Almost home turf

And it feels like it! Stone walls instead of hedges, donkeys and llamas instead of fell ponies, rolling hills forever and yes, a chilly north-easterly!

It took me some time to get out of the van this morning but it’s my first real-lie in so I don’t feel bad about that. 

I was still cycling before midday (just!) and found myself warming up on the first of a few hill on my way to Macclesfield. Nothing too difficult but it definitely woke me up!

From the busy northern town, I quickly found calm on the road to the Cat & Fiddle - a seven mile incline that never hurts! The sun was yet to make an appearance in the ‘sunshine and cloud’ forecast but nearing the top, a great patch of blue moved overhead. It wasn’t there for long and high up in the brisk wind was cooling and it gave me the incentive not to stop for long at the top.

The road heads towards Buxton where I turn right for the hill home. But, to get my hill tick, I first descended half a mile to the official start before taking another climb, without pain, back to base. 

As Ramshaw Rocks came into view, so did a few patches of sun. It took a fair while of waiting to get this fleeting patch though, and the fast downhill mile and a half was chilly.

Hot shower and an evening with sunshine through the open door of the van.