29. Apr, 2016

MONDAY 06-10-08 

Last night was a cold night; I eventually got up and put the heating on. We’d had a deep red sunset last night with a clear sky so I guess the temperature plummeted after that.

We woke this morning to a cloudy sky and a few spots of rain, so it was difficult to know what to wear. In the end we put our trust in the weather improving and went for our bike ride wearing light clothing. Today’s ride took us much further afield in this lovely Amish countryside. We did feel sorry for the occasional tourists passing us in their cars, they were missing so much. This peaceful, gentle way of life, coupled with the fresh air had to be sampled up close, even standing and watching the farmers cultivating their fields with their horse drawn equipment was relaxing. We saw several more horse and buggies, which we photographed and videoed as best we could as we had to respect their religion and not photograph their faces, shots from the rear were easy but from the front - how close can you let a buggy get before the occupants feel their faces will be seen? By being cautious so as not to offend meant we missed a lot of good pictures, never mind, as always on our travels we had to be mindful that we were visiting other people’s way of life and must be duly respectful. 

It was very noticeable how clean and tidy everywhere was. The fields and crops looked tidy and well tended, the grass verges were all neatly cut and there was no sign of litter anywhere. We ate our packed lunch on a picnic table in the large grassy grounds of a church before carrying on a bit further. When we got to the brow of the next hill we decided there was no point in going any further as the view was the same and any easy trip cycling down a hill becomes a hard slog up it on the return journey. 

When we got back to the RV we put our bits and pieces inside and then made for an Amish fruit farm just up the road from the campground. We ended up buying some apples, pears, tomatoes, cider and a bundle of logs costing just $3, elsewhere they’re usually $5 a bag. On our return I tried one of the pears and it was absolutely delicious, so I might pop up the road and get some more in the morning before we leave. 

This evening was spent by a real log campfire on which we cooked our evening meal – bacon, egg, tomato & mushrooms. The sky is again clear and cold with a frost possible tonight according to The Weather Channel which we’re watching this evening together with the History Channel. 

Tomorrow we are making our way to Gettysburg where we will visit the battlefield before moving on to Washington DC where we plan to stay for up to a week visiting the monuments and museums. 

LOCATION TONIGHT: Country Haven Campground, 354 Springville Rd, New Holland, PA 17557

29. Apr, 2016

29. Apr, 2016

29. Apr, 2016

29. Apr, 2016