July 8, 2022
To Kingston Upon Hull
The morning begins as it has for four mornings straight now, with me being wakened up around half past five by a chorus of gulls and then dozing intermittently for the next hour and a half. With a fresh breeze coming in through the window we’ve propped open with the wicker stand of a small coffee table because the sash won’t stay open on its own it makes for a very pleasant start to the day, almost like waking up outdoors in a tent.
Rachael has a better gull filter apparently and doesn’t stir for another hour. when she does she quickly goes into her standard routine by preparing and bolting two cups of coffee in quick succession and then eight comes around and we head downstairs for an excellent breakfast. I have the same excellent spicy dish I enjoyed yesterday, Spanish brunch potatoes: cubed potatoes, chorizo, onion & garlic pan fried in a rich tomato glaze with creamy scrambled egg and chives. Rachael branches out this morning and tries the eggs Florentine with salmon, a dish she takes a chance on for what she thinks is the first time ever once she realizes she can have the poached eggs hard-cooked.
Oh, and one other thing - we kiss each other and congratulate ourselves on another year well done. It’s our anniversary!
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We’re out before ten, with one of our longer travel days ahead - 45 miles, to Kingston Upon Hull (or just Hull, as it’s generally known). Not a bad ride from the looks of it, with a climb back up into the Wolds again and then a gradual ratcheting down to sea level at the Humber, the deep estuary that splits Lincolnshire from Yorkshire.
Once again the weather is improbably brilliant. How long can this wonderful streak continue for us, we wonder? It’s warmer today, but there’s just enough of a breeze to keep us cooled down as we climb back up the slope we dropped into town yesterday and soon find ourselves surrounded by the glorious Lincolnshire Wolds again.
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By the time we start rolling our way down to the Humber the day is beginning to warm up. It’s not bad though. The thing that bothers us more is the bugs - there’s some tiny black thing, smaller than a gnat that we occasionally pass through a cloud of and then find crawling on our faces and arms. They don’t bite so that’s not really a problem, but occasionally I’ll get one in my eyes because I’ve not been wearing eye protection since losing my glasses back in France. I’m going to have to do something about that soon, now that we seem to finally be getting into a buggy season.
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The Humber Bridge is a stunner, and I’m sure the longest bridge we’ve ever biked across. I’d seen it coming on the map of course crossing a mile of open water, a little anxious about how biking it might be even though it’s the route the NCN takes up the coast. It’s perfectly fine though, at least on a day like today when the wind is reasonable, because there’s a wide separated lane for bikes and peds. Slow going though because you just have to stop from time to time and gaze up and down in amazement.
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Video sound track: Just the Two of Us, by Grover Washington Jr.
We arrive in our hotel just after four, and then after cleaning up head down to the bar for cold refreshments while we wait for dinner and then walk around the corner to the Blue Bay Mediterranean, a place Rachael booked us into. It’s a good thing she did too, because it’s a small place and packed with only a single vacant table with a place card with Rachael’s name on it.
It surprises us by being another Greek restaurant, our second since coming to England. Our table cover has a map of Santorini and while we’re waiting for our meals to arrive I stare at it, reminding myself of how to read and pronounce names written in the Greek alphabet and remeniscing on how exceptional our visit to Santarini was thirteen years ago. Greece! Hmm.
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So what should we celebrate tonight, Rocky? Entering a new county, East Riding? Biking across the longest bridge ever? Knocking off another thousand kilometers? Sure, all worthy of recognition - but how about the fact that you put up with me for another year and are still smiling? 34 years together! Well done, love!
The restaurant almost completely clears out when we leave. We’re in the theater district and there’s apparently a play on. Most folks are dressed in their finery and across the park there’s a long line waiting for admission to the theater.
On our side of the street though there’s finery of a different sort as a crowd of young adults erratically weaves it’s way in our direction, finishing off drinks, taking a last puff before tossing their cigarettes on the sidewalk and then disappearing into a wing of our hotel. One young woman is having serious difficulty with her balance and stops to lean against a lamp post before continuing on with the support of a companion. Prom night.
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Ride stats today: 45 miles, 1,800’; for the tour: 827 miles, 31,700’
Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 826 miles (1,329 km)
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