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| Date | Starting Place | Ending Place | Author | Last Update |
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| 04-27-11 |
Carlisle, Cumbria, England |
Balmaclellan, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland |
ray | 02-01-12 19:56:29 |
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I was up and down to breakfast at 7:30 with the intention of getting up and out early. I'd been told that the terrain today would be mostly flat and had gotten an email from Sal, my host for the night, that she would be at work until after 5, so instead of getting out early I dawdled talking to Miriam, walking down and buying some ramen and broccoli, getting a couple Subways, stopping to try and find a stereo to mono converter as the one I've been carrying fell out into a stone wall and I couldn't find it. For some reason, I thought Carlisle was a town full of history. But, except for being near Hadrian's Wall, it doesn't appear to have much. It seemed to be a busy, commercial place whose business wasn't all that good. It was close to 11 when I finally left just outside the main part of town, I passed these walls of a ruined castle.  Behind the walls was the Castle's keep.  In the middle of several roads of merging traffic was this lovely flower garden.  To get out of town, I had to ride over the River Eden  and then along a very busy A7, the only time I rode on a single digit "A" road! After turning off just before the motorway and threading my way through a busy shopping center, I ended up riding on a road that parallel's the motorway (the blue signs to the right are on the motorway).  I rode next to the motorway most of the way to Gretna Green through flat fields and next to electricity pylons.  Less than 10 miles north of Carlisle is the Scottish Border.  The town nearest the border is Gretna Green, famous as the elopement capital of the UK. The reason for this is that the age of consent for marriage is only 14 for girls. Just past the border, I saw my first "marriage room."  The Tourist Information office in Gretna Green is in a huge outlet mall right next to the motorway. I asked about the ferry that went from Ardrossen to Arran Island to make sure the times hadn't changed. They hadn't. I sat in the sun and ate a Subway. It was two days before the latest Royal Wedding and it seemed to be on everyone's mind, including mine. As I was leaving the mall, I saw a dedication stone noting that Her Royal Highness (Princess Anne, in this case) had been present when this mall was open. I couldn't help thinking that for all its hoopla, being a royal meant spending your days opening outlet malls!  Gretna Green is a tiny place and I didn't even bother to stop there. I continued riding on flat, uninspiring, lightly trafficked lanes.  There was the occasional stream  and far off hills to break up some of the monotony.  I rode through Annan, which was full of young kids on lunch break. I rode right by the town hall and took a photo.  I crossed The River Annan on my way out of town.  The flat, uninspiring road continued.  I wasn't aware that I was following the Burns Heritage Trail or what the importance of the Brow Well was.  While the sign made me curious, the reality fell far short of expectations.  The scenery wasn't providing to take a photo of, so I shot the road, instead.  In the US, World War I is not all that noted. In the UK, every town has a monument to the men who died in it. I always find these monuments solemn reminders of the true costs of war. I rested at this monument just past Bankend and had another Subway.  Soon after the above stop, about 10 miles before Dumfries (the 25 mile mark), I realized my day's distance was much farther than I thought. By this time, I'd eaten both Subways and was still hungry with very little food on the bike. The ride to Dumfries, a big town, was uneventful and when I got to Dumfries I needed to eat. I looked for a Subway but couldn't a Subway (just as well as I'd already had two of their sandwiches, which is my limit). Instead, I rode around and found an upscale pub where I had some macaroni and cheese that was tasty but didn't fill me up. The River Nith runs right through Dumfries.  The hills started just outside Dumfries.  I left the monotony of the flats behind and as the terrain got much more interesting after climbing. They weren't hard to get over but provided interesting views of green fields, trees and sheep.    I followed the wrong sign at Shawhead and ended up on the A75, a very busy, narrow, two-lane road with cars going at freeway speed. I needed to ride about 3 miles on this road or backtrack. I thought about going back but noticed there were gaps in the traffic and decided to continue on, pulling off the road when cars where coming. This tactic worked well and I only shared the road with cars a few times, I was pumping the pedals for all I was worth! I turned off onto the A712 for one of the best rides of this trip. It was winding, deserted road through green, rolling hills with wonderful views all around.  I went past pretty streams,  broad vistas,  and tree-lined farmland.  The weather contributed to my wonder as it was still warm in the sun at 6pm in Scotland! About 5 miles east of Balmaclellan, I rode through the Knowtop Wildlife preserve's forest  and spent some time observing this pond  but didn't see any (preserved) animals. As I neared Balmaclellan, the angle of the sun enhanced the views. This photo shows the terrain east of the village.  I arrived at Balmaclellan about 7:30pm. I rode through the village and found this monument in front of the cemetary.  Having not read any Sir Walter Scott, I was unaware of the meaning of "Old Mortality." The plaque helped a bit.  Here is the wikipedia link for reference. My host for the night was Sal (short for Sally) and her friend Rose. Sal makes very nice shoes for a local shop (the only commerce in town?) and Rose makes crafts to be sold at various festivals in the summer and watches the dog. On this night, she was crocheting a hat out of strips of old shirt. She also teaches classes on art with found objects, is vegan, and has dreadlocks. They live in a small house with a T-shaped room that serves as living room and kitchen. There are two bedrooms/lofts and a bathroom to complete the rectangle. It is an efficient use of a small space. The "living room" is three mattresses on the floor covered in blankets. It reminded me of some of the "hippie" pads I'd both lived in and visited as a young man. Sal was cutting up veggies for dinner when I arrived and cooked up a stir-fry while I rested and we talked. I changed my clothes just as dinner was served. Sal and Rose told me that the food we were eating was gathered on one of there most recent dumpster dives at a nearby co-op. We talked a bit about the logistics of food collection and I tried not to think about it too much. After dinner, I took a shower and when I came out, we watched Aliens (the sequel). When it was over, I went to bed. |
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