Happy New Year

4000 miles

Crispy Sunday

Christmas capers

Temperature dropping

Today's the day. Been dreaming of this moment..... To turn that corner.

Had a good night at the Ormlie Lodge opposite Thurso station. Sinclair and David have a warm send off and instructions to get a good breakfast at YNot. Brilliant food.
The post office is in the co-op and I was able to deal with today's post... Dedications for the items purchased from the Timmy shop and the OS map of my 900 completed miles from Gretna to Thurso (Only 700 miles from here to Sunderland)

I followed the A99 along the north coast past Dunnet head and the castle of Mey where I had a cuppa and met more people following the journey on social.

The gardens at the castle are gorgeous and the ride is attractive. My curiosity was peaked by the granite windbreaks alongside the road. Clearly put in when the road was built, they look like lines of gravestones.

There was a man waiting at a bus stop. He waved at me in greeting. "I've been waiting for you! I wrote in to Wacaday and I'm so excited to meet you...." Royston and Vicky run a caravan park, the Ferry View, and I'm introduced to his whole family - four generations with big smiles and a great story. They are making a good life and business in far North Scotland with lovely quirky original touches. A takeaway kitchen, restaurant in a bus, original wooden lodges and 5 unique camper van pitches. Good luck you two and thanks for waving me down...

Gills bay, Storma island, and Canisbay church gave me reasons to stop and stare on the way to John O Groats.

I like the John O Groats experience. There's the signpost (I was actually surprised there's isn't an official photographer ) a ferry, nice people in the souvenir shops and cafes. I spent a couple of hours there enjoying those I met on their way around the NC 500 and doing LEJOG.

Finally a few miles climbing out of the village and constantly looking back to get my last glimpses of Orkney and the north coast.

This great flat sky is mesmerising. It's mid summer and the light is vast and never ending

It's a great feeling to turn that corner and start the journey south... Heading homewards. It's at least 1500 miles to go but I feel a new spring in my pedals and new energy.

There are old castles to admire along the way and pretty stock filled verges.

I come into The ancient capital of Caithness - Wick - famous for the shortest Street in the world, Ebenezer Place. Could I cycle it in a day?
It's a challenge at 2 metres long!

The town's gardeners are making the civic flower beds pretty. I stop for a chat. It's a joyous welcome to a place where people are proud to live.

Down by Wick harbour is something I've been looking forward to seeing. The row of 30 steps that LS Lowry painted in 1936.
It's an odd picture. Not the obvious choice with all the boats and harbour activity. But then Lowry choose differently from other artists.

Close to midnight I watch the sun set in a ball of fire from my Garrett room window. The golden colours are reflected in the river.
This is a fabulous town.

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Timmy Mallett

Yay! I'm turning South Direction of home!

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Happy New Year

4000 miles

Crispy Sunday

Christmas capers

Temperature dropping

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