What a difference a day makes. It was quite distinct from yesterday in a number of ways, all of which I enjoyed. Not that yesterday wasn’t also fun, because it was. But it is very nice to have a change, and there have been quite a few days recently where things have not been dramatically different from what came before.
The morning was not so different. It was hot and sunny and I found a combination of small rural roads and a big highway with some sections of bike lane to get me safely in to downtown Richmond, the state capital of Virginia. You enter over a bridge that crosses the James River, looking across the wide, shallow water at a fairly unremarkable collection of not especially high rise buildings of varying vintage.
But once I got amongst them, it got interesting. The Virginia State Capitol building is a Classical Greek style building painted in a resplendent white and surrounded by gardens, which included my first tulips of the year. It was very pleasant, if a little hemmed in and dwarfed by bigger, less attractive buildings.
But then I started to make my way through the other side of the city and found myself in a kind of arts district with lots of funky shops and studios. I had lunch here and was generally impressed by the whole neighbourhood. It had a good feel. The main road I followed, Broad St, was also home to a busway that occupied the two central lanes of the road, which was surfaced in a bright red colour of tarmac. Buses were few and far apart this Sunday and it was instead favoured by cyclists, so I gave it a go. It worked very well.
I was able to follow cycle route 1 all the way out of the city, through pleasant, leafy suburbs, and into the countryside along very pleasant small roads. Someone has clearly given this a lot of thought and it works. It was also really well signed all afternoon. I only passed though one other place of note all day on cycle route one, but the undulating roads contained plenty of interest. This was a different, more affluent Virginia unlike yesterday’s offering. Bigger homes, partly concealed by trees, and none of the mobile homes or countless abandoned vehicles in their yards. I was just getting ready for a break when the small and very pleasant town of Ashland came along.
Ashland is defined by its railway line, which effectively cuts it in two. My approach road ran either side of the unfenced tracks, each part a one way street, with periodic crossing points. For a mile before I reached the centre, it was flanked on both sides by the most gorgeous American style period homes, which are delightfully colourful and stylish, with porches and the odd turret. When I reached a row of businesses, I could see people gathered outside one in the sun, so I knew it must be good. It turned out to be a microbrewery and so, feeling thirsty, I stopped and went inside. After a good chat about beer with the man who served me, I was offered a second beer by a man waiting in line. I felt it would be rude to refuse, and then followed him outside to meet his wife and small children. We spoke at length about beer, football and – bizarrely – Swindon, where he has a friend. He knew of the infamous Magic Roundabout in Swindon (Google it), which led us to a conversation about the children’s TV programme Magic Roundabout, which I left him to watch on YouTube. Then another guy, in his seventies, showed interest in my bike and my trip, and got talking about walking the Appalachian Trail in sections with his grandchildren. I mentioned hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and we bonded. I was aware that I would now be struggling for daylight, but I didn’t want to leave this spot or these friendly people, either. He resolved the situation by getting a twenty dollar bill out and putting it in my hand, saying that tonight’s beer would be on him. How kind.
The rest of the ride was equally enjoyable, and I saw nowhere else to stop or get refreshment, so quiet were the country roads. I had the thrill of a passenger train coming in to Ashland as I left, but thereafter, as predicted, it was a race against the daylight. I won, but it was a very close run thing. I’m staying in a delightful modern hotel by an interstate junction, and it is everything that last night’s dive in a Petersburg wasn’t. If I could stay somewhere like this every night, I would. I relaxed my muscles with a dip in the small indoor pool and helped myself to lots of free coffee. Breakfast tomorrow morning is included, too. Excellent value.
Speaking of tomorrow, I’m expecting a significant change in the weather. The ride from Ashland onwards today took a sudden cooler turn – actually very refreshing, but a big change. The forecast is saying tomorrow could be pretty damp and cool. I have about seventy miles of cycling to reach Washington DC. I may need to use some of the cycling clothes that have so far not emerged from my panniers. Time will tell. Then the sun should return for my day off, albeit with much cooler temperatures, dipping to freezing overnight. It should at least clear the very high pollen count of the last few days. It hasn’t bothered me, but everything – including my clothes and bike – has been coated in a light green layer of dust the like of which I have never seem before. So I suppose I have been inadvertently helping nature’s reproduction process.
