TODAY SOME THOUGHT I was American but I immediately corrected them. They were very nice, though.

This morning Mr. Coupe gave me a wake-up knock at 7:25 am then I went right down for a full breakfast. He showed me some maps of the Lake District pointing out some of his favourite spots that I just couldn't miss. Generally, I'll plan a route through the very centre of the area. I left Ely at 8:30 am and headed down the road. I stopped to talk to a farmer who was working his garden and I happened to mention that I wanted to make it to Spalding. He told me I was going the wrong way and would end up in Norwich. After consulting the map I noticed that I, indeed, had made a slight error. I turned around and in eight km was on the right track.

I soon warmed up, so I stopped to remove my sweatshirt and put on a t-shirt. Behind me was an embankment. As I cycled onwards, I followed the embankment until the road turned and crossed it. Up above the surrounding ground was a river. To drain the fens, canals were dug but as the ground dried, it shrunk so large levees were needed to contain the river.

Once I was across the river, the land was covered with water in large areas. A farmer stopped to talk to me and told me that it was due to the heavy rains they'd been having. He has many relatives in Toronto and hopes to go to Canada in order to visit Expo '86. He has crops and raises cattle but lamented that at the moment the cattle aren't in the least bit profitable.

Soon after we departed some clouds blew in so I stopped to bag everything and pull out the raincoat. Fortunately, we had only a few drops of rain.

By lunch time I was in Wisbech so I stopped for fish and chips. I waited until I was out of town to eat them on a bench in the middle of a very small village. As I sat there, an elderly couple in a car stopped to talk. They'd lived in Prince George, BC, for six years and are back here but say they just can't re-settle. They want to return to Canada.

I rode the last 30 km to Spalding where the renowned Flower Parade is held on a Saturday in May. Today. I sat on a bridge over a canal and waited. I spoke with a couple from Lincoln for the time they waited. They plan to visit the US next year for some golf tournament that is played in the UK and the US alternately. The parade was a few hours late and it was no fun to be sitting on the bridge when the clouds blew in. Again, I was relieved when we had only a few drops of rain. But, the wind was very cold.

The parade finally came in - all in daffodils. This is the area where daffodils and tulips are grown. Fields and fields, and, there are daffodils growing like weeds in the ditches and alongside the road. It was simply amazing.

After the parade was over, I decided the cold was enough to stop any more biking (already 60 to 80 km) so I went to the tourist hut which was located in a 16 C building [Aycoughsee Hall] with fabulous gardens. Just down the road is an ancient pub/restaurant/hotel. I shall return to both in the morning for photos.

At the hut I arranged a B&B, then, with one of the workers we went to the fairgrounds to change a travellers' cheque. She and her boyfriend asked if I wanted to go out with them that night so we arranged a meeting time at the tourist hut as it was the only place I knew.

I came to the B&B in a private home where my room is on the third floor - access from the second floor up a ladder. Very clean, and a bathroom so I had a lazy, hot bath. I washed clothes, then 'dressed up' then went to a restaurant for 'pizza and chips' expecting a variation on the pizza as with the hamburger in Portugal [in 1982, with my parents and sister on a non-cycling trip] but all I got was what tasted like a McCain's frozen pizza. I also bought two scones - YUM!

I walked downtown and while I waited for Julie and Roy, I wandered through the trees of holly in the gardens at the tourist hut - amazing. They had a [Ford] Escort so we drove downtown then to the fairgrounds. Some of their friends were there, too, including Steve who had good musical tastes. Of course, we compared our tastes and exchanged opinions on Canadian, US and British bands. They all said I had an accent and for all they knew I could have been American - I corrected them. I told them about my trip, my school, Cochrane, my impressions of England, and Canada in general. I invited them home for the winter carnival (ie Polar Bear Dip).

I arrived back [to my room] at 11:30 pm and I'm watching some US movie on the television. One thing I don't like about England if their TV (except Doctor Who, of course). After a photo session here, I'm off to Lincoln tomorrow (60-80 km). I plan to stay there a day extra depending on how I feel. Two more days to York where I definitely plan for a longer stay.