Scotland and sticky toffee pudding

Day 7: Tewitfield to Dumfries. Scotland!

Miles - 96.3, calories consumed - 4419. Calories taken in through sticky toffee pudding - about 4500 (not quite as bad as yesterday's cake) Metres climbed 1256.

I lay in bed in the middle of the night listening to the rain drumming down, with a sinking heart - and it was still chucking down in the morning. But by the evening, we were riding through lovely autumn sunshine. It was a long, long day, but another good one.

We left Tewitfield in light drizzle, and were soon riding up tiny roads with grass growing down the middle, and hints that it was brightening up. But by the time we were heading up the A6 to Shap, the rain was monsoon-like. As I ground my way up the 15 mile climb, I did have several moments of reflecting that this was supposed to be my summer holiday.

 

In the cafe in Shap where we stopped for lunch no 1, Andy had a puddle under his chair, there was so much water coming off him. But splendid baked potatoes restored our spirits, and we rapidly whizzed down to Penrith to meet Albert and Rosemary for a snack top up and to say hello to Melvin and his wife.

The road to Carlisle was smooth and straight, and it was drying up; so much so, we ate lunch number 2 sitting outside, watching the locals getting their Saturday nights going early, all dolled up to the nines. Goodness only knows what they made of us.

As we left England for Scotland, some observations on the last 8 days:

1 - Every town or village  we went through with any kind of business in it had a hairdresser. Every one. Even if there was no post office, cafe or shop. Who are all these people getting their hair done?

2 - I have never seen so many pet-related businesses. Pet hotels, pet cemeteries and crematoria - one crematorium just down the road from a pet hotel - for when the stay doesn't go so well? Dog dentists, dog walking, dog grooming....

3 - there are an astonishing number of BT openreach vans. Why don't some of them head over to North Yorkshire to sort out the broadband there?

We are an increasingly decrepit and ragged bunch. We have sore bums, sore legs, sore shoulders, sore backs, and bone-weary bodies. And we still have about 450 miles to go.

Even so, arriving in Scotland was a great feeling. Cycling through the Scottish Borders in the evening sunshine was magical. But the best feeling was arriving in Dumfries after a very long day. Especially when we ended our meal with some high quality sticky toffee pudding, in honour of Andy Coombes, king of Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Jo, who should be here with us. Cheers to them both. Route: Tewitfield - Milnthorpe - Kendal - Shap - Penrith - Carlisle - Gretna - Annan - Dumfries.