The Adventures of R+1 and The Princess

Well after a few days of camping out in the New Forest without 3G service, I finally discovered from the camp chef a location on the top of a local hill where there is reception! It's nearly midnight here and it's lucky I can touch type, 'cos I can't see the keys in the dark. The van is going well and is nicely setup and apart from a few nuisance problems we're very comfortable. The New Forest is a great introduction to UK wilderness, such as it is. Very pretty, extremely unpredictable weather and a pub around every corner. This is what I call touring. The bikes are now pretty much set up and we've had them up in the hills a few times now, as well as down to the coast. There's plenty of great paths, altho' the Brits don't seem to have learned how to signpost anything. Just in case the Krauts invade again I suppose! This night time typing is really testing my skills! Ok, time for a photo. Here's one of us on our bikes, riding thru one of t...

Got up early and caught the train into St Pancras this morning then walked for 3 miles (well it seemed that far) through station concourses and tunnels to catch the tube to Kennington to pick up our camper. Yay! Pics soon. Then we drove through London (with the help of a Garmin till it went flat) - very slow going due to excessive traffic - to pick up Ian's bike from Dorking. I've just bought a bike too! Yay! Just have to pick it up from a country area near here and we're ready to head off on the Tour de Angleterre!

What a wonderful weekend in Verulamium - sounds like a Roman holiday brochure doesn't it? We got up early on Saturday for the eye popping pageant about the matyrdom of St Alban -who boastsone of the largest cathedrals in England - and the sun came out for it too! We didn't buy any eyeballs in the cathedral shop though... And a merry cold time is being had in Ye Olde Englande - these old buildings are gorgeous and this area is full of them. Sunday was a visit to the Roman Theatre, a climb up the clocktower and then a visit to the amazing Verulamium Museum - followed by lunch at divine Cafe Rouge. and then a yummy dinner of haddock at Ye Olde Fighting Cock - which claims to be the oldest pub in England

Well, finally here! Sydney airport was a ghost town due to the airport closures, which helped us get away on time. The usual 22 hours of hell followed, but i'll spare my readers the details. Instead, some eye candy. Here's myself and the princess about to begin our great adventure... Arrival at Heathrow was very welcome, but something of a nasty surprise. It was colder than Sydney! 10 degrees celsius. Welcome to summer in Britain. Well you can immediatley see where you are in the world.  We caught a bus out to St Albans, where we're staying for five days. The capital of Adminius before his expulsion by Togodumnus and Caractacus and the first Roman capital of Brittaniorum before Londinium. It was called Verulamium in those days. Things have changed a bit since then. The town has moved up the hill and the fights are in the pub not the amphitheatre. Here's a photo of our favourite pub in the middle of town. That's all for now, as I have to go and have break...

Just over a week to go now and the excitement is building. Planning and preparations are growing apace and I have just bought my bike. It's name is +1 It's waiting for me in Dorking, Surrey. This is the place where people go to dork. If you want to be a right dork, this is where you must go. .Until you do go there, you're just a bit of a dork.