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Travel StoriesAyside, The Lake District 2012 - By Ren Withnell
Ayside, The Lake District 2012 - Going Home
Remarkably, I'm not awake too early! Ok I know we've only booked breakfast for 0900 and it's 0745, but that's a big old lie in for me. By the time we've got up, I've had another shower just because I can and HM's dug her way through our mess to find some fresh clothes, it's getting time to go downstairs. I'm starting out with porridge at which HM just pulls her face. We follow on with an English breakfast complete with toast and big chunks of home made bread. Outside while having a smoke it's misty, cold and damp, but there's no sign of the ice which I was quite concerned about last night.
Packing's no problem when you're only out for one night and soon we're kitted up and on the bike. We wave our host goodbye and head back out with no more of a plan than to not rush back home. I hadn't realised we must be quite high up, as we crest a hilltop we look down into a mist covered valley and we are above, bathed in sunshine. We drop down into the mist where it's cold and damp. It's not very often I see mist from above like that, most impressive and the sunshine bodes well for the rest of the day.
The mist in the valley. It's cold down there, warming up nicely up here.
Detour time again, this time I spot an exit off the A590 signposted Brigsteer. I've no idea where this will take us but that's the whole point. We roll gently through woods looking at the mist through mostly naked trees. The occasional houses and farmyards come into view and we pass through the village of Brigsteer. We start to climb gently and as the mist thins out I can see the valley below us still bathed in cloud. I pull over on the quiet lane to take a few snaps, the mist won't be here long the sun is starting to thin it out.
We climb some more, I've no idea where to. I find a better place to park a mile of so further on and I think we've struck lucky. We're on a lane on the side of a hill overlooking a valley where the mist is clearing and it's most picturesque. The flat and rich farmland lies below us on the valley floor, I can clearly make out the meandering river and the straight drainage ditches. The bike looks quite artistic in the hazy sun so I take lots of pictures in the hope I get a good one. It's still damp and chilly yet the sun is trying it's best.
The bike looks quite smart today. Some may be surprised to hear it was cleaned this year.
More narrow lanes lead us into the large town of Kendal and as I get into the town centre I know we need to head South, to the right. So I turn right. As I do a small group of people seem to be shouting at me "WRONG WAY!" I panic and stop tight into the left, my heart's beating hard and I'm having a flap. What? Where...How? Indeed the traffic is coming at me in both lanes, I've got it terribly wrong somewhere somehow. I gather myself and focus on turning around safely and trying to make no more cock ups. After waiting what feels like an age for a safe gap I whip the bike around and carefully proceed. I can only assume I was focused on speed limits, traffic and the sun in my eyes, I must have missed the no entry signs. Stupid boy.
Cursing my own stupidity, then thanking the saints no harm was done I proceed carefully. I'm quite unsettled now, I'm still a little disorientated by my little affray. I just stick to the main road and get back into Lancaster. On the homeward side of Lancaster I find I'm in the wrong lane, I really don't have the will or confidence to fight with the cars and get into the right lane so I decide it's safer to just stay in this one and see where it leads us. Life throws us some curve balls, some are bad like finding yourself facing the wrong way down a one way street. others are good like finding yourself beside a pretty stretch of canal in the sunshine, like we are now.
Sometimes life takes you to nice places by happy mistakes. Life throws us some curve balls, some are bad like finding yourself facing the wrong way down a one way street. others are good like finding yourself beside a pretty stretch of canal in the sunshine, like we are now.
Sometimes life takes you to nice places by happy mistakes.
I park the bike next to the canal and we get off for a stretch and a smoke. A family of ducks paddles by as we enviously eye the properties on the far side of the canal, one has a boat house opening onto the canal. I imagine myself parking my power boat in there like James Bond then I remember canals have a 4 mph speed limit. An elderly couple in the car behind us sip tea out of a flask while smiling at the scary bikers.
Luckily this road leads us back onto the A588 through Hambleton and on to Fleetwood, and the end of our little sojourn to the Lakes. It's been an odd weekend, I've made some silly, stupid mistakes and I can be quite hard on myself which is also silly, I am but human. What I have enjoyed is having lots of time to cover just a few miles. No pressure to press on, lots of time to just stop and stare, no rushing and no saddle sores. I think I might be starting to mellow in my dotage, in fact I was so happy going so slow I'm thinking of buying a Harley, there is no hope.
Ayside, The Lake District 2012 - Going To The Lakes
The ride from Fleetwood to Cartmel, 50 miles in 6 hours, well done me!
Ayside, The Lake District 2012 - Going Home
The return leg of our Lake District sojourn. Mist, beautiful views and a stupid mistake...
Reader's Comments
Tom McQ said :-
Seriously Ren, that's TWICE now that I've heard you use the "H" word. Are you trying to subtly "come out"? Please don't start walking around wearing leather-chaps with a bare ass and tassles on the end of your handle bars. PLEASE!!
Nice write up and a great happy mistake to find that little beauty spot.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Ren - The Ed said :-
Tom - If Harley Davidson made an 883 that did 80mpg or more, I probably would be the first in the queue to purchase it. Obviously I'm too tight to but the HD jacket, pants, boots and belt, but I'd be sure to fit some black shoe laces into the end of my handlebars just to please you...
Harley Davidson 125...now THAT would be a bike!
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
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Travel StoriesAyside, The Lake District 2012 - By Ren Withnell