May 24, 2005
To Twice-Brewed
Still wet this morning, but calm. The passing of the winds makes all the difference and we pull into Vallum Lodge in Twice Brewed in mid-afternoon, still leaving time for lunch at the pub and a two hour walk east along Hadrian's Wall to Housesteads. Parts of the wall are fairly well preserved, and the setting is striking, generally following a ridge with open views into the Scottish border country and northern England. On a sunny day with good visibility (not today), I'm sure it must be quite beautiful.
The Northumberland country in general has a striking and austere beauty - severely eroded rugged green hills, latticework stone walls marking the pastures, with paths of gorse and fields of rape adding color. The Northumberland sheep are also striking, being sharply marked by bold black patches.
After returning from our walk and drying out, we walked down the road a piece to the Once Brewed Tavern for a fine pub meal.
Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 155 miles (249 km)
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