Cycling from Huddersfield to Gibraltar Day 2.

After a nice relaxing sleep in Uppingham, it was breakfast time down in the Hotel dining room. A large fry-up was just the job with cereal and toast, and a few cups of coffee :-)

I was off again on the road. Another sunny day how lucky was I ? I cycled up a few hills before cycling past a very nice lake over in the distance just outside Uppingham. I was heading to Corby, Thrapston and down towards Huntingdon by the river.. Before Huntingdon just at the side of the A1 I noticed a McDs so I cycled over into their for a Quarter pounder with cheese meal and coffee (Very nice... and yes, you know I do like a McDs now and again)

The plan today was to get as far as poss to Folkestone (There was a shuttle mini bus that takes yourself and your bike onto the Eurostar and takes you to Calais for £16 one way I did book this for today at 3.30pm at the Express Hotel in Folkestone - but there was no-way I was going to make Folkestone for 3.30pm today as I didn't make the distance up yesterday with all the polava of the pannier rack and detour from my original A1 route.. well never mind as I was told that there were 2 departure times daily from Folkestone and the other time was 8am from the Hotel. I would just have to try for that one tomorrow morning)

So after my food I'm off again heading towards London. The suns still shining its a great day very comfortable riding. I was now following the A10 towards London and took a detour though a little village/town called Ware... very nice river going though. Out of Ware I was back onto the A10 London bound. The plan was that when I got on the outskirts of London I planned to take the North circular (But when I got to the North circular road, cyclists were not allowed) !! Bummer! Now what ? Quick look at the map on iphone showed I had to get back onto A10 and head directly into London centre.. jeeeez!!

Before I know it I'm crossing over the M25 at j25 heading through Harringay and Tottenham, whilst passing through these 2 places the Police helicopter was swooping around the skies overhead. I topped up with Red Bull and water at a local garage along the way. Soon I was going over Tower Bridge wow! Photo shoot.. plenty of people crossing the Bridge and it was a nice evening weather wise. Now I had to find my way out of the London area - the plan looked easy follow the A2 towards Faversham (Good but after so many miles from the start of the A2 I was on a road which was still A2 but all of a sudden had a hard shoulder? Oh well ! I carried on regardless and pedalled on for ages, until I got within a few miles of the M2 I was pulled over by one of those Traffic Officer 4x4s -- They asked me to stop and said "Where are you going"? I replied "Folkestone" they said "Not on here your not its Motorway regulations it has a hard shoulder sir" I said "Oh yes" lol

I was moved onto a cycle path just of the carriageway and started of on my cycle via the path to Strood where they said I could rejoin the A2. Better do as I'm told I thought! From there it was onto Faversham then south down to Ashford where by this time it was very dark and I had to find somewhere to stop for the night, the plan now was to get up early the following morning and rush to Folkestone for 8am to catch this Shuttle to Calais from the Express Hotel.

I did find a B&B for tonight, but they didn't do food at that time of night - It was around 10.30pm so they told me I would have to walk into town there's a Pizza place etc... Off I went after checking into my room/recharging my gear (Camera/phone etc) I decided to go for Pizza, had to wait around 20mins then I was off again walking back the the B&B which was a good 3 miles away munching away on a Large Ham and Pineapple pizza (Delicious) Once back I headed for the bath, quick soak then bed. Wow ! what an eventful/long day that was...

Total miles today = 154miles.

Average speed = 13.5mph.