What a perfect first day, I could not have asked for more.

I'd managed to wangle a day 'working from home' as officially at work my holiday shouldn't start until tomorrow.

So that meant I could sleep in but I still got up early at 7am as I was so excited but also nervous of the adventure that I'd planned. (Although I use the term planned loosely as I'd only read a few articles about riding in France and Spain and booked a return ticket on the Le Shuttle.)

I had decided to travel light and so with my rucksack secured to my pillion seat with a few bungee cords I set off from Bramley at 11.30am, via a quick stop to see my Mum for some photos.

Heading out under blue skies and early autumn sunshine put a huge smile on my face. I was so grateful it was dry. My nerves soon disappeared as I made way across the M62 onto the A1 South.

I only had one goal today and that was to reach the first of only two pre-booked hotels I had arranged, the Sunny Lodge guest house in Folkestone before check in time finished at 10pm.

I knew the basic route was to Peterborough and then from there I'd put my new SatNav on. I didn't have any breakfast and was thinking about getting a sandwich or some lunch. I stopped first for petrol just south of Peterborough where I knew there was a petrol station just off the A1, from when I worked building an extension on the Sue Ryder hospice at Thorpe Hall a few years ago.

There wasn't a toilet and so I stopped again a few miles further at the main Peterborough Services, it was busy, the KFC and McDonald’s outlets were tempting but I decided to build my hunger and save the calories for a big meal somewhere in Folkestone. I had seen a tapas place on google in Folkestone so I had that in mind.

I set my SatNav up at the services and programmed in Sunny Lodge. 

Back on the road I could feel the air getting warmer, as would normally happen during a sunny day but I told myself it was because I was getting closer to Spain and the equator. I couldn't help but smile. How better to spend a day off work.

The first highlight of today just as I rode past Stansted airport on the M11 was a huge military Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport plane landing, I could hear the roar of the four jet engines over the hum of the bike and traffic. It was ace.

Then further on, expecting to ride through the Dartford tunnel following the SatNav I went over the Queen Elizabeth II bridge. An elegant structure and another highlight of the ride down. It wasn't until a few miles after that I realised that was the Dartford crossing, good job really as the tinted visor on my helmet certainly isn't the best thing for tunnels.

One more petrol stop 20 miles from Folkestone, then into Folkestone town and I arrived at Sunny Lodge about 4.30pm.

Really friendly greeting from the hotelier Mike and his wife as we joked 'two Mike's don’t make a right!' He let me park my bike in the garden off the road, I could even see it from my bedroom window. I don’t think I will be this lucky every night.

I changed out of my leathers into the only outfit I'd brought, a pair of grey jeans with white trainers, a white belt, white t-shirt and my blue North Ridge hoody.

I walked into town following the sound of seagulls and salty air to the harbour. Folkestone looked great in the evening sun with little shops and steep streets.

I was wanting to find a pub on the front, before I was there I walked past a Chinese restaurant - all you can eat buffet £12.50 Mon-Thu until 10.30pm. The tapas place couldn't compete with that!

I found a pub 'The Mariner' on the harbour front and sat drinking a pint. I could see France across the channel. The second pint was nice too, especially as I'd still not had any food yet.

Back to the Oriental Buffet at 7pm and all I could eat turned out to be three full plates of spare ribs, salt and pepper chicken, roasted pork, chicken korma, chicken tikka, prawn crackers, spring rolls and more.

Only one more thing was needed to make the perfect day, some chocolate milkshake to have whilst watching TV before I went to bed, and so I found a small convenience store on the short walk back to the guest house, bought a bottle of Mars milkshake and a treated myself to a chocolate biscuit thing too.

Back at Sunny Lodge I had time to give the bike a quick clean by torchlight, although it hardly needed one with the journey down being so dry with hardly any flies in the air.

An early night as check in for Le Shuttle had to be made at least an hour before it was due to depart at 9.50am