leaving home

The day had arrived to leave home. Had a late night getting all my bits sorted and was really quite tierd but confident that had done as much as i could have done to be on the way.

Left home around 9am and made good timing to Whitby, along the ‘railway track’ – felt strange to be going along it this time knowing it was the beginning of the tour and i might not see it for another 4-5months (?).

The plan was to meet my parents and aunty & uncle in Saltburn-By-The-Sea. From Whitby everything went slowely down hill (lunchtime prior to this was pretty good though – minus the cutlery – blood donors card worked pretty well).

Had set the GPS to go around the back roads of the Yorkshire Dales – big mistake! The hills – ohhh the hills – my goodness i couldnt do it, I was totally out of my depth – was worried and panicing – the GPS was beeping and blapping at me about going the wrong way – just wanted to be at the campsite with a cup of tea and some food. Decided to go along the main A-roads – another big mistake. There was no place for a touring cyclist on these roads. Sooo, shamely I dismounted and pushed the bike (that in itself was hard – up the long long big steep roads).

This was not a good start, i arrived at the campsite, shell shocked and a bumbling mess.