annuver cantry, innit

sheds on a beach - who can teach the Brits about natural beauty?

 "Why do you wanna bicycle all the way to Worthing, then?   Why don't you just take the train?"  and as if to emphasise the point a train pulls into the nearby station.  We have paused to ask for directions.  In theory we're following the National Cycle Route 2 but we've also been following signs for the South Coast Cycleway.  We think they're the same thing but sometimes the signage differs.  The last fella we stopped was on a bike.  We explained we were heading along the coast to Worthing.  He knew where we wanted to be but he coudn't quite describe how to get there.  After some attempt at directions he suddenly gave up and touched his nose saying "Just follow your nose.  Just follow your nose." We thought he might have escaped from a Dickens novel.  

"Right?" "No, left" "Left?"  "Right"

Following our nose is what we've been doing most of the morning.  Yesterday we caught the ferry from St Malo to cross to Portsmouth.  On board we met an American couple who were also on bikes.  We thought our schedule was hectic, but suddenly seven days to get to our friends in Shoreham-by-Sea and sort out our stuff before flying to Canada seemed quite a reasonable plan.  The Americans were going to train it to London, then on to Anglesey to catch a ferry to Dublin where they would start cycling again.  They were looking forward to their hotel stay and evening out in Portsmouth's old town centre.  Mmmm.  England's towns aren't always as pretty as French ones, we warned them.  

Ruth, our Warm Showers host in Portsmouth, was out sailing in the evening, so her housemate welcomed us in.  Ruth had given up her bed for us, which seemed above and beyond.  We meet up in the morning over an early breakfast before she heads off to work.  She has her own plan to cycle to Australia in what seems an impossibly short time.  Before we part she gives us directions to get on the cycle path.  It shouldn't be difficult, should it?  I mean, we're just riding along the seaside. Half an hour later we pass by a road we recognise - Ruth's road.  Somehow we've done a circle.

It's the housing estate that does it.  One of those thirties-built semi-detached suburbs where everyone has a drive.  Where the roads curl around each other in long arcs and intersect only occasionally.  Gayle bursts out into a series of salty phrases that might even make a sailor blush.  The gist is simple: we are lost and why don't we have a smart phone to navigate? An hour later, having recovered ourselves, we enter a rather plush, posh and private-looking estate.  I say private-looking because the sign at the gate says "Private - Residents Only".  We end up almost on the beach - a footpath ("Cyclists Must Dismount" "Public Footpath" "All Cyclists Will Be Shot On Sight") leads us to a sandy dry riverbed and a cafe at the end of a cul-de-sac.  We've reached Worthing.  As you'd expect from the name, and despite what some West Sussex folk might say, Worthing is worth it.  Here we get to stay with Claire and Andy and their young son, Felix.  This is a happy Warm Showers experience with a twist as we stayed with them in 2015 when they lived in Hokkaido.  It is an absolute delight to see them again.  Felix arrived soon after they completed their long ride home from Japan.
 

in the south of England the council tax is used to provide better summer weather

In the morning it's a mere bagatelle to make the ride along to Shoreham-by-Sea so we spend a little more time with Claire and Felix before failing to break sweat reaching our other friends Suzi and Dino.  These two lovelies look after us for a week - entertaining, feeding and amusing us as they usually do, whilst we hurriedly get last minute gear and clothes to take with us.  They have kindly acted as a postbox for us to receive replacement kit.  Hannah comes down from London and Claire and Andy cycle over with Felix.  It feels really good to share this brief time with good friends.

low tide on the pebble beach

local bye-laws state that brunch must always be served outdoors between April and October

Claire, Felix and Andy

For some perverse reason I decide to wash our sleeping bags in an attempt to revive them.  While we're faffing about Suzi is preparing for a job interview (she gets it) and Dino is putting finishing touches on the garden he has built (he's still doing it)

Amazingly, the garden was a yard two years ago.

We think we can box up our bikes and drag them to the train station to get to the airport but Dino has a better idea: he gets out the roof rack.  There is a moment when I wonder if their mini will cope with us, our bags and two bikes but I've passed the point of blind panic and already moved onto blind faith. Just close your eyes, it'll be fine.

our hero