Walk like an Egyptian

F and I met this Egyptian goose while on our cycle ride from Kingston to Windsor (26 miles). It was gloriously sunny and the whole ride made for one of the best days of the year so far for us. Lots of lovely smells of the vegetation sunbathing, and we saw plentiful kayaks, rowboats, motorboats and canoes on the Thames, along with great-crested grebes, many swans, geese and ducks. I'm amazed the cycle route wasn't more busy!

At one point, at Weybridge, we rang a bell to summon a ferryman on the shore opposite to come and fetch us, bikes and all. This shows you the view from the other side - the bell is at the top of the steps and the ferry is the wee boat with the lifebuoys.

At Runnymede, we parked our bikes to pay our respects at the Air Forces Memorial, which has inscribed on its walls over 20,000 names of those lost in action with no known grave. It's a beautiful place with great views over Windsor and Heathrow. (I think I could just about see the missing baggage pile.) There were parakeets everywhere, but as they land seemingly in only the highest spots, I didn't manage to catch a clear shot of one.

We reached Windsor in good time and appreciated a hearty, slap-up meal. Yum!