Devon potholes

Day 2
Devon potholes

Miles - 74.6 miles. Calories - 3773. Metres climbed - 1755. Cream teas - 1 - at last!

Two observations about Devon:
1 - the Council really needs to sort out the potholes
2 - it's almost as pathetic as Cornwall on the cream tea front.

We set out to more blue skies and glorious sunshine, and a lovely still day, which was a novelty after non stop riding in the wind over the last few months.

Glorious riding through Cornish country lanes, some so sunken and narrow you couldn't see beyond the next corner, the rest of the time with glorious views of hills, and swifts beginning to get together on the electricity cables ready to fly off to Africa for winter.

Again, the teeny little villages failed to offer us anything in the way of chilled out cafe stops, until lunch in Holsworthy, where we weighed ourselves down with the most enormous baked potatoes.

In the afternoon, we crossed the border into Devon - country number 2 - and almost instantly, the roads deteriorated, with the very up and down little lanes feeling more like mountain bike routes in places. Along with the dappled sunshine, which made it almost impossible to see the potholes, it was all a bit of a challenge.

We were hoping to find tea in Wingleigh, and managed to lose Andy there, but after regrouping at the garage, having re-found Andy and failed - again - to find an open cafe, we had energy bars in the garage forecourt and carried on. We know how to holiday!

The last section - more hills - felt tough, and we were hugely relieved to roll into Thelbridge Cross to the lovely sight of Angela and Michael sitting in the front of the pub with pots of tea in front of them. Even better, they then rustled up a cream tea. At last! And worth the wait.

I have to say, I think we could have been better company over dinner, and Matt and I were in bed by 9.30. Exhausted doesn't really describe it adequately. Still, no one said it was going to be easy.