Thursday 18 June 2009: Kirkby Stephen to Kirkpatrick

I was cold in the night so I pulled the sleeping bag over my head and closed it with the drawstring. I woke up later than usual because I thought it was still dark! The sun was shining when I got out of the tent. I still managed to leave by 6:30, though. My shoes were still pretty wet but fortunately I had my sealskin socks with me. I don't find them very good when it's actually raining because water always seems to drip into the tops but they're perfect when you've got wet shoes to put on.

For the first half hour the sun was shining very low in the sky but with ominous clouds. It was a very strange light with a slight mist. Cows in fields to the east appeared as silhouettes with a blinding misty light behind them. I tried to photograph them but failed dismally.

Through Kirkby Stephen and on to Appleby-in-Moorland. It was about 8:15 but most places were closed. An interesting looking bakers had signs of life, the door was open but they wouldn't sell me anything so it had to be the Spa (and a fruit shop) where I bought breakfast things. Because I deviated into Appleby I found it best (after trying a couple of options) to go out on the A65. To start with there was a bit of a cycle track but it very quickly became pointless.

It briefly rained and then stayed overcast until Langwathby, where I had breakfast at 9:45, on a bench on the green. After Lazonby I missed my turning -- I thought from the compass something was wrong -- and ended up hitting the A6 further south than I intended. A bit up and down but the wind was from the southwest (or South-South West) so almost behind me. I passed a couple of loaded up JOGLERs and it was a bit more of an issue for them!

At Carlisle I went into the centre, got onto the A7 and parked up the bike. I'd forgotten to pick up more hypertension tablets when I stopped off at home and I would run out in a few days so I popped into Boots to see if they could let me have a small supply. They said I should arrange for my GP Practice to fax or e-mail it to them. I didn't want to hang around so I thought I'd leave it for a more convenient stop. A coffee and a muffin at Costa' s and a new micro fleece in a sale, a much better quality than the one I’d left in Haworth. Carlisle was the first large town I had stopped in. Initially I thought it looked interesting but it was just like so many towns, so I left quite soon. Stopped off at Morrisons and bought food for the evening, then headed out of town and quickly found the road alongside the M6 extension.

A superb, wide road with hardly any cars. (They were all on the fairly new motorway). The wind still behind me but only just. Very blustery but I was enjoying the ride. I was in Scotland! Stopped at Gretna, and took the usual photographs: the hotel with the smithy (or should that be 'a' smithy) where a wedding, with piper, was taking place; the original smithy etc etc.

Carried on along the B7076 beside the M6/M74. At Kirkpatrick Fleming I rode into Bruce's Cave Campsite and set up camp in a spot which seemed to be sheltered from the south west wind. Good drying wind, though. Sun came out soon after I arrived in Scotland and stayed out but the wind didn't let up.

I cooked the best meal so far: a starter of sun-dried tomatoes in herby sauce followed by kidney beans, onions, peas, chilli, and veg stock with new potatoes. A slice of caramelised apple pie with a whole packet of custard for pudding. All washed down with glasses of Chilean and Australian reds. Had to improvise wind shields for the cookers.

After that I went to the Station Inn. No hand pulled beer so had Belhaven original best "a beautifully balanced honey coloured beer". Crap! Crap pub too, like a canteen. Table full of women having a meeting about some village event (kids sports?) and one other bloke in the public bar. Left after 1 pint.

Looked at the route for tomorrow. Last campsite before Glasgow is at Motherwell. Not sure where the next one after Glasgow is but I think it unlikely I'll get beyond Motherwell.

I went back to the campsite and had a look into Bruce's cave -- a simple hole in the rock. According to the campsite, Robert the Bruce went into hiding in the cave in 1306 and this is where he had his alleged life changing experience with a spider "whilst in the cave and at the depths of despair, King Robert happened to watch a spider attempting to build a web -- the spider would spin then fall, get up and spin again and again relentlessly until it eventually made the web. This gave Robert heart and is reputed to be the birth of the saying ' if at first you don't succeed try, try and try again' ". Of course, same story is also said of a cave on the Isle of Rathlin, but what do I know?

Campsite: King Robert the Bruce's Cave Caravan & Camp site, Cove Farm, Kirkpatrick Fleming, GG11 3AT £10.00. Nice site, good clean facilities.

Statistics
Distance 101.06 km (62.8 miles)
Time 6 hours: 33 minutes: 13 seconds
Average Speed 15.4 km/hour
Maximum Speed 46.1 km/hour
Distance from Lands End 950.0 km
Total Time cycling 59:46