Great North Fun Day 6

Robin Hood's Bay

The sea is really starting to annoy me.  I've always loved the sea but now I've realised it has this really annoying habit of remaining resolutely at sea level.  This means that any bike ride taken with the express desire of enjoying the sea at close quarters will inevitably involve a hill and often a steep one.  Today we headed off to Robin Hood's Bay which is blessed with a very long 17% hill leading down to the old village at the bottom.  It's a hill that causes enough problems for cars, so you can imagine what it's like on a bike.  Or off one because, truth be told, I pushed my bike a fair way up that hill.  It had been excellent fun on the way down though!  Just near the top of the hill is an old church which we stopped to visit on our way back up, mainly because we enjoy looking around old churches but also to silently pray for the strength to get to the top of the pesky incline.  Mind you I can well imagine God's reaction “It's your own fault!  What were you thinking bringing bikes to Yorkshire?”  This is “God's own country” after all and I don't think he had cyclists in mind when he created it.

We had a picnic lunch on the beach and here's the thing about cycling up and down stupid hills that I really enjoy – I can eat a cheese filled lunch with absolute impunity knowing I will burn off all the calories (and more) on my way 'home'.  Today I tucked into a piece of sweet gorgonzola so divine it could make you weep.  Forget the 'Dolcelatte' branded version, this was the real macoy carved from an enormous block by Manuela in Wokingham.  If you're anywhere near Wokingham it would be a sin not to go in and get yourself a chunk.

As we strolled along the beach after lunch I noticed a very strange sensation creeping up on me.  It took me a while to realise it was relaxation.  It's been a hectic year and I'd completely forgotten what it felt like.  We poked around for fossils in the cliffs and for sea life in the many rockpools along the bay but came up empty handed on both counts, but I really didn't care.  The only problem was I knew my Zen like state of tranquillity was going to be ruined by the 17% gradient on the way back.

We had a relaxing evening with me updating the scrapbook and the noticeboard with bits and pieces from the last few days, hard to believe it's been nearly a week already.  Tomorrow we're off to Durham for a few nights and hopefully a few days with no cycling to let my legs (and bum!) recover.