England 2008, Four

Monday, May 19, 2008

Sunday it’s off to the Continental Docks to see about the price of a Ferry to get myself to France. Following the map takes me down main roads, which are now ridden as a local. Other riders are still passing me by, but hey I’m on vacation. Following the map does not get me there, so time is spent talking to a fellow cyclist, and getting directions. He tells me he just gave directions to another bloke, who is heading to the continent on his bike for two months.

Upon arriving at the ports the security office tells me where to put the bike while inside the terminal. There are at least twenty lanes for car, trucks etc. to line up on. Only ten seem to be in used today. Inside the terminal there is only one counter open. “You need to go to the LD counter, which will open at 3pm,” the clerk tells me it is Noon. At the counter I find a flyer stating there is only one trip a day to La Havre, which leaves at 3pm, arriving at 8pm. “It will be night when I get there, how will I find the campground?” I think. Then remind myself that I still have three hours of light left when I arrive.

Heading back to the campground I allow myself to become a tourist. Yep! Now in previous trips here being a tourist was the last thing on the agenda. Since buying the book to read has put to rest one silly thought process it was time to put another one down. I stop at the birthplace of Charles Dickens, cruse High St concourse, then go to the old dock. Kind of like Mystic Sea Port, but much older. They were building ships here before Mystic Connecticut was a gleam in anyone’s eye.

Here is the first Iron Clad the British build, which was the fastest, and most heavily armed in the world at the time. Then comes to Admiral Lord Nelson’s HMS Victory. This is the ship he won the battle of Trafalgar with, which also got him killed. The tour shows you exactly where he died of wounds from a wood splinters that were created by a French cannon ball, but the French fleet was defeated. They have this huge room where the sail used in the battle, or what is left of it is displayed. Unlike the US Constitution, HMS Victory is in a dry dock, so the much of this ship would be under water it is amazing.

On my way back to the campground a huge crowd of people all in Blue and White blocks my way. Blue and white flags are being waived, people are standing on mailboxes, lampposts, ladders, and pointing at something down the street. There must be 2000, to 3000 if not more people here. They are shouting, blowing horns, screaming slogans and singing a thyme song. When I arrived on Saturday Portsmouth Football (Soccer to you) has just won some big game. Evidently, they were now home and I had stumbled into a parade for them. I keep walking through the crown and am amazed at the backing this team has.

Cars play some tune on their horns, which sets off screams, thumbs up, and any number of displays. Walking, there is no way I can ride in this, from behind me band drums begin to play, I turn heading toward the sound. I watch as the people begin to part like the Red Sea before Moses. To my amazement motorcycle police, then police cars, then the band, and then double Decker buses, all no more then three feet from me, bearing the team go by. I am caught up in the cheering which has become contagious. There they are holding out the silver cup, you can see the pride in their faces.

I have never been so caught up in the moment, nor witnessed an event like this before. As the busses pass people begin to run after them. They are shouting, yelling, screaming, laughing, bounding up and down, skipping, you name it they are doing it to show how happy they are. I am tempted to run with them, just be swept along. However, the bike is now doing well in the throng of people I now find myself in. People are running into it, there is not pushing or shoving, most apologize for hitting it. It is a defining moment for this trip. I am glad to be here, glad to have been part of this, maybe even on the news again as the TV cameras in the first bus was pointed right at me as it passed.

Further along there is a large screen TV set up, the team is on stage being introduced one by one. The crowd is going absolutely nuts, yet there is not looting, no cars being set on fire, no killings that I’ve heard of. These people are proud of their team and are showing it with out violence. Just a great big party, all are happy, many are intoxicated; police keep a low profile the whole thing is just wonderful to watch. I have some Fish and Chips to celebrate attempting to say out of wind as I eat.

It is cold today, to me any way, but not to those who live there. I remember this weather from Long Island, when I thought this was warm. Living in Arizona has certainly changed my internal temperature gage. Since the operation I have been less able to find anything under 70 warm, when it was once hot for me. It is about 50 in the mornings here, not getting above 65 during the day. It is time for warmer climes.

Today I attempted to send home some stuff I have not used since I got here. Bought a nice little box to hold it, packed it up, taped up the box, look how nice that looks. Bring it to the Post Office, stand on line, hand it to the nice lady behind the counter. She looks at me and says “Oh my. This is very expensive. The cheapest way will cost you 38 pounds.” I smile. That’s $76, remembering it cost me an extra $80 to get this stuff I just had to have here. “If you make two packages out of it, it will cost less, 11 pound a package.” I’m still smiling. Let see $44 to send home about $15 dollars worth of stuff.

Tomorrow I am packing up, heading to the dock to wait until 3 pm so I can get to France. I think I have procrastinated enough.

England 2008, Three

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

?

Saturday, May 17, 2008

It is Saturday! No way! What happen to Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday? Lets see Wednesday was spent riding around town, picking up some last things for the trip, then sitting in a Pub checking on line. Left Salisbury on Thursday heading toward Winchester, of Winchester Cathedral fame; never made it. Some how ended up south of Winchester, almost to Southampton, on the edge of the New Forest. Spent the night on a working farm that also doubles as a caravan park; campground. While cooking my dinner my thoughts wandered around the reasons for this third trip. Find family roots in Austria and England are the reasons found, along with the possibility that there may be some deep new inner understanding of me to find.

Well O.K. that’s a reason to do this; I guess. However, there is not deep burning need to do this that matches the flame of the prior two years. Riding with cars and trucks zipping by with in a couple of feet of me my mind thinks what if something happened. How much would I miss? How much would I be missed? There are other ways to accomplish the ends with out risking live and limb. For what this is costing I could fly to Austria, take a bus to the town my grandparents grew up in. Same thing with Liverpool, however, why?

The question is why? Will that bring me any closer to my grandparents? I lived with them, they are still with me, so why? As I sit in Portsmouth I come up with no answers. I could be on a Dice trip, or a camping trip with my son, or going to S. Dakota with my Daughter, or doing nothing at all. Yeah I could be just doing nothing, depending on your definition of nothing. One of the saying we used in therapy was the doing nothing was doing something.

Anyhow, about a mile from the farm the bungee cord from my pannier gets wrapped around the gears. After about an hour its fixed and off we go, what, a flat tire. After all I had done to the bike to prevent this? Was not a flat the valve broke? No problem that’s why I dragged an extra inner tube from America with me. I unload the bike, get the wheel off, low and behold the tube I brought with me has a hole in it. I patch it, and then find another hole, what the hell?

Inquiring, at the only store on this back road, no store for 3 kilometers, which is about 2 miles. I figured I road about 40 miles yesterday, so today I walk. Up on arriving at the Lyndhurst information center I’m informed that here is no bike shop in this town. The next town over, 4 kilometers has one, oh joy. Where is the nearest campground? You’d have to go about 2 kilometers in the opposite direction, of course, it that kind of day.

Wait the annoyed Information person says, “There’s a bike rental shop around the corner why don’t you see if he can help.” Arriving at the bike rental shop the man who runs it say’s “I don’t fix flats. Here come on in lets have a look. Here you by the tube and fix it here in the shop.” With the flat fixed I am pointed toward the “campground.” This campground is also a working farm. “We have no trimmings” which means a field with an outhouse, and a water faucet on a post.

Now it’s Saturday, down the road to catch a train to make up time. I reach the station, which is unmanned. You have to go down a set of stairs to get to the track. Unloading the panniers from the bike, down the steps we go. When the bike is down and reloaded I find an information call box. After pushing the button the nice person on the other end tells me that a train will be stopping in about 10 minutes, “but your on the wrong side of the tracks.” I smile. By the time I get every thing back up the stairs the train pulls up to the station. It will be four hours before the next train stops here. I ride on.

Riding through New Forest was not on my “bucket list” yet it was interesting. Deep, dark green woods, moors of brown, birds, and horses complete with horseshit everywhere. Cars are flying down this road with horses wandering about. When passing the horses raise there heads looking at me as if to say “I’d get you there faster with a lot less effort.” Yeah but I can’t take you on the train.

Upon reaching (town) I head directly to the train station. “You going on the train with your bike? After answering in the affirmative the gentleman who asked say’s “You have to go up the stairs and over to the next platform.” “Up the stairs? I ask. “yes, I’ll help you. You take the front I’ll take the rear.” So up we go, half way. He says “I have to go take care of this train wait here.” Like I’m going to anywhere. He leaves two other people come along and up we go. It takes three people to get the bike up the stairs.

Now this train person comes back. He tells me that when he was 61 he rode all over Spain “Tuned me right up it did. The first couple of days I thought I’d die, but them up and down the hills with no problem. I had a trailer on the back of my bike, aluminum one nice and light. How long you going to be here? After I tell him he said “You could borrow it if you want. I’ll give you my number and when you get back this way you can use it for the rest of your trip.” He gives me a paper with his name and number I give him mine.

So that’s it, that pretty much what happened and what I’ve been thinking. I sitting in a pub again, to get on the internet. In the background are American oldies blaring, with some girl, who should not give up her day job, howling, like a dog at the moon, to them. Time to sleep.

Monday, May 12, 2008

First night in tent went fairly well. Got a bit chilly, but sleeping bag took care of that. Went to sleep listening to the birds singing, when I woke this morning they were singing again, surround sound birds. Bike is getting its tune up, while I attempt to again find a hotspot that this computer will hook up to.

I think I’ll head south tomorrow to look for a ferry to France. Spent some time chatting with a fellow this morning. He told me camping in France is great, that the weather there is a bit more stable then England. “Head to the South if you can, warm by the Mediterranean. Back to the bookstore to check out some more maps.

The weather has been beautiful so far. Sunny, warm, light breeze, people in the parks laying in the grass. Green, green green abounds along with flowers of every color. All weekend the parks were littered with bodies, kids running, jumping and playing.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Hung out here one more day, just riding around town, doing some adjusting to my bikes equipment. Ice seems to be working keeping things cold, however it was a bit cool today. Went to the town market again, nice fresh fruit, see picture, fresh cheese, and bread. I just noticed something to day. There are no school buses in Salisbury! Have not seen a one. I’ll have to check this out as I ride around. All the children here ware school uniforms. Even the little kids going to day school have a uniform.

Bought a book to read. For the past two years while here not book. You have things to do, places go don’t need no stinking book. Well that changed today; since I’m on vacation I can have a book if I want one. Silly how we create rules for our lives like we don’t have enough of them already. So I am going to sit in my lounge chair, sleeping mattress, chair cushion thing and ready my book.

Cooked my first breakfast today, glad I wrote this need to go to the store, which turned out fairly well. Needs a little adjustment, like butter to keep things from sticking. Made a cup of coffee also to go with my breakfast. You’re probably wondering why I would write about making breakfast? Well cause it’s a big event, cooking on my new stove, with my new pots. There is an ooops here. Open my pots to find a gas canister neatly tucked inside. Not a good thing to bring on the airplane.

So far I’ve lightened my load my about 10lbs, more to go. Sent home some stuff today, with more to follow before I leave England. I think I have accumulated about 5lbs of nuts and bolts for my bike. Am I a pack rat or what? Now my friend Gary said things go away as you travel, and only what you need comes to you. I must be pretty needy, like a freaking magnet. So everything I don’t use in the next two days is going to Goodwill.

France has a shit load of waterways. This is wonderful! The train is not far from the waterways. So I can ride the towpaths, jump on a train and get to where I’m going. Sure sound easy doesn’t it? We’ll see in a couple of days. I have also found campgrounds all over France, some look like amusement parks. The first campground in France will be etretat about 15 miles from the Ferry terminal. So I think I will stay here one more day, Wednesday, then head to Portsmouth on Thursday. Really I am.

Part II

Sunday, May 11, 2008

So what did you do today? Well for starters I moved from the YHA to the campground. Up on arriving out comes the tent, carefully laid it out over the ground cloth, then the poles; no poles. NO POLES? Casually looking around, keeping panic at bay, my head already thinking Time to go home, no poles. Well I guess I’ll just have to buy another tent to keep my tent in.

Maybe they were left in my bag that is now so nicely hidden in the bike shed at the YHA. Back to the YHA to find that the office just closed and will reopen in two hours. I’m smiling, yes I am. A figure whizzes by the window. Does the “Bee Line” ring a bell? After catching him in mid-step I explain that I think I dropped something in the bike shed. What did I drop you ask? . . . . KEYS, yep keys droppedem. “No problem mate.”

I unlock the bike shed, as I pull out my suitcase from it’s hiding place a voice asks “Did you find your keys?” Caught red handed standing there with suitcase in hand. “No still looking” is my response. “I’ll be upstairs just put the keys on the counter when your done.” Upon opening the suitcase my hand reaches in to find the tent poles hiding there. They are keeping company with a couple of belts. You ain’t seen happy like this I’ll tell you that.

Why the stealth you may wonder? Well I was hiding the suitcase there so I don’t have to drag it all over Europe. Everything has been transferred in to the panniers so I needed a place to stow the suitcase till I’m ready to go home. The young man asks no questions about the bag as I thank him for helping me out. So now is back to the campground for the tent raising.

I am happy that I have kept the monster of fear from planting doom and gloom in my mind. I am getting better at not catastrophizing events that are just a dot in time.

Like now being able to connect to the Internet at Starbucks, as I have been in the last two years. So I can connect in a Pub instead, however the pub connection costs me $20 for an hour. My air card will cost me 99 cents per minute, so right now getting on the Internet is an expensive adventure. T-mobile only costs $40 per month for unlimited access from a hotspot. Starbucks is a t-mobile hotspot that this computer appears not to like.

This is the third laptop I’ve owned, and the second one that is a real Junker. Upon my return I am purchasing a Compaq, then sending this Junker back to Acer. I am reducing aggravation in my life, which includes not getting frustrated by a computer. The Compaq I had worked every time (commercial with some soap boxing)

Monday, May 12, 2008

First night in tent went fairly well. Got a bit chilly, but sleeping bag took care of that. Went to sleep listening to the birds singing, when I woke this morning they were singing again, surround sound birds. Bike is getting its tune up, while I attempt to again find a hotspot that this computer will hook up to.

I think I’ll head south tomorrow to look for a ferry to France. Spent some time chatting with a fellow this morning. He told me camping in France is great, that the weather there is a bit more stable then England. “Head to the South if you can, warm by the Mediterranean. Back to the bookstore to check out some more maps.

The weather has been beautiful so far. Sunny, warm, light breeze, people in the parks laying in the grass. Green, green green abounds along with flowers of every color. All weekend the parks were littered with bodies, kids running, jumping and playing.

England 2008

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Catching up while sitting in a Pub on the Internet having a Lamb and Mint burger.

Sometimes you just have to smile, going with the flow, wondering why there is a need to get excited over an event that is over and gone in a few minuets.

So the plane takes off on time, arrives on time, I get to the next plane just as it is beginning to load, take off on time, land on time. New terminal South instead of North, confused, grrrrrr, get through customs, get bag all is well.

Delta is great, roomy planes, good food, and nice people. I sit next to Diane on the way to England. She is semi-retired, lives around Tampa, and is headed to Italy for a week, then to NY, then to somewhere else. One noisy kid a few seats up who screams for no reason apparent other then she can, grrrr. This year I use the bus which is less expensive and ends up close to the YHA in Salisbury. Large man gets on the bus, sits next to me, grrrrrrr, he gets a seat and a half, I get a half. Bright side he doesn’t smell!

Arriving in Salisbury I’m reminded of the first time I arrived at this bus station spending about an hour wandering around. Now off I go with out a wink, happy to be back in this town. My suitcase has a pull out handle, which promptly falls apart, grrrrrrrrrr. The manufacture must have expected this, as there is a back up handle sown on. On the trip two zippers have broken, a piece of cardboard has poked two holes in the material, grrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

After procuring a bed at the YHA its off to the train station to see if my bike is still there. Here is a picture of it still tied to the bike rack, nothing missing, not even a flat tire. However it is covered with what I think is diesel grit from the train. My pants will get dirty riding it, Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Heading out of the train station, my phone rings there is no chance this is anyone but my daughter yep it’s her. Back to the YHA, but first a stop at Pound Land for some stuff to clean up the bike. Oh, a quick stop at the bookstore to check out the maps I’ll need.

My clean bike stands beside me as I have dinner, sitting on a bench along side the river Avon. Beautiful day, soothing water, the birds are singing, all is well.

MMMMMMM this is Saturday, I arrived on Thursday what did I do with Friday? I did nothing, well almost nothing. I spent the better part of the day sewing another trunk for my bike. Mark had bought me a front pannier mount that fits this bike just great. So there is now a trunk front and back. Also watched T.V. and took a nap in the sun, yep I did. Today was town market day that is great fun to wander through.

Riding down one street there was need to do a double take. Low and behold walking down the street was Ainhoa. She is the woman from Spain that I met here last year. We make plans to hang out tomorrow. This year I have met Christina from Germany. She is on a “walkabout” to decide what to do with her law degree.

Today lunch is under a tree while pursuing a rail map of Europe. I’m picking a route to Austria. So pretty much I have not accomplished a whole lot by most peoples standards.

However, I think I have accomplished a great deal.

Oh yes then there are the cows. My ride today takes me past a herd of cows, like I don’t get to see cows in Arizona. I stop. The whole freaking herd comes over to the fence to stare at me. Slowly some approach the fence, I move, they jump back. I am inspected, like some alien from outer space by a herd of cows! As I move along the cows behind me move up to the fence. I stop; I back up, and they move away from the fence. I move toward the fence they back up, I step back from the fence they move toward it. Their noses are working overtime trying to smell me. One is brave enough to sniff my extended fingers. It jumps back shaking its head as if to be rid of the smell. Screw you cow I smell better then you do. They follow me up and down the fence.

I say no more, make of it what you will, but I had a darn good time with the cows.

Tomorrow the bike will be fully loaded as it is ridden to the campground. Time to try out the new tent and cook stove. Monday I’m having the bike overhauled in an attempt to prevent a break down. So I’m thinking I’ll hit the road my Tuesday for more adventures.

$80.00 Somethings got to go!

So Mark drops me off at Skyharbor. My bag is a tad heavy, just a tad, can't figure out why? Lots of time spent thinking about what is in it, where did all this extra weight come from? At the check in counter low and behold the freakin bag weights 72lbs. WHAT? NO WAY!

Yep way. The attendant smiles, holds out his hand "Eighty dollars" please. Smiling I hand him my debit card. After he collects the money he says "You know your allowed two bags. If both bags were more then 50lbs it would only cost you $25." My smile covers what I am thinking.

We arrived at the airport around 8am, and by 8:15am I have been through security, and now am seated with my Wendy's breakfast. While eating I'm still trying to figure out how my bag has grown since my first trip two years ago. It seems like the bag should be smaller not larger. After buying lighter cookware, smaller stove, plus other changes it supposed to be smaller, yet it is not.

Well I guarantee it will be when I head home, yet somethings got to go!

See you in Atlanta.

Sunset 10:30pm Salisbury England

Sitting by my tent in Salisbury, impatiently waiting for the sun to set in order to allow sleep to come, a realisation came to me.

It was 10:30pm at night when darkness should be covering the land, this beautiful sunset was happening. Watching until almost 11:30pm before the the sky became just a remembrance of the day that had just passed.

Then waking next morning at 4:30am to find the sun already filling the sky with a new day. At first how dare the sun open my eyes at such an early time I thought. How silly to be annoyed at the dawning of a new day with all its possibilities. How silly to be impatiently waiting for the sun to set. The next thought How often have I been this silly?

Then I realised that I could ride from 6am to 9pm if I chose to do so. What things I could see and do in that much time? My adventure just became longer then the narrowness of my mind had ever thought it could be.

This is just one of the events that happen on my travels in 2006 Just one of the ways the narrow streets of my mind began to widen, road blocks cleared, setting me free to explore endless possibilities. Happiness came in to the places of my mind where depression had resided for so many years. How freeing this realisation was!