We lost a bit of time in Fraserburgh, messing about trying to find the Tesco. Consulted Google Maps but it just wasn't where it said it was. Eventually we put the technology away, thought about where supermarkets are usually to be found and eventually procured some lunch. We decided to head out of Fraserburgh to eat somewhere that Pingu reckoned there would be more seals. Well there were, and there was a nice little layby by a rocky shore where we could see seals. But the layby had been taken over by travellers, dog kennels and all. We were forced onwards to the village of Sandhaven where we nommed our food watching butterflies instead.
After Sandhaven we took the coast road to Banff. What a hilly bastard that was! Had a bit of a sense of humour failure about here with all the uping and downing, and about this point my legs were telling me that I'd done enough for one day and was it time to have a nice lie down on the verge and go to sleep? I told Pingu that my helmet was hot, sweaty and oppressive, and I wanted to take it off and hurl it into the nearest field. He advised me I might want to hang on to in in case it rained later...
Eventually the hilly bit stopped and we got through Macduff to Banff, where Pingu had the stellar idea of tea and cakes at Duff House. A nice pot of Earl Grey helped dispel the last of the grumps and made me feel a whole lot better. After that on the road to Portsoy, Pingu decided we had plenty of miles in hand and we didn't need to go all the way there, so we cut off in the direction of Turriff just after Inverboyndie.
At about 140km and 4pm ish we stopped in Turriff for something to eat. I didn't really fancy much on the menu so plumped for lentil soup. Boy, I was glad of that soup later. After that we nommed the last of the danish pastries we bought in Tesco for dessert. Not long after we left Turriff the clouds started to look rather ominous..... We passed some nice open farm buildings, the open type where thet store haybales in, and I thought about how it would be a great place to shelter if it rained right now....but we carried on for a few miles.
About 5 mins after Pingu took this picture the heavens opened. The rain came from our right and absolutely hammered down. It was so hard it was really painful on my face. Of course there were no buildings of any sort around by this time. After about a minute of this we found a small stand of trees on the right hand side of the road, which was enough to shelter us from the hammering effect of the rain. We were already soaking, (well, I was, being as I had a showerproof rather than a rainproof jacket on) but at least we weren't in pain any more.So, we stood under these trees, probably for about 20 mins, and it was about this time, standing there, dripping, that I was really glad of that hot soup. Eventually it was still raining but not in such a biblical way and it was getting brighter, so we set off again. That was pretty much ther end of our good weather luck as it rained on and off for the rest of the way home.
Although we were lucky enough to see a couple of stunning rainbows while were experienced the quintessentially Scottish weather of simulataneously basking in sunshine while getting rained on. It's quite strange getting really wet while also being boiled by the sun.After that point it was just get the head down and get the legs going and get the f**k home.
About 2040 ish we got home, after leaving at 0745 that morning, so it was a long day and I was bloody knackered.
My legs were an interesting shade of black when I got in the shower, and I had greenfly stuck to me in all sorts of places. My whole body hurt, and after application of spag bol and beer I took it to bed.
Thank god that box is ticked for the year. I don't intend to do it again til next year, by which time hopefully I will have forgotten how soggy I was.
Kudos and thanks to Pingu for taking my mid ride hormonal flip in his stride. And many, many thanks for the much appreciated Emergency Chocolate by the Maiden Stone.
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