Day 2 - still in london

14/08/2013 - Day 2 - London

81 km covered

Beautiful morning, sat in a garden in North London drinking fresh coffee and polishing some porridge and toast. I could get used to this life of carb loading. Ahead of me today is 120km of pretty flat roads out of East London along the A2 to Dover to catch a 20.15 ferry.

After the hustle and bustle of rush our traffic yesterday travelling through west London I'm looking forward to my first taste of relatively clear roads across Kent.

I'm feeling fresh after my first days riding.. Sat around yesterday morning twiddling my thumbs waiting for confirmation of my visa for collection, half thinking/hoping it wouldn't and I could put it off another day, but alas the kind folk in the Indian visa office stuck to their word and as promised I could collect it from an industrial estate in Hayes. All those who've never been to Hayes before, not wishing to sound like Judith Chalmers, but give it a wide birth. There is a Wickes though next door should you need some tungsten tipped screws whilst you wait.

Over the next 4 months my closest and most trusted companion looks set to become the misunderstood Ronald McDonald and his hospitable eateries. A place of sanctuary, not for the fine cuisine but the free wifi. After bashing off some texts/whatsapps in maccy d's sat in full cycling clobber, being stared at by the strange beasts sat within, nursing my coffee and munching an apple, I set off to London.

My bed for night would be my bro's in north London. I managed to get there in good time, and did some excellent tinkering on my steed. Notably I lashed a bottle cage to front of my bike with a mix of string and gaffer, proper macgyver style, which was perhaps the most satisfying thing of done in years... Seeing a problem, thinking how to solve it and whacking out the gaffer!!...I AM James Bond.

So with a full belly of Turkish meat platter and rice, a couple of beers, and grade A banter I'm set, and actually an hour behind schedule already because I'm writing this... 

Cheerios, next stop Dover.

See you in France xx