I enjoyed today. The weather was about perfect for cycling, the breeze helpful, and in this top corner of NE Florida I passed through a greater proportion of natural landscapes. It continued to be flat, but there were some sweeping views across estuaries and coastal wetlands, and I even came across a large, wild tortoise by the side of the cycle trail!
Before that, soon after lunch, I picked up my first ferry of the trip across the St John’s River. Any trip is made better by a ferry, even when it is all over in less than ten minutes. Breakfast and lunch were simple but extremely pleasant affairs enjoyed outdoors, and – except for some unavoidable busy roads towards the end between Amelia Island and Interstate 95 – it was all a delight, and a slightly different side of Florida than the previous seven days. The beaches today were of the whitest sand and wouldn’t have looked it of place in the Outer Hebrides. In that department at least, Florida is truly blessed.
It has taken me eight long days to cycle from a Key West to the border with Georgia, and a new state. Already, within five miles, people sound very different. The two people who served me dinner and ice cream tonight sounded like they came from the Deep South. I hadn’t heard that twang in Florida, where more often I would be hearing Spanish, or at least accented English. There was also a warmth and politeness about these people that I liked. One waitress gave me a free bottle of root beer to take back to my motel, and the other girl made me a Dairy Queen Blizzard even though the restaurant was actually closed. I will be in Georgia for a few more days, so we will see what else lies ahead. I’m staying tonight in a motel by an interstate junction, and for the first time this trip I am surrounded by a forest of tall plastic signs, all competing to attract passing motorists to their motel, restaurant or gas station, all of which are present here in abundance. I was able to walk across the driveways to get dinner.
