Monday, June 22, 2009

Oban

Well Dad is now in Oban and in luxury. He has a bed in the Youth Hostel ... not only a bed but his own room! He has cycling stuff on the radiator drying because yet again it's been a wet day! It's a great hostel in Oban (stayed there myself) right on the sea front with views of the ferries coming in and out. He has just met up with a guy from Macclesfield who is on a walking holiday so they are going out for a meal and a pint tonight. That should make up for last night as the pub excursion got rained off!

Today he has cycled along the towpath of Crinan Canal which was a nice picturesque ride. Dad was telling me it had 15 locks and I did wonder if he had counted them, but no he'd read up on the facts. From there he took the B8025 and stopped off at the Nether Largie Cairn (try googling that when you can't spell it!!!) http://www.darkisle.com/n/netherlargie/cairns.html He then took the A816 along the coast. He didn't find anywhere for lunch so stopped off in a bus shelter for cheese and oatcakes. My ears pricked up at this until I realised he was talking Scottish Oatcakes and not the Staffordshire ones! He also bumped into a couple of Irish cyclists who he had met a few days previous and stopped and chatted about what they had done these last few days.

Tomorrow he will head off to Duror and Cuil bay where he was stop with an old biker pal for a couple of nights. Dad has had 19 consecutive nights in his tent ... and now has a run of a proper bed for a few nights!

I've managed to get in touch with the guy that is cycling around Britain and writing a blog for the Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/mikecarter Hopefully their paths will cross at some point and they can meet up.

Doubtful I will post tomorrow night (Tuesday) as I'm off to see Take That so probably will not get to speak to Dad. Normal service will be resumed on Wednesday.

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