Roman Silchester

Got a bike! Now I can explore this place properly, and at a reasonable pace. Running down alleys, nooks and crannies, and running down random country roads and trails just for the hell of it...that's what a bike does for ya.

My sick, new ride. I introduce, The Kona Lisa.

My riding buddy, Simon, ripping it up in Roman Silchester.

First proper exploration adventure was from Reading to Ancient Roman Silchester. One of the best preserved Roman towns in Britain, the original wall still exists all the way around this place, and you can explore it by foot, or bike. More than 2000 years old and free for everyone to access, it's a really cool place to explore: llamas in the fields down the middle, an open excavation in one of the fields, and a really cool open Amphitheatre that you can wander right into.  We ate our picnic lunch on the walls of the North Gate, rode our bikes round the single track and atop the walls surrounding the ancient town, raced around the Amphitheatre, and checked out St. Mary's Church. We finished off our adventure with a beer at The Red Lion just outside of Silchester, and a steady ride home to beat the on-coming rain.

The North Gate.

Doesn't everyone drink their Ale with a spoon*?  The Red Lion pub. (Thanks Simon for taking this photo!)

*Thanks to Christine and Simon for the Light My Fire Spork they gave me for my birthday. I left mine at home!!