Spot Nav tracking. Via a DeLorme In-Reach

Just setting things up ready for the season  -  I have now switched on the SpotNav and a track is now available:  try it - if you zoom into the markers you should switch over to google earth - go on give it  go....  I see that USA, Australia, France, Spain and Morocco are still visible...

https://share.delorme.com/nigelgrace

Password    Madiba

The Minark Theatre

West Country - Day 3

Off to the Theatre
It was a reasonable camp site last night - just too many excited children playing football, screaming and shouting.   Once they were in bed it was the turn of the Mum's and Dad's - I think the Dads won at football but the Mums were good at the shouting and screaming - but they were all done by 1.30am !

I did not want to witness the start off their day so I was up early, showered, tea made, packed and on the road for 8.30am.   We had a very quiet bimble through the lanes to the Minark Theatre and once they had open I had a good look around and a very pleasant pot of tea.   I meet a very nice couple in the car park - he was from South Africa and he also owns an Africa Twin...  He was at the HU meeting too - such a small world.

By now the sun was almost shining... NFC (normal for Cornwall).   So back on the bike and off the Liskard to have yet another cup of tea with a relative - they run the Adrenaline Quarry just off the A38 and if you haven't been then you should... it used to be the longest zip wire in the U.K. - I have done it twice and we even got my 80 plus Mother in Law on it..... Thank you for the cuppa Jessie.....

So off again before and I decided to head back to Bundu Camping at Okehampton as the site is reasonably quiet and a good starting point to venture across Dartmoor in the morning towards Exeter to meet up with Sam Manicom and Birgit, and then home.  Having arrived and pitched the tent - yes, down came the rain - but it has passed through and I believe another band of poor weather is on it way.

West County - Day 2

Dear reader,

Last nights campsite is a good one (Bundu Campsite) but it also had the added advantage of having a pub next door.   I got sorted on the site, all tidied up, cooked pasta and something with chicken, and off I went only to find that the pub has been closed down - Bugger.     So it was back to the tent, put on the kettle and had an early night.

As forecast the rain started about 3am and continued until about 1.30pm.   I had a breakfast at the local little chef, and rode the back roads to Bude and then South West try to avoid the A30 and A39 where possible.   Lot of very narrow lanes, and loads of traffic coming the other way - even a huge German coach which meant that at least 8 cars and lane motorcycle had to back up 50 yards to let it through....

I stopped for a tea break at the McD just outside Hale... still raining and then discovered that the messenger bag I was carrying had lost it waterproofness..  so I had to unload the contents into the panniers, I thought Andy Straps Stuff was waterproof - oh well.

So having taken some very twisty back roads I passed through Port Isaac - so narrow and full that I could not even stop... then St Ives, Zennor, Pendeen, St Just and finally arrived at Lands end.    I remember visiting here some 24 years ago and it was a quiet place, now it's a noisy, brash theme park.  All that was missing was beach donkeys and kiss-me-quick hats.  I had a cold drink (cup of tea was £2), took a couple of photos and left.

I asked Gertie Garmin for a local campsite and I am now set up at Trevvervan Camp Site.  Tomorrow I will visit the Telegraph Museum, the Minack Theatre and The Lizard Point and then ride up the coast towards Plymouth.

I think I am having Rice and something horrid tonight..... I blame the chef......

West Country - Day 1

QI have been debating this trip  for days - I know the weather is forecast to be crap: so do I still go....  I don't mind riding in the rain, it's the putting up the tent etc in the rain that I don't like.  I knew that I just had to go.. being retired is not easy... eventually you run out of things that need doing, things that you have to do and even things that you don't want to do. The less you do, the more you don't want to do anything.   There is a limit to the number of times I can walk into town, buy a newspaper, have a cup of tea at one of the many coffee shops that now infest Ringwood.

So... get off your arse Nigel and get on the bike.... Lands end here we come...

Rode as far as Okehampton today, very relaxed pace, stopped for a tea at a road side burger van,  then bypassed Exeter in favour of riding over the moors via Bovey Tracey.  I think I was getting in the way has much as the lorrys and the caravans. 

I had a bait of a scare on the Dorchester by pass as the truck in front lost one of its big plastic bags off its load (by big I mean about half the size of a car) and I was overtaking at the time.... Bugger I thought as it inflated and presented itself in front of the bike.... then wrapped itself around the screen and headlights...   fortunately above the front wheel... I managed to grab it and wrapped it around my left arm until it was all on board.... I stuffed in under my crutch and too a deep breath ; now what.  

It was no stopping on the carriage way and I was sure that the driver did not want it back, even if I could stop him, then the decision was made for me as the plastic bag took the opportunity to break for freedom again, it flew into the air and the wind took it over the fence and into a field.  I hate to think what would have happened if it had become tangled in my front wheel ....

Arrived at the campsite at Okehampton and pitched the tent. And the weather is still sunny and there is a bit of a breeze blowing.  Tomorrow morning is forecast to be awful !!!! Ah well I should be at Lands end by tomorrow afternoon.

Now for some tea and supper - compliments of H M Government ( I still have some 24 hour ration packs left - circa 2006 ).