Kings Lynn, Norfolk to Duddington, Northamptonshire (Via Lincolnshire and Peterborough)
55.41 miles (1064.82 miles cumulatively)
After getting my bike 'released' from the laundry room at the Premier Inn, Kings Lynn (having had, for the first time in my life to queue for breakfast. Either everyone was very keen to leave Kings Lynn or it was again proving to be a very popular eatery) the first, and I have to be honest, only bike related issue became apparent. The back tyre was rubbing.
"Hmm" I thought to myself, "it wasn't rubbing when I left it on Thursday."
No problem I realised, the bike had been hidden in the laundry room (quite why I'm not too sure) so must have been banged when moved. I looked over the brakes, the wheel alignment, nope, all fine there and that's when I noticed. The tyre had come out of the wheel in one section. Bizarre! I certainly did not cycle it in with a funky tyre and you simply can't get the tyre out from the wheel when the inner-tube is inflated! I think this is a mystery even Poirot himself would struggle to solve.
"Mon Ami, someone as zey say 'as wiggled a screwdriver into ze frame et voila! A loose tyre." Yeah, right!
Anyway, I sorted it out and set off. Man, I love sunny days! They're great. I covered 55 miles today and it felt like 30.
So, there are probably 2 other issues that I should mention today and funnily enough, they both involve walking and not cycling. Firstly, owing to the destination of my travels and direction from which I was approaching it became increasingly obvious that I was going to have to cross a rather substantial road. Yes, that's right all! The A1.
Now before you all (family) go panicking about me cycling across and up the A1, I would never, never be that stupid. But, what I did have to do was to cross from one footpath to the other. At my point of crossing, there was a large central reservation (CR) so I planned, planned and planned some more. I felt like I was the farmer stuck in the middle of the age old riddle involving a chicken, fox, bag of grain and boat! So here goes: I got the bike + panniers to the CR, took the panniers off, lifted the bike over the CR, swiftly followed by the panniers and myself. I reattached the panniers to the bike and got the bike et al. across to the other side. I was safe, sound and ready to walk up the footpath to the junction. Phew!
The second of the incidents came after I had arrived at my (lovely) hotel. I was running low on some basic toiletries, so thought to myself I'd go for an afternoon stroll. I was pointed in the (2 mile) direction of the 'local' shop and after weighing it up in my calorie-depleted mind, I decided what the hell, beautiful day, might as well have a wander.
Well, 2 miles turned into 3 and my calorie depleted got more and more depleted but on I trekked until finally I spotted the 'local' i had so desperately craved for miles. It was shining like an oasis in the desert, or indeed a Londis on the Northants/Lincs boarder. I walked in, glimpsing the deodorants, toothpastes, sandwiches and sausage rolls that would make my life seem extraordinary at this point. That was, of course, until I heard those immortal words that will haunt me for the rest of my days (as will that trudge back to the hotel)...
"Sorry, we don't take cards."
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