Back to the Coast.

Tuesday 7 July.

 

We were up at 6:30 am and got ourselves ready to head to Eastgate and the podiatrist. We took the same route as yesterday going there. It was a bit busier but but the traffic kept moving and there weren't any hold-ups. We got to the podiatrist just before 7:30 am and had to wait for about 10 minutes for our orthotics to be sent over from the laboratory. Vernon Lever appeared just as they were delivered and he checked them out and fitted them into our shoes. Mine were very comfortable but Moira could feel the difference where her feet were raised and she may need some time to break them in.

 

We took the N12 motorway back but at Gillooly's interchange the traffic came to a stop then moved forward very very slowly. At the split of the motorway with the R24 we found that the N12 was closed. Later we discovered that there had been an accident, a lorry overturned. We had to take the R24 and soon the traffic was moving at a reasonable pace again. Once on the R21 and round the airport we picked up Atlas Rd straight back.

 

We were back at 8:30 am so it wasn't too bad; out and back to Eastgate in an hour and a half. We had our breakfast as soon as we got in then finished off our packing. Alex arrived as arranged at 10:30 am and it didn't take long to get us to the airport. It was then straight forward; Moira printed our boarding passes on the machine, checked in our cases then it was no problem getting through security. It was a bit cold in the seats at our departure gate so we went and sat in the main concourse until it was near time for boarding. I read the newspaper and Moira had the local papers that we picked up free. When our flight was called we returned to the gate but all the seats were taken, it was a busy flight. We stood near the front and when they started the actual boarding we were among the first on. Our seats were in row #3, so at the front. Moira had made sandwiches for our lunch and packed an apple and orange. We had our picnic with a cup of coffee we ordered.

 

When we reached Durban being at the front of the cabin we were soon off. There wasn't long to wait to collect our cases from the carousel and it was on to collect our hired car. We went to First Car again but they didn't have a booking for us. Moira brought the booking advice up on her iPad only to find that she had hired the car from Budget/Avis this time. This was quite good after the hassle and excess charges for petrol we had from First Car. Also the documentation was a lot quicker and there wasn't any problems with the Santander credit card this time. The car was a Chevy Spark again but this one was brand new. I asked about filling with petrol when we return it and was told that there was a filling station next to the car hire area. We saw the place to top up as we left the airport.

 

A brand new Chevy Spark!

 

 

There was a back-up of traffic as we picked up the motorway due to road works but once clear it was quiet all the way. The weather wasn't looking very good, thick cloud and rain in the air. The pilot of the plane when giving his weather outlook said there had been very heavy rain yesterday in KZN. When we reached Umtentweni Moira stopped at the TV shop and paid for another month of DSTV and at the Spar supermarket got milk and fruit.

 

Everything at the house was fine, as we left it. Moira had to leave the car outside while I removed the blocks I had fitted to the garage doors. When the car was in the garage I brought in the cases and made a cup of tea. While I was doing that Moira plugged in the TV and DSTV box and left it to tune in. When the tea was ready the TV was set and we sat down to watch the Tour de France. It was now after 4 pm and I thought we would be lucky to catch the finish but there was still 44 km to go and they were on the dreaded cobblestones or pave, the first of 6 sections. This was part of the route used for the Paris-Roubaix one day classic. Last year this was where Froome came a cropper and broke something in a crash and had to withdraw. This time he came through unscathed. The stage was 223.5 km long and began earlier in Seraing, Belgium and finished in Cambrai in France. It must have been relatively flat earlier as Cavendish was in the lead peleton at the finish, it had only been the pave sections that caused splits with riders stopping with punctures and the difficulties for the team cars to reach them with spares. The finish was very good; Tony Martin of Quickstep, the same team as Cavendish, had missed out getting 'yellow' on each of the previous three stages by a second, finally won. He broke clear of the pack with 3 km to go, he caught them by surprise and when they realised the danger it was too late, he was far ahead and held on to win by 3 seconds. They have now reinstated the time bonus for winning, he got 10 seconds and now has a 12 seconds lead and the Yellow Jersey.

 

Surprise break by Tony Martin.

'Yellow at last for Tony Martin.

 

 

After the excitement of the cycling we settled down for dinner. Moira had made a chicken curry and she cut down the amount we are eating after the feeds we were having at Alex's. Later we watched some quizzes on TV then I turned to the music section and listened to their selection of Country Music. I successfully worked on today's crossroad in the 'Telegraph' then we got to bed at 10 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

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