A lot has happened since the last entry which we will come back to but this bit is an update on where we are now. Then we will go back and fill in. We began this ride at the beginning of May by taking the boat from Harwich to Holland. We left beautiful sunshine in London and were greeted with a blast of cold wind in Harwich,
For all this ride, things have been largely dominated by depressions over the North Sea, which are now at their most. A few days ago the wind began to blow strongly from the south. We are going south. We crossed the fens from Boston with the wind against us. Once we turned a corner and had it behind for a couple of miles. It was an exhilarating experience to speed a long with very little effort and just admire the beauty of the open landscape. The rest of the time there was less space for admiring beauty. On Sunday the rain began. On Monday we phoned Felixtowe Ferries to book a crossing to Harwich and were told that the stormy weather would continue all week and there would be no ferries. This meant an extra day of cycling to go via Colchester.
We have now booked a B&B for Thursday night in Harwich and a table for 7.30 pm at the Pier Hotel for a celebratory meal. Do join us.
We began with the strong, cold wind in Harwich, We will end with a strong, wet wind in Harwich and then take the train home. Cycling from Harwich to London is not part of this journey! That's for another time.
Many congratulations on completing your North Sea ride, Katherine and Tom - and I hope that you had a really good celebration in Harwich last Thursday.
ReplyDeleteWhilst there are now significant numbers people competing the ride each year, I feel sure that you are in a very select band of one-hitters - a tremendous achievement, for sure!
It'll now feel strange to be home, but what a lot you'll have to reflect on.
I've followed your progress through Norway and the UK with interest since we met on 15 June at Lofterod and I also enjoyed comparing our experiences in Sweden.
Very soon, I shall start to take a closer look at your entries for Denmark and Germany, as I begin to prepare for my next stage in 2012 - adn I've already identified the useful German guide to the West coast of Denmark that you told me about.
All the very best,
Humphrey Thompson