On Thursday I bicycled from my home in London to the Springwater Conservation Area (to the south-east, toward Aylmer) with camping gear, groceries (including an expensive loaf of rye bread that was perfect for toast and sandwiches. Oh, perfect, I say), bathing suit and spare socks in a small trailer behind me.
On Saturday I arrived back home safe and sound, as fit as a fiddle, and now give the trip - a significant piece in my journey to discover the world in a fun-filled but frugal fashion - an overall score of 9.5 out of 10.
I’m pretty darn sure, had a red squirrel - devious little critter - not stolen my rye bread, the trip would have scored even higher.
The journey covered 80 - 90 kilometers (not as the crow flies) on mostly paved roads through some of Ontario’s finest landscape. I went up hills and down hills and am glad I rode a bicycle with 21 gears. I used seven of them on a regular basis.
I came home thinking the following:
- The only better way to see the same countryside would be by walking through it at an easy pace with a few supplies in a backpack.
(Note to self: Make plans to do so before you’re 85-years old).
As the second-best way to go, cycling is superb. (Admittedly, my hinder parts have a second opinion.) A cyclist, not rushed for time, sees his surroundings quite fully. His mind can absorb the sights, sounds and smells in a very appreciative manner.
["Watch out for the kid with the ball!"]
The trip cost very little. The rewards were very high.
The rewards fell under various headings: Emotional. Intellectual. Fiscal. Spiritual. Recreational. Physical.
And photographical. (Even if there isn’t such a word, I still have some pictures to show you.)
If you were to go on a wee vacation by bicycle, where would you go?
[Photos by G.Harrison]
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