The final 220 miles and a pair of Donkeys

Sadly my phone died on the way home and for some reason that I have yet to fathom, I was unable to charge it from the hub dynamo. The one picture that I took in transit, therefore, whilst fun to have taken, is not the most dynamic. There would have been plenty better along the way.

I woke before my alarm at about 04:45. Took in the view from my bivi-bag and set to sorting out my kit.

Polishing off an iced latte and some chocolate I scrambled out from my hiding place and hit the road.

After a couple of roundabouts, I discovered that the A5 was shut. Oh dear. what a shame....for cars! But not for me. 15 miles of this! Now that's what I call a cycle lane. I wasn't joined by another car, until I was ushered off the dual carriageway by the approach of the M54, by which time they must have re-opened it and it had served it's purpose for me.

Since the road had been so straight forward, I had not at this point bothered to turn on the navigation, other than to record my distance. I was somewhat perturbed therefore, to discover that I could not find a way to reverse my previous routing and began instead the slightly tedious task of navigating to the next waypoint in turn. Whilst this might not seem to be such an issue, it involved stopping frequently to decipher the route and chewed up the best part of an hour in total before I reached home.

In Leicestershire again, I stopped after 105 miles for a sandwich on this tiny country lane. sitting in a grassy meadow with just the songbirds as company, I was approached by a couple leading two donkeys and accompanied by their dog.

It turns out, they walk their animals for about 10-15 miles and the donkeys carry the tent and food for the owners, whilst they themselves are content to snack on the grass as the mooch along.

I had suddenly hit upon a new way to travel and like Toad of Toad Hall, I determined to give this ago myself. At least the family might agree to join me.

To cut a long story short. That was half way. At 21:45 I hauled into Hethersett.

521 miles later I was wiser and more prepared for waht now begins in less than a calendar month.

Istanbul here we come.

Total mileage since 31st dec 2014, now 4082 miles.