Touring around on a bike

[bikepackinguk]

A snowy day spent crossing Crib Goch! My plans for completing the horseshoe were a little scuppered by the pretty awful weather coming in, so decided to go with the contingency plan and trek back down to Llanberis after hitting the summit.

Some pretty hairy going at times with the ridges requiring careful navigation in the snow, but eventually made it round to get a well earned pint and hot pub meal.

Very few photos taken due to the soggy conditions up in the clouds, but we'll see what the Gopro managed to capture once back home. For now, it's an early lie down in the tent to rest up the legs before tomorrow's journey back.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

I've spent a lot of time last year riding past and around some very pretty mountains, but it's been far too long since I've headed up one, so it's off to North Wales!

The weather is about usual for Snowdonia for this time of year, meaning a good deal of wind and rain, but there's plenty of snow visible higher up. Hopefully the wind won't be too unkind in the morning!

It's also nice to be camping with my main tent (Vango Spectre 300) rather than my lil stealthy one-person tent for a change, so I can fit in a few luxuries like a decent camp bed. And it's been freshly re-waterproofed to provide a good shield from the elements. With luck a good night's sleep will allow me to get up to Pen-Y-Pass early tomorrow and crack at it.

[bikepackinguk]

Summary Post - Thank you

It's been a bit! A couple of weeks spent getting some much needed R&R and letting the tired muscles repair and catching up with friends & family down South.

I've more stats and summary bits still being collated to round off this adventure, the end of which is finally starting to sink in a little, but in the meantime I do have many thanks to give to many people.

Journeys like this don't happen in a vaccuum, and I've had some wonderful support from many folk before, during, and after the riding has finished.

Whether it's been logistical help, financial support, helping keep me sane with some cheerleading, or the shared camaraderie on the road, I have a massive appreciation for everyone who got involved on this journey and you all made an incredible difference.

So, in no particular order, a great many thanks to these amazing folk who helped me out:

My lovely Nan & Mum El, Josie, and Steve Sarah Dan & Claire Nerys Ellie Anna & Luke Gary Ian Drew & Splash Rebl Sunday Night Games Crew and all the other awesome folk on Discord Graham & Jenny Morgan Derek Rich Kirsty Mike

I'm sure there are plenty still missing from this list. There are so many others I crossed paths with whilst riding around who showed some amazing kindness and many of you I didn't even think to exchange details beyond a hearty thank you at the time. You are so incredibly appreciated.

It's very easy when sat at home watching the news or browsing social media to believe that so many people in the world are horrible. But the truth is that the vast majority of folk are genuinely decent human beings, and journeys like this really do help to reaffirm that knowledge.

Thank you everyone who has helped make this something I will remember for the rest of my life.

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Nine

On we go for the final push!

The A2 is horrifically busy as I push through the evening, but I decide to keep firmly out of the traffic and slowly schlep along the pavement.

Not technically legal but I keep a low pace to avoid inconveniencing pedestrians, and even a few of them comment that they don't blame me for avoiding the road proper. I even ride alongside a few police vans who similarly turn a blind eye.

On through Chatham and Rochester, it's a busy Saturday night with plenty of revelry and carousing going on as I plod on through the streets and iver the River Medway.

Out the other side of Strood, the A2 converts from a suburban thoroughfare to a major dual carriageway. Fortunately there is a loop around through some back roads here to head along the trails beside the traffic.

I'm very glad I packed my bike lights as the route through the forested sections is pitch black, and out beside the road is little better. Though my front light has taken some water damage over the trip and is being pretty temperamental; I can only hope it manages to hold on through the night.

I maintain a slow and steady pace to carry on as if there are any obstructions or holes in the road then I won't see them until the last moment.

The dark trails lead on, periodically emerging into the light to navigate around a junction before sliding once more slipping back into the depths of night.

The trails finally begin to peel away from the A2 as the pavements join the A296 to lead in to Stone, where some navigating through the streets takes me up to the large junction at the Dartford Crossing.

Cycling isn't allowed through the tunnel nor over the bridge, but there is a free government-run service to take bicycles across. I follow the cycle trail round the junction and down to the waiting area, which has a dedicated phone line to call for a pickup.

I haven't even touched the phone when I'm greeted by a nearby worker for the Highways Agency and within the blink of an eye the bike is loaded onto the back of a van and securely tethered with bungee cords.

Onwards! I'm driven around the maintenance roads and down into the tunnel under the River Thames, accompanied by an escort of flashing warning lights from the agency vehicle ahead of us. Very swiftly it's over to the dropoff point north of The Thames and I'm back in Essex for the first time in over three months.

Time for the home stretch! Up along the paving past Lakeside Shopping Centre, I headnout from Grays and onto the A1013 as it heads along beside the more tradficked A13 to reach Stanford-le-Hope, before skirting around the edge of Basildon to get around the nastier parts of the A13.

Many of the street lights in the region are turned off in the quieter parts of night here, and the roads are again bathed in darkness which makes for very slow and careful progress.

There's a stiff climb up into Hadleigh, then some more cautious riding to lead down through Leigh-on-Sea to head back to the shoreline, where the street lighting is much improved.

A few climbs are surmounted around the cliffs by Leigh, before I roll down to pick up the cycle pathing at Westcliff-on-Sea and begin the last push eastwards.

It's on past some major locales of my childhood here, with the ride heading along Southend seafront and its famously long pier lit up over the water.

Past the arcades and amusement park, I roll on along the coast with the sound of the waves lapping the shore.

The Thames Estuary has long flat plains leading very far out, meaning the water can be over a mile away at low tides. I feel fortunate that my timing means the sea is present for the last few miles.

Around Gunners Park and through the twists of The Garrison, I head down to East Beach at Shoeburyness.

This is the very final piece of navigable coastline possible to reach on my long journey, and being the closest beach to where I grew up is one I have many memories of.

As I have done at many points along my journey, I head down and touch the sea one last time, before saddling up for the final furlong.

With perfect timing, my front light finally gives up the ghost as I hit the road at Shoebury, but even in the depths of night I know this stretch by heart.

Along the road and around the fields I head up and into Great Wakering, where I departed three and a half months ago, to be greeted by my lovely mama.

I'm done! Damn! I can still barely believe this incredible adventure is at an end. It'll sink in sooner or later I'm sure, but in the meantime I think I'll be getting some much needed downtime to recover from months spent on the road.

I'll be making a few summary posts in time, including stats for the journey, kit list, and others including the thanks owed to so many amazing dolk who have helped me along on this voyage.

In the meantime, I think I've earned a drink. In fact, several. I'm going to get drunk.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Eight

Up this morning to a lovely view above Folkstone after lying down to a beautiful sunset. There's not too much further to go on my journey, so it's time to get at it!

Back up the last of the cliffside and it's a roll across to Capel-le-Ferne, where the streets are nice and quiet in the still air of the morning.

I head down past the Battle of Britain memorial and down the road to cross over the A20 as I say farewell to the faithful NCN Route 2. I've been following it on-off since the other side of Exeter, but with it terminating shortly ahead I take to the road for a long zoom down into the centre of Dover.

Around the streets and taking a stopoff for supplies, I carry on to the east of town to connect with the start of NCN Route 1 and begin a slog up around the castle overlooking the Channel.

Around the castle, it's time for a push uphill as I climb up atoo Dover's iconic White Cliffs, overlooking the busy ferry port and with France visible across the water.

Off around the clifftops, it's a long gradual descent through St Margaret's Bay and down some leafy lanes for an enjoyable easy ride to the waterside at Kingsdown.

It's a lovely long stretch of dedicated cycle pathing here, with the path lined with honeysuckle and it's wonderful aroma filling the air as I follow the trail all the way through Deal.

The route hits the roads once more to head around the expansive estate lands around the coast before heading through to the ancient town of Sandwich, where I cross the old toll bridge to head onto Route 15 as it loops around the north east edge of Kent.

I have an run alongaide the A256 awhile as it heada northwards, before turning off at Ebbsfleet to ride through the pretty surroundings of Pegwell Bay Country Park, with a view of the cliffs around Ramsgate ahead.

Entering Ramsgate, it's back to the roads again for a trek through the streets over the clifftops, before dropping back to sea level again past the busy harbour and sunny beach.

It's another climb back up the cliffs on the other side of the harbour, but then on to a nice wide area atop the cliffs out of traffic, with a lovely run of riding to be had as I head further around the coastline.

On around the top of the cliffs I carry on, past the busy streets of Broadstairs and down to an extensive promenade section after Botany Bay Beach.

The promenade runs for miles past Margate, offering a great coastal ride out of traffic. Unfortunately several sections are closed off to cycling by local council by-laws despite being a part of a National Cycle Route, and I take to the road above the beaches once again.

After Minnis Bay there's some great going along the top of the coastal defense walls, with a long ride westward to the old Roman fort at Reculver.

NCN 15 heads up over the hills on some grassy trails from here, which isn't ideal whilst I'm nursing a buckled wheel, but with the miles ticking down I'm in a bullish mood and set the legs spinning to charge my way up and over.

Back onto the paved roads on the other side, the route heads in through Herne Bay, with a view of the Isle of Sheppey ahead.

I carey on my way around the roads to head through to Margate, where I stop off for a needed refuel and resupply. An idea is forming in my head, which those who remember my LEJOG ride may guess at, and top up on a few additional provisions.

Route 15 reconnects with Route 1 here, which I jump back onto as it heads through Seasalter and around the wayerside before heading through the farmlands to roll into Faversham.

I'm not in much mood for stopping and keep the legs pumping as the route heads back out around the nuce surroundings of Oare Gunpowder Works Country Park.

The meandering route is starting to add a lot of unnecessary mileage at this point in the day, so I drop onto the London Road as it charts a straighter course along through some quiet villages and into the town of Sittingbourne.

With evening approaching, I'd usually be hunting for a spot to rest up for the night at this point. However, It's not a terrible distance further to the crossing at Dartford, and after that is the final home stretch to go past Southend-on-Sea. I've no need to pace myself if the journey's end is in sight. So, it's time for some charging onward through the night.

Riding through the roads feels like it'd be very unsafe but the long A2 is well furnished with pavement through these dense urban and suburban areas, meaning I can happily plod along out of traffic and slowly make my way.

As I write this, the sun has gone down and I'm giving the legs a break beside the road at Rainham. It's around 20 miles to Dartford, then 40 more to the finish line.

Let's do this!

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Seven

It's a brisk morning as I wake in the pre-dawn twilight in a park bench in Pevensey. I have my bivvy huddled around me to keep me nice and warm, but I know I'll soon miss the chill air. It's another clear sky above meaning the temperature will soon rise!

I get my gear stowed away once more and it's back to the road again, following Route 2 as it loops past Pevensey and heads out around the Pevensey Levels.

I'm soon back to the shore once more at Normans Bay, and the road leads on into Hastings.

It's another long stretch of coastline riding along the promenade sections here, and with the sun rising over the water makes for a beautiful start to the day.

Right along the length of Hastings' beach I ride, before the route swings inland to track up and around the cliffs past Hastings Old Town.

After an initial steep grind up through the back roads, the path leads on to a long steady climb into the hills of Hastings Country Park. It's some effort in the rising heat, but the nice leafy surrou offer some nice scenery as well as appreciated shade.

Cresting the hills, the route leads back out to the roads once again, and it's off on a zooming downhill through Fairlight.

It's at this point where my.bike begins to make some very worrying noises, which worsen as my pace increases. fearing the worst, I pull over to try and figure out what's awry.

Alas, what I find is one of the worst outcomes I'd been fearing over this adventure - one of the spokes on my rear wheel has gone kaput and snapped.

That's a fairly major problem! There's a significant buckle to the wheel, and the spoke in question is threaded behind the rear chainset. In most circumstances, modern bikes can be maintained and repaired with a fairly basic set of tools, but this is one situation that requires some more specialised equipment which I do not have with me.

With a check of the map showing no bike shops within many miles, I'm going to have to get my own way out of this. Whilst properly trueing a wheel can be a bitnof a dark art, it's not something I'm proficient at, though I do have a spoke wrench in my pack for emergencies such as this.

I manage to snap off as much of the spoke as I can to prevent it making its way into any other components and set to work. With a little trial and error I'm able to at least get the rim righted enough that the wheel can rotate freely - it's very much a temporary fix and there's still a bit of buckle going on, but it should be enough to at least get kenin motion once more.

Hell, with only a couple hundred miles left in this voyage, it might even be enough to see me home, but I'll have to take some care and a pinch of luck for that. But I've had a good dose of that so far, and Ol' Bessie is quite a tank of a bike, so fingers crossed!

Nothing for it now but to load the gear back on and gently get underway. I'm taking it slow and steady following the road out past Pett Level and on through Winchelsea, but everything seems to be rolling ok so far, so my emergency tinkering may have proven fruitful.

Route 2 leads on down a very rocky pathway to Rye, which I don't like the look of given my current wheel concerns, so I travek up and over the nearby hill to instead take the road into town.

The B2089 has a closure on part of it, typical given my sudden reliance on it. However, as various cars and vans ignore the signs and are then forced to turn around, being on bike has a great advantage in that I can instantly jump off and become a pedestrian, walking around the roadworks and carrying on.

After a shirt break in the park in Rye to refuel and calm my nerves a little, I follow on through the twisting streets it's on to some nice segregated pathways around farm pastures and nature reserves to head past the beautiful beach of Camber Sands, and then a long trek around the roads to head around the MOD firing range at Dungeness.

With a busy A road hitting the coast past here, I stick with NCN Route 2 as it passes through Lydd and takes off around the country lanes to avoid the heavy traffic.

It's a nice meander of quiet farm roads, though the sun is doing its best to wring more sweat from.

Twisting around through Romney Marsh, the roads eventually deliver me to a towpath beside the Royal Military Canal.

I take a welcome break in the shade of the trees for a moment, then head down this lovely trail as it leads down the canalside, past numerous picnic spots and beautiful green areas, before arriving in the pleasant town of Hythe.

After a quick resupply, I follow on with Route 2 as it yracks further along the canal, before some less obvious signage means I head down some rougher pathways that are rife with tree roots and stones. Not what I'm after whilst nursing this wheel along!

I manage to extricate myself from the pathways and get back out to the seafront, where a great long stretch of promenade riding awaits me.

Around and under the cliffsides the pathing continues, leading on beside the beach to round the corner and lead on to the famous port of Folkstone.

The seaside riding finally ends just shy of the harbour, where I'm obliged to head up around the footpaths and back to the roads.

Rounding the edge of Folkstone, the road begins to climb up and as I ascend I get a great sight of the iconic white cliffs that South East Kent is famed for.

The gradient increases as it's time to slog up onto the top of the cliffs,l. Thankfully the route is away from traffic as it tracks a pathway up and up, but it's still some heavy going.

Finally reaching the top of the climb, I turj to receive an outstanding view of Folkstone far below. With the day still being clear and bright, it's even possible to make out the coast of France from up here!

I head a little further around the road towards Capel-le-Ferne, past an old pillbox, but soon realise that rush hour is kicking in and the roads ahead are soon to be heaving with impatient commuters.

Given the good mileage made today, and the stresses of worrying repairs, I think it's time to call it for the day. I'd thankfully spotted a nice secluded spot on my slog up the cliffs that should offer a fair night's rest, as well as a beautiful view for the morning, so it's time to get some rest ready for tomorrow.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Six

Scouting around Bognor yesterday evening allowed me to come across Bersted Brooks Nature Reserve on the outskirts of town, which provided an excellent wealth of patches to shelter up for the night.

The morning air is crisp and my breath is misting as I pack up, but the aky is clear with just a few high whisps of cloud so it may end up being another hot one.

Out and at it again, it's out of town and onto the A259 to make a twisting course eastward along the adjacent cycle path, as it leads past some construction areas and alongside busy traffic.

It's a pleasing start to the day as the road is backing up with traffic around Climping, whilst I'm able to sail past with minimal effort.

Over the River Arun and into Littlehampton, I swing down past the small harbour and hit the seafront. The waters of the English Channel are nice and calm in the early sun, gently lapping at the shore as I have a nice sit and admire the view ahead.

A nice ride along the beach down to Rustington, I follow the road winding its way back up around a stretch of farmland before dropping back down to the shore again at Goring-by-Sea.

Ahead is a long, long stretch of coastal riding through some big urban centres, time for some easy miles!

On through Worthing and past the pier, it's a good leg of cycle paths out of the traffic before hitting the road again to cross the River Adur into Shoreham-by-Sea.

The path leads through some heavy industrial areas around the harbour at Southwick, before getting back off the roads as the trails pick up once more as I head into Brighton.

The sun is shining brightly as the day progresses, making for another hot day once again, but it's been mostly flat going so far as I head up to and around Brighton's famous pier and on to the marina.

The level terrain comes to an end here as the road begins to rise up and over the white chalky cliffs as I push around the coast of Sussex. It's some rolling climbs and descents as the road forges onwards in the heat, but I'm fortunately able to stay out of the heavy traffic throughout this long urban section.

I finally get past Seaford and meet the edge of the Seven Sisters Country Park. The paths and pavements disappear here and there's no choice ahead for me but to hit the A259 and slog it out in the traffic as the road takes to the cliffsides through some beautiful countryside.

Up and over the hills, it's another day of sweaty effort, but it's not too far to work at to reach East Dean where I can turn off from the busier traffic to head down to the visitor centre at Birling Gap for an impressive view of the Seven Sisters cliffs back down the coast.

It's time for the big effort of the day as I carry on round the road for a long ascent up to the famous Beachy Head. Whilst it's certainly a challenging climb in places, after my travails through Scotland and the West Country it doesn't match some of the awful gradients I've had to struggle through, and I manage to make the summit without too much exhaustion.

The view from up on Beachy is stunning on a day like today, with some panoramic sights of the sea and a wonderful view along the coast ahead past Hastings. I decide to reward myself with an ice cream for my efforts!

Back onto the road, it's time for a nice long glide downhill, with a twisting road leading down through some leafy woods and along the clifftops above Eastbourne seafront.

It's a lovely ride down through Eastbourne, along a pretty promenade section and past the pier, and along the road as it tracks around the long beach.

Past Sovereign Park, there's a turn around the dense suburbs lining the harbour, and a convenient supermarket where I stop off for resupply and a check of the map.

With the evening setting in, it's time for me to hunt for a place to rest my head. There aren't a ton of options for stealthily getting the tent up around, so I push on a ways round Pevensey Bay, which has similarly been dry on convenient options.

It may be a night in the bivvy ahead, but with the forecast remaining clear and dry it shouldn't be much trouble to find a convenient bench. I'll let you know how it goes in the morrow.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Five

It's been 15 weeks on the road!

Whilst it doesn't manifest too often, I am a sufferer of hereditary Restless Leg Sybdrome, and last night it decided to be its wonderful self and do what it could to prevent much sleep from being had.

So, may as well get up and at 'em! It's an easy start today, extricating myself from a patch of trees by Hythe Bypass and rolling down around town to the pier at Hythe, where I don't have long to wait for my first ferry of the day.

The Hythe ferry is a catamaran style vessel, and it's a short cruise over the water to land at the docks by the city centre of Southampton.

Ruah Hour is in full swing right now, so it's some careful maneuvering to navigate around town and over the bridge across the River Itchen, before heading through the streets of Woolston to get back to the waterside.

There's a nice run along the water's edge here, before heading up through the grounds of Royal Victoria Country Park and into the nice little village of Hamble-le-Rice, which is still and quiet in the early morning.

Down to the docks and it's onto ferry #2 of the day, a tiny little pink boat that I share with a few ramblers to get across the River Hamble to reach Warsash.

Around the trails I go and it's up into some rough pathways along cornfields above the sea.

The paths meander around the fields before turning down to Hill Head, before a nice long run looking over the water through Lee-on-the-Solent.

As the road turns inland a little, the busy roads have a good few cycle paths along them, so I have a good charge down the main streets to speed my way through to the town of Gosport, where awaits my third and final ferry if today's river-hopping.

It's only a short journey across the harbour to land in the historic docks of Portsmouth, beside the famous HMS Warrior.

I'm on a bit of a schedule currently so I hit the road once more, rising through Old Portsmouth and missing a turn to take me through aome of the busier urban stretches of town, before zigging down to hit the edge of the Solent once more for a ride down past Eastney Beach.

I double back for a ride up through Eastney and along the easterly edge of Portsmouth and roll up to a hearty greeting with my lovely cousin Sarah!

The last time I was in Portsmouth was for her wedding to her lovely wife Charlotte and riding through has brought back many happy memories of the occasion, so it's all the more joyful to be able to interrupt her busy schedule as I'm treated to a beer and slap-up steak lunch. Thank you so much again and look forward to seeing you again soon cuz!

Farewells said and bellies full, I'm off along the road north as the cycle route hits some major road junctions around the north of Portsmouth, but the cycle paths track around alongside a good ways yet ao I'm spared the heavy traffic as I track around the A27 past Havant.

The route drops on to the A259 here, so it's time to put that hearty lunch to good use as I stretch the legs for a long run along the busy road awhile.

The cycle pathing here is spotty at best, and I end up just staying in the road to get some miles cranked out, and as the miles and small towns drop away it feels like practically no time at all before I hitnthe edges of Chichester.

With some twisting through town, I drop on to the towpath at the Chichester Canal to follow the cycle route down the water to Hunston, where I tack on to the B2166 as it curves around the expansive farmlands.

Along the road and jostling with plenty of tractors and school-run drivers, I keep in peddling away the miles and charge my way down through the growing suburbs and push on through to arrive at the beach at Pagham.

I have a brief pause to appreciate the view up the coast, but I've energy yet in the legs and light in the day, so am eager to keep at it.

Around through the roads of Pagham, it takes a good bit of routefinding to work my way around, but eventually ride around to hook up once morenwith NCN 2 as it restarts once more at the promenade of Bognor Regis.

My eagerness hasn't done me a great deal of favours here as I had been thinking of stopping a little short of Bognor, as it's a long urban stretch ahead with little opportunity for stealthy camping.

A bit of thinking and checking of the maps has me riding up and through the seaside town to head to the northern end of town where there look to be more possibilities to hole up for the night. I'll let you know how the scouting goes in the morrow!

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Four

Well rested and up at 7am this morning in a pleasantly sheltered patch of trees a little outside of Wareham, it's time for another day at it!

On to the road, it's an easy start to the day with a gentle roll over the River Frome and through the nice little town of Wareham.

The place still seems to be in the process of waking up currently, and the streets are nice and quiet as I ride through and out over the River Piddle or Trent.

Rather than getting the overpriced ferry down at Shell Bay, I'm tracking around the bay and heading up the A351, which has a nice compliment of cyclable pathways running up past the busy dual carriageway junctions and into Upton.

A bice long run of road down through Hamworthy brings me back to the waterside once more to the nice quayside down at Poole.

It's now time for a stretch of riding that I've been looking forward to since seeing its potential coming up in the map, with many decent flat miles ahead of waterside riding. Let's get to it!

Around Poole Quay and past the harbourside, the trail leada on through Baiter Park with the water lapping up right next to the paving.

The path rolls past the boating lake before a short leg through some busy roads, before dropping dowj back onto the shore road.

I follow the road out for a loop around Sandbanks and past the ferry terminal, before heading back and turning off to hit the beach.

Ahead is a beautiful long run of promenade next to the lovely sandy beach, running for miles below Bournemouth's pretty cliffsides.

The day is a little grey still which is keeping tue seaside a bit quieter so far, which means fewer pedestrians to navigate around as I enjoy a nice gentle flat ride around the beach.

It's a lovely bit of riding as I roll up and around Bournemouth Pier and onwards along the full run of promenade up to the far edge of Southbourne, where I pick back up with NCN Route 2 as it heads up over the River Stour and in through Christchurch.

The town is quite busier than the beach today, so I keep at the trail as it heads out around some nice trails through Stanpit Marsh and then up along the side of the River Mude.

Past some busy road junctions, the route does a good job of keeping out of traffic is it twists through some back roads and out into the countryside once more.

It's time for another unland diversion here with a bit that I've been looking forward to as Route 2 heads up into the beautiful woodlands and moors or the New Forest.

After meandering through the roads here, the route heads past Holmsley and hits the offroad trails through open land filled with horses and cattle roaming freely.

The terrain isn't ideal for my loaded touring bike, but I'm setting a gentle pace and ensuring the bumps and rocks aren't too much of a hazard.

The route heada down some lovely forested trails and along a lovely old rail line before swinging into Brockenhurst.

Even the more urban parts of New Forest are amazing to see, as horses and donkeys roam the streets here and do not give one single damn about the flowing traffic.

With a bemused smile on my face, I roll through and out of town and back to the trails, where I have to navigate through another herd of horses.

I also catch sight of an elusive grass snake speeding out of my way, which causes a laugh of joy. They're an animal I've loved since I was a child and seeing one is a highlight of the entire trip.

Slowly making my way along the stoney trail, the route through the forests lead out past the campsite at Denny Wood and onto the road across the wide open moors. There's a good bit of crosswind blowing along here, but the cycle route soon turns once again to set it at my back.

Past more moorlands and patches of woods, the route heads past a busy bypass and into the edges of Applemore with a convenietly placed supermarket for me to stop off at.

With the day getting in and a long urban stretch ahead, it looks like a good position to settle up for the day!

It's been a very enjoyable run today and the terrain is getting so much easier to tackle now I'm out of the real tough hills and cliffs if the West Country. A check of the map suggests that I may only be around 400 or so miles from the end of my ride now, which is a scarily short distance considering how far I've come! We'll see how the rest of the week unfurls!

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Three

A lazy start to today after the lack of sleep and challenging hills of yesterday, I slept like a log despite the traffic rushing by not far from me!

Packing up and making my way, it's back onto NCN Route 2 to roll over the Rivers Yarty and Axe and up the road to head into Axminster to top up on supplies. There's a good deal of ache still in the legs so I'm taking my time today.

Stocked up for the day ahead, I have a check of the map. Route 2 tracks a little inland from the coast proper, but looks to forge a solid path eastwards and will mean a lot less stress with navigation, so I plan on sticking with it awhile yet.

Onwards! Out from Axminster and the route follows some uqiet country lanes as it begins its long climb uphill once more.

The day is very grey and cloudy this morning, and a fine drizzle is coming down. But given that I'll soon be damp enough from sweating my way up the hills, it's not even worth breaking the waterproofs out for.

Along the farm lanes I go, with the route taking a looping course around the fields. The hilltops around me are touched by low-lying clouds again, continuing to give the landscape a ghostly quality as I head into Dorset's AONB.

Dropping down from the hills the road leada in to the back streets of the pleasant town of Bridport, which I head into to have a nice sit and rest the legs a little.

Heading out of Bridport, the cycle route charts a nice little course along the River Asker, around the streets of Bradpole, and then out into the countryside once more.

The road swings south to cross over the A35 and continues up as it heads up the moorlands and through the Valley of Stones National Nature Reserve.

The hills are brushing the clouds up here and whisps of them are easily visible floating across the landscape as I ride by.

With so much of the land obscured it's easy to forget how high up I've been climbing today, until the road leada down a long zooming descent that gives a lovely payoff to the effort of the day so far and, descending out from the clouds, gives a good view of the landscape ahead.

Along through more farm lanes, Route 2 crosses back over the A road again to lead into Dorchester, where the school run is in full flow. I decide to duck out of the traffic here and take another needed break to refuel and rest my limbs.

Heading out east again, there's a nice run of off-traffic riding past some busy roads before hitting the quieter country lanes again, with the route taking a pleasingly flatter course along this stretch. Whilst the evening is approaching, the going here is pretty easy and it's not much work to eat up the miles despite the tiredness in the legs.

After rising along past some nice forested sections by the rail line, before I know it I've hit the town of Wool. A check of the map shows a good deal of forested areas on the route ahead, so I keep ploughing at it awhile yet.

To the south of thus section is an MOD firing range and the red flags are up, meaning I am definitely keeping clear of stepping into a live firing area. But the going is still pleasingly easy after the last few days, and it's no trouble to keep heading on.

Finally I spot a likely patch of trees just off the road a little short of Wareham, which closer investigation leads me to finding a great sheltered patch to pitch up in. The forecast has a possibility of some hail in the early morning, so a bit of extra cover is always helpful!

With dusk falling and a nearby owl hooting into the twilight, it's time for me to get some rest before doing it all over again tomorrow, which should hopefully include some excellent seaside riding.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and Two

After the enduring heat and yesterday, I wasted little time in just throwing myself down amidst some trees in the bivvy bag without a thought to setting up something more sheltered.

My hubris was rewarded when the small hours of the morning saw a monstrous thunderstorm roll up the coast from the south. As it passed by out to sea I counted as little as three seconds between the flash of lightning and the deep report of thunder.

Not a very pleasant night spent huddled in the bivvy as the heavy rain thumped down upon me! But after @danieldddddddda's excellent techwashing of my sleeping bag, the results could have been a lot worse.

Today started early as the rains finally ceased enough to hurriedly pack up and hit the trail once more, back onto NCN Route 2 as it heads through the holiday village of Dawlish Warren and up along the River Exe.

The route along the river is a wonderful ride and a great start to the day. Following the rail line upriver, it's some long smooth riding past beautiful views across the water, and is excellently signposted making for a relaxing morning.

The trail heads past the grounds of Powderham Castle, where I haveba great sight of large herds of deer grazing in the early morning mists.

The nice flat riding carries on up as the river thins, under the M5 and past some marshy islands and into the outskirts of Exeter.

I head a little further into the city limits to stop off for a resupply before realising that it's a Sunday! Most of the shops are yet to open as a result, but I'm in no hurry and take it as a good excuse to rest the legs a little more, before getting my water carriers topped up and heading out again.

Back down to the River Exe, the cycle route heads back down the east bank.

There's some twisty navigation around the streets of Topsham, but the path eventually leads in through a nice RSPB preserve and on to the long trail along the river once more.

The riding on this side of the river isn't quite so flat as the west bank, but it's still some very nice going through leafy green pathways and great views across the river.

The route downriver leads to the town of Exmouth, where the tide is mostly out at the estuary and the salt flats give a fairly pungent tang to the air.

It's a turn eastward here as the route heads uphill through Phear Park and on through some lovely country trails, continuing the long run of traffic-free riding as the sun climbs up the sky.

It's finally back to some road rising as the route leads in to Budleigh Salterton, with a ride through the back streets and across the River Otter as the first of today's steep and long climbs kick in.

The trail tracks the river upstream as it heads up into the hills, heading up past Otterton and onto the heady peak past Pinn.

It's one hell of a climb up and with the sun beating down once more today, it is a punishing ascent. But once finally over the peak, the view from the top is incredible.

The cliffs nearby are stunning in their cragginess, and through the trees is framed the seaside town of Sidmouth shining in the sun.

It's a sharp nyoom down the hill to return to sea level and roll into town, where I find a nice spot in a beachside shelter to rest up and enjoy some precious shade after the hard work getting here. I make sure to spend some time appreciating the glorious views of the cliffs along the shoreline too.

The day isn't going to cool down anytime soon though, so soon it's back to it as the route heads along the beachside and up another hefty climb into the hills.

It's another long and tough ascent with a steep gradient, but after sweating my way up the plateau abover offers some dense forest with some much needed shade, and I begin tracking my way along the clifftops.

It's a nice patch of riding for a while through the leafy roads, with views of ome beautiful forested hillsides, before another big drop down through the little village of Branscombe and into Vicarage.

Another steep tough climb kicks in yet again with a hard slog up out of the valley once more, with the sun making evil work of it and the surprising amount of traffic down the little single track lanes adding an extra layer of difficulty.

Finally up and out of the forested valley, the road twists through the fields to head through the town of Beer, with a little more climbing needed to push along to the twisty descent down Beer Brook and into the town of Seaton.

With Sundays also meaning an early close for many places, I've hustled along the last stretch to put in to the shops here for another supply stop before they shut, and then take my time recovering from the heavy work by taking in the sights at the stoney seafront.

There's still a lot of heatnin the day, but the clouds have come back in as the afternoon has progressed, giving a hazy glow to the surroundings.

With the early start after little sleep, I'm getting tempted to hunt for a place to rest up by now, but a check of the map doesn't show too much in terms of obvious options nearby. So, I figure it's a good plan to make the most of the daylight and get back to Route 2 as it tracks inland a ways, which should hopefully offer something along the way.

Up through Seaton, there are a good few cycle paths to stay out of the traffic, which roll past some pretty wetlands and views of the big hills across the River Axe. The mists in the air give the hills an ethereal quality and make for a pleasingly atmospheric start to the evening.

Around more country lanes and after a brief pause to wait for a herd of cows to cross the road, there are a couple more hills to climb up as I head past Whitford, though thankfully nothing on the scale of what has been tackled so far today.

At Kilmington the route takes an interesting jaunt around the back of some pastures filled with sheep, before crossing under the busy A35 next to the River Yarty.

And nearby is a great little patch of trees that looks like it'll do me just grand for the night! It's been some hefty going today and the legs are definitely feeling it, so I think a bit of a lie in whilst in a sheltered spot may be warranted in the morrow.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred and One

A bit of searching around yesterday evening failed to find much in the way of places to pitch up the tent, but a convenient bench off a footpath overlooking West Alvington made for a comfortable enough bed with a beautiful view.

I awoke this morning to a crowd of cows engrossed in the sight if me through the fence. I presume they were impressed by my calves.

The forecast is for an absolutely roasting day ahead, so I'll likely be sacrificing a bit of mileage to be able to shelter in what shade is available over the day. That's no bad compromise if course - the last thing I wantnto do is give myself heatstroke. But Devon's hills are going to continue to be relentless, so we'll see how we go.

Onwards! out into the road and a ride back through to Kingsbridge, where it's back on to the A379 as it leads on east to the sea once more.

Over the pretty arched bridge over Bowcombe Creek and it's a lot more climbing through the countryside in through Chillington, before a nice descent gives a cruise down to Torcross.

The view up the coast here is just lovely, with a nice long stretch of riding between the lapping waves and Slapton Ley Nature Reserve. This early on a Saturday morning, the traffic is thankfully quiet and at times the only sound to be heard as I ride along are the birds and the waves. Glorious.

The cliffsides ahead promise an end to this bit of flat riding unfortunately, and the road soon veers up with a steep climb to get up over the clifftops.

Past Strete the road drops down to the sea once more at the beautiful beach of Blackpool Sands, before heading straight back up again through a tunnel of trees.

Another hill crested and it's a long zoom back downhill once again, for the road to lead out onto the hillsides above the River Dart at the town of Dartmouth.

A glide down through the busy streets here takes me to the ferry which is sat waiting for me to roll onto with perfect timing. Across the water glittering in the sunlight and before I know it I'm landed at Kingswear.

Up away from the riverside, it's another big long hill to slog my way up, with the mercury rising as the day progresses.

Uo through the green hills with a lot of sweat, the road heads back down for a long drop down to lead me in to the harbour at Brixham.

After taking in the sights here, it's back out through the busy crowds and onto the road once more, slogging up with the heaving traffic to track up above Paignton for a resupply at a supermarket, before riding down to hit the waterfront proper.

With the high tide in action, I get a gentle ride around the coast here along with throngs of other tourists making the most of the sunny September day.

The route ahead leads up and over the red stone cliffsides to head around the bay into the famous seaside town of Torquay, which is similarly busy with folk enjoying the unseasonable heat.

I have a gentle stroll around the waterside and past the harbour, before it's once more into the climbs up the hills of Wellswood.

Around through Babbacombe, the hills begin to form in earnest, with some challenging long climbs up and up over the cliffs once more.

Whilst Devon's hills aren't as spikey and sheer as Cornwall's, they are long and relentless and no less difficult. They do at least offer a little more payoff in giving some good long descents back down again, and with today's heat the breeze felt when zooming down from on high is a very welcome one.

Down the road twists to reach the bridge over the River Teign at the town of Teignmouth, where the road dips around and climbs back up once more on its long grind back up the clifftops.

More sweaty work ensues whilst doing what I can to grab the meager shade available, before the road finally drops back down to the seaside town of Dawlish.

The road twists tightly through the historic town centre, but on yhe way out does offer a good stretch of out-of-traffic cycle paths, which I eagerly junp onto.

The trail leads on to a lovely little stretch of path over the clifftops, with a view of Exmouth ahead, before descending down towards the holiday village of Dawlish Warren.

At this point, I've been riding along for a good 10 hours or so, and think it's probably a good point to call it for the day. I'm in good range to get resupplied in the morning, and with Exeter inly a short distance away I know I have a lot more NCN routes finally emerging along the coast to follow.

Despite the heat of today, that's been some good progress, and honestly I think I'm now through the toughest parts of this journey overall. Ehich is a little scary!

Time to find a spot to hole up for the night. I think it may be another evening without the tent for me, but if it's anything like last night then the bivvy bag will be more than warm enough.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day One Hundred

100 days in!

Up early this morning in the corner of a field up the hill from Polruan, it's a very foggy start to today. The bike lights are switched on, and onwards we go.

There's understandably little to see as I head around the quiet country lanes, with visibility down to less than 100 metres, but the early start means the lanes are nice and quiet as I track my way east.

As the sun begins to climb into the sky, the fog recedes a little to allow a bit of a view of the road ahead, which throws hill after hill at me as Cornwall refuses to let me go quietly.

Down a big descent and I drop into the port town of Looe, which is beginning to get busy with the bustle of the day starting.

Across the bridge and past the train station and it's another tremendous hill to push up, and with the temperature beginning to rise it's a very hard start to the day.

It's on to another set of steep climbs and plunging descents as the route carries on east, with more high hedgerows making for limited views as the sun starts to burn off more of the cloud cover.

I do get a few snatches of terrific sights along the cliffs, with their bases shrouded in mist still.

Up another tough climb past Tregantle Fort and there's a view down the hills to just catch a glimpse of buildings in the distance through the remaining mist.

More heavy work in the rising temperatures continues around the countryside hills and up another high climb past Maker I get a spectacular view across the land far below. The mist has finally lifted and the historic port of Plymouth is spread before me.

It's a speedy zoom down from the hill to the dock at Cremyll where it's time to jump onto another ferry and head into the city proper.

I have a good chat with a couple of other cyclists aboard, and get a recommendation for a local bike shop, which after landing at the docks I head round to. Another generous tip from the awesome @danieldddddddda should make this fit in the budget!

The folk at Bikespace in Plymouth are excellent, and are able to sort a quick truing of the wheel which did have a bit of a kink in it after my encounter with the tree branch yesterday. Along with a fresh set of brake pads, I'm in a good state to push on again.

Plymouth has a pretty decent amount of cycle routes through the city, so I forge onwards up from Devonport and into the city centre, before dropping on to a great little trail out of traffic as it crosses the River Plym.

With the cycle path making good headway, I decide to stick with it as it heads along theough to Elburton.

Checking the map for the route ahead, the spiderwebs of backroads around here don't seem very appealing, so I decide to make the most of the easier navigation ahead and plough along on the A379 awhile to get some good mileage in.

Whilst Devon may not have Cornwall's spikey sharp climbs, it's still infamous for its long and constant hills, and as the road leads onwards it's a lot of very tough work on the legs to slog up and down. The sun overhead is beating down and I end up stopping at plenty of the towns along the road just to be able to take shelter from the rays, though the air temperature is still high and the morning's fog has left a great deal of humidity in the air.

I keep pushing onwards up one last big hill to have a final zoom down into the town of Kingsbridge, which has a convenient supermarket for me to stop off and resupply at as the evening starts to set in.

With all the tremendous effort of today, I think that will do for now despite the light left in the day! Time to have a look around for a place to lie up for the night.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day Ninety-nine

It's a very grey start to today, with a light cloud cover coating the skies.

Up out of the bridleway spot and back onto the road near Constantine, it's straight into the hills as the road leads up into Cornwall's high surroundings as I continue my heading east.

It's some rolling hills to tackle as I slog along the road through some busy morning traffic, until finally riding in to the edges of Falmouth.

The busy port town is full of climbs as I track around and make my way down to the harbourside, where I get a beautiful view across Carrick Roads whilst waiting for the ferry.

After a brief stint afloat and savouring the waves, I put in across the water at the beautiful town of St Mawes.

Heading up past the castle, with some lovely views back across the water, it's up the steep hills once more to start slogging along the road again.

The rising sun is doing its best to burn off the light cloud cover of the morning, and the heat is rising once more as I get to rejoin NCN Route 3 for its stint along the coastline here.

Dropping down past Carne Beach, the route begins a heavy section of steep climbs and drops as it tours around the beautiful coastal area, zig zagging round to take in the many bays and watersides as it makes its way around the cliffsides.

Around and past the steep drops through Portmellon and Mevagissey, the route finally heads off the roads for a long hard climb over the lovely gardens of Heligan, before crossing the road and heading on to St Austell River.

It's a wonderful stretch of off-traffic riding herr as Route 3 follows up the river's course, through some beautiful forested areas, until heading in to St Austell at the heaving A390.

With Route 3 continuing northwards, I head off the cycle route and in to town for a resupply stop and break, before carrying on around the very busy roads to head on towards Par.

Whilst riding along the trails here, the bike lurches to a very sudden stop. A glance down has my heart in my mouth as a rather large branch has managed to find its way into the spokes of my rear wheel, catching the struts of my mudguard, and wrenching everything round. The mudguard has folded near double on itself and is sticking out towards my knee, and the branch is firmly wedged in amongst the wheel.

I stop to assess the damage as this could be pretty disastrous. After managing to extricate the offending piece of wood, I get the mudguard to unfold and slot back into its place without much harm done, and a check of the wheel finds that it's not even much out of true.

What on earth is with this bike?! An absolute tank! I can barely believe that no serious damage has been caused from this incident, but everything seems to be rolling ok, so I guess that means on with the show!

Round to Par and through it's looping one-way system, it's up another big sharp hill to head over to Fowey, with a steep descent through some narrow paths leading to some steps down to my second ferry of the day.

After a short wait and chat with some other tourists waiting, it's aboard the small ferry for a short cruise over the River Fowey to land at the working harbour at Polruan.

With the day wearing on, the heat and work haven't ceased yet, as from the waterside the road leads up and up a long and steep hill to get through and out of the pretty seaside village.

Finally up onto the coastal moorlands, I think it's been another long and tough day's work, so it's time for me to get scouting for a spot to lay my head. Tomorrow should hopefully have me pushing on and out of Cornwall's challenging hills.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day Ninety-eight

14 weeks in now! And today is a doubke milestone day!

Up with the dawn light to start getting prepped to hit the road once more at the hostel by St Just this morning. The wind has finally died down and it's another beautiful sunny day ahead.

Out from the hostel and up into the hills I go, heading south past Land's End airport for a brief stint on the A30 to roll on down to the iconic Land's End.

That is the west coast done! And having ridden through John O'Groates back at the start of July, I guess this could count as riding JOGLE at a stretch haha.

I have a good soak in of the impressive views and make surento grab an obligatory photo with the signpost, before getting back in the saddle and back to it.

A little up the A30, I head off onto the B3315 to take the path around the south stretch of the coastline, up and down plenty of hills as the road twists it's way along to reach Mount Bay at Mousehole.

The view across the bay in the clear day is simply beautiful, with St Michael's Mount glinting in the sun.

It's a fantastic route ahead for a while as the road leads down around the bay, past the harbour at Newlyn and into the town of Penzance.

The waterfront is filled with plenty of other tourists making the most of the amazing weather, and past the train station there's a lovely off-traffic path to ride right along the seafront all the way to Marazion.

Past the beach here, the road begins a steady climb up and up to join onto the busy A394 as it heads around the coast to Helston. There's not much option but to get the legs pumping and sweat it out as the miles tumble by, but thankfully the gradients of the numerous climbs aren't too bad.

With a big drop down into Helston, there is of course an accompanying steep climb back up to switch off onto the slightly less busy A3083 as ut leads past RNAS Culdrose and begins a long trek south along the peninsula here.

It's another day of heavy work in the beating sun ad I keep on pedalling down the road, but with a bit more sweat and effort the road eventually leads down to the little town of Lizard, with a descent down to the cliffsides to bring me to Lizard Point, the most southerly extreme point of Great Britain.

Along with Lowestoft Ness, Dunnet Head, and Corrachadh Mòr, I've now been to all four of the cardinal extremes of the island!

Damn that's one hell of a milestone to chalk off! Whilst I knew it'd inevitably happen as a part of this journey, it's still sinking in a bit to have gotten that done.

There's still a good bit of light left in the day yet though, so after a short break to grab some precious shade from the heat of the sun, it's back out from Lizard and onto the road once more.

I turn off the A road at Mount Hermon to head around into the Lizard Heritage Coast, with lots of wide moorland covering the landscape.

With the roads further east looking pretty horrible for navigation, I start slogging a bit more northerly to roll past the farm plains by Travoe, before having a nice charge along the B road to stop by the awesome satellite array at Goonhilly Earth Station.

keeping on the B3293, I head past Garras and turn off to head down into a beautiful forested valley full of tributaries to the nearby Helford River, before crossing it at Gweek.

It's more climbing up from here as the road heads up between some dense farmland on its way east to get back to the coast once more.

After spying a bridleway on the slog uphill, I had a chance investigation and managed to find a reasonable little sheltered nook around here, so with all the miles and heat of today I think it's time to call it there.

What a day! It feels almost scarily like approaching the home stretch now I'm on to the south coast. There's still a good few hundreds of miles to go yet of course, and the West Country will keep on being challenging awhile yet, but the miles are ticking down.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day Ninety-seven

A brief update today as I'm still sheltering uo by St Just.

Shortly after arriving at the YHA the winds began howling up over 40mph, which from experience is pretty hellish to cycle into.

With the forecast predicting they will begin subsiding later this afternoon, I've booked in for one further day here to wait the winds out, get a little more recovery in, and get a few maintenance chores sorted whilst abke to conveniently.

It's also nice to spend a but more time in a hostel with similarly minded folk on their travels and trade some fun tales.

The hostel is in an absolutely beautiful spot, and aside from the wind the weather has been glorious. I've been treated to a stunning sunset over the Cape of Cornwall, which saw almost the entire hostel assemble to watch the sun sink below the horizon.

There have also been a wonderful amount of stars out at night, as well as a few satellites passing by, which has been a real treat to sit and enjoy.

It's important to remember to stop and enjoy the scenery and surroundings as well as just get the miles in!

All being well I should be back on the road in yhe morning.

TTFN!

[bikepackinguk]

Day Ninety-five

It's another hot and sunny day ahead! Waking this morning near Scorrier there is barely a cloud in the sky. It'll make for a sweaty day, but thankfully I don't have too far to slog to today, so the sooner I'm underway the sooner I can rest!

Up and out from the patch of trees by the A road junction, I head down the A393 to rejoin NCN Route 3 as it enters Redruth.

This early on a Sunday the streets feel practically deserted, which I'm glad for as Redruth is a very hilly town and my slow climbs uphill are unhindered by passing traffic.

After a zig-zag through town, the trail leads on to a nice path around a big hill with Carn Brea Castle and the Basset Monument standing proudly in the sunshine.

The route continues to wind its way through Brea, past many old stacks and chimneys showing the town's industrial heritage.

Onwards the path leads into the centre of Camborne, before heading through some nice leafy back lanes and back into the countryside once again.

There are a good few hills and rough road surfaces to deal with as I carry one westward, before crossing the A road and heading back down to sea level at Hayle.

I jave a beautiful stretch of riding along Copperhouse Pool, where the trail crosses over the Black Bridge and makes a lovely run down the waterside before reaching the town centre.

Departing along the southwest road, Route 3 heads off southward towards Penzance, so it's time to leave it once more as I head along the north coast.

It's a long hard climb up the hill to Carbis Bay, with the sun beating down and a haze of heat radiating off the road.

Carrying on through the heavy tourist traffic, the road finally levels and allows a glide down to some beautiful views around the bays at the famous St Ives. It is an absolutely stunning view back up the coast from here.

From St Ives it's another long hard climb out from town, following the B3306 as it heads up into the tall hills around the Cornwall AONB.

The views along the route ahead are lovely, though I'm dripping with sweat to have climbed up to see them. I'm thrown a series of steep ascents and zooming drops as the road winds its way around the hills past numerous small farming communities.

The tilled farmlands eventually give way to broad moorlands as the road tracks around the amazingly coastline here, with a few dotted villages catering to either local or tourist amenities.

I keep slogging on around the road until a steep ascent brings me up and into St Just, where some more meandering through alleyways and a tight hike down a rough footpath brings me out to YHA Land's End.

And this is my stop for now! Just a few miles away from Land's End, I last had the pleasure of stopping at this hostel many years back in 2015, and it's a nice drop of nostalgia to be at this beautiful spot once again.

I had been pondering a stop here to shower and rest a night, but a wonderful tip from the incomparable @annatrekkie means I'm checking in for a couple of nights to rest up and try and get the last of this phlegm shifted. Thank you so much lovely!

This is also essentially the end of my ride down the west coast, as when I set off once more I'll be immediately hitting Land's End and swinging east along the south coast. That's come on surprisingly quickly, how have I gotten round here already?

Time to rest up and I'll be back for some big milestones in the journey on Tuesday.

TTFN!