Day 6 - Exeter to Chard

The first proper rain of the trip and I put off leaving for as long as possible in the hope that the weather would clear up! Some hope. It took about an hour to work my way out of Exeter by a contorted route of cycle paths and pavements but found a signed cycle route to Honiton.

So for the route followers I have just listed the place names as the roads were too small for numbers:

Exeter, Sowton, Clyst Honiton, Fairmile, Fenny Bridges, Weston Honiton, Cotleigh, Stockland, Wambrook and Chard.

I was completely soaked within 10 minutes and whilst the road to Honiton was mercifully flat the head wind and driving rain were a pain. Fortification was required so I squelched round Honiton taking on food and drink when the rain stopped and the sun came out. A quick map check and the route was changed from a pootle along the A303 before cutting across to Chard. Why not take the back roads? The back roads cut across the Black Down Hills. The road ran at right angles to the ridges and valleys of them there hills and the 2 hours pedaling between Honiton and Chard whilst beautiful was some of the hardest pedaling so far. I'd you've got an OS of the area check out the contours!

Once checked into the B and B the routine of stretching, showering with the kit on to wash it, shuffling in to town for good, shuffling back, sleeping and then shuffling back into town for more food took up the rest of another great day.

An unexpected cost on the trip is food. My intake today was:

Breakfast:
Muesli.
Scrambled egg and hash browns.
Toast and marmalade.
Coffee.

On the bike:
Banana.
Cereal bar.
Peanuts and raisins.

Elevensies:
Cheese sandwich.
Hot chocolate.

On the bike:
Banana.
Cereal bar.
Jelly snakes - for moral in the rain!

Lunch (about 3pm after ride):
Tuna sandwich.
Apple juice.

Dinner:
Pint of beer.
Steak, chips and salad.
Spotted dick and custard.

Late snack:
Chocolate peanuts and raisins.

I'm repeating this pretty much every day but despite all that I'm looking pretty lean and starting to develop the slightly pinched features of a Tour cyclist!

Confirmation of arrival in Chard:



A couple of friends that I met on the way: