Two For Africa
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Diaries '91 to '92
  • Route
  • Photos
  • About Will Hawkins
  • Adventure Travellers
    • Adventure Traveller News
  • The Undentable Trust

Day 1 - 16 August ‘91 Andover to Portsmouth

07/05/2011

0 Comments

 
9.30am - A reporter and a photographer from the Andover Advertiser showed up to take photos and interview Dan and I. Posing and answering questions. A bit nerve wracking. Delayed start due to broken front carrier on Dan’s bike. Penny extremely upset and Mum very emotional. 

Packed up and left at 1.30pm. 200 yards down road girl in car comes up, touches my arm, shots “Hello, Gorgeous!” Almost crashed into verge. Dad videoed us in Wherwell. Many people smiling, waving and wishing us good luck in Andover and on way. Couple of grumpy old fools hooting at us. Dropped in at Granny and Grandpa’s in Winchester. Mum turned up, still upset. G & G in good form and health (This was the last time we saw our Grandpa. He died when we were in Cameroon. He was a super Grandpa). Left 4.30pm for Portsmouth. Warm sunshine, blue skies. Stopped on hill overlooking Solent and IOW and ate the packed lunch that Susanna had made up for us. Arrived at ferry terminal 8pm-ish. 

We met a couple who were setting off a-on a cycling holiday in France. They asked where we were going. “Cape Town”, we replied. He piped up that that was not very impressive. He knew a girl in his cycling club who had cycled in many parts of the world on her own. He was talking about Josie Dew, whom we had met recently at a party of a mutual friend. Josie is a very warm and friendly person and has done lots of amazing trips on her bicycle. The man making the comment was just one of a very small handful of tossers we met on the way down to Cape Town who thought Dan and I were out to impress everyone. Far from it. We were just pursuing a dream. We ignored them.

Caught 11-30pm ferry to Cherbourg. Feeling a sad still about leaving. All those tears were unexpected. Penny left me a small note in my wallet. I miss her already. Tired and knee is stiff.

Distance 75.47kms AVS 14.2kmh 5hrs 16 mins in the saddle. 
Add Comment
 
    Picture

    About Will

    Will Hawkins lives in Lincolnshire with his family, works in a technology company in London and does as many micro-adventures as he can.

    RSS Feed

    Don't miss a thing! Sign up to my free newsletter



    Posts by Country

    All
    Algeria
    Burkina Faso
    England
    France
    Ghana
    Gibraltar
    Morocco
    Niger
    Sahara
    Sahel
    Spain

    Archives

    February 2012
    January 2012
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011


© Copyright 2011 Will Hawkins