"Hallelujah"
Friday 14th August: I'm HERE! 241 miles, almost 18 hours in the saddle, burning off 13,000 calories. I'm definitely having chips for lunch!
But the fatty food would have to wait. A photo shoot with Lord Provost of Glasgow Robert Walker (great bling!) and 'Trials Rider' supremo Duncan Shaw on arrival at the Kelvingrove Art Museum. Duncan has got some skills... The photographer shouts, "hey mate, can you jump off there and bounce over Geth's head?". "Yeh, nay problem" comes the reply. "Ok, I'm fine with that too", trying to sound as if I'm instrumental in this set-up!!
I'm told that the architect of this classic looking museum committed suicide - by jumping off the top of the building - because they built his 'work of art' the wrong way around! It certainly does have that appearance, enough to mislead Oli (not hard). Good story, but a myth I fancy...
Today's ride was pretty grim if I'm honest - which made finishing taste that extra bit sweeter. Cold, with driving rain as I set off from our hotel in Cumnock. Glasgow here I come, the last lap.
Impressively there's a dedicated cycle lane pretty much all the way to Glasgow along the A77, with a pavement between me and the dual carriage way. But its also a quiet road, because all the traffic uses the adjacent M8.
I'm surprised I've seen no more than 10 other cyclists on the road this week, especially having passed through some stunning places. Plus, travelling through all the towns and cities has been far more efficient on 2 wheels, rather then being in a car...
Excited to be here, but aware that I'm only a third of the way through my journey. I'll be putting my feet up on the One Show sofa next week, re-charging the batteries, buying new legs and nursing my sore behind.
It's been tough at times, but if it wasn't hard, then there'd be no satisfaction at the end, right? Had a shower, put i-pod on shuffle, a song by a well known mezzo-soprano came on...called 'Hallelujah'. Appropriate.
Thanks for reading - I'll be back here on the 24th, for the 374 mile trip from Glasgow to Leicester!
Geth
