Tuesday, 29. May

Ferry: FR Calais (A) - UK / Dover (B)  -  49 miles (46 km)

Bike: Dover (B) - Eastbourne (C) -  76 miles (123 km)  (1 mile = 1,61 km)

  

Departure in Calais at 04:35 ......

 

.... and arrival in Dover.at about 7.00 a.m.

Dover:   Cyclists way out - Follow the red line which keeps you away from the other vehicles

That was a hardest day of my complete trip for me. Until now I cycled from morning to the evening under the hot sun, eat and drunk (water!) a lot and slept 5 - 6 hours. I had not any issue with my condition or my saddle or anything else. Well I sweat a lot and it was all not really like wellness holiday.... 

I started at about 07:30 a.m. (08:30 CET) cycling along the coast using the National South Coast Cycle Path No. 2. But 
I was shocked. I had the feeling as I would have plumb and not muscles in my legs! And between Dover and Folkstone are big hills - the Shakespeare- and the Abbot's Cliffs. I did my best but it was extremely hard for me.

A nice episode was to see a fox which was walking along the cycle path - just a few meters from me! The top of the cliffs offers a fantasic view over the channel and along the coast.

  

Folkstone

Good luck – after Folkstone it was really flat – but so hot!!! I was really at the end of my power. I got also more and more trouble as something went wrong with my stomach. Therefore I took a little breakfast and a tea in Hythe. 

After that I bought some food and continued with cycling. It was becoming hotter and hotter – at least I felt so. The weather was cracy: Some lakes nearby the cycle lane looked like they are boiling due to the clouds which came from the sea – at 30 degrees. I just considered if I had a fata morgana! 

A few miles before Hastings I was so tiered that I pushed my bike up to the dike to lay down for a little recreation. I never can sleep at daylight, but the area was so lonely and quiet and I was soooo tiered that I slept for about one hour. That was good as I needed obviously a little  recreation. A few miles later I had to push my bike up to the top of a never ending, steep hill (Fairlight). The good thing was that the ride down to Hastings was very long.

At the next city (Bexhill) I stopped at a supermarket. I realized now that the front zip of my bag was opened – and my wallet was not there!

It was my 'German' wallet - that one which contained everything with exception of my British Pounds which I had inside the bag in a separate purse! I was not sure if I forgot to close the zip or if it was stolen. 

I went to the police station in Bexhill and described what happened. I had good luck as I reached it 5:30 p.m. – half an hour before it closed. After all was documented I got a Lost Property Reference No. and continued cycling on to my next stop in Eastbourne where I found a very nice  B & B. 

Colin realized immediately that a very tiered cyclist arrived at his house - like a guy who just survived after crossing a desert. His first question was: "Tea or coffe?" I enjoyed the tea very much. 

The little story how I came to Rosalind and Cloin's Ivydene:  http://ivydenehotel-eastbourne.co.uk/

I asked at the promenade of Eastbourne two men who recommended looking in the area behind the promenade. There should be plenty of B&Bs. 

But when I was cycling along I didn’t see any B&B sign! I asked tow local men and they showed me one they knew down the street. I cycled to it but there was a sign ‘vacancies’. I thought that means it had closed over Pentecost and the staff is on vacation. 

Finally I asked a third person who recommended Colin and Rosalind’s Ividene. He told me that they would also take care and would call other houses if they would have no free bed. I thought: That sounds good, that's my B&B! 

Wednesday, 30. May
Train: Eastbourne (C) - Brighton (D)   -  27 m (43 km)
Bike:  Brighton (D) - Havant (E) -  50 m (81 km)

  

When I went to bed yesterday evening I realised that I got a message on my mobile. Somebody informed me that my wallet was already found in Hastings!

After breakfast I told Colin what happened yesterday. He offered kindly to call the number and to clarify the details. I know that he had other plans for that morning but his wife Rosalind talked to him and at the end they rearranged their plans and Colin offered to drive me back to Hastings where I canget back my wallet! 

I was very happy about that great service which saves me a lot of time and made it much easier for me getting back my wallet and last but not least to complete my trip today.

The wallet was found by a member of the Angling Association in front of their club house. The Euros were away but all my cards and anything else was still there. That made my life much easier. Otherwise I would have had a lot of trouble getting all the documents renewed.

After we received the wallet in Hastings we stopped at the Bexhill police station. The officer on duty was the same as the day before. He was also happy to hear such good news: Well – a few hundred Euros were away, but better as having an accident and laying in the hospital or something else. The initial event was bad - but it started a firework of help and nice meetings! Later more …..

As I was still really tiered and feeling unwell (some trouble in my stomach) Colin recommended the train to Brighton which would skip the Seven Sisters, a high and hilly part of the South Coast. 

 

Eastbourne Main Station

 

The train saved me also about 40 km (26 miles) of the 120 km (76 miles). That was a really good idea. Luckily the temperature decreased now to about 20 degrees. It was a little bit cloudy and apart of the last few miles the route was flat.

Shoreham - River Adur

Delicious Fish and Chips in Shoreham.....

..... follwoed by wonderful muffins. The Bakery is decorated for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee next week.

Desitnation reached! (Horndean, nearby Havant, which is next to Portsmouth)
 

Gerhard, a colleague of me had kindly offered that I could stay at his house while he was on holidays with his family. When I arrived I called his friend who handed over the keys. Steve and his wife offered any kind of support if I would need something and gave me some tips about next supermarket, etc. I was really happy that I now have reached my final destination. 

Arrival at Gerhard's house

 

Thursday, 31. May + Friday, 1. June

As I was still feeling unwell (the fish and chips I eat yesterday had a little fight with the muffins). I decided to work from Gerhard’s home (I shipped my laptop to him before I started my trip to UK). 

At Friday I accepted the kindly offer from my manager giving me lifts to and from the office.

Saturday, 02. June
Trip to Hayling Island and Portsmouth = 37 miles (60 km)

The weather was fine and I started to Hayling Island which is a nice island next to the AT&T office. I had to arrange Bed & Breakfast for the days after Gerhard is back to his house. The island is connected to Havant over a bridge. After it you switch to a cycle lane which is build on an old railway track.

Over the week end and the following two bank holidays (Feiertage) at Mo + Tuesday there were nearly no rooms free. But for the days after Tuesday (Queen’s Diamond Jubilee) it was not a problem.

Hayling Island - nice to cycle

 

After I hadbooked a B&B I continued cycled to the sea front and enjoyed watching the kite surfers and the sea.

Seafront of Hayling _Island

I took the little Hayling ferry to get directly over to Portsmouth and cycled along the promenade passing the place where the Hoovercrafts are starting to the Isle of Whight and reached  Old Portsmouth.

My next stop was the Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth with the Spinnaker Tower, an impressive 170 m steel construction. 

Portsmouth - view from Old Portsmouth to Gun Wharf and Spinnaker Tower

 

Portsmouth - Flagship Exhibition - Admiral Nelson's Viktory is there (not on this picture)

From there I passed the Historic Dockyards where Admiral Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory is exposed. http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/dockyard/ On the rest of my way back to Gerhard's house I passed IBM’s UK Head Quarter which is located at Portsmouth /North Harbour.

 

Sunday, 03. June

I was working from home while it was raining.

Monday, 03. June – Spring Bank Holiday (Feiertag)

Another day I was working from home as I can’t get into the office due to the bank holiday. 

In the afternoon I made a nice trip to the country side to Stansted House where I enjoyed the delicious scones and a cup of tea in their Pavillion tea room. The scones came directly out of the oven and I ordered a second one - as the first was too delicious. http://www.stanstedpark.co.uk/ 

 

Stanstead House

Tuesday, 04. June – Queen’s Jubliee Day

As the weather forecast was bad I decided to work another day from home. But while it was raining when the Queen was on the Thames in London it was dry here. Only when I decided at late afternoon to go to the supermarket it started raining here as well!

Wednesday, 05. June
 
In the morning Gerhard and family came back from their holidays and I handed back the keys, went to the office and moved afterwards to my B&B on Hayling Island.

 

Excellent English breakfast at the B&B

After work I was invited by my manager for a Dinner in the Royal Oak a very traditional pub featured on the water front at langstone harbor with a very nice ambience and excellent, traditional menus. http://www.royaloak-havant.co.uk/

Thursday, 07. June
 

In the afternoon we managed to arrange quickly a dinner with my team at the restaurant Harvester in Portsmouth. All were here with her wives and children and we had a lot of fun. Some of the wifes and children met the others the first time.

Next to me is my manager Simon

Friday, 08. June
After I’ve finished work I packed my laptop into the original box, added some personal stuff and handed over the package for the shipment back to my home location and said Good Bye to the colleagues.

It was very nice to see you once more after a few years break. Next will not be 6 years – for sure!  



 If yo want to know the story of the way back you have now to klick on   Older Posts which is on the right side on the bottom below this frame.