After a gentle bumble on a train back from Thurso to Inverness past all the lovely scenery we'd ridden past in the other direction, a supermarket sweep through the Inverness M&S to buy ourselves a celebration picnic for the sleeper, and a sleeper train from Inverness to Euston, we are very firmly back to reality in London. It seems shockingly loud and busy and frenetic after the lovely peace and tranquility of the Scottish Highlands. Where have all these people come from?????
You'll be reassured to know that Rachel and I made sure we celebrated the end of our trip in style on the sleeper train, with some bubbly (thank you, Albert and Michael K), and two bagfuls of food, which all disappeared alarmingly fast. It's very tricky to take photos while squeezed into the corner of a sleeper carriage, but here you go…
Before our farewells, we had a final coffee at St Pancras, and assembled our trip rankings, which are as follows:
Best Climb: The one from Fort Augustus to the 7 Lochs view - the 12%-er
(special mention to the Cheddar Gorge, and Rachel's and my race to the top)
Best descent: Auchenstroan, in the rain, just before the "hot bacon rolls" lunch break
Best cafe: - tricky, this one, but after much thought, it has to be the cake cafe; Light Ash Farm, south of Lancaster.
Special mentions to Churchinford community cafe, which was the end of the beginning, and Carsphairn (Hot bacon rolls).
Also to the cafe in Shap, just for being there when we were so cold and wet and in so much need of warming up.
Steepest climb: the small but brutal ascent on the cycle route just before Keynsham, when we were all desperate to stop turning the pedals around.
Best section: - much discussion of this, and no consensus:
Jane - Invergarry to Invershin
Matt - Day 2 through Devon
Rachel - Day 3 from Devon to Keynsham through the lovely Somerset Levels
Andy - I can't remember!
Moment of the trip - the Isle of Arran TT (racing to catch the ferry)
Best Coffee: on the Ardrossan Ferry (a Jane and Rachel nomination)
Best accommodation - we stayed in some really great places, with very few turkeys, but the unanimous nomination for best of all was Pentland Lodge House in Thurso for huge and comfortable beds, great breakfast, lovely dogs, and a super-friendly welcome.
Most random food eaten: Chicken and haggis in cajun cream sauce at Eden Bridge House (surprisingly nice, apparently)
Best Sticky Toffee Pudding: Eden Bridge House
Most dangerous meal: The Jalalabad curry in Leominster. What were we thinking? But…..
Best meal: The Jalalabad curry in Leominster
Best paddy - Andy in Cafe Nero in Nantwich (non arrival of raspberry muffin)
Jane in closed pub car park near Nantwich (needing to go to the loo)
Rachel - midge frenzy in Altnahara Hotel car park
Most inappropriate moment: Rachel behind a tree in Altnahara hotel car park
And finally, the official trip stats:
Miles - 1022 (longer than the official distance because we took scenic B roads)
Metres climbed - 18328. More than twice the height of Everest.
Calories burned - 47,691. Calories consumed - at least 50,000 because I am HEAVIER than when I set out. How is that possible?
And now it's all over - but it was undoubtedly a trip none of us will ever forget.
Well done to all of you and thanks for keeping us posted. Personally I enjoyed the cafés just as much as the views (thanks to your vivid descriptions!) xxx Bella
ReplyDeleteYou're all stars. Well done!
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