Heading south on Sustrans Cycle Route 78

July 24, 2014
Glen of the River Nettles
Taynuilt, Scotland

We ferry hopped our way back to Oban and met up with our new friends from Australia, Deb and Ron, getting a night off the road, hot shower, laundry, delicious roasted chicken and veggies and great company!! The house they've "borrowed" is at the top of a very steep hill and they each graciously pushed us up it:)
The stories these two shared we're endless and we were totally entertained. Top it off with watching the Opening Ceremonies for the Commonwealth Games only 60 miles away. Oh, how ignorant I was about the Commonwealth. 71 countries under the Queen of England. Who knew? I thought the British Empire was a thing of the past. It's alive and well, so to speak. That's why it's so important for me to travel. I have so much to learn about the world. History and Current Events turned me off in school. I couldn't "feel" them. I'm a bit less ignorant now. We sadly said goodbye with my hope of seeing them again in Australia. They should be home from their year long jaunt by then.



Today is April's birthday so we had to celebrate it with a great undulating ride across the Scottish land. Steep mountains all around as we went up the valley. April was cruising. She's found her triking legs. I think she stole mine! I have no energy. Climbing is a grind. Biking is a grind. I'm so tired. Just drained of energy. Maybe it's related to this skin thing which is getting better. A nightly dose of antihistamine seems to have broken some cycle. We've gotten the ticks under control too but I'm sure 50+ tick bites was hard on my immune system at the same time as the itch outbreak. Hopefully I'll be back on par soon. Thanks so much for all the ideas and suggestions as to what could've have been going on. I did talk to a pharmacist and a nurse for possible explanations. Too hard to diagnose.

So tonight it was time for dinner and birthday cake!




Livin' the life,

BagLady

OMG! Ticks

July 21, 2014
Strontianite, Scotland
(Where the element was discovered)

We've gone and done it now! Spent lunch and drying our tents in a best of newly hatched ticks. All over us! All over our clothes, our gear, our bodies. Picking them off has been a challenge because the are the size of a pin point. And I'm freckled. And I'm covered in scabs from scratching those itchy blisters. Luckily they are easy to remove even when attached because they are so so tiny! April and I have had to lose all modesty with each other because now twice a day we inspect each other's back, butt, torso, and backs of legs. And remove all the new attachments. It's a dirty job. As I write this in my tent tonight, I know I have a tick munching my butt that won't get removed until morning. I can't get it and the midgies are swarming are tents so neither of us is going out. Next tick inspection and removal is not until tomorrow:). How long will it take until we are tick free again? They don't wash off and I can't see them on the dark fabric of my tent so the only option is removal from my body when found. Then wait to see if they carry Lyme disease which is not very prevalent in Scotland, thank goodness.

We met a delightful couple our age in the campground last night from Australia and New Zealand that are bumming around Europe for a year. We ran into them in town this morning and got invited to the house they're staying at in Oban. So we're headed there in 2 days...having to actually slow down...if it's possible to go any slower:). They also cycle tour so it will be fun to swap stories.

Oh, did we have a climb this afternoon. And I had no energy to do it. None. Nada. Zippo. But had to do it anyways. April passed me when I dropped the chain (on the rear derailleur) for the second time. But after an hour of climbing, we were rewarded with the most amazing views of lush green mountains and distant lochs. Words just don't describe it. See that lone tiny white house in the middle of nowhere?



Tonight we're camped in a sheep field down by a creek. We're allowed to go onto anyone's land, through any gates. Just leave the gate as we find it, open or closed. The sheep were a bit surprised and upset to find us here on their way "somewhere".




Livin' the life,

BagLady

In the Air

June 30, 2014
Somewhere between Lisbon and London

After 3 days in hilly, worn Lisbon we are off to London. Lisbon was a bit too hectic with narrow, cobblestone streets; trolley cars; tuc tuc motorcycles; buses; and tourists for my tastes. Old world for sure and I'm glad to have seen it. I'm getting a bit tired of sightseeing and really don't care if I see another church or monastery. But I do enjoy seeing where the real people live and connecting with locals. That happens better in the rural countryside.

And this week I have London to do...my daughter Avery's favorite city. She did a study abroad there while in college and says 2.5 days is hardly enough:). We've booked 3 nights in a hostel over a pub in West London: BackPackShack. Love the name! They say they can handle our trikes. And we're going to cycle the 11 miles to there right from the airport...after reassembling our bikes and gear. Glad we're landing in the morning! It appears there are cycle paths right away at Heathrow most of the way to our hostel. So that's good!

Then we have to figure out what next. I was planning to cycle the Cornwall peninsula but British cycle friends have said it may be too crazy because it's holiday time and the roads are narrow. I hope to talk to some London local cyclist, maybe at a bike shop and get another opinion. If that's true, we may have to fork over more $$$ and take a train (or boat or plane) up to Scotland to cycle there. Besides the cost, we're abut concerned about the midgies. Oh my! And y'all thought this was easy what I do...just pedal. Meanwhile I'm trying to figure out where I go next after April goes home. Can't go back into Schengen visa countries for 3 months, late September. Stay in UK and Ireland until then? Fly to Croatia mid August, then cycle to Istanbul staying out of Schengen until late Sept? Go directly to Australia and skip Europe because it's getting too difficult? Go back to USA and cycle there for a few months? Got a bit of time for the answer to come to me. Any suggestions? What would you do?




Livin' the life,

BagLady

Mull Island...continued...

July 19, 2014
High in a meadow outside Kilchoan, Scotland ...in the rain

If I may, a few torments are coming. Rain is getting a bit hard to take. And we've been lucky not to have 2 consecutive days of rain. But last week we spent 36 hours in our tents. And I ended up with a back ache. Well, more like pinching...paralyzingly pinching, when I go to stand or step wrong. Good thing it doesn't bother me biking.

And we're in our tents now. Going on 5 hours this evening. Eating a cold dinner of snacks in our perspective tents. Barely able to hear each other over the din of rain on the tent. Get lots of reading done this way. Picked up Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand back in Tobermory today. First book I ever read for pleasure at age 20. Wonder how it strikes me 45 years later.

(Oh, I held the screen open a bit too long and midgies came in...even in the rain...another torment, but tolerable.)

So the other major torment I have is an unknown cause of itchy blisters (like poison ivy) breaking out for the last 2 weeks all over my body. The only place they haven't popped up are my face and scalp and the bottoms of my feet and palms of my hands. Not concentrated in any place either. Seems systemic. Coming from within me. And oh my god...the itching is nearly unbearable!! I've scratched them raw. Can't help it. Have asked many locals even a pharmacist what locally could be causing it and no answer except midgies. But it's not them. Most of the places blistering are covered and midgies can't bite there. They bit my face usually and it dissipates soon after. No blisters on my face. Have no idea how much longer this will continue. I'll have no skin left. All either scratched or flaked (dry skin to the max) away:). Don't know what to do except ride it out (P.S. No poison ivy here.)

We spent about 24 hours in Tobermory the largest town on Mull Island. The town treats were showers, laundry, and wifi. Too bad I didn't have any blog posts ready to send. Sorry. Too busy!! We got all three at the Harbor Building a facility that supports boaters. We even camped behind the building last night. Sweet!

Today we ferried back to the mainland to Kilchoan, the furthest western point of the UK mainland (or so the sign said.). Lots more single track roads to get back towards Oban and civilization, sort of. I love cycling these single track roads because it makes the motorists slow down and cooperate. Idyllic for us cyclists!

The rain, or the antihistamine, is making me sleepy. I need to sleep.

If anyone has any suggestions for this itchy, blistery outbreak, please share. I'm at my wits end...and I didn't have far to go.

Oh, I'm including the pictures Angus took of us the other day. He also wants 50-70 words of copy about cycling Mull Island. Perhaps I could become a travel writer:).







Livin' the life,

BagLady

"I'm Not Having Fun Anymore!"

July 16th
On a soggy point overlooking a loch on Mull Island, Scotland.

Been in my tent for nearly 24 hours. Weather: rain and wind. Rained most of the night and morning and then the wind picked up so we never broke camp. Tonight it's raining cats and dogs, cold and windy (although lessened a bit...my tent isn't laying across my face any more). And when the weather's bad, even just windy, there's no cooking to be done. Tonight I'm eating soaked ramen noodles and tuna. (Thanks for the idea, Willing!) Not bad. The food bag is nearly empty because what else is there to do in a tent all day? Read and eat and sleep. Done a lot of all three!

April just shouted from her tent, "I'm not having fun anymore!"

We've had a rough couple of weather days...luckily they were consecutive! Tomorrow's suppose to be sunny again. Good thing...we have a lot of drying to do!!!




Livin' the life,

BagLady

Mull Island....

July 10, 2014
Loch Buie, Mull Island, Scotland

Slap! Ouch! Slap! Ouch! When it's not the midgies biting us, these large biting flies have found us! And they hurt!!! Midgies are tolerable, I'm finding. And only come out morning and evening. The biters are all day long whenever we stop. No protection on the bike.

This island has what they call single track roads...one car wide. And pull offs frequently on either side of the road. So it takes patience to drive and bike here. And planning. And give and take. I rather like it. We're respected and drivers are pulling off for US!!! What a change!!

Went to our first castle today. Duart Castle built by the MacLean clan in the 13th century. But more amazing was the restoration done about 100 years ago. The place was a crumbling rock shell and was fully restored to a residence for that time period.



Then later we opted to take an 8 mile road to a dead end at Loch Buie because a local we met last night said it was his favorite spot. It's beautiful with the steepest mountains surrounding us. But my favorite is this little store in an old tiny post office that runs on the honor system! They have drinks and cheeses and fruits and ice creams and frozen meats and jams and post cards and...and...and...and no one is there. There's a locked box to put your money in and a basket to make change from! The way it should be, hey?



So that's where we're camped tonight. With a family in a camper van from Switzerland. They roasted sausages from the shop over a camp fire. Fun to watch.

We are wandering and really taking our time now. It's a treat! We have plenty of food. Water runs off the mountains. And no place we have to be for a change. Idyllic!

July 11th
Zero day. Too beautiful here and everything we need: fresh mountain water and food at the "honesty shop", along with some hikes to do. We hiked to see a stone circle, but I don't know what one is. Perhaps from Celtic times. And we followed a dirt track for quite a ways along the shore. Sun. Must. Clouds. Sun again. Must be in Scotland!

And a nap! Great day! And Mull Island sausages and snap peas for dinner, bought at the little store and cooked over our Pocket Rocket. With mashed potatoes...yum! But those midgies are out tonight because there's no breeze to be felt, so early into our tents. Tomorrow we have to cycle back over the mountain that April pushed Wildfire over to get here. Never nice knowing what's coming:(




July 12, 2014
Heading to Fionnephort, Mull Island, Scotland

Rain! Rain! Rain! Heavy rain. Light rain. Mist. Constant mist. And even when it wasn't raining today we were wet from the rain and couldn't get dry. And it's been raining for the last four hours almost steadily. Had a challenging time finding any place to camp. There are no little roads off the main, single track road. No places running down to the shore. Just wall to wall ferns! When we did find a place that someone had mowed back, there would be a no camping sign, that it was a picnic area for a local inn. The last time we saw that, I decided "Tough!" These are desperate measures. So we rolled the bikes down onto the rocky shoreline and managed to get a tarp tied up between the rocks and the trikes. Shelter while we waited for a break to try and out up our tents. After we got our tents up while it was only misting, April says, "How high do you think the tide will come tonight?" Yikes! Well let's ponder this and watch from underneath our tarp. The grasses appear to be different at different levels. And there's seaweed on the rocks up only so high. I think it will be close, but I believe it won't reach our bikes or our tents...and it didn't.



So here I sit, damp clothes and socks and jackets all around me...my pants hanging suspended from loops in hopes of drying tonight...right! But a supper of Incredible Curried Chickpeas by Jamie Oliver, although I heated, was delightful. And munching crackers, cheese, cookies and chocolate because there's not much to do in a tent for hours on end:). Thank goodness I have a thick book with me! Ah, Scotland...if it's not the midgies, it's the rain...I'll take the midgies, please.

July 14th
Iona Island, Scotland

Yesterday we had the distinct pleasure of being photographed for the Scotland Field magazine with Tom..., a freshly knighted professor of history from the University of Edinburgh. We were stopped by the photographer as we cycled by an old mechanics garage with old gas pumps outside and asked if we wanted to be in the photograph. Why not? So he lined us up by the pumps with the knave behind us leaning on an odd tire jack, I think. Then he kissed our hands:). The photographer asked if he could also photo us on the road for a later issue about traveling Mull Island and got a picture of us coming down the road together. We had to do a do over because traffic got tied up behind us! Pics to follow if I get them!

This Iona Island is so quaint and we had a lovely day of touring yesterday. There's a ancient nunnery and abbey here. And just lovely rocky hills.







In an old cemetery I found my grandmother's name although the Katharyn isn't spelled the same.



Since wild camping is frowned upon here in the island, we decided to use the campsite...besides, it had hot showers and it had been over a week since we had one! Sweet spot we mowed grass to camp on and even a picnic table.
Rained during the night, but stopped this morning so we decided to break camp since we could tolerate the winds...besides our tents were dry. By the time we got packed and pedaled out to the road, the rain started. By the time we cycled the 1/2 kilometer to the ferry we were drenched. Now what to do. Go across to Mull in the rains and see what comes or go back to hot showers. We should never gave left, but sitting all day in a tent is pretty boring.

So here we are in a cafe with wifi, writing and posting blogs, charging our devices, and catching up on the news back home. Is the World Cup over?
It's not all fun and games touring the world. Sometimes you make a bad decision and have to figure out how to cope with it.

Livin' the life!

BagLady

Glencoe Valley to Oban to Mull Island

July 9, 2014
Craignure, Mull Island, Scotland

Doesn't seem like there's enough hours in the day. Since I'm not traveling alone, I don't have as much down time and get behind in my blogging and then feel like I can't find the time to catch up. Argh!

At the suggestion of a tourist who stopped by to chat one rainy day we took cover at the closed information office, we rode up through Glencoe Valley past a bunch of Munros. This guy named Munro mapped all the peaks in Scotland over 3000 ft and now those peaks are called Munros. This woman had just driven east on the road and said when she came through this particular section it was so stunning she drove back to drive through again. And she found that westward was even more beautiful. So at her suggestion away we went. And it was stunning!! And pictures won't capture it.





Then at the visitors center for this area April found out about a bike path that went south to Oban...that's where we get the ferry to Mull Island. Since we don't know what we're doing and the road conditions are stressing April out, we can take this. And it was delightful! Miles and miles down an undulating paved path along the loch edge! No cars! No stress! Pure pleasure. And when we'd already passed up one possible camping spot on the shore to find something better...and weren't, we got a bit nervous. Hadn't yet learned about "the right to roam" law. But we came upon this sea castle on a small island out in the water and asked a local if we could camp near the boat house and she explained that we're free to camp anywhere except in someone's front yard. The Scottish do not believe in trespassing laws because so many Brits owned so much land up here and the Scots wanted to be able to walk wherever they wanted. It's great! So we camped HERE:





And today we got down to Oban and caught the ferry over to Mull Island where we'll spend a week or so. "Hard telling, not knowing!"

But I can tell you we have another beautiful campsite tonight:)



Livin' the life!

BagLady