Two days ago was the hardest riding day I’ve encountered on my trip so far.
After leaving Graham’s house I had no issue riding to Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is the northernmost town in England after coming out of Scotland. I had an early lunch there and explore the town a bit, then I continued to follow EuroVelo 12.
Farther down the road the terrain became more rocky. It was so rocky that I couldn’t ride my bike. I was afraid the jagged rocks might puncture my tires so I walked my bike for quite a while. The scenery was nice since I was on a cliff overlooking the North Sea. To be honest, I’d rather ride on nice roads with less spectacular scenery than push my bike on an unrideable road with great views.
It took me awhile to get over that difficult section of the route. Then I rode on a single track trail that took me into the farmlands. The place reminded me of the farmlands in Kansas, except with hills.
The roads in the UK are very narrow with no shoulders. Since I had to ride on the left side of the road I felt I was in a strange place, perhaps something out of Wizard of Oz. It was both magical and foreign.
In the late afternoon, I arrived at Bamburgh. This place looked like a tourist trap. The restaurant menus showed outrageous prices. I ended up having a sandwich and a soda at The Copper Kettle Tea Rooms, which had reasonable prices.
There’s the Bamburgh Castle that’s right by the beach. After taking a stroll there, I decided to find a campsite. On the iOverlander 2 app, someone had indicated a wild camping spot not far from the beach. I ended up camping there for the night. I had ridden 49.4 miles for the day and I was so tired due to the rough terrain that I encountered.
That night, I worried that it might rain since there was a 15% chance and I didn’t put up the tarp on my tent. Like most worries, it was nothing. I ended up falling asleep to the sound of the waves.
After waking up the next morning, I packed everything and started my ride again. I noticed that the coffee shops in the UK don’t open until 8 or 9 AM. I miss the Tim Hortons in Canada. They usually open at 5 or 6, early enough for me to get breakfast.
Since nothing was open in Bamburgh, I rode south to the village of Seahouses and had a light breakfast at Trotters Family Bakers and Cafe. It was the only place that was open at the time.
I knew the ride to Newcastle upon Tyne was going to be long so I took frequent stops. I spent about an hour getting a second cup of coffee and a sandwich at Lesbury Community Shop. It was a nice break and I felt so comfortable that I didn’t want to leave. But I had to go because I won’t get to Newcastle just by sitting around.
I saw a fork on the road and was given two choices: the coastal route or the road route. There was an older couple who advised me that the coastal ride will be very difficult for a bicycle even though I’ll see better views. From my previous day’s experience of pushing my bike up the rough terrain, I chose the road route. I guess that’s the opportunity cost of doing one thing over another. I will miss out on some things.
The couple also told me about the A and B roads in the UK. The A1 is the main highway that I should never ride my bicycle on. Even the other A roads can be quite busy with cars. The B designated roads are better for cycling. The C roads are mainly for farm vehicles. I’m very glad to have known this so I avoided the A roads.
After passing by the town of Amble, I saw a busy restaurant called the Drift Cafe. I decided to take another break there. I ended up having a malteser milkshake, something I’ve never had before. It was so good!
Once I reached Bedlington I changed my navigation app from Organic Maps to Google Maps so it can direct me to Newcastle.
Getting into Newcastle was a challenge since I’m not used to riding on the left side into a busy English city. A car honked at me as I entered through a roundabout. I guess I shouldn’t have gone? I don’t know. At least I didn’t get hit. Also, there were many roundabouts in the UK. There are fewer of them in the US.
After maneuvering my way I finally reached my destination, the Albatross Hostel in downtown Newcastle after riding 62.4 miles from Bamburgh.
After checking in, I grabbed some food next door then took a shower. There was a mix up with the beds in the dorm. Apparently, I took someone else’s bed and I had to change to a different room.
The internet in the hostel is very slow and I’m thinking of staying an extra day so it’ll be two rest days in Newcastle. I feel I need to rest more. There’s something about riding in the UK that makes me feel tense. Maybe it’s the narrow roads, the roundabouts, and the left side riding.
Today, I’ll do some exploration and check out another hostel to see if I want to book a different hostel for tomorrow night. I just want to take it easy and relax for a while.
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| Riding out of Grantshouse |
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| The beautiful farmlands |
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| Berwick-upon-Tweed |
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| The barracks in Berwick-upon-Tweed |
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On the ramparts looking toward downtown Berwick-upon-Tweed
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| Great view but the road is terrible for cycling |
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| Single track trail through the farmlands |
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| More one lane roads |
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The Outchester Ducket, whatever that is.
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| Bamburgh |
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| Bamburgh Castle |
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| Taking a stroll on the beachside of Bamburgh Castle |
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| Bamburgh Castle from the base |
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| The beach and the castle |
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| Camped here |
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| My morning view |
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| Downtown Seahouses |
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| Lesbury Community Shop |
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| The marina at Amble |
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| What plant is this? |
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| Cows chilling |
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| A malteser milkshake at Drift Cafe |
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| Colorful houses |
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| Getting into Newcastle |
Hiatt, I took a photo of the unknown plant that you had posted a picture of, and sent it to PlantNet. PlantNet identified it as a likely Meadowsweet. Perhaps that is of interest to your, or to others!
ReplyDeletePlantNet... interesting. I'll have to check it out next time.
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