Day 1: Bristol to Brades Acre Campsite, July 2nd 2023. 88km.

I am back again. As I write this I am sat in a pub in Bath drinking a coke. The world didn’t end again… yet! [The first cycle journal I kept was during COVID] But C and I have broken up [...] I feel like I’ve unlocked so many new emotions which I didn’t know existed before. [...] I hope it will improve my writing [...]. Maybe by the time the trip is over I will be transformed. Maybe I’ll become a poet. [...]. This is the headspace I’m in at the moment, so it is relevant. But now I will move on to actual events.

I’m cycling to Greece (hopefully)[!]. It’s a bit of a longer way than Newcastle to Bristol. If I’m enjoying it I might even cycle back too. It’ll make my legs big and strong. The route is still quite vague at the moment. I’m not sure what countries I’m going to. I don’t even know where I’m staying tonight. I’m cycling towards Salisbury plain and Stonehenge and we’ll work it out from there.

This morning I got up at 9 and had breakfast with the fam. Mum made bacon sandwiches. I packed the last of my things – cables, toothbrush, flip flops – shaved off my beard and put my panniers on my bike. It was past 11 by the time I set off. Dad filmed me on  his super 8. He even had me re-enact the moment of taking my bike from the shed. I hugged goodbye to him, Mum and Jack [one of my many brothers] and set off down the lane.

I cycled out along the Portway, passed under the suspension bridge and crossed along the dock-front. I picked up some snacks from Sainsburys in town [Nuts and some fruit gums which lasted me weeks], filmed a little vlog on Queen’s square then joined the railway path to Bath. [To see this vlog and other edited videos of my trip, check out my Insta and Tik-Tok - BelatedBicycling] A man passed on a sit down scooter blaring music. The day had started cloudy but now the sun is out. Britain looks very green in the summer.

I stopped a while later to watch a steam train set off from a station along the way. There were passengers in it too. I wonder where it goes.

I arrived in Bath around 1:30 and took a detour into town in search of a pub I remembered. I failed to find it, so settled for a different one. [...]. I feel happier than I have in a while. I feel excited. [...]. I’m going to cycle to Stonehenge now. Why not? I already need a new pen…

***

I’m in a strange mood. I’m sat in a pub called “The Plume of Feathers”, 5km on from my campsite because the local pub is closed. This pub doesn’t serve food. I’ve had a pack of crisps and a pint. I will go hungry tonight. Also, one of my tent poles is broken already. Providing I survive the night I’ll have to visit a Go Outdoors tomorrow and hope they have a replacement one.

I also don’t have enough pegs. A nice lady on the campsite lent me a mallet and gave me a peg. That was a good moment.

After Bath I cycled through a couple of long dark tunnels which were a highlight, despite being lit so dimly. The second was so long and dark that I was surprised to see walkers in it. It must take them half an hour to get through. I whistled as I went. At that moment I felt good. Then I joined the aqueduct and the canals. I had cycled this route once before when going to Hampshire to see C[...].

I stopped on the canal and ate a late lunch. I began to read “No Country for Old Men”. It’s

good so far but they have no speech punctuation? The canals went on for ages. Eventually I split off and joined quiet roads and dirt tracks across what I assume was Salisbury Plain. In places, the scenery was spectacular. It spread out like a great green patch blanket. It looked even better as I cycled to this pub, bathed in dusk light.

I arrived at the campsite – Brades Acre – at 6ish. It is okay, but very close to a road. It has a

hobbit hole. It cost me £15 - rip off – though they did give me a free 50p for the shower. I told the receptionist what I was doing. She seemed impressed. [...] Once I got my wonky tent up I set off for this pub. The pint is nice. Maybe I’ll get another one. My phone needs to charge for a while after all. [Keeping my phone charged was secondary in importance only to my own sustenance this whole trip. I wanted to record it all on Strava.]

***

I had another pint, read a little of my book, cycled back, showered, went to bed 9/10ish. I struggled to sleep.

Video of this day