The journey South on the east coast has had a different emphasis. We seem to have developed a desire to get to our destination rather than savour the ride. It maybe the intrinsic need to get home but is driven largely by the need to make up some of the days which we have slipped behind. Although our longest, today was not the hardest.
We left our B&B and rejoined the NCN 1 on a rough track that turned to little more than footpath with the promise of explosion or encarseration in quick sand if you stray from the route. We decided to make the 10km detour to Lindisfarne to add to this danger as it requires careful note of the tides. The road was due to be submerged beneath the sea at about 13:10 and we arrived at the start of the causeway at about 11am. This felt sufficient but we arrived at the Pilgrim's coffee shop just as a coach party had decended. The irritation of people's indecision about whether they want cappacino or latte is somehow amplified when you are on a bike and have to get back off the island very soon!
We had a rather brief tour of the village, it was packed and not the atmosphere for a monk to escape to for quiet contemplation. How wonderful it must be when all us tourists have left.
All worked out fine but we wondered how many people had to resort to the Refuge positioned strategically on the causeay
We continued to Bamburgh and yet another castle (quite big though). The first cafe had stopped serving food but the best in town was the Copper Kettle. They gave us great crab sandwiches and a free bowl of soup - we must have looked hungry.
We stopped briefly in Seahouses to shop for food then on to Craster. It was a nice novelty to pitch the tent and cook a meal. This was our first camping club site and the greeted us first with a refund because we were on bikes and second in a friendly manner more akin to a B&B host.
Dunstable Hill is a nice site, it is just that I am no longer sure how pleasant it is sharing the field with a town of white boxes.
Figures:
Distance:- 69.8 km
Cycle Time:- 4 hours 46 minutes
Average speed:- 14.6 kph
Total Distance:- 3883 km
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