Somerset East

April 29, 2021

The weather forecast for today wasn't encouraging. Cool temperatures and rain forecast for the whole day. After a full English breakfast at The Duke we headed out just before nine o'clock. There was a drizzly mist rather than real rain and it would oscillate between that and a misty drizzle for most of the ride.

We took it slowly up the climb out of Bedford and then it was a quick run down to the busy N10. We had only fourteen kilometers on the N10 from the junction to Cookhouse but it was enough to convince us that our route back to Port Elizabeth would be better over the old Zuurberg Pass.

Cookhouse has been a tiny town best avoided for many years now and not much has changed. We spent half an hour there having a lunch of pre-packaged sandwiches and muffins from the convenience store at the fuel station which seems to be the only commercial activity in the town. Then it was just twenty five kilometers until Somerset East.

The misty weather meant that there wasn't much to photograph today but this flowering Aloe ferox caught my eye.

Another thing that got our attention was a remote bus stop with two geese hanging around as if they were waiting for the bus. Maybe they had an appointment with a butcher in Somerset East.

Aloe maculata flowering just outside Somerset East.

As we got into Somerset East the rain started falling more heavily. Poor Leigh had an uncomfortable wait outside the local Spar while I bought some groceries. Unusually, she didn't enjoy the attention of the local folks chatting to her today and she was relieved once I had got the shopping done and we could make our way to the cottage where we had stayed when we passed through here six weeks ago.

Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 2,037 km (1,265 miles)

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