Photos
Before we start with today's news, it's time we had some photos from the trip. I've finally managed to get some uploaded (last night, but then ran out of time and energy, so didn't manage to post them).
The Team About To Set Off
About to descend into the Welsh Marches - after a 25% climb.
Crossing the Mersea
Anyway, enough photos, on to today
We had a very early start because Cathy needed to leave at 0700 to meet up with friends at Troon. Therefore we had to get everything packed and ready by then, with all relevant kit loaded into the car. We did not want an 'oh bother (insert other word if appropriate)' moment on returning to our rooms to find a large bag which should have gone with Cathy. Hence we were all having delicious and nutritious breakfast - wearing our lycra and barefoot - in the hotel restaurant at 0700. There were a few bleary-eyed wedding guests who weren't quite sure what these three strange blokes were up to.
Departure And History
We got on the road at an unprecedented 0810, and made great progress for the first two hours. The route was flat, and the weather good! We had a detour to a village called Powfoot, just West of Annan (where many old clipper ships were built), so that Joe could show us his namesake's legacy. At the turn of the 20th century, Joe's great-grandfather Joseph returned to his birthplace of Powfoot, having made his fortune in Liverpool. He wanted to turn the village into a holiday destination and to this end had several terraces of red-bricked houses built, in striking contrast to the traditional whitewashed cottages of the area. Alas the venture did not bear fruit, but the red-bricked houses remain to this day. We spent a few minutes cycling around the village, before heading off on our way.
Up The Nith
From Powfoot we went along the coast, and then cut inland to Dumfries where we stocked up with baguettes in case there was no food available at our midpoint for the day - the town of Sanquhar. From Dumfries we followed the river Nith (causing great amusement to James, for whom it reminded him of the Monty Python sketch featuring "The Knights Who Say Ni(th)". Until Matt pointed out that it's pronounced "Neeth". Spoilsport. Matt amused himself and the others by managing to regurgitate entire lyrics from some Ian Dury's songs. Those to "Billericay
Dickie" were the most satisfying.
The countryside up the Nith valley was beautiful, especially in the bright sunshine. However, we were worrying about lunch already.
Lunch At Poppy's
Unfortunately, Sanquhar proved to be a bit of a dump, and we pressed on to Kirkconnel a couple of miles further on. Having passed two definitely non-inviting pubs, we found Poppy's Tea Room, which was perfect. We had a rather extended lunch consisting of paninis, soup, and pudding. Can never eat too much you know! We finally staggered off at 1410, ready to tackle the last 60 miles of the day. At this point in the day, 60 miles does seem a bit far!
Gentle Climbs, Dual Carriageways And Coastal Evening Arrival
The afternoon continued the relatively gentle climbing profile of the morning, and we arrived at Irvine around 1700. We decided to take the more direct option of skirting the town on the main road, rather than using the cycle track - the latter are often tricky to find, and slow to ride on. However, the 5 miles we spend on the dual carriageway were enough, and we turned coast-wards with relief. After Stevenson we hit the coast, and spent the rest of the ride next to the sea in glorious evening sunshine, with the islands looming out of the haze to the West. We finally arrived at Largs at 1845 - almost early for us after a day's ride of 118 miles.
Are We Holding Together?
This morning we were all feeling pretty tired. Our legs feel empty for the first couple of miles until we get up to speed, and then things are fine. James and Matt have sore bottoms - Matt's just bruised, but James suspects his is more than just bruising (time for more Sudocrem!). As an experiment, they tried wearing two pairs of shorts today. It seemed to help, but felt a bit like sitting on a pile of cushions - and Clare told Matt his bum looked big. James has also managed to get a blister on one of his hands, where the seam from a glove is rubbing - so things are definitely a bit less comfortable for him, overall!
Tomorrow, off to Loch Linnhie while the girls (Clare's now here) go off to Loch Fyne. All right for some!
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