What a wonderful day's motorcycling that was. Started in Eskdale, ended with a large chili and mash. Sunshine, bends, landmarks(14), miles and miles of wonderful roads, great scenery, general knackeredness. Super. Set off yesterday a.m. towards Telford, armed with my two new purchases - gloves that reach the cuffs of my jacket sleeves, and earplugs. Both were good buys. Bit of a problem with the first landmark - found two things that were almost right, but nothing that matched exactly. Internet has turned up bugger-all.[1,2] Into Wales, to snap a pillar, a cross base and an old village lock-up. Had lunch at Horseshoe Pass. Trusty thermos of coffee, and a sausage roll. Onto the Wirral, through the tunnel, and off to Formby by the Sea. Found the mediaeval stone I was looking for, then it was back East to Blackburn to snap a sculpture of the football club's motto. Next landmark on the list was on the far side of the LAke District, it was gone seven - best find somewhere to stay. Where did I end up? The Woolpack Inn, on the far side of Hardknott Pass. After getting the next landmark anyway. Too late for dinner, but not for the bar. Proper beer, too, with twigs and stuff in it. Super breakfast this morning, mind. Back over Hardknott and Wrynose passes (in the fog and drizzle - top fun) and over the M6 to Mallerstang common to visit Pendragon Castle. Down into Yorkshire, to visit a war memorial near a canal, a statue in Sowerby Bridge, and another roadside cross. Loads of bikes out today - I'm not surprised given the weather and the roads up there. Into Lancs again, to get a roadside stone outside Oldham, and then south into Cheshire to get the memorial to some poor bugger who died in the snow in 1750 or thereabouts. I didn't realise Cheshire was so hilly. Folk out rock climbing, and allsorts. Final landmark of the day - a small packhorse bridge at Edale, then a simple blat down the M1/A1 to home. Aren't earplugs wonderful? It took a bit of getting used to, but it's raised the cruising speed on the 13 (without pain) to over 65mph. I'm not sure they're so wonderful when worn by a pedestrian on country lanes, though, and they seem to encourage riding a little too quickly in 30 limits. So, the 13 now has 3700 miles on it, and I have 46 landmarks (out of 90). Only Scotland and a few bits of Wales, and some oddities in England, left. [1] Whilst typing - I've found it. It's not actually in the village on the cluesheet. It's close, though. [2] Descriptions deliberately vague to avoid being nuked from orbit by the organisers.
