I am, indeed, a king, because I know how to rule myself - Pietro Aretino
Day Eight - Heading West
WedNesday 4th August 2010
After waking at 7am and having breakfast with the family I was finally ready to set off at about 9am. It was hard to leave the comfort of home and family again. Part of me felt that I had done enough challenge, thank you very much. But these few dissenting voices inside me were drowned out by a chorus of renewed determination to see this challenge through to the end. And I could also take comfort in knowing that Catherine, James and Rhea would follow down to Cornwall the following day.
Leaving home, I cycled past the road leading up to the railway station where my journey up to Scotland and the start of this adventure had begun. I headed for the A3 and ignoring the Sat Nav, which always try to avoid main roads, chose to use the hard shoulder of this road as far as Guildford. I then came off and the Sat Nav took me through the town and up a steep hill as I joined the A31.
Reaching Jane Austin Country
Sheltering from a heavy downpour
Up until now my journey from John O'Groats had been about trying to travel south as quickly as I could. Now it was about going west or south-westerly. The forecast was for rain and it wasn't long before I'd been through a number of brief showers. During one particularly heavy shower I pulled over into a lay-by to put on my shower jacket and stopped next to fast food trailer. As it was nearly 12, I took the opportunity to get a hot cup of tea and some food. My burger, bacon and onion sandwich was 'to die for', really good quality and I was given a discount for being on a charity cycle ride.
Within a mile of setting off from the cafe the clouds opened and this time it wasn't just a passing shower. I was getting very wet so when I noticed a turning off which immediately went under a railway bridge I headed for it. I took refuge under the railway arch but it was a narrow space with no pavement. Instead there was a bit of grubby soil with the odd plant or two that separated me from the single track roadway that weaved a path through the pot holes. Keeping myself away from the occasional vehicle using it, I began to dig out my full length wet weather gear. Outside the rain became heavier and heavier until even the road workers in their head to toe orange waterproofs sought shelter.
King Alfred
View of Stockbridge from A30
Unfortunately the downpour looked like it had no plans to stop and I couldn't afford to stand waiting around for better weather. So with my waterproofs on I set off. Cycling in waterproofs is not fun but at least I was warm. The spray from the traffic, particularly vans and lorries, made it very difficult to see and I had to keep wiping my cycle glasses. At one very large puddle a passing van sent a sheet of water into my face. I plodded on and eventually the rain began to ease. As it got drier I could gradually peel off a layer of waterproofs so that by the time I reached Winchester I only had my overshoes on.
I stopped to take a photo of King Alfred in the sunshine yet minutes later I was forced to pull off under a bus shelter as another heavy shower came through. After about five minutes the shower was spent and I could head north-west out of Winchester towards the A30. The going became quite hilly as I headed for Salisbury, passing the picturesque village of Stockbridge as I joined the A30.
