Books on Cycling Around the World

John Foster Fraser's "Round the World on a Wheel" could be the initial critical cycling book written. Fraser and two companions left London from St Pancras' Church in 1896 and spent two years cycling across Europe, Asia and America on their sturdy road-bikes just before returning to the exact same spot by what was then one of the classic cycling routes in London, Clapham Common, Kennington Park Road, Westminster Bridge Road ("how vile"), Westminster Bridge ("the dirty old Thames"), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus ("in the mass of site visitors we were nearer our deaths than we had been for two years"), Oxford Circus, Langham Location, Portland Road, "slithering more than the mire" Euston Road ("slithering more than the mire"), St Pancras' church. The book is a excellent classic of travel writing and properly-illustrated with photographs, including the three bikes.

Over a century later there are many cycling books that can be compared to Fraser's classic. Richard and Nicholas Crane cycled from the coast at Bangladesh across the Himalayas to the point in the world which is furthest from any sea. "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" is the sort of book that simply can't be put down. A pretty good book indeed and eminently readable.

Christopher Smith's "Why Don't You Fly Backdoor to Beijing - by bicycle" is proper up there with the finest travel books ever written. He's intelligent, funny, observant, and a particularly skilled writer. Cycling fanatics may possibly turn into irritated with his lack of technical know-how about his machine, but for everyone else, this is a terrific book!

For the fanatics, Beaumont's "The Man who Cycled the World" is maybe now too properly-known since it was a, profitable, try to beat the world record and was followed on tv. If your main interest is the actual cycling, the book is fascinating. It's a race against time and you are there on the saddle with him. A gruelling ride and a gruelling read.

Josie Dew's wrote about such topics as the perfect and consequently she is nicely acquainted to numerous urban cyclists. They will need to not miss "Wind in my wheels: Travel Tales from the Saddle". It is full of the sort of mishaps that happen to men and women on two wheels. She is not a natural travel writer, getting little interest in how the rest of the world lives and not significantly tolerance for cultures that are several from her own, but she is a cyclist and for those whose main interest is cycling, it is a superb read.

By way of a contrast Dervla Murphy's "Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle" has almost everything. A really awesome travel writer, she is also significant about her bike. This is a renowned book, a terrific read if you are not intending to do it yourself, and a storehouse of info if you are. One of the very best travel books ever written and certainly one of the preferred cycling books written.

An American slant is given by Barbara Savage's "Miles from Nowhere: A Round the World Bicycle Adventure". This story of an American couple who set out from Los Angeles to cycle across 5 continents is in no way a literary masterpiece, but it is warm, human and, in a number of locations, fairly funny. A further 1 for the bookshelf.

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The Five Greatest Unmissable London Tourist Attractions

London is one of the awesome capital cities of the world and if you are going to visit it there are 5 fantastic London tourist attractions that you simply can not afford to miss.

1. Number 1 on any tourists list has to be Buckingham Palace. Situated at the end of the globe well-known "Mall", Buckingham Palace is the official residency of The Queen (Queen Elizabeth) and is probably 1 of the most quickly recognizable buildings in the globe. A "should see" event for any tourist to take in is the ceremony of "The Altering of the Guard" which takes location at 11:30AM each and every day in the summer months, and every single other day in the rest of the year. It's a amazing sight, full of the renowned British pomp and ceremony. Make positive you don't miss it.

two. The second distinctive London tourist attraction is the Tower of London. Standing guard more than the river Thames, the Tower of London was built over 1000 years ago by William the Conqueror. It has been a royal palace and a prison, and it was here that Queen Anne Boleyn (one of the wives of Henry VIII) was beheaded. It is also infamous for getting the place of imprisonment for King Richard II, and Queen Elizabeth I, and it was also here that the "Two Princes" had been incarcerated, by no means to be observed once again. It is also the place that witnessed the interrogation of Guy Fawkes, whose failed gunpowder plot to blow up the houses of Parliament is nonetheless commemorated right now on the 5th of November, a night of Fireworks and Bonfires identified as Bonfire Night. On a less gloomy note, The Tower houses the incomparable "Crown Jewels" one of the most renowned jewelry collections in the world, worn on occasion by Queen Elizabeth II at a number of state functions. The Tower's other claims to fame are the well-known Beefeaters in their unique finery and regalia, and the Ravens of which it said that if they ever desert the Tower, London will fall.

3. The third London tourist attraction that just has to be observed is Tower Bridge. Situated next to the Tower of London, it strands the river Thames and is a superb piece of architecture and a brilliant piece of Victorian engineering. Built as the second crossing more than the Thames (London Bridge was the original crossing), it is a Bascule bridge which indicates it can be raised (and still is right now) to permit ships to pass underneath.

four. The fourth critical London tourist attraction is Maritime Greenwich which is sited amid stunning grounds on the banks of the river Thames. This is a globe heritage website and houses the Royal Observatory. It is the property of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and sits on the Meridian longitude line .

5. Lastly, our fifth not to be missed London tourist attraction is of course The Houses of Parliament. As soon as again, situated on the banks of the Thames, it is a masterpiece of architectural design and has one of the easiest recognized visages anywhere in the world. It is where British Government enacts its workings and is also home to the renowned Huge Ben, the giant clock whose chimes are affectionately know the globe more than.

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North Norfolk Family Holidays 8 'Time-Travelling' Family Activities to Explore the Historic Coast

The North Norfolk coast is a pretty particular place to me as it is exactly where I grew up, and as a child fell in adore with its rich heritage of historic locations that very first sparked my interest in our British History. From the Prehistoric to World War II, there is so much to discover and discover and I'd like to share my local information for any person who is searching for a unique 'time-travelling' family activity holiday in the region.

Due to its remote location on the most eastern component of the British Isles - jetting out into the North Sea, the North Norfolk coast offers a unique assortment of family holidays compared to the rest of the country mainly because of the varied coastal landscape and distinctive wildlife environments. The gorgeous geographic capabilities that ranges from the chalk cliffs and beaches to small ports and harbours dotted along the coast that roll inland with arable land, a patchwork blanket of crops which are reflected by the massive Norfolk skies, which attracts thousands of visitors and holiday makers to the region each year and why I advise visiting the location with a historic twist.

As well as the many miles of sandy beaches that attracts families who are searching for a traditional seaside holiday residing at a selection of accommodation. North Norfolk has a wide range on supply from seaside hotels, guest houses and bed & breakfasts to self catering rentals, fantastic for those families searching for British holiday or for bigger families the choice of staying 1 of the quite a few caravan parks or camp sites in the location. North Norfolk has a numerous sorts of holidays on supply for families, great for those looking for an outdoor activities holiday like cycling, water sports and sea-fishing or enjoying the wildlife like bird watching. And there are diverse corporations that also provide boating holidays, and brief cruises along the coast for those seeking a holiday on the water and there are countless sailing schools that offer sailing lessons for any budding sailor.

Then again, I would like to show you what North Norfolk can offer those interested in all ages of history, with some activities that are totally free to do, fantastic for kids of all ages who really like history from dinosaurs to knights and castles as nicely as fascinating areas to pay a visit to with my neighborhood information to guide you on a time-travelling adventure for your household to come and discover our wealthy and diverse history and also take pleasure in the wonderful North Norfolk countryside and wildlife.

So who's ready for an adventure that travels across the history of Britain? I'm going to take you way back in time to the end of the Ice Age and the last of the dinosaurs and the start off of mankind and early tribes. Onwards to the a number of invasions of Norfolk due to the fact of its seaside location that starts with the Romans, then the Saxons and the Vikings raided after, followed by the Normans and on via Medieval instances, by means of to the wool trade in the 17th Century and getting close to our present time again, Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar in the 19th Century, finally coming into the last century, and the remains still left by the two World Wars- all leaving their mark on North Norfolk landscape for you and your family members to discover much more about when holidaying in the region. Are you ready? Here we go then...

1. The West Runton Mammoth - Prehistoric
- The fossilized remains of a mammoth had been located in the cliffs among Cromer and West Runton and exactly where they managed to excavate nearly a complete skeleton. On display in Cromer Museum and Norwich Castle Museum.
- The area was developed at the end of the last Ice Age by the retracting ice sheets and glacier movement. As a kid, we utilised to walk from Cromer to West Runton is about three miles, along the beach and cliff side which is a amazing place to appear for fossils and rock hunting and is free activity to do.
- I would recommend that you check the when the tides are, check out as the tide is going out to see if the sea has uncovered any fresh samples and also be conscious of the tides and not get caught out by them.

two. Seahenge - Early Bronze Age
- One of the earliest examples of a wooden seahenge was located on Holme Beach and was featured on Channel 4's Time Team series.
- The fossilized wooden stumps were meticulously excavated and taken to be preserved for future study ahead of they were completely reclaimed by the sea. Carbon dating of samples taken from the middle upturn tree trunk dated the wood circle to 2000 BC and had shown it had survived for more than 4000 years.
- You can now see the Seahenge and discover its fascinating story at Lynn Museum in King's Lynn and learn about the early settlers who crafted and developed the Seahenge as their religious and ritual place.

three. Warham Camp - Iceni
- This is one of my favourite locations in North Norfolk, and is a bit difficult to obtain but worth the effort. From the crossroads by pub in the centre of Warham village, heading up past the church, about a mile down the winding country lane on the suitable-hand side, there is a gap in the hedge line and a track way.
- Please park sensible, off the road as significantly as possible and not blocking the entrance to farmer's fields.
- If you walk down the track it leads to a double ditched Iceni encampment that is a moon crescent shape circling the field down to the River Stiff. There is an info board by the gate at the bottom of the track.
- When I came here as a kid, we utilised to bring a picnic and devote hours running about the mounds and searching for flint arrow heads.
- Be aware that from time to time there are cows in this field so dogs need to be preserve on leads.

4. Pedlar's Way - Roman Fort at Brancaster - Roman
- Pedlar's Way is a prehistoric track that the Romans utilized that goes from Rushford in the centre of Norfolk by means of Castle Acre to Holme subsequent the Sea exactly where it joins the North Norfolk Coastal Path. For those that like a great walk - 150 km of incredible Norfolk countryside.
- There is a Roman Fort at Brancaster that you can walk round for those with young young children. Several of the museums locally have Roman artefacts on display that have been discovered locally. This is mainly because Norfolk was an vital landing web page for the Romans and there are many signs of Roman occupancy in Norfolk, from earthwork remains of forts and villas as nicely as the many straight A-roads that across the county which are considered to be Roman in origin.
- Also you can see other Roman track methods under the sea on clear water days', when taking a boat trip out to see the seals towards Blakeney Point.

five. Castle Rising - 12th Century Castle and Earthworks - Norman
- Castle Rising is just north of King's Lynn, on the A149.
- Castle Rising was built in the 12th Century and is one of England's finest examples of a Norman Castle and enormous earthworks that surround the maintain and ruins.
- The Castle is open all year apart from Christmas. The grounds are cost-free to wander round and you can go to the castle for a reasonable admission (£4 for adults, £2.50 for juniors or a household ticket of two adults and 2 kids £12) and to learn the wonderful history of this castle and castle life.
- During the summer the Castle has Medieval Re-enactment weekends where you can see knights in armour jousting and take in medieval life, please check with the site for dates.

6. Medieval Churches - Medieval
- Norfolk has even more examples of Medieval Churches than anywhere else in the country.
- You are welcome to check out and taking in architecture and grace of the buildings. For an arty afternoon activity, why not take paper and crayons and take brass rubbing from the grave plaques (being careful not to mark or cause harm).
- When I was a kid, we applied to take pleasure in the ruins of Binham Priory and the creating is a fantastic example of medieval religious buildings as properly as Small Walsingham which is a religious shrine given that medieval instances.

7. King's Lynn - 17th Century Port and Quayside
- King's Lynn developed as a port from the medieval occasions and by the 17th Century was a thriving port. There are a assortment of areas to visit from the 15th Century Custom Property (now the town's tourist workplace) on the quay-side to the Weaver's Cottages and the wool trade that was an important portion of the local heritage. From the 17th Century onwards King's Lynn became an important port for the grain trade between England and Europe.
- There are three decent museums to visit - Town Residence Museum of Lynn Life, True's Yard Fishing Heritage Museum and Lynn Museum that discover the maritime and rural heritage of the local folks. You can visit lots of of Norfolk's museums with a Museum Pass readily available from their web site: .

8. Sea Defences - Cley Beach - 20th Century
- Along the beach at Cley-next-the-Sea (and several other beaches along the coast) there are a variety of concrete pillar boxes that had been utilised in the course of the Initially and Second World War as appear out posts.
- You can nonetheless have a appear inside and get a feel of the past times spent searching out to sea, waiting for the German invasion.
- Just down the road at Weybourne is The Muckleburgh Collection, the largest private collection of tanks and militia, which is open to the public in the course of the summer for those that are interested.
- There are also numerous airfields across the region too, and you can nonetheless see an RAF observation dome just past Langham.

So that was my 'time-travelling' strategies for visiting North Norfolk on a historic trip for the loved ones to get pleasure from and explore the range of history on present in the area. I hope that you have discovered the information and facts provided in-depth sufficient for you and your family to be interested in visiting the area and discovering the neighborhood history that as a kid fascinated me and inspired a lifelong passion in our British heritage. I know that there are several other areas of historic interest in Norfolk and if you would like to add to my time-travelling guide with suggestions, please leave a comment. You can obtain all your holiday details for North Norfolk on-line at

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