Lampeter, Wales
Welsh weather...what more can I say?
Its 6 in the evening and I'm sitting in my tent in a town park in the...drum roll please...RAIN! Can you believe it? Rain in Wales? Who'da thunk??? Every evening. I'm growing moss on my north side. I think I may actually be getting used to it, feeling constantly soggy, that is:)
Do most of you know Miller Hill in Canandaigua? Cyclists talk about it all the time. It's the hill to beat all hills because of its grade. After today, Miller Hill would be a piece of cake. I did Miller Hills again and again and again. 14% grades. On and on and on. I wanted to cry when the steep steep downhills came into the next village because I knew what was coming after it. I did cry once. I felt so defeated and depressed. I didn't think I could go up yet again another effin' hill! Ya know how often when you're biking the steepness of the hill coming up looks bad but when you get there it's actually flatter than first it seemed. Not here. Nope. What you saw was what you got. Straight up. These roads were cut in before switchbacks were even a glint in someone's eye. I felt like I was hiking the AT all over again. The part where ya can't quit in the woods. The part where you're dying but ya still go on. Step by step by step. Well I pulled from deep within and slowly, ever so slowly, 1.5 mph slowly, with granny stops every 10 strokes (if I could do that many), rest, and stroke, and rest again. I know I can. I know I can. I know I can. And I did! And I'm not quitting like I thought I would...earlier today. No. However long it takes, I'm crossing the Cambrian Mountains of Wales and biking to Sheffield. Now from there I may take a bus to the ferries do I can get to the continent sooner. That's highly likely. But I'm figuring I can be in Sheffield in a week to 10 days and still do all the sightseeing I love to do. All the chatting with the locals that eats up much of my day:) And besides. I like a challenge. And besides, I did it today, so I know I can do it tomorrow...and the next day. One pedal stroke at a time. I got to Maine. I can sure as heck get to Sheffield. And what doesn't kill me only makes me stronger. (I'm gonna have thighs like an Olympic speed skater when this trip is over:))
Speaking of locals, my day started off by meeting the farmer that owned the land I camped on. I was sitting on a rock having my morning coffee when a truck pulled up to the tiny opening and backed in. He gets out and we begin to chat. He had seen me climbing that hill the night before and thought perhaps that I was handicapped and also thought about stopping to see if I needed help. WHen he saw the bike this morning he then knew who I was...and said "That'll be 50 quid!" I thought oh no...here we go again. (and 50 quid would have been about $75!) He moved here from about 20 km away 50 years ago when he married. Dairy farm he had. But now he rents out the farm and buys back the milk to make cheese. Says it's so much easier to rent than to farm!
Then a short ways on after I started I saw a couple of teenage girls (Kathryn - I spelled it like my name, but I don't know how she spells is...and her twin sister, Maggie) with a horse. I'd had a couple of horses and riders trot by me so I asked if it was them. Then we talked about riding a bit and why the little girl (Sally) had rags tied in her hair to hold the curls. And I have to say she had the most beautiful head of red hair I think I've ever seen!!! "Our sister's getting married today!" Oh, how old is she? "We don't know." That had me perplexed. THen they called there mom, Lynn, over to see my bike and she explained that the sister was in her 40's and from a previous marriage. Oh...now I understand.
(that's a picture of a picture I took with my Canon - I've figured out how to get some of my Canon pics into my blog)
She then showed me their pet foxes: Basil and Fern...acquired as pups when they were injured. I'd have been invited in for tea (and would have accepted for sure) but they had a busy day ahead and had to get going. Had it been another day I might have gotten to ride...it was the Starlight Riding Center, after all. Congratulations to your sister on her wedding day! Next time I'm in the neighborhood I'll stop in for that tea, Lynn:)
As you can tell from how this blog began, today was a tough, tough day. But there were moments that just warmed my heart and fueled my legs. People waving from their windows...of their houses! I was stopped on one of those hills adjusting something and I looked across the street and saw and man and women my age waving. So I waved backed. Then she motioned to see if I wanted a drink. I would have loved to have stopped, but I was going ever so slowly as it was and had talked to so many people today already and I didn't need a drink so I gave her a thumbs up and motioned "thank you" and cycled on. But I can tell you, it sure lifted my spirits seeing the smile on their faces and the generous offer of a drink. So without even saying a word to each other we had a connection and I was moved.
Later today a similar thing happened. Again I was stopped and again I was adjusting. I looked over across the road and a young dad is holding a baby showing him me out the window. I wave. I always wave to kids (especially ones down at my level) and Dad waved back and then in the corner I see the arm of Mom waving too. Thank you, strangers for cheering me up today. I sure needed it:)
I almost forgot to mention eating Chunky Cawl. It was a Welsh stew in a pastry pocket. And quite tasty. You should have seen the look on the young girls' faces when I mentioned I was a vegetarian as I ate it. "It's not vegetarian!" they exclaimed in a panic. I said I knew that but that I like to sample local foods and that meant eating meat. It won't kill me now and then. I'm not strict when I visit people's houses because I don't want them to go out of their way for me AND I want to experience their foods. I just don't cook meat at home.
And now goodnight:)
Battered BagLady
P.S. gonna try tent yoga tonight. My legs and hips need stretching and it's too wet outside. This should be fun:/
P.p.s. And the reason I came to Lampeter, the quilt exhibit comparing Welsh quilts up Amish quilts...the gallery is closed the next 2 days and I won't get to see it:(
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