What a difference a day makes....

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Well what a great couple of days we have had.

Leaving Waterhouses on Thursday morning we had no wind at all, and a nice long downhill! It was very cold however and we find our toes freezing up on and of for the next few days.

Making good progress we arrived in Macclesfield to find a place to have a coffee and on leaving we still hadn't - until we saw the golden arches and stopped for a coffee and bagel. I have NEVER ben happy to go into a McDonalds before this moment.

Manchester was reached by 12pm and we navigated our way some how right through in no time, thanks largely to Gareth and his super direction skills. Following on from lunch we went through and even North of Preston (!) where we found our place of rest at the Premier Inn in Bilsborrow. SWEET thing was, they had decided they would do our washing and drying for free! They didn't have such a great look on their faces when we handed them THE smelliest pile of clothes ever, but a few hours later and we smelled like roses.


FRIDAY

Today we were up at 6am and pushing to Lancaster. A bit of a hilly start and the wind started to pick up a bit as the morning drew on. Having lunch in a town called Kendal we then attempted Shap. Now we had heard a few stories about Shap - most of them were told with pursed lips and short sharp breaths inwards and sighs. Shap is a long steady climb - and at first it just sems to be another hill. Steve and I also desribed it as rather easy (not the exact words) until we rounded a bend and saw what all the fuss was about. Ouch. Even the lorries were crawling at 5mph to get up it. Of all the hills so far it may not have been the steepest, but this one is the one we would never want to do again. Sailing down the pther side was not too great either as the wind and rain was in our faces we still had to peddle before reaching a pub in thevillage of Shap for a coffee and a vote that we would try to get to Carlisle. Our digs was again a Premier Inn and we watched the rugby before bed.

Saturday

As if Jose leaving Chelsea was not abig enough shock to us all here comes another one.... Steve got up first this morning!!!!! We arrive in Scotland at 9.40 and 523.43 miles since leaving Land End a week earlier. Not much else to report for this day except that it is the first day we have (and every day from here on in) that we get BLOODY flies determined to hit our eyeballs all day. This becomes tiresome quickly. We eventually get just south of Glasgow and stay in a plush hotel in Larkhall.

Sunday

Our first Blackpudding breakfast. Getting through Glasgow is the worst experience of my life. I will say in polite way that I will never be here again, but good luck with the Commonwealth Games bid in 2014......

We decide to take a cycle path to Loch Lomon which is a wealcome break from the roads and then onto the A82 to Glencoe. Lucn in Tarbet and from the on we have the most beautiful stunning scenery so far. The A82 is one of the nicest roads to travel on apart from the surface which is terrible if you are a cyclist.

By the time we get to Crianlaich we are getting tired and it is getting dark, yet we still have 18miles to go and I am getting worried we wont make it. A coffee and battered sausage (not from the saddle) later and we we are off on a short climbaround the base of Beinn Udlaidh where we were met with a 4 mile gentle downhill in a picturesque valley right when we needed it.

Entering the Highlands it is nearly dark now and we see deer by the sides of the road in our flashing lights! At total darkness we see the lights of he hotel and pull in at last, having covered 98.8miles today, most of it was breath taking. Scoth broth here we come.....

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Comments

[dave]

are you north of Watford yet?
well done both of you - north of the border so soon - and straight into proper food! do you think deep fried mars bars will be a suitable replacement for your orange guarana and caffeine gel drinks Enjoy the rest of the tour - it must be all down hill now!