Mud fun in New Forest

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Sunday afternoon I went for a ride in the New forest with Sarah. After a late wake up and a satisfying bruch with panckakes, beacon, chocholate milk and cereals we headed for Southampton Train Station where we took the train to the center of new forest: Brockenhurs.
It was a bit cold, and the sun was mostly covered by clouds, nevertheless we started cycling with the idea to get to the sea through bike and foot paths. Even if we started a competition to see how many wild animals we could see, we soon lost track of the score: too many ponys. Some of them where nice and friendly, others slowly walked away when we tried to aproach them.
Next time I go there I want to buy a proper map, because the one we used was not really detailed and soon we got lost in in the numerous paths that cross the forest...that actualy in not a forest at all!! The route that I recreated through google maps is not exactly the one we followed: I can't recall all the detorus we took. We took it easy, cycling slowly and enjoying the landscape that is mostly grassland and bog. The "New" Forest was established as a deer-hunting ground in 1079 by William the Conqueror. It was a comon land, this means that the Commoners were allowed to graze thei animals, dig clay and gather wood in the area, and most of these rights are still valid now!
On saturday afternoon it rained a lot, so most of the paths were really muddy. It was fun to face those conditions with a bike that obviously is not meant for it: the wheel kept sliding and sinking in the ground, but the small weight of the bike and the absence of frictions allowed to travel smoothly on grass and hard ground. Someone would say "lovely"...!
Anyways, after finding some deers we finally got to the sea. The sun was setting, we finally saw the Needles which we couldn't see in October, and we decided to cycle along the coast to Lymington, and then take the train back home. But we didn't consider the fact that there isn't a proper path! Just a narrow track, often blocked by fences that finally ends in a bright and wet green field. When we managed to get out and find a proper road our feet were soaked, our shoes covered with mud and the bikes were dirty as well. In the cold night we struggled with our last strokes on the peddals and finally we found the station.
Best way to recover from this small but tiring trip? A nice, hot, homemade Pizza!