After one tremendously nerve wracking cycle, meaning getting off about twenty times, pushing the bicycle passed the waiting cars, blushing at the incredulous looks that was given, and some nasty ones, we reached the river! And there was this wonderful cycle road, with no cars allowed! I still was a wee bitty scared, as a lot of cyclists were out on their morning run, and as the little road was so narrow, I still got off when I saw a group approaching, and very nonchalantly looked at the views, hoping that I indeed looked like a salted cyclist, just enjoying the countryside. Irma was much amused, but later on she got a bitty impatient, but I just kept my upper lip stiff, and tried not to fall off the bicycle!
The brambles were indeed giving there best, and the branches were loaded with beautiful ripe berries! Of course we just saw the berries, and not what was underneath the bushes, and soon we were both running in circles, our legs on fire! We never noticed that the low vegetation underneath the bramble bushes were nettles, and soon our poor legs were all red and swollen, and SORE!!
But being 'hardy' South Africans, we ooh and aah-ed until the pain had subsided, and then tried to flatten the nettles enough so we could reach the bally berries, which was winking and glittering in their full glory! It was not the end of the pain, the nettles having a wonderful ability to jump back up just when we leaned over them, our bellies exposed, and gave us a good swipe, sending us off screaming and doing a fair bit of swearing!
We were quite upset when another couple stopped, took two huge bags from their saddle bags, and started filling them up. As we had already flattened the nettles, they had a lot less to cope with than the two of us, and besides that, they were expert berry pickers, avoiding the sharp thorns of the bramble bush with a lot more ease than we did!
But it was a brilliant morning, the sun giving its best, and afterwards we found a nice spot where we just lay on the gras, Irma thinking nice thoughts, as her face were serene and calm, while I was suddenly hit by the hideous thought that I had soon to go on the road again! the thought that this time I had a loaded saddlebag was quite disconcerting, and quite spoiled the wonderful sunshine and views for me!