Dirty Weekend

Literally. Took Husband away for a muddy weekend to celebrate his birthday:

Centre Parcs on Saturday – included a mud skin thingy for us both – covered each other in the stuff & were then steamed. Spent the afternoon cycling a whole 2.5 miles around the site & in the swimming area playing in the rapids & on the chutes – great fun! It did bring it home to me how much more confident I am in the water compared to a few years ago. Husband loved this bit! I’m sure he was something aquatic in a former life (fur seal or sea otter perhaps).
Back to the spa to use the Turkish steam room, Balinese steam room, Indian steam room, Japanese salt bath (actually, it’s another steam room) and Greek herb bath (still steamy).
It’s good value for a spa thingy – about the same for the 2 of us as it would be for one of us as a one off at Nirvana. Food and drinks were fine – fab carrot cake! However, it was much more crowded and Husband was pining for the Ocean room at Nirvana as the equivalent at Centre Parcs was a bit rubbish – although it was good being able to lie on my back looking up at the moon in the evening!

Spent Saturday night in a hotel about 15 miles from Longleat – lovely room with the rare distinction of having a bed as comfortable as our bed at home.

Sunday – Biking, trying out one from our new Rough Rides book. 15 miles of hard work – total ascent was double what we’ve done recently in the New Forest and progress was slow. Mud levels in places meant that wheels wouldn’t purchase when going up hill and ground us to a halt even on the flat! It was demanding enough for me not to feel guilty about having eggs & bacon for breakfast. Ride was well put together though with a minimum level of tarmac and very varied – woodland, chalk upland, some single track. It was useful to remind ourselves what non-New Forest riding is like – not so fast & requiring more brain work.