July 13, 2015
Day 29: My fault
"This is all your fault," Steph said, "because you bought sunscreen."
I can't deny it. If I hadn't bought sunscreen it wouldn't have rained, cats and dogs, all afternoon. ALL afternoon!
It started pleasantly enough. It was overcast and drizzly but nothing too terrible. Which was good because we rode over some cool coast line, though much of it was mountain bike track so it was slow going, but fun.
We meandered through seaside villages and sampled more tea, and scones. Always tea and scones.
Anyway in the afternoon the heavens opened, and I mean opened. We did 20 plus miles, head down, cold and wet, feeling sorry for ourselves, until we arrived at the campground that was in a field and only had a small facility for toilets/showers/washing.
"We need to eat first," Steph said, correctly recognizing that we needed food before shelter. That was fine with me since trying to get my tent up without the whole kit and kaboodle getting soaked was going to be a challenge, even though I am not sure what a kaboodle is?
So Steph and I huddled in a tiny room cooking our mostly canned supper. The room was used to dry wet laundry and wash dishes, with buckets and brooms in the corner and no place to sit aside from a toolbox which could sort of be used as a stool.
By now we have become a well oiled cooking machine. She handles the main dish (usually some kind of canned meat, plus rice or vegetables) while I handle the vegetables with my little stove, usually fresh carrots and broccoli. Sure wish I had taken pictures so you wouldn't have to use your imagination but I was wet and freezing my ass off, and hungry, so pictures were the last thing on my mind.
After dinner one of the guys in a camper/caravan saw our pathetic plight and invited us for tea. It was warm and dry inside and we were grateful.
Finally there was no getting around it. I had to set up my tent. Leo and Steph's tent is a different set up from mine and goes up easier in the rain. I have a tent (which is mostly mesh) and a rain fly that goes on top. Normally that is not an issue, unless it rains. But there was no choice and, with Steph's help, working as fast as possible, we got the thing set up with a minimum of rain inside.
I mention all this because sometimes bike tours don't always go as you had expect them to in your imagination and weather is one of the biggest wildcard. Especially in a place like England.
Still, I am not blameless. Steph is right. I bought sunscreen and jinxed us. I am done with sunscreen until I return home.
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Today's ride: 52 miles (84 km)
Total: 1,135 miles (1,827 km)
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