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.
Because… who can remember?