or 'Parc meet your ideal man' but if I ever see 'Parc run over by a bus' or 'Parc meet an enraged bull'  I shall know to give those places a wide berth.

I continued on my merry (but tentative) way and wound around to Parc Margam. As I entered I was struck (not literally) by the beauty of the purple blooms, so much so, I kept stopping to take shots.

Parc Margam in bloom.

Blooming Parc Margam.

Blooms in Parc Margam.

Ferns (and blooms) in Parc Margam.

Deer in Parc Margam (it's behind the blooming bush).

Another deer has just jumped out of shot in Parc Margam.

 I left Parc Margam (plenty more pictures if you'd like an email), descended down towards the motorway and crossed.

When I crossed I met three 'Handsome, young cyclists' (quote Don) travelling along the path in the same direction which I was. I joined the group and we continued in the direction of Swansea. The 'old man' (quote Brian) of the group and I got chatting. We exchanged start and finish points and bits of info. Brian introduced me to the other two musketeers and I had the happy chance to be able to accompany them all the way to Swansea (escorted door-to-door, as it were). Guided by doyen Don who knew all the paths, lanes, snickets, avenues, routes, roads, paths, crossings and streets of Swansea.

This really made my day, because not only were the lads super friendly, helpful and thoughtful, they were interesting and interested. I learnt (Quote Tony) that Swansea was the biggest Copper smelting place at one time, ships came from all over the world to deliver copper here. People who lived up in the valley usually didn't live past thirty and the place was black with the dirt from the process.

Upon reaching Swansea, we had a cuppa at the Dylan Thomas Museum, I got an inviatation to join their wider cycling group for a trip any Sunday (what a great idea, to go in a group, I'd never even thought of that!) AND I got a free map - courtesy of Brian who always carries a spare to give away to any young lady he may find mapless!

Top day! I very much enjoyed :-)

Three Musketeers,
aka Don, Tony and Brian.