Kent Holiday, Day 2, Whitstable and Reculver, 9 July

Lovely sunny morning and a decent night's sleep apart from Hilary's difficulty with temperature of bed covers.  Good bacon & egg breakfast then into Canterbury to find the tourist office and pick up some guide books.  Asked about accommodation nearer to Ashford but they didn't have much information and couldn't phone for bookings so left it at that.

Lovely ride out of Canterbury mainly along a cycle track heading for Whitstable. Quite windy there but some brave souls sun bathing in the shelter of windbreaks, a couple even swimming.  The sea looked very uninviting, brownish with clumps of seaweed everywhere.

Rode on along the coastal cycle path, stopping at Herne Bay for a cuppa at the exorbitant price of 60p for tea, 80p for coffee.  Continued on to Reculver and rode up to the towers then, preserved as a navigation aid for shipping.

Doubled back and found nice pub for lunch, sitting outside on the terrace.

This photo of The King Ethelbert Inn is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Continued after lunch along quiet roads, turning off towards what should have been a cycle track beside the Stour.  Came to a level crossing with locked gates and a sign saying the route was closed.  Instead went along a path for a couple of hundred yards to another crossing and what turned out to be a very overgrown footpath.  In two about continuing but did so, enjoying a lovely route beside the river, albeit a bumpy one.

Stopped for a read and to cool feet in the river.  Restrained by Hilary from having a dip.

Emerged eventually from the path, at Fordwich, where there was a nice inviting pub for a beer and peanuts. Then found a splendid cycle track from there to Canterbury.  Decided to add a bit more to the ride by going down the cycle track towards Chartham, which was great apart from frequent cattle grids.  Had a nice choc Magnum and sit beside the playing field before heading back.

Showered and topped up on tea, then headed off into the city.  After a few false starts found a good eating place on the high street, finding a table outside on the back terrace.

The pies turned out to be only lukewarm so asked for them to be given another quick burst in the microwave, fine after that.  Ambled back along the riverside path for coffee and choc.  Hilary stayed up for a 2 hour filmed retrial documentary but all too much for me so succumbed to the call of sleep.