Als Top to Bottom Biking Adventures in the UK

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So I'm a little behind, ...travel days and time zones can be tiring.. I'll catch up in the next few days.
Left Thunder Bay for Newcastle (my forward operating base/cousin's house) on Aug 26. I thought I could get my flights, luggage and bike all cleared in to Newcastle,..as in, the luggage leaves me in Thunder Bay and greets me in Newcaste. Not so, Air Canada online check-in could only book to the Brussels leg of my journey. The Air Canada desk at the airport couldn't do anything either (so the point of Alliance partners is?). I would have to check in with the Alliance airline in Brussels.
I didn't think, at the time, this would be an issue. But, as I only was checked in to Brussels, so was my luggage. At Brussels, I had to collect my luggage and bike box at the baggage carousel (outside departures, technically in Brussels). After clearing customs (45 minutes) and picking up baggage and a 5' wide bike box, I found I could not check in until 1.5 hr before my flight, which was 13 hours away. No airline service counter to even get information from, as they alternate counters between the different airlines. So for 11 hours I had to wander the airport with baggage and bike box in tow. Try accessing washrooms (can't leave bags unattended) and getting into coffee shops with a 5' bike box.
Long story short (to late, I surmise)... got to Newcastle and was picked up by cousin and her hubby, nice time, local bike rides, then biked off at 4am on the 30th to catch the 6:20am train to the top of Scotland...
More to follow...need to work on bike chain issue, and then sleep.

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