(11,493 km)
\nTop tip: check where the ferry port is relative to your campsite before\nbooking :). It's 20km from Camping de la Unicorn, so the 10am crossing\nrequires an early start!! It is, however, cheaper if you do book the ferry.\nSomething like £25 instead of £46. But if it's low season, you can probably\nbook the day before.
\nAll went smoothly, however. There are cycle paths nearly the whole way to the\nport, and then they are very used to cyclists. We got on first, and were\ntipped off about how to get off first. No hanging around for us!! The crossing\nwas uneventful too, and we treated ourselves to a veggie English breakfast.\nWelcome home!
\nI'm afraid Dover wasn't a very inspiring re-introduction to our home country.\nWe managed to buy an M&S; lunch (treating ourselves), and then faffed around\ntrying to find the bike route to Canterbury (tip, it's national cycle route\n16). When Ed pulled into traffic to turn right, the female driver of an SUV\ngesticulated and waved her hands in anger at him. Welcome home again ;). How\ndare you cyclists turn right when I need to drive my unnecessarily large car\nquickly in the same direction!!
\nEverything was far friendlier after that, aside from te relentlessly rolling\nterrain, Drivers waited, waved and gave the thumbs up. Cyclists smiled and\nsaid hello. And we smiled at the quintessentially English views. In the\nuncharacteristic October sunshine! NCN 16 to Canterbury does, in theory, form\nthe first or last part of Eurovelo 5. We did actually see two EV signs, but\nother than that you need to be in the know. It is, however, well signposted\nand a very lovely route. WEll done Sustrans, I wish you had more money!! And I\nwish to Eurovelo website / app were better and actually imparted this useful\ninformation. I guess they need more money too.....
\nSo we are in Canterbury!! I have put my foot down and said no more camping, so\nwe're at the YHA. It's great. Lovely facilities and great value. Who'd have\nthought British YHAs would be cheaper than European hostels?? But they are, by\nfar. It's around £15 for a dorm bed here, not counting the £3 members'\ndiscount. Compared to more like 27 euros across the channel.....and they don't\neven provide kitchens......counting ourselves lucky!!
\nCanterbury itself is nice but quite touristy, and you can't get near the\ncathedral without paying over 10 quid. However, it's nice to reacquaint\noneself with the home comforts of Waitrose etc ;)
\nWe'll now cycle back to Devon via south London and the South coast. Strange\ntimes to be near the end!
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