Here we go again ! I left home at 11:15am for a slow and slightly stressful 22 mile cycle up to London Paddington station (and the obligatory photo of the character it is probably named after….). I was catching the 2:03pm train to Plymouth.

Judging from the constant flow of tourists, which I guess, I was one of them, this must be the most photographed bear in the world. Also nice to see a few families with rucsacs, perhaps inspired by Race across the World.

Putting my bike in the designated storage space, made it feel real, and very satisfying that I had been able to outfox Mick Lynch this year and catch my train. What was also quite sobering was that the owner of the adjacent bike had just had his beloved Claude Butler bike stolen by someone with a portable angle grinder…… just like the battery one I have at home. A reminder to all cyclists to be careful. And even worse the shop opposite had video of the person doing it, but the police weren’t interested. He had cobbled together hybrid for a ride round Cornwall, secured by a very expensive lock.

I  now had 3 hours to focus on the task ahead. How could it ever live up to last year’s fantastic cycle up the Rhine ? I think a lot of it is in the planning – fail to plan then plan to fail, as they say. I had all accommodation and travel booked up, a new saddle, cycling shoes and chain, and was reasonably rested (Richard Asquith’s Race Against Time book suggests that rest between exercise becomes more important in later life, as long as it doesn’t become full time of course….). However there are factors outside ones control such as the weather, mechanicals, illness and navigation. And then there were the things that I hadn’t considered like the language (I was hoping that my O level French would come flooding back) and the small matter of 82 miles per day (when the furthest I had ridden this year was only 33 miles) but when the scenery is constantly changing and the days are long, the miles fly by.

It was an enjoyable train journey with the highlight being the scenic Starcross to Newton Abbot section alongside the River Exe, the English Channel and River Teign, as I’m sure the politician and train historian Michael Portillo would agree with, and no doubt get paid thousands to say.

After a cycle round Plymouth, I ate on the Barbican waterfront, listening to a live covers band and cycled round the Hoe, before stopping off at a Co-op for some food and a beer for the ferry. There were a few cyclists making the crossing including Argentinian couple living in London who were also following Eurovelo 4, to St Malo. They had missed their lunchtime ferry due to train delays because of Glastonbury. I had been lucky !

And finally this photo’s for Matt who, as a foot passenger on a ferry to Spain recently had his Swiss Army penknife confiscated when going through airport-style security scanners to board the ferry, when drivers (and cyclists) can bring bagfulls of them on board without issue. If anyone could explain the logic of this to me (and Matt) then I would be keen to understand. Anyway it will be very useful for the beer, camembert and baguettes.