While we are eating our breakfast, the lady who runs the Bankfoot Arms, where we are staying, comes into the room with a huge vase of flowers.
"It was my birthday yesterday," she explains. "But I spent it in the kitchen cooking 20 odd meals, as my chef is away."
"Oh dear," I commiserate with her. "Well, my pork stroganof was very nice." (I didn't add - when it eventually arrived.) So that explains the delay with our meals last night. Apart from that, this has been a very comfortable, welcoming place to stay. And we learn that the couple on the tandem, from Portishead, Graham and Mary Higton, whom we met in the Robertson Arms Hotel in Carnwath, stayed here the night before!
Today turns out to be one of our best days so far. To begin with, we're only cycling 27 miles - that's more an accident of being able to find accommodation the right distance away. Not only that, the weather is glorious - no "on and off" with the waterproofs today. Also, although there are hills, they are mostly a gentle gradient; the one really steep hill is quite short.
The scenery is spectacular - we are in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands now. We see Highland cattle with their long curly horns - they look menacing but are apparently as gentle as lambs; and sheep, sheep and more sheep. Wild flowers are abundant in the hedgerows.
"Look at that lake on the left!" says Reg. I look to the right.
"On the left! LEFT!"
This happens from time to time, that I muddle up right and left. Very frustrating for my tour guide!
On this section of the ride, we hardly see a car. The place names are familiar to us as they are the names of streets where we live - Dunkeld, Kenmore, and Pitlochry.
As we are doing a shorter mileage today, we don't need to cycle 10 miles before we have coffee.
"Dunkeld is 7 miles away, we can have coffee there," Reg had said, as we set off. The last section of our ride to Dunkeld is a cycle track, and we're soon in the main street. We pop into the Co-op to buy our lunch, then Reg goes off in search of a coffee shop.
"I've found a place you'll like," says Reg. "It's in a side street. Follow me!"
It's a lovely little place, though a somewhat harassed German waitress rather erodes any atmosphere of rest and relaxation. She is rushing from one table to another. After we've been waiting a while, another very calm waitress approaches our table.
"Has your order been taken yet?"
"No."
The calm waitress serves us, and the German waitress turns around in a fluster, realising she'd forgotten us. We enjoy a lovely cappuccino and green tea, and I can't resist a slice of lemon cake. After that breakfast?!! No wonder Reg is losing weight on this trip - and I'm pretty sure I'm not!
There's 14 miles to ride to Pitlochry, where we're going to have our lunch, and then only 7 miles further on to our hotel in Blair Atholl.
We travel on B roads to Pitlochry - several cyclists greet us as they pass us in the other direction. We discover that Pitlochry is a buzzing little tourist town, We find a bench and tuck into our picnic, enjoying the chance to relax and read our kindles!
We walk up the main street with our bikes; I pop into a convenience store to buy a couple of lemons for Reg's green tea; we have of course brought green tea-bags with us. A man, probably in his 80's, asks us where we're going.
"I've never done Land's End to John O'Groats," says the man. "But I have done some long trips. They were way back in the 40's, though. Unfortunately I can't cycle now," he says with a wry smile.
We'll on our way to Blair Atholl. It's brilliant that we only have 7 miles to go! We're gently climbing now, and tomorrow we'll be well into the Scottish Highlands. The scenery is spectacular - fast flowing rivers running over pebbled river beds, high hills, and buildings of grey Scottish stone.
Our hotel tonight is a rambling, old-fashioned Scottish hotel, There's a wide vestibule with a dark wood staircase leading up to the first floor - all carpeted in blue and green tartan. There's a warren of long corridors leading to the rooms; ours is 401, but the hotel is not big enough to have that many rooms. This hotel reminds me of Sidholme in Sidmouth, where we've often gone for our church family weekends.
The room is nice; plain carpet with tartan curtains and bedspread. And there's a bath! It's only 4.30 pm, the earliest we've arrived at our destination on this trip. We enjoy a bath, some rest and relaxation, and a meal in the bar before having an early night.
"It was my birthday yesterday," she explains. "But I spent it in the kitchen cooking 20 odd meals, as my chef is away."
"Oh dear," I commiserate with her. "Well, my pork stroganof was very nice." (I didn't add - when it eventually arrived.) So that explains the delay with our meals last night. Apart from that, this has been a very comfortable, welcoming place to stay. And we learn that the couple on the tandem, from Portishead, Graham and Mary Higton, whom we met in the Robertson Arms Hotel in Carnwath, stayed here the night before!
Today turns out to be one of our best days so far. To begin with, we're only cycling 27 miles - that's more an accident of being able to find accommodation the right distance away. Not only that, the weather is glorious - no "on and off" with the waterproofs today. Also, although there are hills, they are mostly a gentle gradient; the one really steep hill is quite short.
The scenery is spectacular - we are in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands now. We see Highland cattle with their long curly horns - they look menacing but are apparently as gentle as lambs; and sheep, sheep and more sheep. Wild flowers are abundant in the hedgerows.
"Look at that lake on the left!" says Reg. I look to the right.
"On the left! LEFT!"
This happens from time to time, that I muddle up right and left. Very frustrating for my tour guide!
On this section of the ride, we hardly see a car. The place names are familiar to us as they are the names of streets where we live - Dunkeld, Kenmore, and Pitlochry.
As we are doing a shorter mileage today, we don't need to cycle 10 miles before we have coffee.
"Dunkeld is 7 miles away, we can have coffee there," Reg had said, as we set off. The last section of our ride to Dunkeld is a cycle track, and we're soon in the main street. We pop into the Co-op to buy our lunch, then Reg goes off in search of a coffee shop.
"I've found a place you'll like," says Reg. "It's in a side street. Follow me!"
It's a lovely little place, though a somewhat harassed German waitress rather erodes any atmosphere of rest and relaxation. She is rushing from one table to another. After we've been waiting a while, another very calm waitress approaches our table.
"Has your order been taken yet?"
"No."
The calm waitress serves us, and the German waitress turns around in a fluster, realising she'd forgotten us. We enjoy a lovely cappuccino and green tea, and I can't resist a slice of lemon cake. After that breakfast?!! No wonder Reg is losing weight on this trip - and I'm pretty sure I'm not!
There's 14 miles to ride to Pitlochry, where we're going to have our lunch, and then only 7 miles further on to our hotel in Blair Atholl.
We travel on B roads to Pitlochry - several cyclists greet us as they pass us in the other direction. We discover that Pitlochry is a buzzing little tourist town, We find a bench and tuck into our picnic, enjoying the chance to relax and read our kindles!
We walk up the main street with our bikes; I pop into a convenience store to buy a couple of lemons for Reg's green tea; we have of course brought green tea-bags with us. A man, probably in his 80's, asks us where we're going.
"I've never done Land's End to John O'Groats," says the man. "But I have done some long trips. They were way back in the 40's, though. Unfortunately I can't cycle now," he says with a wry smile.
We'll on our way to Blair Atholl. It's brilliant that we only have 7 miles to go! We're gently climbing now, and tomorrow we'll be well into the Scottish Highlands. The scenery is spectacular - fast flowing rivers running over pebbled river beds, high hills, and buildings of grey Scottish stone.
Our hotel tonight is a rambling, old-fashioned Scottish hotel, There's a wide vestibule with a dark wood staircase leading up to the first floor - all carpeted in blue and green tartan. There's a warren of long corridors leading to the rooms; ours is 401, but the hotel is not big enough to have that many rooms. This hotel reminds me of Sidholme in Sidmouth, where we've often gone for our church family weekends.
The room is nice; plain carpet with tartan curtains and bedspread. And there's a bath! It's only 4.30 pm, the earliest we've arrived at our destination on this trip. We enjoy a bath, some rest and relaxation, and a meal in the bar before having an early night.
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