Monday, July 21, 2014

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