Harwhich-London!

The night ferry from Hook to Harwhich was a very odd experience. The Stena Brittanica is a huge boat. There were very few passangers and very few staff. It felt a bit like a ghost ship. The only food available was a very chinese 'style' restauant that served baked potatoes and ham with noodles! The whole thing was very odd. It was also late getting into Harwhich (the wedding was at 3 O'clock). I have never been more delighted to touch English soil than I was that morning and I couldn't wait to see my family again.
Cycling from Harwhich to London, on the A120 and A12 however, was one of the most terrifying thing I have ever done. All joy I had at being so close to home quickly dissolved in sheer terror, as oil tankers sped past, just inches from my handlebars.There is no way cyclists should be aloud on A roads in this country. Certain sections had metre or so of verge but other's none. It was madness.
Why can the Government here not just build a cycle lane next to each new road? Would a metre wide asphalt path really cost that much extra?

Things got better on the outskirts of London and after a free meal of beans on toast at Little Chef I was ecstatic to pass under a road sign marking the London Borough of Havering!

I could feel myself getting closer to the heart of London. Tower Hamlets, Bow, Whitechapel, Brick lane, Cannon street station, The Strand. Trafalgar Square was within touching distance, and then, there it was. A huge crowd had gathered to watch the Olympics on a big screen and in front of them was my Mum, Dad and about 20 Chinese tourists to applaud my arrival!
Pictured here is my Mum telling tourists about the journey, they all cued up to have their photo taken with us! 5pm on Sunday the 3rd of August. ₤668 raised for Cancer Research UK.