Repos 1 - Bruxelles

Well...I suppose this counts as my first 'proper' blog seeing as I'm now actually on my way. Not really sure where to begin as so much has happened, but I'll try to keep it short and sweet as I know my stories have been known to drag rather...!

Set off Sunday morning with a spring in my step (not as useful on a bike as it sounds) following the great news I have a Glastonbury ticket for this year's festival. Made it out of Paris with surprising ease considering the previous day's unintentional forray onto the périphérique (the Parisian ringroad - not exactly bike friendly...)

The cycling was about as tough as I expected, although what has surprised me so far is how slow the progress is. I'm averaging about 16km/h...and it doesn't need a genius to work out that makes a 100k day take quite a while. Also I hadn't fully appreciated how much difference the wind makes (I've been riding NE into a South Westerly wind), and how the road surface affects. Essentially it just makes what the cyclists did in 1907 (20 hour stages, no gears, and dirt tracks) literally incomprehensible.

Camped the first night in my neon green mean machine of a tent, that weighs in at less than a bottle fo wine. Comfort however isn't really its strong point, and I can't even sit up in it. Youth Hostelled the next stop in Arras (the Campsite was shut...I say shut, it was literally a hole in the ground due to building work), and stayed last night here in Brussels. Got photographed for the Lonely Planet guidebook yesterday booking my TGV ticket with all my bike gear which is quite cool.

I seem to remember reading a Clarkson article slating Brussels...and he's not often wrong, but it's alright here. Weather's been great today and I've done a nice walking tour of the city - I'll upload photos when I get chance.

Anyway, it's been nice to be in the civilised world for a while. I've got tonight in Lille, then I set off on a humonguous 371km stage from Lille to Metz tomorrow. It's not going to be pretty, but to quote David Brent (already quoting the 'famous philosopher' Dolly Parton), '"If you want the rainbow you've got to put up with the rain." And people say she was just a big pair of tits.'