We have a little caravan and we're staying on a small Caravan Club CL site near Hilperton. We just looked up where the sites were in the area, and it said you could cycle or walk along the canal straight from the site, so we've just cycled from there. We're very happy. This is our first day and we'll definitely be back because you can cycle here so easily.
The idea of a coffee shop at every lock would be perfect for people like us. We only cycle to where there's nice coffee. We will share a piece of cake but it's all about the coffee. They do good coffee at the place just by Bradford Lock, we sat right on the towpath, so we've just enjoyed that.
It's all about the coffee
Apparently in the other direction is the long lock flight at Caen Hill. I think Mick has us down to do that this afternoon. Or perhaps tomorrow morning. I think we've got a few days of sunshine so we'll see how much we can do.
We live near Exeter and the canal there so we do a lot of cycling around the area. We like to cycle to coffee shops, but it's got to be good coffee so we'll cycle there. We have lots of lovely cycle routes near where we live, but if there's no decent coffee then we don't do it.
It's all about the coffee not the actual coffee shop, although that's a bonus. There are a lot of places that are lovely but they just don't get it right. We want to say to them, “You are so silly, because loads of people are like us now, and it really matters that it's good coffee.”
We lived in New Zealand for a while and that's where we got the thing about coffee. They like it really strong over there, every tiny little shop roasts their own coffee beans and everyone is trying to make even better coffee. Then we came back here and everywhere was still on instant coffee, though thankfully things have picked up now and it's not so hard to find.
We know our coffee
And because of our experience over there, like other people know their wines, we know our coffee. There are people who can make a good coffee out of the machinery they use, but others just don't get it. Generally if you get the manager, you're ok.
It's not how they make it, it's got to taste of coffee and not just be a cup of milk. Everyone thinks that cappuccino is milky but it's not, if you make it really strong and then you get that lovely foam. We can usually tell by the smell of the coffee whether it's going to be good or not, so sometimes we do have to have tea!
Pam & Mick, Underwoods Bridge, Kennet & Avon Canal
