Day #10 - 12 - Worcester to Chorley

We've been waking up to flat tires on our trailer the past few days. Tiny little wires are poking through sabatoging our efforts. And I don't like it. 

Something else that I don't like but should be better written as pure hatred are the gates that guard the canals here in England. Typically, for a bike path there is some kind of barricade to prevent a car from entering. Or if it's a shared path then maybe they don't want a horse on part of it so the developers come up with an intricate, almost Chinese booby-trap system to navigate these gates. With a regular bike it's mostly manageable. But with a trailer it's virtually impossible - either because the barricade isn't wide enough or not tall enough or it has too many twists and turns. Or they just have stairs. On a bike path. Stairs. Like idiots. My blood has been boiling the past few days. It slows us down, especially having to unhook the trailer, etc.

In any case, you let me down, UK. After nearly two weeks of riding, I can say with confidence that you're not the most bike-friendly country. And make wider roads already. Or use smaller cars like Japan.

Without further ado, let's look at some pics.

Lots of canal riding in the West Midlands.

Holly wants to live in a canal boat someday.

I love passing by all the wildlife, especially the swans and geese families. 

We pass by some really nice homes and people living in decadence.

Look at the ancient bridges that people used in the Olden Days.

Some of them are really low that I have to duck.

This was towering above us in person. Like 5 levels.

So here you are riding your bike and you go under the bridge and come out the other side to be greeted by this stupid barricade. dumb.

Or even better, a set of stairs. 

Look at this silly street name.

Lily Rose saw Holly getting a fly out of my eye so she started saying she had one in her eye too and wanted it out 😂

Not all canal paths are created equal. Some are muddy and filled with poop and pee from the canal boaters that use the banks as their own personal toilet. I rode past a huge dump. And everything smelled like an outhouse for 100 yards. I was so mad.

I love this ancient bridge.

Slugging through this was a chore. Also, don't forget: Stinging Nettle.

Joaquim's first time on the swings! Do you think he likes it? He does!

Get to work!

I made her clean the tire. She did a poor job.

Gangster tunnel in Manchester.

Cats are pure evil. I made sure to scare this one away.

This ice cream was all good.

Preston Temple!