Unfortunately this is going to be a brief and pictureless post. The card reader is on the blink, so none of the photos will transfer. If the problem persists I'll pick up a new reader in Richmond, and come back and edit these posts.
It's been another two days of hard cycling, trying to push closer and closer to the finish line. In terms of countryside there really isn't anything new to add, once off the coast it's been more of the flat or very lightly undulating farm land. North Carolina's clearly much poorer, more rural and more sparsely populated than it's grander sibling to the South, but not unpleasant for it.
The whole experience is rather like riding for hour after hour in Norfolk without the hope of ever hitting Norwich. The countryside's very similar, flat and arable, and the people have the same decent and peaceful outlook, if tempered by a slight stand offishness to outsides. It's in no way unpleasant as an attitude, just different from the outright curiosity and the very rare hostility encountered up till now. I'm sure it's no coincidence settlers just north of here over the state line name their city Norfolk.
Unfortunately it's not been plain sailing, hence the delayed post. 75 miles into yesterday, just outside New Bern, the spring in one of the clip in pedals sheared, but it could not have happened in a better place. There was a couple of great little bike shops in town, one which fitted new pedals whilst the other looked at my gears again. And whilst this meant I couldn't make the final 40 miles to the next town with a motel in the light, there are worse places in the world to get stuck. Founded by some adventurous Swiss, which seemed a novel concept, in the 1700s it clearly had it's hay day pre the Civil War, and has then mellowed into a beautiful little town packed with georgian and victorian streets.
There's a lovely genteel charm to the place and before settling into some serious re-routing planning (as there are few towns with motels in North North Carolina) I had a good look around, including a visit to the birth place os Pepsi. Where the tourist gene in me took hold, and I'm now the proud owner of a Pepsi T-Shirt I see limited chances of me wearing.
So there it is, the Broads via a hiccup in New Switzerland. With a little rerouting and some stretches on the highway today it looks like I might be able to make the 40 miles up before Washington DC. And fingers crossed we are still looking at the Grande Pomme next week.
Route - Surf City - New Bern - Washington, NC - Plymouth, NC - Edenton
Breakfast - Odd snack collection in my room, bought the night before, as the motel had no breakfast
Lunch - Turkey and Beef sub - The Cafe in Pollocksville. Better than Subway, but not by much.
Supper - Alligator bites and Fish Tacos. A cafe in New Bern whose name escapes me. Alligator was great, but the fish tacos were nasty. Deep fried fish, not blackened as I've had before, and the tacos were hard. Not happy. That said was amused by 4 old boys, on the next table, in there mid to late 70s who clearly has off games chits from there wives and were on the piss big time, and flirting like cocky 18 year olds with the waitresses. Highly amusing, and solid effort for still having the fight in themBreakfast - Motel standards
Lunch - Philly Cheese Steak - A tiny grocery store and cafe in the middle of nowhere. Food was fairly standard, but there was something blissfully mellow about the place. Laid back was just the half of it, could've stayed there all afternoon. That said I have my suspicions about what made it so mellow. The chap sat outside was so baked (red staring eyes, giggling) he literally could not work out my accent. In his stoned head I think he thought he spoke to some one who spoke no English.Supper - Grilled chicken sandwich - Wendys. Only place within walking distance of the motel. It was a Wendys with Fox News for company, enough said.
