Bourn to be wild

There's twenty-odd cafés within easy cycling range of Shelford - and we've been to most of them. But having only visited The Stove once before, we thought it was high time for a return visit.

Slap bang in the middle of Bourn village, it's a delightful little place with plenty of seating indoor and out. Where better to sip coffee, munch good cake and catch up on everyone's holiday tales.

Refreshed, it was back on the bikes for the 11 mile return trip to Shelford.

For the record the turnout was Lewis, Graeme, Jenny, Jane, Hilary and three Brians. Well done, team!

And for reference, there's a list of all our favourite cafés here.

Bourn and back, 23 miles

Our Place in Space

Monday's ride took us on a 22 mile jaunt around the solar system. Stretching from Midsummer Common along the River Cam to Waterbeach, the Our Place in Space trail features scale models of the sun and planets recreated as art sculptures – an arch housing each planet with its name on an illuminated sign above.

A blue planet on a very brown Midsummer Common

Preparing for take off

Brian showed some reluctance to leave his home planet

Jane & Jim visiting Mars

Chris at Neptune . . .

. . . and Pluto

22 miles with a coffee stop at Waterbeach

A trip to Saturn

Sometimes we end up farther from home than expected. The return leg of Monday's outing to Oakington took us past Saturn where, naturally, we stopped for a photograph.

Jeremy, Hilary, Alan and Brian; way out in the solar system

It was one of the installations along the Our Place in Space art trail that's currently visiting Cambridge. Stretching some five miles along the river from Midsummer Common to Waterbeach, it provides some perspective on our little bit of the cosmos.

Saturn as viewed from the Chisholm Bridge

Back on earth we clocked up 24 miles and enjoyed coffee and cake at the Station House, Histon.

Maybe next week we'll tour the whole solar system.

24 miles (plus a space warp)