Today was book-ended with pastel colours and quintessential English scents. Last night I wild bivvied in a North Norfolk field margin overflowing with wild flowers, and, near Norwich, at the end of my 34th day in the saddle, I rode across a dual-carriageway-spanning rail trail nature bridge that had been artfully planted with wild flowers.

On twitter, I wrote that I had bivvied between wild flowers next to a Roman road bridleway close to Nelson’s birthplace. An idyllic picture. What I didn’t mention was that the wild flowers attracted a profusion of bugs and slugs. I wrote yesterday’s ride update inside the cramped bivvybag protected by the insect net. Before that I had been an evening meal for mosquitoes, and I have the tell-tale red blotches to prove it.

Even once inside the bivvybag the mozzies buzzed around the insect net and I had to keep swatting to dislodge those that landed. Slugs of several different types and sizes had managed to weedle their way into the bivvybag and those that I found were flicked to freedom. In the morning a bunch of grey slugs and several large black ones had taken up residence on the Tailfin bags.

I had been woken by the strange, pained barking of a nearby dog or dogs, with the direction of the barking changing and sometimes getting closer. I assumed I had been rumbled, and packed up my gear with resignation to my fate. Not that any landowner could do much now that I’d had my sleepover, and anyway even if caught before the night was out, I could only be asked to leave. That “trespassers will be prosecuted” claim is bunkum — I do no damage, leave no mess.

By 4.30am, under grey skies and slight rain, I was packed and retraced my way back to the road. The lackluste and damp start to the day meant no dawn drone flight, as had been my plan. I like to wild camp when there’s a sunrise to capture.

Today was a loop day — a route for the book, that is, and I don’t share those GPS plots – but I ended roughly where I started which is at the entrance gate to Holkham Hall and its expansive estate.

Further down the road several old sports cars came towards me, with some drivers pulling in to give me room to pass but others didn’t, forgetting they were meant to be ambassadors for their marques. Each car sported a white and blue pass denoting the convoy participants were taking part in the 30th Charles Clark Classic Car Rally.

Most of today’s ride was on narrow Norfolk lanes. There are often many separate, duplicated roads to Norfolk towns and villages meaning the narrowest lanes are often blissfully free of motorists.

Nearer Norwich I switched on to the Marriott’s Way. This is a glorious, 26-mile rail trail but I was on it only for the last six miles or so. I entered the trail over a nature bridge planted with verges filled with grasses and wild flowers. As the bridge crossed the Broadland Northway A1270 dual carriageway I knew this would make for a good drone photograph and I took shots from several angles, including not just me but also other cyclists — the bridge was busier than the road beneath at times.

I’m now in Norwich for three nights, and will be doing one book loop before heading to Diss and another loop.