On the Road Again

I always get excited when setting off on another cycling adventure, so the light drizzle as I was leaving home this morning did not dampen my spirits. The first leg of my journey was a train ride from London Waterloo to Portsmouth on the south coast of England. One would not normally choose to stay in such a forgettable town as Portsmouth, but the ferry to Cherbourg in France leaves at 9:00 am tomorrow morning and I have to be at the ferry port before 8:00 am because they always load the bicycles before the cars. I haven’t seen anything in Portsmouth yet that warrants a photo.

In London you can take a folded bike on the tube anywhere and anytime, but you can only take a non-folded bike where shown on the BicycleTube Map. To get to London Waterloo station to catch the train to Portsmouth I therefore had to travel by good old reliable bicycle. No problem at all … I just developed a nice safe route that took me along Ladbroke Grove, Holland Park walk, South Kensington, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, and Westminster Bridge. Naturally I couldn’t resist taking a few photos along this interesting route. Just as well I allowed plenty of time to meet my Waterloo because I was delayed for a while near Buckingham Palace while the palace guards crossed the road, looking resplendent in their red coats and 18-inch black helmets (which I think are still made from bearskins in spite of protests from “People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals”).

The train journey was scenic but uneventful, at least it was uneventful until a seemingly nice young couple boarded the train and sat right opposite and facing me. Like me the young man had a bicycle with him, so of course we struck up a conversation. When I asked him whether he had been to Australia, he explained that he is not allowed to travel because he has a criminal record, having spent some time inside. He then proceeded to tell me his rather tragic life story. About ten years ago he got into a fight which, according to him, was not entirely his fault. All he did was get drunk one night and head-butt a phone box, which annoyed the 22 stone occupant who opened the door and started swinging. My new found friend won the battle, but for his efforts he was sent down for two and a half years. When I said this seemed a bit steep for just a scrimmage, he admitted that he did kick his opponent a few times in the head while he was on the ground! But he said he was young and stupid at the time, and I believed him when he said he has turned his life around. However, this means nothing when he applies for a proper job or dreams of travelling.

The forecast for the next few days in Normandy looks promising (only about 20 degrees, but clear skies) so I am looking forward to catching the ferry to Cherbourg tomorrow morning and commencing my Tour de Manche ride the following day. It is good to be rolling again!