Riding the white elephant to the river

If you live in or near Cambridge you've probably heard of the "Cambridgeshire guided busway" and if you haven't try typing it into google, life's too short to explain what's been going on! Anyhow, let's ignore the dream and missed deadlines, what we have snaking it's way along the old railway line from from St Ives in the Fens to Cambridge city centre is this . . .


. . . a white elephant it may be, but it's a very useful white elephant if you have a bicycle ;-)

This afternoon Cliff and I packed our bikes into the car and headed over to the outskirts of Cambridge to The Daily Bread Co-op where we stocked up on essentials. We then parked the car in the industrial estate just around the corner from the co-op and hopped onto our bikes; a short ride to the end of the road and then we were whizzing along on the white elephant.

We then joined a cycle path leading to a foot and cycle bridge over the A14 and we were soon peddling through a busy country park. On we peddled to the river . . .


We sailed along beside the water, passing willow trees exploding with fungi . . .




Eventually we reached the bridge at Clayhithe, and The Bridge pub where we had lunch before heading off further into the fens. The little building in the photo below houses a pumping engine, essential for keeping the Fens drained – without the pumps this land would return to the water.


We crossed the river at Bottisham Sluice . . .


And meandered our way back to the river path, barges chugged along at a stately pace, dragonflies and swallows skimmed the water . . .


Eventually we'd left the countryside behind and we were back on the white elephant, whizzing along on the smooth concrete past unused bus-stops and the brambles and wild flowers which are gradually taking over the tracks.


I had to work this morning to keep my freelance illustration projects on schedule and I felt as if I was going down with a cold but agreed to Cliff's bike ride idea – and I'm so pleased I did! Riding the white elephant to the river has blown all the cobwebs away, the cold has blown away too.