After
a lovely breakfast at Bosavern House in St Just, Katie and I drove down to Land's End just after 9.00, where there was hardly anybody around - too early on a Sunday morning for normal tourists, or even the staff. I loaded the bike up, and we wandered around unable to find the classic signpost. Where had they put it? (I hadn't been here for over 30 years) We had to ask a toilet cleaner. Aha! It says 874 miles to John O'Groats. My route was to be about 80 miles longer.
Then I wobbled around in the car park for a bit
and off I set. Then I came back to get the camera. At this stage, I decided that visibility might be improved if I put the yellow waterproofs on the panniers, and it would save having to react to every shower if I kept them on as a matter of course.
The first 10 miles behind me and I was heading down the hill towards Penzance and St Michael's Mount. Katie had overtaken me and the Mondeo had cruised off into the distance
so now I was really on my own, me and my bike.
An hour later, the climbing had begun, and I was beginning to realise how hills could affect my intended average speed of 12 - 13 mph.
Getting towards the end of the first afternoon, I can't think why I took this photo, except perhaps to show the nature of the rolling Cornish countryside, which was very beautiful, but I was beginning to tire.
I found my pitch for the first night in a field of long grass behind a petrol station. I cooked my first meal of rice and a packet of hot-pot, which was extremely welcome, and I had no trouble sleeping.
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