European Bike Trip

European Bike Trip, Page 1z

[] - notes added 1996
**-notes added 1978-1980

Saturday, June 24- Hastings, England
     Saw Dave and Keith off in Dover, and then rode on to Hastings. The ride
was exquisite, except for one mar- a motorcycle/auto accident. I arrived
shortly after it happened and assisted as well as I could with the cyclist who
was lying on the road. Ambulance, police and a doctor arrived fairly quickly.
The boy seemed to have a broken wrist or arm ( couldn't tell which because of
his leather jacket.) Also he was spitting up blood. [Hopefully just cuts in
his mouth!]

     I met a Swedish woman cyclist travelling alone *She had been on the road
a week, was going to for English language* on a heavily-laden one-speed,
[she had all her belongings in a wire basket on the front!] a very nice
person who shared some tea [from a thermos] in a farmers field.
She thought I was a Frenchman who spoke very good English until I told her I
was an American, because I told her I had just come over from Boulogne. I
didn't mention I was American [immediately] I guess because I thought it would
be obvious from my accent. Conversely, I thought she was English [at first],
*going home from market or some such*. I might have stayed with her awhile if
she wasn't so darn slow- besides, I had no place arranged to stay that night.

     Hastings is a "touristy" place, [beach resort and famous battlefield-
though I'm not sure how much of attraction the battlefield was. I didn't
see any sign of it.] but it has it's charm. I preferred Dover however, though
the English Channel seems to give Hastings more dramatic seas than Dover with
its Straits [I took pictures of the waves breaking over the seawall. ] Or
maybe its just the wind today- what a wind! I managed a fair distance today
considering I left after noon and rode into that wind. The hostel near
Hastings was full, so I rode on into Hastings and fond a Bed and Breakfast.
*I had to do a bit of riding around town before I found one with a vacancy.
I was a little concerned when the first couple B&Bs I found were full, and
I had arrived in Hastings a little later than is most prudent, when one is
on a bicycle and still without a bed for the night. If I recall correctly, it
was around 7.* I still don't know what it will cost me: however, it is a very
nice room I am sitting in. Breakfast will be a bit late - nine - but maybe I
could use the sleep.
     Paris and Chartres were great- esp. Paris- I want to go there again,
that's for sure.
          [From another postcard:]
Sat. night, June 24
     Howdy! I'm sure by the time this reaches you, you will have found out I
am travelling in the United Kingdom alone. Today was my first day, and I
enjoyed it more than any other day, except in Paris. I  rode from Dover to
Hastings, after crossing in the morning from Boulogne, France, and seeing Dave
and Keith to the train station (for their return to London and thence home.)
Today was great, despite a tremendous headwind, I met a Swedish woman
travelling by bicycle to Brighton to take English classes. We stopped and had
a snack, and she gave me hot tea she was carrying in a thermos. She was riding
a loaded-down one-speed (rather slowly) so I then rode ahead- it was still
thirty miles to Hastings. Everything is beautiful that I've seen. Love, Tom
P.S. Don't worry! [Like that would help] [postcard is the interior of a lovely
little chapel, the Winchelsea Parish Church ]

Exterior View (my photo)

Desire 2
go to Tom's home page
Index of Poems