Day 17 - Take me home, motor-way, to a place I belong..

Hi everyone.

Welcome to the day 17 blog... my final day of Arctic Ride Iceland. Wow it’s been a blast. Where have the past 17 days gone?

I started early (a theme of this trip) when I was awoken at 5am by the ships PA system wake up call. We were scheduled to arrive at 6.30am so I got up got, got myself freshened up, and headed onto deck to get some breakfast. 

I begrudged paying £14.99 for an all-you-can each breakfast. I like to treat myself occasions on my trips but a croissant and a cup of tea was more than enough to start the fire burning for another long ride. 

I got my kit packed away, left my cabin, by which time the car deck was open, so I went straight down and unstrapped the bike. I’d just finished tying my kit back onto the bike and it was time to get off the ferry. I zoomed down the ramp and back onto home soil. No sooner had I got excited to go, I sat and queued for 10minutes to get through passport control. That’s been the story off the trip.. rushing just to wait. 

When I finally got through posspory control (after being asked where I’d been, and where I was going to) I popped to Morrison’s next to the port and filled up my tank ready to go. 

It was 7am so I knew I’d hit some rush hour traffic. I decided I’d try and do 100miles then stop. 

I battled past the rush hour of Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds (busier than I thought), and Cambridge. I was still feeling good and when I got to my 100 mile mark I was just short of Grantham so I thought I’d try and get there. When I reached Graham I was only 30 miles away from being half way so I stretched my legs by standing on the pegs then pressed on. I got to the half way mark and thought.. let’s see if I can make it to 200miles. No sooner had I made it to 200miles then the petrol light came on. I did another 17 miles before stopping at ferrybridge services, just 110miles from home. 

Wow, that was a big old push to do 217 miles without stopping on a bike I tell you. My legs were burning but the VStrom is SO comfy. I could have done more if it hadn’t been for not having enough fuel. 

I refuelled, grabbed a Greggs pasty, and had a quick chat with some other bikers, then hit the road. Having done 217miles without stopping, there was no way I wouldn’t be doing the last 110 in one go. 

As I flew up the motorway the cloud set in and by time I was 40miles from home the heavens opened. I was so chuffed to be so close to home I just rode through it wit hout stopping and putting on my waterproofs. 

And then, I was home. 

3,409 miles on the road in 17 days. 6 sea crossings, 5 countries, 100kms of off-roading, and a whole load of new friends made along the way. What a ride. 

Thank you so much to everyone who supported me on this ride a played a part of Team Arctic Ride. For the donations, raffles tickets purchased, likes, shares, comments, and good wishes. I couldn’t have done it without you all! 

And a final thank you to my wife Kirsty who; looked after our children and ran the household for two weeks, who was always on the end of the phone/text when I was feeling low, who shared every post and even wrote a few when I had no signal, and who pulled me up by my collar when I had to cancel my Arctic Ride Alaska mere weeks ago and told me to get on that bike to Iceland. Without her dedication and support there would be no Arctic Rider. And the some of the first words she said to me when I got back “That will be good practice for when you go to Alaska”... legend. 

That’s me logging off I hope you enjoyed reading my updates. There will be lots more to come in terms of looking-back blogs, pictures, and lots of videos, so look out for. 

And at writing we are £3.90 away from £4,700 of donations. Amazing work everyone. www.virginmoneygiving.com/thearcticrider 

Peace and love to you all. 

Ride safe. 

Gordon.