The ride to Brighton proved I can cover 100k+ and I really can't say that I suffered any ill effects in the days following which suggests I might be fitter than I thought I was...
Today's destination is Portsmouth, a similar distance to last weeks outing...
Lovely day, lots of sunshine and not a breath of wind. I head for Chichester and the Centurian Way leaving it at the Brandy Hole Copse exit then on to West Ashling and Funtington..
I chose this route, even though it puts quite a few extra miles on the ride, to avoid the mind numbing experience of the old A27...
Out beyond Funtington I pass fields full of pigs and decide they need to have their pictures taken...
I dismount and, whist fumbling with my phone to select the camera, the pigs take one look at me and stampede in the opposite direction. I feel terribly guilty about disturbing them as, prior to my arrival, they were all laying about under an old tarpaulin enjoying the shade...
I contemplate the circumstances that lead to them being so frightened of human beings and wonder if they can sense my predilection for the odd sausage sandwich...
As I rode away I take a quick look back over my shoulder and saw them heading back to their sun shade so all is well even though I don't have a snapshot of happy pigs laying about...
An unexpected opportunity for bit of excitement presents it's self as a tractor rumbles up behind me. I love a bit of tractor racing. I let it pass, dig in and catch the slipstream (ahead of the queue of cars behind it)... Once I've regained my composure (breath) I click into 3rd and break cover hurtling away into the distance closely followed by several cars seizing the same chance to pass on this twisty country road. On catching and passing me the tractor driver shouted something but, as I don't speak Polish, I can't be sure what the gist of it was...
I dropped down towards Leigh Park/Havant, a vast area of 'social housing' not made any prettier by the beautiful day, and cross over the A27 via a precipitous footpath fly-over..
I get the same feeling I had on the big-wheel at Hollycombe. I can even smell the steam engines and see the light bulbs. Very strange...
The ride along the cycle-path toward the Southsea turning is very picturesque and, as the tide is out, smells of rotting seaweed. There then follows a boring stretch into Southsea along side the main road...
Southsea turns out to be a bit of a surprise. I'd driven along the front before but never paid it much attention. It's fantastic..! Lots of open spaces covered in sun-bathers, an enclosed rose garden, a model village and a boating lake filled with pedalos in the shapes of swans and ducks...
I rode along the front to the 'amusements' area and stopped for a snack at the Twisted Wheel cafe..
I can't recommend it. Having reached the bottom of my bowl I find about an inch of oil there which rendered the few remaining chips inedible. Expensive as well. That small cup of coffee cost me £1.20 and I now realise why this cafe is empty while all the others have queues outside them...I 'read' some of the Sunday papers that were scattered about. They all seemed to feature some pneumatic harlot that has apparently 'written' a best selling book... Depressing...
I re-mount and head into Portsmouth intending to visit the historic dockyards (free entry) only to be told, on arriving outside the gate, by some buffoon in period costume that I couldn't take my bike in...
'Alright' I said, 'I'll f**k off back to Bognor then!' I was quite angry but cheered up after gazing in awe at the Spinnaker Tower.
I visited in 2007 and did the 'walk of faith' over the glass floor (which can be seen here between the first and second cross-members) whilst Linda watched and waved from the ground...The ride home was uneventful, dull even. On arriving I didn't feel as tired as I did after the Brighton ride. I wish I'd had more time to spend in Southsea...
