Got the TGV from Colmar.  Got to love 1 st class train travel.  Had to dodge a UK rail tour party returning home, some of whom were in our carriage.  We had had another great meal the night before at the Michelin star restaurant which was in the hotel.

Three hours ish to Paris.  Picked up and delivered to our apartment in the Marais.  Went to the flash new supermarket Maison Plisson and got some food and wine for dinner.  Lovely relaxed night in with lots of space!

Took a taxi to Gare de l’ Est with plenty of time to spare for our TGV train to Strasbourg although our seats were on the top deck of the train so a bit of a haul for our bags.   Good spot for viewing.  Had to settle for beers rather than champagne with our pringles.  Very nice way to travel beats planes for these sorts of distances.

Quick change over required for our regional train from Strasbourg.  Made it with little to spare as had to go into main station to find our next platform.  A lot of cyclists with their bikes in special racks on the train. Took the local community bus to our hotel about 10 to 15 minutes out of town.  The lady driver was very helpful.

After getting settled walked into town and looked around.  People everywhere.  Bought some old style macaroons and nougat.

Went back to the hotel and met our route manager, Matthieu.  Then went to Le Bistro des Saveurs, a Michelin star restaurant for an interesting meal, quite different from the Ledbury.   More rustic but throughly enjoyed.

Took a cab to Edinburgh airport to collect our hire car.  Turned out to be a Mercedes hatch, a lot to learn.

Good run up the motorway stopping just after the Dollar turnoff for lunch at Baxters.  Arrived in Dollar early afternoon.

On Wednesday we went to the village to the Post Office to send some items home.  Then to the chemist for some more dressings for Lynne’s blisters.

Then off to Falkirk to see the kelpies, giant steel sculptures of the heads of two horses. A very big new tourist attraction!  We then went to Bridge of Allan for lunch.  Lynne had a beer at the local brewery and John bought some local beers for Dollar and Glasgow.  Then back to Dollar on the A91.

We were picked up by Brenda from Tasting Scotland at 8.30 for a Scottish food tour.  First stop was Hugh Grierson’s organic Aberdeen Angus beef property.  His wife Sacha took us in hand showing us over the property.  They have the cattle, pigs, turkeys and chickens.  They had s butcher shop on site which we went through and have an honesty box for road sale of the eggs.

Sacha then cooked a tasting line up of fillet, rump, rib fillet, sirloin and spider steak. Really interesting to see and compare each cut.  She had recently been filmed with a famous Scottish chef doing a program for Balvenie scotch whisky. So we had Balvenie with our steak tasting.  It went very well.

Then off to Dunkeld to a salmon smokehouse and shop.  We took a walk around the village before going through the smokehouse and then tasted some cold and hot smoked salmon.  Rob advised us we had a new Prime Minister!

Then off to Gloagburn farm shop for a cheese and oatcake tasting and an explanation from the owner of the development of the farm, shop and the range of oat products they produced.  Some interesting cheeses and the range of products in the shop was fantastic including meat, flours, cheeses, wine and scotch.

Brenda then provided us with a dram to sip on the way back to Edinburgh.  We got back about 5.30 pm. We to a Thai restaurant for dinner in the new town.

Edinburgh started late on the Sunday morning and so did we.  First off to get some medical supplies for Lynne’s blistered heels and a couple of items from an outdoor store.  After lunch in the Dome we went down the up market George Street for some shopping for Lynne.  John also found time to do a whiskey tasting flight on the Royal Mile.

Found a spot for dinner, Fishers, where Lynne had some lovely langoustine.  John had some grouse in revenge for all the grouse who laughed at us while we slugged our way around the moors.

We took the bus in the rain from Robin Hoods Bay to  Scarborough railway station.  After a short wait got the train to York where we were to transfer to the train to Edinburgh.  Our carriage was occupied by a group of girls heading for York for a big day and night out, light frocks and high heels with 4 four bottles of fizz which they started on the train.  Look out York!

Got to Edinburgh around 4.30 pm Ssturday and quickly moved across the road to our hotel the Scotsman.  Had a very good meal in the hotel that night including a dram!

Day 7 of C2C walk, 13 miles strenuous.

Slightly later start than Dave the guide wanted due to delays with breakfast. Out through Kirkby Stephen gently up a path then more steeply up paths and even more steeply up a road. From the road steeper still up a peaty rocky path to 9 Standards – high point of 515 metres on the watershed for rivers flowing west or east. No one knows why or by who the Standards were built. They look like giant well constructed cairns. Clear day so fabulous views back towards the Lakes District and over the Pennines but windy and cold.

Coming down was HARD. Across peaty bogs picking our way down, including across the appropriately named peat hags. A few slips and spills, including John.  The peat traps and water because underneath is a layer of impermeable stone so boots become very wet.

Lunch out of the wind in a small valley then followed the Whitsunday Beck to the River Swale  and along the road to Keld. Stopped at a farm for cream tea. John took another fall into a stone wall on the way down a rocky path into Keld. Cut skin on kneecap as a result.  A bit sore but otherwise ok.  He’s in danger of consuming all of Dave’s medical kit!

Black Sheep real ale before tea.  Boots cleaned of mud outside and drying room put to good use.

Photos to come.

Walk day 6, 20 miles moderate

John returned to the walk.  Off early out of the village and after some fields cross the M 6 via a foot bridge. Then fields, fields and more fields with lots of sheep and cows. The heather is blooming everywhere. While it looked natural  it was actually carefully managed grouse shooting land.  Stopped for a snack at an old lime kiln, then more fields, stone walls etc.

By Mid afternoon reached Smardale Bridge with views of an old railway viaduct now restored as a bikeway. Very very long day – reached the B&B at Kirby Stephen around 6.15 pm. Dinner at the Kings Arms hotel.

Path had been relatively formed and ok for walking- John survived.

Photos to come.

Day 5 C2C

Took the Ullswater steamer to Pooley Bridge across the lake.  Accompanied by Margie and Cheryl.  Her ankle was not good.  Her C2C was finished after 3 days and she was not sure she would be able to get around London.

Walked to Tea House for Pooley Bridge ginger bread and Lakeland ice cream. Lunch at Sunday Inn.  Waited for Packhorse and got to Shap around 4.15.

Day 4 C2C

Picked up early by Packhorse (our bag movers) from the pub (45 minutes early).  Picked up Cheryl from Quarter Horse; a GP from Arizona who had hurt her ankle the day before much more severely than me.

After various pick ups and drop offs Peter the driver advised he had been driving for 4 and half hours and so had to have his mandatory half hour break.  Then off to Bampton for Cheryl and then Glen Ridding for me.