ajft

  Odometer: 1077.1km
  Today: 29.20km
  Trip total: ??km

Six weeks until I see Jo, and I've got a broken tooth. Feeling just a little depressed today, the grey English weather isn't helping. On re-checking the calendar I found that it's seven weeks, not six.

A lazy day, I rode the 12k or so through Studland and the coastal park to the ferry then paid my 80p to cross to Poole. The ferry prices are strange, I've paid anything from 80p to £3.50, and it would have cost £4.50 to cross Exmouth! The prices seem to depend on whether the ferry is oriented at tourism, or is a functional replacement for a bridge. Found that the 1:45pm ferry today doesn't go to Jersey, so I bought a ticket on the 4:15pm, paid my £51, then lazed around in Poole on the Quay, watching the boats in the harbour and the passers-by. Directly across from where I was sitting is the boat-builder for one of the multi-millionaire off-shore cruiser boat firms, there are some fantastic looking boats being built.

The ferry ride was a bit of an anti-climax, no reading material because I'd left it all in my bags, and nobody to talk to. One thing that caught my eye was a plaque with a map of Tasmania on the wall. The ferry is built in Tasmania, and seems to be more successful at crossing the English channel then they are at crossing Bass Strait.

A problem I found with leaving at 4pm was that I didn't arrive in Jersey until 8pm, after the tourist office had closed. With no idea of where to stay and it rapidly getting darker, I rode around and around looking for an affordable B&B and eventually found that £25 a night was all that was available — but only if I booked in for two nights!

A bite to eat and a walk along the foreshore, then I sat with a pint and listened to some Karaoke in a bar. Strangely, nearly everyone who tried could sing — one big guy called Andy had the most amazing deep voice. I left near closing time and nearly forgot which street was home, but found it after only one false start.

Where?

Swanage, Studland, Poole, St Helier