So i have survived the first three days. Is it what i expected? I honestly don't know... I am not sure what i expected. It has however had it's good moments and it's more difficult ones.
I was really grateful to have Dad starting off with me for my first two days. It definitely made me feel more secure and a little less daunted by the enormity of what I was about to undertake.
Tuesday morning (also known as Day 1) found me in a rather emotional state, saying goodbye was harder than I thought. I will really miss being able to see my family. However eventually I was all packed up, had the obligatory bowl of Porridge for breakfast and sporting the red and white spotty tops for Demelza. The panniers were loaded.... .wow my bike was heavy. I could barely move the back of it. Thankfully it's easier when I cycle. There were times yesterday when I didn't think this would be happening after a very silly fall, tripping over my own trouser leg (yes I really was that clumsy) and an afternoon spent in A&E instead of packing.
Initially it was time to head out to the Thames, trying to follow it proved a little more difficult than it should do thanks to the massive amount of building work. Progress seemed really slow and I was worried that we wouldn't get more than a few miles.
After a late lunch at Greenhithe, we made better progress and headed down through to Kent and a little way in land to a great hostel just outside Sittingbourne. .... A very welcome. Stopping point for the night. The later start than planned (11.40 am eventual leaving time) meant that a slight adjustment of the itinerary occurred. This just means i will need to pop back once finished to do those little bits. Sounds like a good excuse to do more cycling.
The thing that stands out for the day the patriotic attempts to knock me off the bike by a red white and blue car😀. 51 miles completed(although not feeling very coastal) .
Day 2...Wednesday.
Left the hostel after a lovely night sleep and headed back towards the coast... First stop a little out the way bay called Conyer.... Lovely little estuary and harbour on the north saxon way.... Decided this was a place I need to come back and explore more on foot and I know a great Hostel where I can base myself 😀.
So after navigating my way back from Conyer... We picked up the Ncn (National Cycle Network) 1 and started following it through the beautiful Kent lanes, taking in the sights of pear and apple orchards, Hop and wheat fields with poppies, to Faversham.
Faversham equalled the first opportunity of the day for a little coffee cake and as its synomous with cycling had to indulge in a little coffee cake. ..which of course we shared.
Leaving Faversham we decided to follow the NCN 1 towards Seasalter. I quickly decided I didn't like the NCN 1 anymore as we went over a very bumpy track with lose stones and a grass middle verge. Glad my bike is designed for that kind of Road.... Difficult with the weight though to hold it up.
Having reached Seasalter it for the first time really felt like I was cycling on the coast.... And continued to do so for the rest of the day taking in the sights of Whitstable,Herne Bay and Margate before reaching Broadstairs. Lost the Ncn 1 but picked up the 15...great cycling route.
Arriving at Broadstairs came with mixed feelings, as it meant saying goodbye to Dad, But not before we registered the fact that I had reached a 100 miles.... Dad was so excited he fell of his bike in haste to get me to the Sea front to take a picture 😕😂
Miles = 49, total100
Day 3 (Thursday)
So this is my first day on my own. After a great evening with the lovely Angie and Peter Jordan. I set off to pick up the bike route again, the north viking way. I then proceeded to follow this for most of the day. It really is a good route.
The day started and ended well with a little bump in the middle.
I arrived at St Margaret's at Cliffe and decided to cycle. Down the steep. Hill to the Bay. Only to remember quite how steep it is when I was already on my way down.... Oh well.. It was worth it...
Unfortunately was so distracted at thought of climbing back up that i forgot to turn on the Garmin. No record of my climb 😭😭 and that means that it didn't happen. ... But it did, I made it and even beat three ladies on their mobility scooter😂
So then the blip happened, a puncture caused by a rather large piece of glass in the tyre, followed by not being able to get changed tyre back on wheel. A big shout out to the local who came to my rescue and helped me out.
So off I go, only to hit a speed bump and my phone flys out of my bag.. . Smashed and no longer working.
It was time to get moving and put this experience behind me. A few bumpy tracks later and after viewing a lighthouse. I made it back to the main road and headed for the White cliffs of Dover, Folkestone and Hythe. Lovely afternoon riding and then turned inland to head for Ashford, grateful that this had happened in my old back yard and I could navigate without any phone assistance.
Miles 52 plus the hill at St Margaret's at Cliffe. Total 152 miles.
Puncture 1
Apologies for the lack of pictures. I will try and add some later but broken phone =lost pictures.
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