I am currently waiting for my ferry to Caen, in a wet Portsmouth harbour. Despite the title, scenic delights in Portsmouth are somewhat few and far between, except for a few grandiose pieces of naval heritage tucked away on the sea front. Maybe the bleak townscape is designed to keep the french out, as I notice Plymouth and Dover have similar styling, if I'm not mistaken.
However the first day's ride was very good: all went smoothly, and I was fortunate to have the company of Adam, Ted and Sophie for the first day. A good start was made, with a classy break taken for elevenses at a fine establishment in Woking (OK, it was a choice between Wetherspoons or KFC, and I managed to resist my old penchant for the colonel's finest). A proper lunch stop followed in Midhurst, which was a welcome break before the scenic route (and steep hill) over the South Downs, to reach the coast.
There was some epic riding by all: congratulations to Sophie for not falling over at lights in the new clip-in shoes, although there was an early wobble in Vauxhall. Adam and Ted both breached the 90 mile mark for the first time, and got to experience the above mentioned delights of Portsmouth, which were worth holding out for! For me it was a last portion of proper chips before I head over the channel. I will miss the tea and bacon sarnie's too, and also the company of friends and family, but I am quite excited by the adventures to come, so I am looking forward to the ferry journey and my first day of cycling in France tomorrow.
A la prochaine mes amis
PS photos etc will follow when I find a proper internet cafe in a day or two
