Setting sail from Harwich, Friday evening 11th June

Woke up this morning (Friday) to a very grey and overcast day - damp tent, grass and atmosphere but not actually raining as forecasted.  Went shopping for lunch in the historic town of Woodbridge, and ate a Cornish Pastie each (from a bakery heaving with customers - a long queue that never got any shorter as people kept joining it), sat overlooking the river and the restored ancient tidal mill - made use of the 3-4m tides.  Still very grey and quite cool, but still no rain.A very up and down sort of terrain day once again - right up till the outskirts of Folkestone.  The country lanes and the edges of field have been full of beautiful red wild poppies for the last week or more, but went past a couple of fields that had huge numbers growing in great red swarthes, looking like the closing shots of Black Adder Goes Forth.

Also saw a bird with a snail in its beak, bashing it repeatedly on the tarmac - most upset when it noticed me cycling near by and dropped it and hurridly flew away.  Arrived at the cycle ferry in Felixstowe to take us over the estuary to Harwich just before 1 o'clock, a distance of nearly 25 miles.  Missed the ferry by about 10 minutes so had to wait nearly 2 hours for the next one - but helped on the way by a strong cuppa and some chips from a van in the car park area - full of people sat in them watching the boats on the water with binoculars - they come to watch the massive container ships that come to be loaded and unloaded here.  As one lady said to us 'Christmas arrives here in Felixstowe, all the way from China' - i.e. all the stuff we buy for Christmas has been imported from China via this port.  

The small ferry arrived - didn't have a proper jetty - just came to the shingle beach and put down some steps and small gangplank.  

Another cyclist got up with us - turns out he was from Stockport and is cycling around the coast of Britain in short sections during his holidays etc.  Had left Stockport on the first train to London this morning, then caught a local train out to a village in Suffolk somewhere to start his cycle where he'd left off last year.  Cycling to Plymouth this holiday, and then catching the train home again.  

As we were meandering our way slowly meandering the three miles or so from where we arrived at Harwich on the cycle ferry, to the international ferry port, via the best free loos of the trip so far - and council run - we both heard a very loud metalic snap noise come from my bike - and yes, another spoke had broken, the back brakes were catching and the wheel was well out of balance once again.  The day started going really well then - the sun came out, there was a bike shop on the route to the port and the mechanic there was able and willing to fix it for us there and then, even though it meant he was late shutting up the shop at 5pm.  Also spotted a large piece of metal in the back tyre, which had made a big hole - no puncture though because we have kevlar strips inside the tyres - but as my tyre was getting very bald anyway (whereas Roger's isn't ????) we bought a new tyre.  Roger had been planning to swap my two tyres around anyway because of this.  Then there was a Morrison's supermarket, still on the cycle route to the port - and as we cycled in to the car park there just happened to be a mobile barbers van there - with haircuts for a fiver.  Doubled back on ourselves and I asked him if he would cut my hair for me - said no, didn't cut ladies hair (at least he knew I was female....) but as I took my helmet off, and said - well I have very short hair, he agreed to cut it! I explained that I kept getting mistaken for a boy and could he do anything to help me out on this - I know - going to a barber to get a more feminine haircut - whatever next - couldn't resist a photo of this though!!!

Enjoyed lasagna and chips for tea - and spotted the guy from the bike shop with his wife and two daughters who had been waiting outside the shop for him as he left late after finishing mending my bike - making the most of the two meals and two drinks offer for £7.50 after 4.30pm deal.  Did some shopping - liquorice for Roger, and I managed to find some butter fudge - my favourite, which fortunately they have stopped selling now in Asda at home, and there is no Morrison's anywhere near us to nip into.....
I had an email from my newly found paternal cousin Shay, who was worried that we weren't getting much to eat - as anyone who has ever entertained Roger and me, you will know that we are never likely to go hungry!!!!
The ferry we are on is a new 'super ferry' - and very smart cabins.  Larger than we are used to - with two bunk beds, a settee, a flat screen TV plus a proper shower area in the bathroom - with lots of lovely hot water.
Wifi (satellite) on the boat, including in the cabins - 3 hours worth free.  I forgot that I needed a couple of pages of maps and instructions fro the Denmark guide book and sent it to Janet and Barry to bring with them when they meet up with us in 3 weeks - so Barry has very kindly emailed some scanned pages for me - but the first two pages are still downloading- over 90 minutes required!!!  So as 4 lots of this, not going to manage it if the three hour limit is kept to!!!
So, 1,500 miles cycled and two countries visited, another 5 to go.  Doesn't sound so far fetched now to tell people who are interested what we are planning on doing- we're nearly half way round.
Not sure when I'll next get to write the blog - will depend upon the frequency of internet facilities or wifi hot spots- may not be many photos from now on.