Holly Holy. Day twenty-seven, Madison to Gainesville.

Like the previous night, I went to sleep without any idea where I was sleeping the following night: only that it wouldn't be the lovely BW in Madison, worse luck!

And again, as soon as I was awake it was back onto the internet to see if anything had opened-up, seeing as how Matthew had been relatively benevolent to Miami and the surrounding inland areas- maybe folks would want to get back home and free-up hotel rooms?

View from delightful hotel at 0800 this morn. Maybe I'll just faff around needlessly for another ten minutes...

 It was brought home to me just how lucky I had been to get that room in the Best Western: apparently Expedia overbooked the number of rooms actually available and I was the beneficiary of someone cancelling!

After watching saturation coverage on The Weather Channel, I sauntered downstairs to the lobby to ask if they were still fully booked tomorrow, just in case I didn't fancy getting out there. The Manageress said that I would be near the top of the list due to being the only eejit on a bike, hah-hah!

It was when I was down there that an English couple arrived and asked the inevitable, and they received the inevitable answer. The poor sods had been on the road for ages and ended-up sleeping in their car: I saw them again the next morning still trying to find somewhere. They were far from being the only ones...

Matt goes north-east, I go south-east...

I did get a few more odd looks than is customary as I wheeled the bike out through the lobby prior to check-out. To be honest, I did envy the folks who were taking their time over breakfast watching, yes- The Weather Channel.

It felt a bit strange trundling along, knowing that way over there was a fantastically powerful force of nature that you didn't want to get any closer to. Times like that you just hope that the weather folk have guessed right.

Impossible to show but I swear the clouds were moving in a slight arc around the eye. Honest! 

Bit presumptuous...I'll be the judge of that etc...

A contender for T.O.T.D.!

Before long there was the odd hit of rain, which then increased...hence the lack of photos. Apart from one lull, it was a bit lively at times and I have to give the forecasters kudos because they said at about 1pm there would be an increase in the wind speed where I was. And no, buffalo wings were not involved!

I admire your decimal accuracy but Gary Garmin reckons 8.9 miles. So there.

MES & Co. strike me as an unusual booking for this venue, but he has fans everywhere. Yes-uhhh!

Overshoes. After 30 minutes what possible use are you?

Stopped here at mile 75 to enquire but the inn was full. Nerves start jangling slightly, hah-hah!

My plan, such as it was, was to head to Gainesville as this was about 90 miles and contained quite a few motels: the back-up was to head another 40 miles to Ocala, which was doable thanks to the now lively tailwind but not that appealing due to the amount of water coming down.

I pretty much chose the first place that had a vacancy and although it won't be giving the Manager of The Ritz any sleepless nights, I'm glad to be here. There is a real joy in having booked tomorrow night's motel already...come on legs, give us another 115 miles. It'll be sunny, honest!

Why ever was I concerned? Stalag 17 had a couple of rooms free. And The Cooler too for misbehaviour.

And to think you were half-way clean last week. Breaks my heart!

I was in contact with my Directeur Sportif who is based in sunny Monte Carlo/Milton Keynes and he reckoned that it was wiser not to try to be Billy Big-Time and press on to Ocala, only to find zero acco. Sometimes he does come out with rare bit of sense...cheers Tractor!

He also reckons that today took us over the 3000 mile-mark: this calls for a cold one...cheers!

A fine brew.

There are (rare) times when only The Diamond will do. Immense!

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