I should know better than to start a blog entry at nearly 11 PM, but so many things happened today that were more than fortuitous I felt compelled to at least start now and finish tomorrow AM...

We headed into central Wells again after breakfast, packing and goodbyes to Paul our host at the B & B. As Peter was sketching at the Vicar's Close, he was thrilled to see one of the choir members from yesterday's Evensong walking by, and complimented him on the singing. The compliment was received with surprisingly grateful appreciation, which Peter so enjoyed.

Vicar's Close, Wells (Peter Sketch)

We visited the Bishop's Palace, a wonderful castle-like structure surrounded by a moat and lovely gardens within. We "hit the road" just before noon and after leaving outer Wells began a great deal of climbing - happily the weather remains ideal for us as it is overcast and cool but not cold.

We did a strenuous 23 miles before a stop in Maiden Bradley for a late lunch - so late that at first it looked as if the Somerset Arms pub was no longer serving. But as our luck would have it, the pub owner and her parents were lunching at the next table, and when I noticed their spectacular Great Dane "Henry" lying on the floor beside them the bond was made! The owner had sandwiches and drinks served up and we had a lovely conversation about dogs, Wells, and the joys of traveling. The calories were a life-saver and Henry was a highlight (he weighs 11 stone, or 154 lbs!).

Father of Pub Owner, Henry the Great Dane, and June

Thus fortified we went on, and the terrain eased gradually. We had written of f visiting the famous site of Longleat House, thinking that according to the route we would arrive too lateto gain admission. But more kismet struck. As we conferred at the crossroads of a route checkpoint, two charming schoolchildren engaged us in conversation about our travels. They said "you ARE going to Longleat House, aren't you?" They proceeded to point out that unlike our mapped route, the actual entry (accessible only by cyclists and staff) was directly in front of us! We were ecstatic to cycle down a small lane, through the original entry gate and behold the splendor of Longleat House - I encourage you to visit the website if you are curious at www.longleat.co.uk/longleat-house.html.

I was 1/2 mile from the house from here!

(I expected to run into Mr. Darcy at any moment...)

We had about an hour to tour the house and it worked out perfectly. We also figured out a shortcut to allow us to get to the Resting Post B & B in Hetesbury by 6 PM, our latest designated arrival time. The route flattened and the wind was at our backs, and the shortcut was perfect - we arrived at 5:45 PM, and sat down at the Red Lion to a pub-grub and cider dinner by 7:30 PM. We love the fact there's just 2 pubs and no other attractions!

The "Red Lion" Peter at the Red Lion Pub

The rest of the evening was spent plotting our alternatives for tomorrow's ride - we decided to detour off to Salisbury to see the cathdral (last I visited was 1980, wonder what I will remember of it) and then make our way to the next B & B in Amesbury, just 2 miles out from Stonehenge. We will visit this iconic site tomorrow afternoon if time allows - otherwise, it will wait until Thursday morning we're sure!