Day 8 – 1st October 2007

-

Today

Total

Mileage:

039

295

Beers:

001

020

Wine:

001

001

Whiskys:

000

012

Currys:

000

002

 

A Brilliant Day again!!

I have got it sussed. Up at 8.00am and away for 9.30am including cooking my own breakfast. Except I lost my gloves, but anyway, away at 9.45am.

The weather today is brilliant once more, and looks like it will stay the same all day. This is definitely a sunglasses and no jumper day. Today the destination is Pitlochry and it should be about 40 miles. Jon (Joint Campaign Manager) has told me that it is a hilly start, but once I reach the Drumochter summit, it is down hill all the way.

Anyway this proves to be the case, and I steadily climb on the cycle path (Route 7) that runs along side the A9 until I reach the top and then it steadily falls down towards Pitlochry.

Route 7 is a strange old thing. It is a mixture of the old A9 (really good) and old roads and paths with gravel thrown on top (really bad). It does keep you off the A9 though, which has to be a good. I met a couple of John O Groater’s coming the other way, and stopped for a quick chat with the second.

The weather (sunny but cool) and views were wonderful all the way; it doesn’t get any better than this.

I have finally got my fluid balance right. The last few days I have always arrived dehydrated, but today that wasn’t a problem. Plenty of the plants along the way will feel watered thanks to me. You have to keep those kidneys flushed.

I rolled into town at about 15.30 and stopped for a quick beer and coke, before heading to this internet café to update the page.

After the usual palaver (of washing and showering) I wandered into town. Pitlochry is a bit posh, even the hostel is posh, despite having no hot water when I showered.  I ended up having lamb and mashed potato and a glass of wine (250ml) for tea, so I now have a new type of alcohol to keep tabs on. I am trying to keep to a budget of  £30 a day, but when it comes to managing money I am useless.

Tomorrow I am planning to push onto Kinross, I will get a B+B along the way or if all else fails junction 6 of the M90 has services. Don’t ask how I am going to get there, cycle onto the motorway and cycle like ……

Friday night I should arrive in Carlisle, so from Saturday onwards it should be possible for anyone who wants to, to meet me along the way for a day or two… Just drop me an email and we’ll try and sort something out.

Rosie has ordered me a new TomTom Rider, which I hopefully get when I am in Carlisle. This will put things back on track. I will and try and ring TomTom when I get the chance and give them what fore.

Speak to you tomorrow Phil

(The pictures are still waiting for the right technology – tried to upload them today but failed.)

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