Sigh sigh sigh..,,,

Inverness, Up North,  to Shropshire (where’s that, as some have asked)

So after 21 days of no responsibilities, lots of fresh air and clean sheets every night it’s time to return to reality. ….. and leave my guardian lark behind. 

We arranged for the bikes to be packed up and delivered to our local bike shop, Stuart Barkley, for a well earned service – and to find why Keith’s chain kept coming off (the usual mechanical issue. Thank goodness it was his.) We were packed up and brought back to Inverness last night (to a hotel that I found, just prior to leaving, I had booked for the wrong night). Unbelievably that journey alone took three hours. Thanks for the trip  John o Groats Biketransport. Very efficient. 

As we walked through town to the station we smiled at those struggling with their overloaded bikes – but quickly found we seem to have forgotten how to walk! Serves us right. 

Moreover we had bigger worries – the rain on day two had permeated through to our super cheap pre- booked train tickets – and smudged them almost beyond recognition…..would we have to pay full fare? 

Down past all the places we had cycled – heavy rain all the way – Inverness, Perth, Glasgow, Crewe (where they have public bike pumps and bike tools available on the platform) eating all the packets of biscuits and peanut bars we had accumulated along the trip. 

And finally home to find both the book and the envelope stuffed with dirty washing had arrived before us. 

We’ve seen so much and told so little of it – the Euro fighter, the float plane, the Ents, the Asian end to ender, the barefoot end to ender, the castles, trees and churches. The deer roadkill. The specific dry stone wall styles as you pass up this island. The window sizes. 

And the geology. Key to pretty well everything we saw. 

So – maybe next time …..

Thanks to Naomi and  Robin Willows-Rough for not laughing in front of us at our idea.  To Jacqui for her quiet, persistent (and very justified) concerns. To Gayle and Martin Andrew for inspiring us. To Michelle at bikeadventures for helping us plan, for booking great accommodation, providing directions and being available if necessary. And of course to Keith without whom there would not have been the trip. 

And to everyone else who supportedus with advice (JH), food and cheer (vid and rk), and generally wished us well – we thank you all, each and every one. 

We thank our lucky stars that we’re in one piece and home again (staying up late, it’s Ten o clock already!)

Tantrums:0

Pints:0

Pages of book : started it again. Read three chapters.