England Part V
Monday, May 25, 2009

After breakfast it is time for a ride into town to attempt to get online at Starbucks. It is early, the streets are deserted, and it is also a Bank Holiday. Nothing much happens on a Bank Holiday here, at least not in the past when I’ve been here. Today however, it becomes quite busy as the stores slowly open for business. It seemed that in the past not much was open in town on a Bank Holiday, not so today. While sitting in the Starbucks window writing the town slowly comes to life. Again this year my computer will not connect to Starbucks WiFi. After finishing my coffee it is time to head back to the Y where I’m camping. While sitting in the common room writing away a family enters and they sound American. Asking the where they are from brings the response “Prescott Arizona.” Moses is a literature teacher at Yavapi College on holiday for two months with his family. They are camping, but driving not cycling through the English country side. Having visited the Cathedral earlier in the day I’d decided to attend evening songfest, since I’d not done that before.

The service was a treat, as always, when you listen to a 16th century organ backing a wonderful choir. This choir is one that is visiting for the month from Tennessee. There is a short sermon about the minister’s ongoing relationship with a childhood friend, and how much it had mean to him along the way. His friend was not church oriented, but even so interested in the minister’s life, not judging his choice. However, there was a person who had chosen to spend a great deal of time attempting to convert the minister’s friend and judging him as lacking. This was connected to the Saint of the day who had died in 709 and had made a life of not judging. It was a nice message, as have all the sermons I’ve heard here.

After the service it’s off to the pub for dinner and Skypeing, talking with my daughter, then Mark, then my friend Lisa in Flagstaff. After answering some emails it is growing late and the sun is going down so time to head back to the Y. Entering the common room and finding it full of people the idea of writing a bit more is tossed out and it’s off to bed. Again the rain on the tent lulls me to sleep.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Salisbury

At breakfast I chat with Mark and Ellen, their children Kathy and Quinton about being on holiday, traveling around the states, and in England. They are from London and were coming back from visiting family in Mere a town that was part of my journey last year. They encourage me to head for the Lake District telling me I’ll not be disappointed. Having spent a great deal of thinking about how I’m going to get to Austria an plan has been formed. So tomorrow I’ll head out to Pewsey spend the night them ride the canal, in the opposite direction from what Mark and I road, to Hungerfore catch a train to Oxford, then on to Wales, Liverpool, The Lake District, then training back to Salisbury in time for the closing night of the festival.

Then I’ll lock up most of my stuff in lockers at the y, bike to the station, lock up the bike there and head to Stapleford Airport to catch Ryan Air to Graz in Austria. Rent a bike at the rail station, head south to a campgrounds that is 8 miles from the town I which to visit. That’s as far as I’ve got figured out at this point. I’ll think more about it as I travel.