England To Millau/France

[adrian74]

Thurs June 4th
I slept pretty well last night considering today im heading off on a trip that i've been dreaming about for 2 or 3 years.
My panniers/tank bag/tail pack/etc have been packed since Sunday and my new 2 man tents been tried out in the garden and all is going good, except for the air mattress that refuses to stay up for more than 2 hours.
My ferry doesnt leave Portsmouth till 11pm so i have all day to iron out any problems i may have, so i take a trip to the local camping store and buy a self inflating mattress, its not a thermarest but a cheaper copy,but that doesnt mean its going to let me down just cause its cheaper...does it?
I finish packing and collect my better half from work as she has finished early to see me off.
I give the bike a good look over to make sure all is good and put my gear on, my heart is pounding as i cant believe im finally about to leave!
Yeah its a small trip....less than 2 weeks but it may as well be 2 years the way i feel at the moment!
Im just about to walk out the front door when i spot my Suzuki diagnostic connector and trouble code index on the table (im a bike mechanic)...i forgot to put it in my tank bag, ah its ok i wont bother bringing it, its not like im going to need it am i?
I kiss my better half goodbye and feel like a total selfish b*stard as i see shes pretty upset as I start the bike.
Right this is it, lets get going, i've got some miles to cover and some new friends to make over the next few days!
I pull away from our house and onto the roundabout and straight away a brand new Audi a3 cuts me up big time, he's got his windows down so i have a quick discussion with him about his dubious parentage and I suggest he best be on way pretty quickly.
I have 120 miles to cover to get to Portsmouth (i live near Bristol) but i've got lots of time and the weather is good.
Its a strange feeling, i still cant believe im finally doing this but at the same time i hate the fact that my girlfriend is at home upset because she's worried for me, although she wants me to do this trip cause as she said this is all i have talked about for 2 years!
Im winding my way thru the country roads, getting used to the way the bike (V-Strom 650) handles with all this kit straped on, its not bad actually! I reach Sallisbury, what a traffic jam, it looks like every piece of restored ww2 millitary equipment in the UK is heading for Portsmouth to catch the ferry to le Havre for the D day comemorations.
Im sitting at a set of lights next to a 1940's US army jeep with 3 fellas and lots of luggage. They look my bike up and down, see all the kit and give me a knowing smile, i return the complement and pull away with a giddy feeling that i havent had since i was a kid on Christmas morning.
On to the M27 twords Portsmouth and its busy, 3 bikes come past me all loaded up with kit (ktm adv, yam fz1 and tdm 900) and we exchange waves and i stick with them for a while but their moving a bit fast for me, over the ton, so i back off and ride at my own pace. I follow the signs for the ferry and pull into the bustling port with a couple of hours to kill. There's old millitary vehicles everywhere and a hell of a lot of bikes. I go into the terminal toilets and change from my bike gear into my 'civy gear' ready for the overnight crossing to le Havre.
We board the ferry and i have a quick look around to get my bearings and see whats what. Theres a couple of bars, restaurants and coffee shops etc and i have some grub before heading for my sleeper seat and catching some shut eye, well at least that was the plan until the fella accross the aisle starts to snore his head off, but its ok cause i've got my bike jacket with me and in the left hand pocket i keep my ear plugs, i pop them in and close my eyes. Just a few hours and ill be in France.