Finding lost Time

Dec 05. The final leg of the journey has arrived and really all I am going to do is cycle 32 miles along perfectly flat roads, there should have been some great climb at the end of the route followed by a glorious 10 mile hair-raising descent to the ocean but its not the destination its the journey eh. The weather is very kind, another brisk but sunny morning and I'm away from Palatka by 8.30am, the journey is pretty uneventful and before I know it I am in St Augustine. The claim to fame of St Augustine is that is America's oldest permanently settled European city, founded in 1565 by the Spanish, some forty years before Jamestown Virginia (oldest permanently settled english settlement). I get through the town quicker than I expected and suddenly I ... read more

Dec 3. Its far too cold to get an early start , I dont even venture out of the tent till after 8am by which time the first rays of the sun are banishing the frost, by 10.30 its warm enough to cycle under a fleece. Todays journey is along pleasant though busy roads passing through High Springs and Alachua. Gainsville, the home of 'The Gators' football team and Florida University, which beat the Tallahassee rivals last week, is a real college town and consequently very bicycle friendly. Its interesting how much of an influence the presence of a big college has on a middle size American town, there are bars in abundance and non chain restaurants, people on the sidewalk and bikes everywhere. ... read more

Dec 1st. I have only about 250 to 300 miles to cover to reach the Atlantic depending on which route I take and I had hoped to get into St Augustine by Friday the 5th. These plans were hatched before the enforced three day lay over in Tallahassee. I am positively bursting to get back on the bike after doing little cycling over the weekend so I am pleased to see the sun is shining today and as a bonus the winds are favourable. I decide to take a couple of shortcuts from the ACA route and set an ambitious target of Live Oak, nearly 90 mile down highway 90. Its a great day for cycling and I am soon whizzing along at 15mph, the pleasant towns of Monticello , Greenville and Madison provide handy quick ... read more

Nov 29 The big game is upon us here in Tallahassee, the fervor is very remeniscent of European football passions, on the radio people talk of their childhood memories of the post thanksgiving game being the highlight of their year. I venture out at 10.00am some 5 hours before the game to get my spoke fixed and am confronted with 'tailgaters' on every available parking space and patch of land within a mile of the stadium. The tailgater opens the trunk of his car, full of booze and snacks, gets out his deck chairs, puts on his radio and has a pre-game party. I am impressed at the sophistication (if thats the right word) of some tailgaters, pagodas, barbeques, tables, colour tv's, beer kegs etc. The bike repair man tells me that most dont even have ... read more

Nov 27 Thanksgiving day ! Thanks to the change of time zone I'm am not awake till 8.00am though for me it is still really 7.00am. My first impression of thanksgiving is a procession of hunters, many with kids turning up at the garage in camouflage while I'm having my coffee and danish. I have seen many posters advertising turkey shoots so there could be some synergy there if dad and the kids go out and bag a turkey which mom cooks for dinner. Great roads again and little wind make it a pleasant ride through Gretna and on towards Quincy. On the way a guy in a pick-up coming towards me screeches to a halt and runs across the road waving me down, he informs me that in Quincy I would be most welcome to ... read more