A touristy cycling weekend

No I didn't cycle round London on Saturday, but I watched cycling on Sunday.  A full on weekend.

Saturday was a London trip by the 50+ Adventure Club which I organised, in conjunction with a another coach trip I had also organised for Higham Piecemakers.  Now I maybe an elderly Superwoman, but not even I can be in two places at the same time, so I went to London.

The coach dropped us off in Chancery Lane, where the traffic is light at weekends, which was just as well because at the weekends all the heavy construction lorries turn up.  There are constant building projects all over the City and this was no exception, but we were off to see the London Silver Vaults.  Every taste and price in hall marked silver is catered for and there were some beautiful examples and how it shone and sparkled.  English silver is world renowned and this place attracts the rich and famous!

My friend and I then made our way to the Hunterian Museum, part of the Royal College of Surgeons and we saw all sorts of Victorian specimens (both human and animal) pickled in glass jars.  Unfortunately no photography is allowed as I wanted to take a photo of the 'Irish Giant's 'skeleton who measured 7' 7" when he died.

I showed my friend this -

The Old Curiosity Shop

 tucked away amongst all the modern buildings.

We passed Lincolns Inn (one of the Inns of Court) where some of the trees were swathed in green netting

as they are about to be cut down.  What horror!  Trees are valuable in London.

After a leisurely lunch and natter (we talked all the time) we caught the bus to Baker Street for the highlight of the day.  We had to assemble by the statue of Sherlock Holmes where we met by our guides. 

We then had a 2 hour tour and talk about the history of our "world famous Underground system".  Transport for London who manage this, make more money from merchandise than they do from the billion+ passenger journeys  per year!  The London Underground map is very sought after by tourists, whether on mats, pens, mugs etc and we even pressed our faces to the window to see one of the ghost stations as we passed through it.

Finally we came out at Westminster Tube Station to be greeted by this

Big Ben (just as we got on the coach home)

another iconic London landmark.

The following day I was acting as 'support' for my son and  my nephew as they rode in the Tour of Cambridgeshire UCI Gran Fondo.  Roads were closed for this so we had to plot our route, but we were there good and early before the 3,000+ riders came through.  They came in large groups like this

so very difficult to see our riders, but I had been instructed to wear my shocking pink jacket so my son would see me and it worked.  Empty water bottles thrown out and new ones taken and they were needed as it proved a very hot day.  My son cycled the 130kms in 3 hours 38 minutes and qualified, in his age range, for the 2016 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships.  He will  not attend as they are being held in Western Australia!!

I very full weekend and this is how my June will progress!!

I did finish my May Mini Mania 'Cathedral Window'

9" square

but I might struggle to even start June's as I am so busy.  Four squares minimum using yellow, purple and aqua to make star blocks; either each block the same or each block different.  I have a star pattern but it is finding the time to plot it on graph paper to get the pieces.  We shall see.