August 30 Arrive Harwich England, Train to London, Cycle to St Paul's Hostel, Box up Bicycle for tomorrow's flight from Heathrow to JFK in NYC

The boat ride over from Holland to England was smooth. There were about 900 passengers, mostly people with cars or campers. The ship, Stena Line's "Britannica" is 252 meters long, a big ship that has restaurants, shopping, cinema, and trucker's lounge. No passengers are allowed on deck during the journey. Immediately upon arrival I loaded my bike and rode down the ramps of the ship and through customs to the nearby train platform where I caught the train to the Liverpool St Station in central London. From there I cycled just a couple K over to St Paul's Cathedral where I secured a room for the night at the nearby hostel. Tomorrow, August 31st I will fly from Heathrow Airport to JFK Airport in New York City. While checking my email at the hostel I learn that my daughter Faith has gone into labor a few weeks early. I had hoped to home in time for the big event.

August 31 Fly from London to New York City, Airport Bus to Time Square, Dinner at the ESPN ZONE, 11:15 Greyhound to Pittsburgh PA

What a fantastic bicycle journey. I biked 3000 miles in 10 countries; England, France, Spain,

Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands. I experienced a mountain-top finish of The Tour de France (Hautacam), cycled up 20+ of the famous Tour de France mountain climbs in the Pyrenees and Alpes including the Col du Tourmalet, Mont Ventoux, and L'Alpe D'Huez. Cycled across the Spanish Pyreneean wilderness, Pedaled through the Italian cities of Torino, Pisa, and Florence via Cinque Terra and Tuscany; Biked to the hometown villages of 3 of my 4 grandparents in Slovenia and Croatia and discovered the family tree back to 1500, I rode a train through the incredible Austrian Alps (think "Sound Of Music"), and cycled in 3 countries (GDR/AUS/SUI) in one day as I circled Bodensee (aka Lake Konstanz); I followed the bike paths that parallel the Romantic Road in Germany spending nights in Augsburg and Wurzburg; and finally arrived in Amsterdam in the Netherlands where I cycled the world-famous bicycle paths to Hoek van Holland. Let me know if you want to go with me on my next bicycle adventure.