It’s been a long day in the saddle for not very many miles! Mainly down to the fact that I spent most of the day just poodling around Portsmouth once again! It’s surprising how much you don’t know about a place that you visit all the time! For instance there used to be a huge chain that spanned the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour which was pulled up to stop enemy ships entering it! That’s today’s useless piece of information out the way! I also spent quite a lot of time on Southsea seafront which is right next to Portsmouth. As I was cycling along I found myself caught up in a cycling event called pedal Portsmouth a fun ride designed to get people cycling more, I just went along with the flow and joined in. There was some pretty old bikes there as well as the normal more modern type. There was a good atmosphere about the event with loads of families with small children taking part. Before I got caught up in the cycling event I was down in the old docks watching the fishermen bringing in the days catch. Before I knew where I was it was mid afternoon and I hadn’t made my mind up where I was going to camp tonight, originally I was thinking of heading down to the New Forest for the night but it was getting a bit too late to go all that way now not that it’s that far but it just seemed a waste to get there relatively late then have to leave tomorrow as the site shuts for the winter! I also pondered about having another night in Portsmouth but in the end I just decided to have a slow ride home. I did do a good deed on the way however! I passed two young lads who were looking at one of the bikes so I stopped to ask them if they were alright to which they replied one of the bikes had a flat tyre, so I just simple pumped it up for them, they only had about half a mile to go so I’m sure it would have stayed up long enough to get them home.
Photos; unloading the boats in the old Portsmouth harbour and a couple of old bikes along Southsea seafront.
It’s a long way from Murmansk. I would have enjoyed that Portsmouth ride. My bike is 65 years old. Penny Farthings are coming back in fashion. You can hire one at Vernon Cottage cafe in Shanklin.
Perhaps I’ll hire one the next time I’m over there!