Saturday 21 May – The Start
This is it, today’s the day!
This is what we are planning for today –
That said I noticed some minor dissent in the ranks last night over dinner about the planned two weeks duration (“three weeks just seems more doable Nick”) so routes and distances may change a bit…we’ll see!
I can actually see the sea out of the bedroom window this morning so the weather has improved a bit. Its pretty obvious though that today is unlikely to be a dry day and there will be no nice warm hotel room at the end of it.
Obviously we have to have the obligatory “signpost” photo…please note the rather snazzy personalised shirts.
Final goodbyes to everyone and most importantly to my amazing wife. I don’t want to say too much about that here but safe to say I miss her so much already and that being apart for two (possibly three now!) weeks is going to be really really difficult.
Ok then, here we go……and five miles later (yes that’s right FIVE miles) Dans chain breaks……
…not only that but he looks really pleased about it too! Fortunately one of us is a genius (modesty prevents me from naming them…but it is me) and has packed spare chain links and a remover tool and so 10 minutes later we are on our way.
The route takes us back to Penzance and then we say goodbye to the sea at St Michaels Mount.
We then head inland and mostly up (or at least that’s how it seems) for what feels like a lot of miles. It’s around this point that the dulcet (and slightly whiny) tones of the infrequent cycler start to ring out ……’are we there yet?’
Quick stop for coffee at the Star Inn (nice coffee, no cake….very disappointing)
Then on to Truro for lunch….and when in Cornwall there is only one way to go!
The last four or five miles before the campsite seem to take an absolute age but eventually we arrive in St Columb Major and as we cycle through in search of our final destination Gerry and Ash (our very welcome support team although sadly only for day one) emerge from the pub (where else?)
Never has a pint (or two) tasted so good.
Common sense prevails and so we head on to the campsite to shower and get changed. Welcome to chez nous for the next two weeks….really, someone must be having a laugh?
Once set up and feeing more human (I can only speak for me obviously) we walk back into town for something to eat and maybe, perhaps, just possibly another couple of pints.