What a difference a day makes. After yesterday’s absolute washout today we had the bright blue skies and sunshine. The route traversed the undulating terrain of north Lakeland and took in closed up Sunday stone villages and quiet rural roads but brooding in the distance and getting ever larger lie the forbidding slopes of The Pennines. Stopped for a coffee in Greystoke the legendary home of the Earl and Lady Greystoke the shipwrecked parents of Tarzan. The local pub was awash with Tarzan pictures but no real apes to be seen. However what turned out to be Carol’s highlight from this village was the infamous Plague Stone, a difficult to find hollowed out lump of limestone set into the grass which was the place where you washed your coins in a small pool of vinegar to avoid catching the plague. This might have proved an effective tool against Covid 19. Then onward to Penrith where a cold beer awaited in the 14th century Dockray Hall pub. Up the hill to Penrith Castle former home of King Richard III ( did he have a hump back??). I think he would be horrified by his new neighbours the Macdonalds and the amount of burger and fries detritus which they allow to float around in the ruins! Arrived at the Edenhall Country House Hotel near Langwathby where a cold beer in the garden in the sunshine provided an enjoyable end to the day.
Velodyssee 
Sounds a much better day indeed. And the Edenhall Country House Hotel sounds a very pleasant place to enjoy a beer and have a good night’s rest. Vinegar would probably be a much cheaper alternative to all the hand gels we used against Covid. In fact it would actually have made people stay 2m from each other because of the smell!
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Sounds like a much better day. Tomorrow is the big test I guess. Out of interest how are you navigating? GPS?
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The cycle company we booked with, Saddle Skeddadle, provide an app with a gps based map plus additional info on where to eat and your next hotel location etc. They also provide a waterproof paper based map. Today we go over Hartside Pass. 650m of ascent over about 4miles and it looks like rain again. Oh joy! Better stuff some breakfast down to cope with that.
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