For a change we have a lovely summer in North Yorkshire. 2012 was a total washout, wettest summer on record. This time the weather is hot enough to melt candles inside our caravan.
We are taking advantage of this rare event and are getting out and about on our bikes. Close by is the Leeds - Liverpool Canal which has a very good towpath for most of its length, allowing cyclists and walkers to enjoy the scenery with only the locks providing any uphill stretches. Good access and car parking is available in the local village of Gargrave so we head there quite often for some exercise.
Leeds to Liverpool by road is about 72 miles whereas the canal builders' search for the easiest and most level route added about 55 miles to the journey. There are many websites listing its history so I will not repeat the facts here apart from to say that it was completed in 1816, has 91 locks, and a tunnel almost a mile long at Foulridge.
There are plenty of serious walkers and cyclists who do the whole route, usually for charity, and the really keen and fit cyclist can complete the route in less than 24 hours provided they have a support team to provide food and drink along the way. The famous Pennine Way uses the towpath for part of its route through Lancashire.
Kathie and I are serious at neither walking or cycling so we used the towpath for more leisurely examples of both forms of exercise.
Of course being in England gave us plenty of time to see Mike, Phillipa, and our granddaughter Catherine. The latter came to stay with us for two separate periods of a week and we took her around to some of the places she liked including the Falconry Centre at Giggleswick, the canal to see the swans and ducks, and Skipton for a canal boat ride around the castle.
Catherine's birthday came along in August and along with the absolutely fabulous birthday cake she received a pony from Pippa's Mum and Dad.
We had some visitors in the Caravan Park which came as a result of the good weather.
And finally just before we made plans to leave it was our Mike's birthday and he got his own brand of cakes.
Roll on 2014 when we will stay in England again for the summer.
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