Stats: Distance - 73.4 miles Ascent - 5534 ft Ave Speed - 11 mph Moving Time - 6 hr 40
Woke at 7.00am to brilliant sunshine, short shorts on today, think there is a brief respite. The Lazy Bunkhouse is brilliant, very clean, well maintained kitchen and sitting room. Our room was tiny but it was the best nights sleep I have had since we started - maybe because my legs muscles were more relaxed after yesterdays's easy day. Made myself porridge and yoghurt with blueberries for
breakfast, Murray is loading the car. Meeting the others at 8.30am so to be continued.
Well today turned out to be a day of two halves. Cold but dry in the morning, trying to out cycle the rain which unfortunately caught up with us at 1.00pm. So once more we were finishing our day wet, cold, in driving rain and strong wind. Still we are getting so used to it we just shrug our shoulders and get on with it, the same with steep hills, gradients of 14/16%. Another one, so what !!! It was exciting to be on top of mainland Britain heading directly east. We passed the house , in Durness, where John Lennon spent many a summer holiday, visiting relatives. He brought Yoko Ono back to visit. We made good time, admiring the views, but not stopping as much today. We coped well with the steep hills around Tongue coasting past beautiful Loch Eriboll. We had a choice for lunch stop, either at 29 miles in Tongue or 43 miles at Bettyhill. Bettyhill it was. We arrived there to the news that the tearoom was closed. Disaster !! But the cavalry were close by, once again Linda, Cilla, and Wee Flo came to the rescue providing sandwiches, garlic bread, fruit and biscuits. Wonderful refuelling stop !!! With just 30 miles to go the rain had definitely caught up with us so it was heads down Thurso here we come. We found ourselves caught up in the heavy traffic of workers heading home from Dounereay, perfect timing. Drenched and cold we all trickled into Thurso. Murray and Neil had cycled out to meet us but turned back after 15 miles, it's a hard life !! They had tried to find a B and B for Kim to no avail so very cosily she is now sharing a family room with Murray and I !!! It is 12.17am as I write this and the two of them are purring away quite happily !! We enjoyed a delicious, massive Chinese dinner tonight and a cake provided by Carol for Linda's Birthday. Many Happy Returns Linda, you'll remember this birthday.
On a personal note, the last 30 miles today were very nostalgic for me. Seven years ago I cycled this same road, with panniers, heading for John O'Groats having cycled solo from Land's End. It brought back emotional memories of that trip. I didn't want that journey to end and I feel the same about this one. Although it has been extremely hard, gruelling in fact, I wouldn't have missed it for the world and would do it all again tomorrow. Smashing fun !!!
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| Leaving Durness |
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Our Cosy Bunkroom
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| John Lennon's Spent Childhood Holiday's Here - Durness |
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| Apt Psychedelic Van |
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| Near Tongue |
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| Wee Flo in Charge |
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| Most Northerly Telephone Box - Near Strathy |
