Day 10

Today dawned fine with high broken clouds. Against the glow on the Eastern horizon I could just make out a row of wind turbines spinning around - what a good way to make electricity - especially if they are always sited on a distant horizon. It had been a cold night but I had slept well and was packed up and ready to go by 8.00. I was soon cashing in on the previous afternoon's climbing by flying along downhill. Despite Phil's excellent route maps I managed to get lost, well I knew where I was and where I should be, but could not work out how to get from one to the other. I followed a footpath which had a long set of steps but it got me across the motorway, railway and river. I was soon through Hamilton, Motherwell, Rutherglen, Glasgow and over the Clyde to Clydebank. Old Jack, the farmer, back in Derbyshire, should perhaps come and look at the upheaval that is happening to communities here. The whole dock area is being torn down and rebuilt. Some little pockets of resistance hang on: a cafe here and a newsagents there but market for ship building has gone elsewhere and the community built around it fallen apart. Phill had suggested I follow this route North of the Clyde towards Dumbarton, as there was a good cycle route.
Over the Erskine bridge and I was back on my own maps to take me along the south side of the Clyde to Port Glasgow. I stopped to check a rattle from the back of the bike and find out that the carrier has snapped just above the left side stay that supports it. Somehow the carrier was still supporting all the weight of my rear pannier bags without falling onto the wheel. It was an alloy carrier frame so It cannot be welded and I had to get a new one. I stopped at Port Glasgow and asked a passer bye, "Is there a bike shop nearby?" "You might get some from the Pakistani shop up the road." said your man thoughtfully. "A Pakistani bike shop," I am thinking that's a novelty." "What sort of bags is it you'll be wanting?" Asks your man. I apologise for my English accent and we both have a good laugh. He tells me there is bound to be a bicycle shop in Greenock, which is a few miles further. So I travel on, find the bike shop and 'yes' they have carriers. I buy one for £16 and find a spot on the waterfront to do the swap. It is a fine day now, but it takes a while to change over the rack and make all the adjustments to the fittings but it all looks ok. Lots of folk stop to chat while I do the work and offer to help. The one good side of the carrier was about to snap as well, so it was lucky I found the bike shop when I did. It was not far from there to Gourock where I caught the ferry over to Dunoon. There was a Cafe on board, so I ate some lunch on route. The seaside town of Dunoon is nicely situated around the 1950's but unlike a lot of such resorts seems to be thriving. The Tourist Information Office find me an hotel where I can keep my bike safe - the Bay House Hotel on the waterfront for £30 a night. I am the only one in the hotel and the room is lovely, clean, smart, with a shower, and it overlooks the Bay.. So I decide to stay two nights and have a day's rest. (There is rain forecast for the next day and I am feeling in need of a day off travelling. So I sat down in the armchair and watched England win the Ashes. I should have followed Rick's (of the Bay Hotel) advice and eaten at the Italian, instead I went to the nearer Argyll hotel - the Caesar salad was just salad, the meat pie was a bit like a school dinner with sprouts that looked like they had undergone an extensive, unsuccessful, course of chemotherapy. There was a coach party eating there and their driver was explaining to the group of elderly ladies about the next trip they were organising to Eastbourne. "The hotel is just around the corner from the one last year, in amongst all the theatres." "All the theatres? In Eastbourne? Do they have more than one?" "Well, alright," says the driver, "In amongst the theatre." "You can't be amongst a theatre." says the grey haired old lady. "Well it's near the beach, then." "That'll be nice in January."
So, the highlight of the meal over, I returned to The Bay Hotel and a soft bed.
87km today

Graham