June 6 London to Whitehaven
After leisurely breakfast with Brigit and Emily in their fabulously renovated kitchen, Jamie and I walked to the nearby underground station, which directly got us to Euston, where national rail lines meet. Because the system does not assign platforms until very close to departure time, the departure hall was full of people staring at the departure announcement screens, waiting to figure out where to go. Brilliantly sunny day, as the train wound its way through quaint English countryside and dropped us off at Whitehaven, the starting point for our bike trip on the west coast of England, just south of Glasgow. After extensive deliberations about dinner, we wound up at a pub that appears to be the local’s favorite. Lucky for us, it was “steak night”, where the second steak entree is half price. Very good steaks and “loads” of side dishes which left us quite satisfied. Whitehaven seems a quaint little town. From what we’ve seen, though, perhaps a little “down on its luck” at the moment, with many house and storefronts needing a new coat of paint.
June 7 Whitehaven to Silloth (31 miles)
Met Shane from Open Roads Open Skies, who delivered our bicycles to the B&B. I had opted for an electric bike, to make sure I don’t overuse my right knee, which is 6 weeks out from ACL reconstruction. The bike is extremely heavy, cumbersome, and I am a little trepidatious. Eventually, we get the seat height sorted out, and we set off on the “Hadrian’s Wall” cycle route. As per Jamie’s entreaties, I keep the assist level at “tour”, and I hear the motor whirring every time I pedal. Mostly through dedicated bike paths around the coast, we arrive at Silloth, on a very sunny, summery afternoon. Silloth is a beach town, mostly catering to city folk needing a dose of the sandy beach. It does boast a “championship golf course”, which hosts national level golf tournaments, but not international ones, due to lack of capacity for accommodations. We stayed at “the Queens” B&B. The building actually used to be a hotel. The couple who ran the hotel for years have found the task taxing, and are now limiting themselves to 6 rooms at most, and running it as a B&B. Our room was very spacious and light filled with sweeping views of the ocean, but the severely sloping bathroom floor and cracks told of difficulties in maintaining such a place of former grandeur. They are trying to hold on for as long as they can, though, for the lovely view that they have come to treasure.