Day 9

Back in England, with 5.45am wake up music on the ferry before we docked at 6.45am and disembarked soon after. Portsmouth is very busy at that time in the morning! Nevertheless, I managed to fight my way round to Portsmouth Harbour Station. That left me the best part of 3 hours to wait for my booked train, which I used up having some breakfast and then sitting at the station cafe watching the highlights of Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix, which I hadn’t been able to watch in France because of ‘rights issues’. I was able to get on the train well before departure time and to get the bike strapped in. However, the train rocked about so much that the velcro straps opened up and the bike toppled over. Ignored the velcro and tied the straps in a knot!

Once in Waterloo, it was time to head across London. It was a little more hair-raising in that direction, but still a very direct and easy to follow route. That left me about an hour to wait at Euston. I managed to find a little used waiting area at the far end near Platform 16, which turned out to be where my train left from so I was able to get down to the platform before the crowd of people who started from the main concourse.

All was going far too well! Suddenly, somewhere past Milton Keynes, the train stopped, started, went slowly, repeat…, and finally we were told that due to safety inspections we had to divert via the Northampton line and go more slowly. Seventeen minutes late, which would still have been OK, extended eventually to half an hour, meaning my final connection to take me from Coventry to Kenilworth left a couple of minutes before my train arrived.

This meant either wait another hour or, more sensibly, cycle home from Coventry and save 25 minutes. Sadly, those who had come to Kenilworth station to welcome me home waited in vain as the train arrived without me.

Still, I made it home at 10 to 4, and unloaded, put my bike back in it’s shed, and then began the task of unpacking.

Thanks for following my cycling and my blog.

Here is a parting photo and videos of my three-part ride and my final dismount.