Monmouth to Cardiff - Day 15

Fewer miles today after yesterday's 55 miler we chugged along for 42 miles.

Shirt sleeve weather from 8:30 a.m, an unheard of treat and an impossibly beautiful run via Raghlan via Usk to Newport.  

Now what have you lost?

Fabulous hazy countryside

We have decided that everyone should travel the road Monmouth to Cwmbran and then down the Monmouth - Brecon canal.  The roads are narrow and travel through great green swathes but the views are truly spectacular.

On the way up to Coed y Paen & Llandegfedd Reservoir.
The top of a good climb which was followed by 1:6 climb

Water lilies along the Monmouth- Brecon canal

Volunteers are restoring locks along the canal

As we headed into Cwmbran and saw the hills all around it looked like we might have a difficult afternoon ahead of us.  After some fiddly negotiation around the north of Cwmbran we tracked down Route 49.  A canal, what does that mean?  Cycling was great all the way down to Newport.  We stopped and chatted to the volunteers who were chipping away and bricks and mixing concrete with total abandon.  Good job lads!

On down to Newport in search of a cup of tea we pulled into The Riverside, Newport's fab new Arts Centre.  There on the menu board was lunch - Large Salad (we remember salad; fresh, green, red, yellow, healthy).  Pytsje (pronounced Peacha) and her colleague were the world's best hostesses and loaded a huge bowl of salad with tomatoes, olives, rice, new potatoes, lettuce, rocket, mixed beans and pulses - getting the picture?  This was topped with slices of FRESH baguette and turkey.

We recommend the journey from Monmouth to Newport to finish at The Riverside - it's a MUST DO!

This route in to Newport certainly beats the M4 that goes
over the bridge ahead of Jake

The pillars are reflected in the canal
The rumble above is considerable!

Huge sculpture outside The Riverside, Newport

The Transporter Bridge, Newport