Will upload photos when I have wifi
I woke up to birds twittering 😊. Had my brekky on the picnic table near the river. A tranquil spot.
I headed off for the day in sunshine but knowing that rain was forecast for the afternoon, wanted to get going.
Today was scenic along the Tweed river but very hilly. I crossed many bridges and passed by castles and farms with views of the hills.
I got to the town of Melrose after 35kms and felt done in. Decided on a mental booster and found a coffee shop on the pretty winding main street and had a scone with jam (ran out of cream 😳). Friendly people in the cafe and a bite to eat and a nice chat gave me a bit of a boost.
I cycles around the town and looked through the fence at the former cisterine monastery - Melrose Abbey.
My cycle route climbed out of Melrose passed stately homes with views across the river and then followed the river winding through the valley. The Hills got steeper around but fortunately the road kept a fairly even constant climb.
The last 5kms were down alongside the river with sheep grazing and a dedicated path into Innerleithen - a mountain biking mecca in the UK with renowned downhill runs not too far away. The steepness of the surrounding mountains would mean some incredible runs. It's raining too heavily for me to head into town to feel the vibe 😥
I pulled into the caravan and campground after riding in the rain for 30kms. Tent sites nice and cheap. I asked about a common room but it's closed this week for new flooring. I ended up getting a Pod so that I had somewhere to hang out as I arrived about 4ish and can hang up my wet things too.
Glad I pushed through. Tomorrow is a big day with a long slow burner 20km+ climb that has me a bit doubting myself. (It's a long way to push your bike 😳) It's forecast to be rain free!
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