Mayan Prophecy Countdown
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It was raining again today, what a surprise, but as soon as I finished another great big breakfast, it was time to get on the road. This time when I got to the henge, it was open, so I parked up near the security chaps and they said they would keep an eye on my bike, good on them 🙂 It was cold wet and blowy, and I guess the stones would be a lot less forbidding in the sun, so maybe I saw them in the best conditions 🙂 They were more impressive than I thought but the history is still unsure on many things, including why they are here and how they managed it. The entry fee included a small audio player and around the walkway were numbered points which had some significance and you listened to recorded stories at these places. As I have no paper copy, there is nothing much to say except a picture is worth a thousand words 🙂

The self guided tour takes around an hour or so and was well worth the visit, another check box ticked, although I don’t really have a bucket list, if I did, this would be on it 😉

Right, it was now around midday and time to head to Bury St Edmunds, it was only around 250km away, so I could take it easy and see what I could find, and the first thing was a large ammo tin cache hidden near a farm, quite an easy drive by for my first on English soil.

Then I had occasion to buy some fuel and some lunch, I decided to try out a BP servo, as back home they are the best for service and cleanliness, plus they have a good range of food, both hot and cold. Well, sadly to say their English counterparts are not up to Ozzie standards, one very small bar table with 4 stools was the only seating for about 10 people and the food choice was substandard. Next time I would try something else! This is lunch, a pizza in a dried out wrap, a packet of chips and coke, but it was enough to keep on going.

The next few hours were just boring old motorway again, but I did mange to spot another cache near an old railway bridge, after that there was nothing showing on my route, plenty off route but I already had two for the day, that is enough, time to meet the rellies.

So, around half three I arrived to find the house empty, and nowhere to park, but that was solved soon enough, Jane was out picking up the kids and was soon back home, well met Jane, Molly and Jack(Paul my cousin was still at work) 🙂

Some good news, my new SPOT had arrived. Thanks a lot to Gassoon, a member of the UK Vstrom forums, he had done the Ebay deal and I had sent him the dosh. I then had to register the unit which failed with an incorrect serial number. 😯 But, when I called SPOT help on Skype, they said my account was set up with a US based number system and they would have to change my account details to the European system. So, this took a fair amount of time but around midnight my time, the first OK message did come through, so it looks like I am back in business 🙂 The tracks will have to wait until I start moving, probably Monday when I go to London.

So, after a cuppa tea like, I was drafted into peeling potatoes for the evening meal of Toad in the Hole, and once that was done, I upgraded to beer 😉 Quite a few of the relatives turned up for the dinner, including a handful of kids, and I mean a handful, check out feeding time at the zoo 🙂 Around the table, is in front Nikolai, and moving left, Jack, Zachary, Molly and Isabella. Standing around keeping them under control is left to right, Hannah, Jane and Paul.

Auntie and Uncle Anne and Tony, dads brother.

Cousin Mark and his mum in law Isabella

Marks wife Theresa and her parents, Isabella and Lassa

And last but not least cousin Paul and his wife Jane, cooking fanatics 🙂

Dinner time for us once the little ones had finished 🙂

It was a good evening, great food, top people, although we lads did nearly get into trouble for slipping out to watch the footy on the teev after dinner 😉

Cheers from Bury St Edmunds
TravellingStrom