Someone we know in the Cyclists Touring
Club did Land's End to John O'Groats last year. She warned us that
Devon and Cornwall are two of the worst counties when it comes to
hills. Today we discover that she wasn't joking – and Reg has
mentioned that tomorrow will be even worse. Probably because of all
the cycling training we've done over the past few weeks, I'm able to
cycle up many of the hills. I have to walk up a couple of “arrow”
inclines. I can't start off on my bike on a hill, especially when
laden with panniers, unless there is a downward-slope driveway handy
half way up. Luckily these driveways do appear in the middle of
several hills, so that I am able to stop and catch my breath and then
make for the top of the hill. Then I'm saying to myself, “ Please
don't let there be another hill around the corner!” Of course
there are brilliant downhill stretches too. And like yesterday, the
beauty of the countryside is breathtaking, with an abundance of
differently-coloured wild flowers along the route,
But today is not the best day for
relationships, especially mine and Reg's!! Before we left Reg sort of accidentally updated my notebook computer to windows 10, and now it won't allow us
to access the internet at all on this machine though we have internet
available where we are staying. Reg is pretty good with computers,
and we enlist the help of a kind computer-geek friend, but no joy. So I can't post the blog, unless I write it on Reg's ipad,
but I really need a keyboard. I'm currently writing this in Open
Office, hoping to copy and paste later. I'm not saying anything
about the Windows 10 updating. Reg is frustrated enough about it as
it is.
Reg has put hours and hours into
preparing for this trip. He's done up the bikes, replacing brakes and
gear chain rings and generally trying to make sure that our bikes are
fit for the long ride ahead. He's booked all the accommodation, and
spent a long time assessing the best route. He's then spent days, if
not longer, putting the route into his Garmin, so that “she-who-will
be obeyed” can talk to us along the way and tell us where to turn.
Not to mention all the maps Reg has uploaded. Thank you, Reggie!!
But as I said today is not our best day
for getting on with each other; there's the strain and frustration of
the number of hills, both of us unhappy about the Windows 10/internet
blocking situation, and Reg unhappy about my inability to turn when
he tells me to. (Reg usually cycles behind me to avoid losing me.)
“In a minute, turn left.” (“in
a minute” can be any time between 30 seconds and 10 minutes).
Ah, there's a left
turn! “What, here?”
Reg (crossly) “No,
in a minute!”
Reg: “Left
here. Here! Left! LEFT!”
And so it goes on
throughout the journey. I want to stop to take a photo/blow my
nose/do a wee in a field/ take off my hoody. All this is part of my
“faffing” nature, which Reg patiently endures most of the time.
It's another day of
glorious sunshine. What a rich blessing! As we start today's
journey, we buy sandwiches in the Co-op in Newlyn, the little town
where we had our fish and chips last night. One of the highlights
this morning is cycling past St Michael's Mount. We are disappointed
to find that the coastal cycle path is closed for repairs half way
along. It also means that Reg has to rethink the route.
We stop in Hayle
for coffee (and cake for me) after another argument, because on the
one occasion Reg cycles ahead of me, I lose him. Frustrated and
cross, he comes back to find me. But we enjoy our morning break
sitting outside in the sun, and as usual we end up laughing about
what happened.
We enjoy a pub
lunch at Cambourne, as we are staying at a farm tonight, miles from
anywhere. We won't want to venture out again once we get there. We
can have the sandwiches we bought first thing this morning for our
tea. We try to stop about every 10 miles on our average 40 mile
journey; we find the breaks are really important.
Cornwall is very
beautiful, but it is a relatively poor county. One or two of the
small towns we cycle through, eg Redruth, look as though they've seen
better days. It was interesting to note that the post office in the
village of Gwynear was only open once a week – on Thursdays at
precisely 4.30 pm!!
I start to feel
exhilaration as we near the end of today's journey. Reg says,
“This is where
we turn for the farmhouse!”
But we aren't quite
there yet. There's an “arrow steep” half-a-mile long driveway up
to the farm. We both have to walk our bikes up. The farmer, Harold,
greets us and shows us to our room. Bliss! We can't believe our
luck! A bath for the second night running. I turn on the taps
immediately.
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