Though the Summer Solstice in East Anglia wasn’t a bright sunny day there was no rain; so we enjoyed cycling around the back lanes on the Essex Suffolk borders.

Having had a fair amount of rain and snow recently nearby (in Sudbury) the fields are perhaps a bit behind the normal growing season. There is of course a downside to lush vegetation – Aphids by the million drifting across lanes and onto clothes and body but a great plus as Poppies seem to be making a comeback – here mixed in a field of Rape .

There are so many nice sights on the route we took – one of my favorites is this picture perfect thatched cottage – complete with dove cots .

Thatching is so expensive to maintain – probably needing a new roof every 20 years or so that in some places the building is simply left to rot away, as happened with a small resteraunt we used to go to when younger.