Wednesday 3 August 2011

Day 90 Florence Layover

Woken up by seagulls  at 6AM  this morning so the planned sleep in didn't happen. This forced me into an early morning shower and breakfast followed by laundry, and a trip to Safeway to pick up a few ptovisions for the journey ahead.. Bteakfast will now be porridge cooked on the mini Trangia in the absence of anything better. I have also put my bike in to the excellent 101 cycles for a new chain and brake pads. Have to say that the bike has been excellent so far with no issues other than my well documented punctures.

Dolo and I are now lounging around coffee bars in the picturesque seaside town of Floremce waiting for the wheel dippers to arrive. It's a bit like a 'posh Whitby' here.

It has also been really good to see Jill who has driven up to join us all for the farewell dinner tonight. She is planning to do a car, cycle, camping trip down to San Francisco with her partnet so she may cycle with Dolo and I some of the way.

Understanderbly the group are on a massive high after completing the Transam and fiinishing the trip. For me it's a bit of a strange feeling as I dont feel that I have finished. It will be passing 5000 miles, cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and reaching my sponsorship target of £5000 that does it for me.

I have now exceeded my target including Gift Aid  but I am hoping that I will be able to raise £5000 in actual donations so that the Gift Aid is a bonus on top. 

So we all assembled tonight and had our farewell dinner. Speeches were made, awards were presented and tears were shed. The food was pretty good too. Would I do a long trip like this again? Definately. In a group? Possibly. On this I have mixed feelings and will no doubt elucidate on this subject at the many dinner party invitations ( or any kind of eating invitation)
that I am bound to receive when I get home:)

Donations      £4168.00
Gift Aid          £  832.18
Total              £5000.18