Finally the appointed hour has arrived! And we make the Grand Depart! But not before one of us headed back to London for some R&R before aiming to rejoin us in Bristol.

After a light breakfast of bacon, egg, toast, baked beans and tea we were off.

Less than 2 miles later we were pushing our loaded bikes out of Moushole. You know the very steep western road out that finishes in a narrow lane?

A seagull had a bowel problem and left a sample in my pannier cover and on my wind jacket for inspection.

Unde-turd we carried on getting lost at road junctions, cursing up hills and wondering at how green and lush everything is.

You know why they call the Cornwall countryside “the Downs”? Because it’s real description of the “Ups and Downs” takes too long to say. Lots of Ups.

Got to Lands End in time for lunch of Cornish pasty and coffee, take pictures of the mist over the Atlantic, wonder at why you would put a put-put golf course and children’s cinema at such a significant place as Lands End.

Wind breakers on and many hills later we got to St Ives for the night. More cute, even more tourists than Penzance, and huge prices.

We scored 2 of the last 6 rooms available in St Ives for a mere $200 each for a double bed in a room not much bigger than the bed. And the shower was about as wide as the toilet. But the building itself was older than colonial Australia.

John and I shared one double bed (he doesn’t snore or fidget so we might do that again). The girls shared a four poster double bed and large bathroom (with bath) upstairs.

No room to store the bikes inside so they spent the night tied to the only lamp post in the street. Every D-lock and cable we had was lashing them to each other and to the post. The hotel operator assured us they would be fine even on a Saturday night.

Dinner at the pub and Day 1 of LEJOG was over. Sweet dreams.