Antwerpen - LONDON - Antwerpen

Antwerpen - LONDON - Antwerpen 793 KM, 9 days, 8 nights

Once again on the road for a memorable bike trip. Antwerpen to London and back with my new Ortlieb waterproof bags (they are really waterproof way better than the crap I used in September) and my new "technical" clothes, one Tshirt I bought stated on the label that it converts your sweat into energy. Well I was wet and cold after my first day and had few energy left. However these new breathable clothes are great if you know how to use them and after a few tries I decided to wear just my anti sweat shirt Colombia and a Gore cycling vest. It is cold for about 5 minutes then it gets warm even in cold temperatures but I had to be careful when stopping because I was getting cold quickly. Therefore I was putting a sweatshirt every time I was stopping for a coffee.
I also had 2 set of gloves to keep my finger warm. 2 pairs of socks and a shoe cover which prevented the rain to soak my shoes, it happened anyway the water was still entering my shoes, I still don't know how but my shoes were soaked the first day. My pants were cycling pants Gore, pretty good and warm.

Day 1 - 97 Km Antwerp Belgium to Sluis The Netherlands
Light rain leaving Antwerp towards the border, following the border wasn't really interesting because of the motorway and fast roads that I had to follow at one point even though I was always on a cycle path, once in The Netherlands after Sas Van Gent it started to be better. However the heavy rain and strong headwind started and my sight seeing was a bit chilly.
Sluis is a charming Dutch village with a windmill and some pretty canals around. I stayed in a cheap family pension for 25 euros a night found on booking.com the owner was a bit weird she kept on telling me that it was a good price including breakfast but the room was warm enough and comfortable.

Day 2 - 103 Km Sluis The Netherlands to Dunkirk (St Pol sur Mer) France
Crossing Belgium in a day. I started the day under the Sun, but rain caught me at 10 am.
Very nice ride along a canal from Sluis to Brugge. Then a bit boring until Newport. The last kilometres in France were difficult, there is no cycle path from the border to Dunkirk - St Pol sur Mer.  City center of Dunkerk is nice. I stayed in a Pemière classe Hotel 40 euros a night including Breakfast.

 Leaving Sluis

Sluis in the morning sun 

 Crossing a canal on a self pulling ferry quite fun and unnecessary but I had to try.

One of Brugge's gate, actually the ugliest, for some reasons I didn't take pics of Brugges canals and city but Brugge is a very nice place.


Day 3 -  93 Km Dunkirk (St Pol sur mer) France to Sittingbourne UK
To get to the ferry in Loon Plage was a bit difficult, trucks everywhere rushing to get to the ferries and motorways or High speed roads with no obvious directions. The signs to the ferries were pointing to the motorway that I couldn't take. After 90 minutes and 25 km instead of 15 I found the right road to the ferry and bought my passage to Dover 19 euros on DFDS ferry.
Smooth passage but the rain was waiting for me. I started cycling up and up and up and realised how flat was my ride until Kent, Dover being at sea level I had to go all the way on the top of the cliffs.
After Temple Ewe, I took the small muddy roads, for five minutes I had some frozen rain, it almost started to snow but it stopped and a light rain started. Trying not to get on the A2. I passed numerous pubs called The George and even the George Chinese restaurant, I stopped in one of the George for a Ploughman's sandwich and my first english beer. Unfortunately I couldn't avoid the A2 for my last hour cycling, it was dark and raining hard I lit my bike like a christmas tree until I reached the Premier inn in Sittingbourne, I was soaked and cold and couldn't reach my planned destination Rochester.

Leaving Dunkirk at 10 am

Cliffs of Dover 2 hours later

Day 4 - 93 Km, Sittingbourne to London Croydon
I left the hotel dry and the weather stayed dry most of the day, I had occasional light rain but no more than 10 minutes. I cycled to Rochester were I had a breakfast in a coffee place, nice old town center. After Rochester I found a cycle path leading to Greenwich along the motorway, pretty easy going and flat, I passed the Cycling center after Rochester near Gravesend, had a flat tyre 2 Km laters, cycled back to the bike center for a new tube, I wish they had new tyres as well, my front tyre needs to be changed. Then I got lost again and reached Greenwich, from there I reached the suburb of London. Urban ride but not too bad Peckham, Brixton and Croydon where I met a cool guy named Mark on Brixton hill on a bike who accompanied me all the way to my hotel, he said that we were 40 mn from the hotel I was exhausted but followed him. I gave him my St Martin magnet card and in the evening later received a welcoming email. He also has a blog that I invite you to check, the ski bike is really cool, I have to go to the Alps and try it. Mark advised a few places to go out but I was so tired that I stayed in the hotel, plus I decided to stay an extra night here on his advise.

http://www.skibike.me.uk

I stayed in a Premier inn in Croydon for just over 50 pounds which is a good value for Greater London and close enough to Central London by bike.

Crossing Peckham towards Brixton

Fish and chips at the hotel, too exhausted to go out, the peas were excellent.

Day 5 - 50 Km  Croydon - Brixton - CENTRAL LONDON - Brixton - Croydon 
Brunch in Brixton with some friends then epic ride towards Central London. Relaxing day though, after my brunch with Marianne, Marie-Françoise and Antony, I rode to Tower Bridge then rode on the Thames for a bit, cycled to Trafalgar square were a French rooster is exposed just behind Nelson, interesting ! Westminster Abbey, the Parliement and Big Ben where I checked my watch.
Riding inside the Congestion zone is easy not as many cars as in Greater London, Just have to be careful with the bus though the buses are very well equipped with cameras and mirrors that minimize  dead angles I am not sure that city buses in Antwerp are that equipped. However cycling in London is not easy, cycle path are almost inefficient and you have to share the busses' lane most of the time.
The night I arrived the Chief of Police was stating on TV that riding a bike in London is so dangerous that he wouldn't recommend it.
“I’ve never been a big bike rider anyway but it seems to me that if you get it wrong, or if the driver gets it wrong, the person that’s going to pay is the cyclist,” ... “It seems to me there’s a lot of traffic, and personally I wouldn’t (cycle).” Hogan-Howe London's Top Cop.
After my London ride I went back to Croydon were I had dinner at Mirch Masala, a place recommended by my fellow biker Mark. Fantastic indian food, I had a Mutton Tandoori Masala and digested on the bus to Brixton to meet my friends in a pub. Croydon is a good and cheap location to stay while in London, great connections, east Croydon station can take you to Central London pretty quickly, there is a tram and numerous busses, Kent is very close as well and good places to eat to.

 My old bike Treck 7200, fantastic bike so far 3000 km since september.

 The blue rooster and Nelson

 Cleaning the bus with my right shoulder. I am still waiting for my penny.

Mirch Masala I want more

The phantom of Electric Lane appears next to me in front of the first electrified street of London in Brixton, watch the pics carefully.

Day 6 - 81 Km, Croydon to Lenham

Nice ride, no rain through Kent. Quite a few hill once leaving Croydon, Addicton Hill is interesting, cannabis is growing wild on the side of the road and it is ready to harvest.
I stopped in Fiona's pantry in Keston, nice area, lots of wood around then headed to Maidstone towards Lenham. I found an old hotel the Harrow inn on top of a hill in a village of 12 houses called Otterden, 40 pounds with full English breakfast, it was worth it. The manager was nice and opened the kitchen just for me it is usually closed on sundays, the clients of the hotel eventually noticed it was open and came for the drinks, I had a great pasta dish with 2 pints of ciders.

Day 7 - 78 Km, Lenham UK to Dunkirk France

The nicest day, dry, sunny and a fantastic ride through Kent. From the hotel on the hill the road went downfall the way to Wye, I remembered the train station next to the river, I waited for a train there about 20 years ago. Fantastic scenery. I took plenty of refreshing pictures until I reached Temple Ewe then Dover.

I boarded the ferry at 1 pm and arrived in Dunkirk 3 hours later to find my Première Classe Hotel for 25 euros a night. Thanks to the hotel manager on both nights he let me put my bike in my bedroom and assigned me one of the invalid bedrooms on the ground floor, very convenient.

 Wye

 Wye

 Leaving Dover on the ferry

Day 8 - 98 Km Dunkirk France to Wingene Belgium

A really difficult ride, the roads were wet and the few trucks and tractors were spreading a mix of pig shit and insecticide on me. I passed the city of Diksmuide and its massive monument against the war stating NO MORE WAR. An other good reason to support EU, I passed to many war graves along my different trips.
Wingene is a small village were nothing happens in winter. Irene had booked a place in a farm called Het Verloren Goed, hard to find without a GPS. Nice place, 50 euros a night for a full apartment with 2 double beds.

I just wanted a latte, I guess they wanted me to have an'ice Chouffe welcome to Belgium !

 The NO MORE WAR monument

Dirty roads, happy with my waterproof bags

Day 9 - 100 Km Wingene to Antwerpen

A nice ride alongside the canal from Beernem to Gent. Nice weather and dry roads. Cycle path after Gent.
Gent is a beautiful city and I tend to prefer it to Brugge though the majority won't agree, it is also a canal city which remind me a little bit of Amsterdam.
After Gent I rode along the N70 to Sint Niklaas then Antwerp on cycle paths. Took the bicycle tunnel and rode happily home, Irene had my cycle bags in Wingene so I rode fast and reached Antwerp in 6 hours including about 1 hour stop for brunch. I arrived at 2 pm.

 At 8 am along a canal in Belgium

City of Gent

The end !