On the Train to London

Yesterday we finished our ride across the UK. The final tally for the group was zero punctures, zero crashes and zero breakdowns. We even had great weather for almost the entire ride, with only a couple of hours of drizzle near Keswick. The last couple of days in particular were some of the most enjoyable riding I have done anywhere in the world as we followed a beautiful bike path all the way from Stanmore to the Sunderland coast.

After a final dinner last night to celebrate our achievement our group has now dispersed. Paul, Rick and I are currently on the Grand Central Railway from Sunderland to London. We have lashed out on First Class tickets and are enjoying life in the lavish lane as we watch the English countryside flash by outside the windows. The only thing to disturb the peace and quiet is a lady who has not stopped talking for the past 90 minutes - certainly a feat of epic proportions. Perhaps her tongue will soon seize up and we might get some welcome respite.

This afternoon we arrive in London where we will be spending four days (with no bikes) before heading under the Channel to Paris. After a few days there we fly back to Helsinki, then to Hong Kong and finally back to Melbourne. Another amazing adventure to savour for a long time.Read more