Weather: Sunny and hot
Total distance: 343 miles
We sat down to yet another cooked breakfast this morning - I don't think we have ever consumed so much bacon in so short a period in our lives. Alex made a speedy puncture repair before we free-wheeled down hills that were so steep tears were streaming down our cheeks in the cold morning air, with the bikes approaching speeds of 35mph!! We retained the flat of the Vale of York, making quick progress early on through pretty villages with names like Appleton Wiske and Ellerbeck.
Luke was most disappointed not to see Tony Blair in Sedgefield for a quick chat as we passed through - he was hoping that he might be watering the begonias and would invite us in for tea and cakes. The idyll of Sedgefield and Yorkshire soon faded however, as we got deeper into the old mining areas of County Durham, as we proceeded through pit villages such as Fishburn and Quarrington Hill. In Fishburn, we had a whole plethora of reactions as we cycled through, ranging from looks of derision and confusion to car horns tooting, although we thought later these were probably at some girls on the pavement! Alex managed to get us lost outside of Durham, but I forgave him for not knowing the area. High Shincliffe (Alex's home) was lovely and green, and we received a wonderful reception from Ray and Gail (Alex's parents) after Alex had sneaked in to the house and tapped Gail on the shoulder, making her jump out of her skin.
For once, today was a total piece of cake, a walk in the park, a total cinch mileage wise...and dinner was absolutely delicious!
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