Thursday 26 May 2011

Midge alert!

Last evening at Ullapool, and again this morning, there were a few midges about. The season has started! My Avon 'Skin so Soft' (the accepted best anti-midge cream available) had congealed so I used a little spray product I bought at Cotswold Outdoor. No doubt there will be many more midgy days whilst I'm in the West of Scotland.

During the ride I've met and chatted to a number of cyclists, notably Alexandre. But another cyclist going the same way, has been swopping places with me ever since he overtook me at the top of the pass out of the Kyle of Durness. Today we met again coincidentally. We had both struggled through high winds, freezing cold and driving rain on the A832, where the high point is 323 metres (over 1000 feet). We arrived separately at the Dundonnell Hotel, where the road eventually meets the sea. It was a haven, with a warm fire and excellent food. George, from Darwen in Lancashire, and I stayed there for an hour and a half until we were really warm again.

I'm conscious that the weather seems to dominate most of my blogs. Sorry about that, but it is rather important to us cyclists.

The Poolewe Hotel has a wi-fi connection which I'm using to write this. Two hearty meals today, which I think I needed. I looked in the mirror at the campsite here in Poolewe this evening, and didn't recognise the skeletal image. Gone is the double chin, the pot belly. My jeans have at least an inch of spare room - I'll need to buy a belt at this rate. George says that you burn 100 calories per mile cycled. Not sure if that's correct, but if so it means I'm using 6,000 calories on an average day. No wonder I'm losing weight, despite all the Mars and Twix bars.

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