Lochside sunshine to wet tent
It
wasn’t too far before I hit a trail sign pointing out a route to a car park and
having studied the map knew I wanted to take this car park route to get back on
the road to head north, cycling upon a corner coop in Milnathort within the
first forty minuet’s of cycling was perfect, there was a coffee machine in the
shop and a large selection of snacks and drinks (obviously) hot coffee and an
egg sandwich for breakfast tasted phenomenal, trying to follow a plant based
lifestyle is difficult whilst on the move but I have come to learn that egg and
cress are all at least normally dairy free it has been over eighteen months at
that time of writing since I had any dairy, some people call eggs dairy they
are not! I know that I should feel bad about these type of mass produced eggs
but needs must sometimes, there was very few vegan options, the young man at
the till asked me to do my own scanning and would prefer con-tactless payment,
which was fine by me social distancing is here to stay I sometimes think
especially for some people, eating my sandwich and enjoying good hot coffee in
the sun whilst unlocking the bike and checking the map in a corner shop car
park may sound shit to some people? but I was in my element extremely happy at
the good fortune I was having,
Hodophile - a lover of the road
One of
the other reasons I was happy was my phone battery almost dead, I had put it to
low power mode and flight mode, I thought I had forgot my charging cable( I
hadn’t it was in a different bag from where I thought it was) the purchase of a
new cable here at this co-op was not required but I thought it was at the time,
smiling happily to myself as I worked out a way to plug it into my headpost USB
dynamo charger unit and a front bar bag, here we go a chance to trial my new USB
dynamo charger excellent thinks I, it turns out there is a wee green light
comes on to say its charging when you get up to a certain speed or enough hub revolutions
to generate I think 5Volts? then this really just gives a trickle charge its
enough to keep the phone functioning and going up slightly-not dying, I had it
plugged in the rest of the day and it still didn’t go above 25% charged (maybe
I shoulda peddled faster!)
I had made
my decision to cross the river Tay at Perth not at Tayport near the east coast,
according to the map this meant following cycle route 775 up through a village
called Glenfarg on mostly country roads and sometimes roadside paths, this is
exactly what it was some great downhill sections in glorious sunshine through
farming country which was beautiful even if I did get sprayed by some sort of
grit like crop feed at one point it was like your car getting hit by the
council gritter pellets in winter, the road narrowed at a forested area at one
stage and I chose to stop a couple of times to allow some considerate truck
drivers to pass who didn’t want to overtake me on a bendy road like that with
no clear vision ahead,
Path
signs for cyclists strangely ended on the outskirts of Perth with a few merging
roads I stopped to have a look at my map and eat a biscuit having filled my
platypus with water that morning with a litre bottle of peach flavoured water
the sunny day had parched me and I drained it finished my biscuit quickly and
just stuffed my map in my pocket as I was probably going to need it in the city
centre was I got there, the signs were disappointing city centre but I went
through the lovely big tree lined park over the main road through some shops
then onto the banks of the river Tay, simple enough really I only had to cross
the nice bridge to the north shore and turn right following the far bank of the
Tay all the way to Dundee, the gardens at the far side were beautiful I walked
a section to enjoy it contemplating stopping for photos but the phone (which I
was using for my photos) was still low on charge most photos that day were handle
bar shots phone still connected to headpost charger,
These
lovely garden paths also went out to a mid-river island I wish I had time to
visit, having seen this pathway numerous times from the train and always
thinking one day I shall cycle that, here I was living that dream, but the
dream and the reality didn’t match when the path ended abruptly not long after
the railway bridge and turned left up some seriously steep stairs with big
steps and no ramp for a bike, without heavy panniers on I would have shouldered
the bike easily but with heavy panniers every single one of those big steps was
a crap obstacle, I wish now I had counted them or even took a photo, once at
the top of the stairs my route was then joining a main road out of town not the
dreamed off pleasant cycle path,
Roughly
knowing where I was safe in the knowledge of keeping the river on my right
shoulder would get me to my destination; I was still curious if I had missed a
trick somewhere and decided to consult the map? Wearing a very handy cycling Gillet
with two excellent big back pockets for storing stuff one of which has a pocket
flap with a magnetic catch, why did I shove that map in the side pocket? I hate
to think I had created some waste I was gutted I had lost a good map! I love
maps I hoped someone would find it that could use it, but no way was I going to
backtrack to the far side of town to look for it!
A later
check showed that I had missed a trick there looked to be a good cycle route up
around kinfauns, which has a hilltop tower I’ve often admired from car windows
on the busy A90, there also looked to be a good round the Tay cycle route
similar to my beloved round the forth route (maybe one day?) I was by then on a
walking path alongside the busy A90 for what feels far too long on a cycle trip,
until eventually at a town called st madoes I crossed a level crossing and was
onto some lovely back country roads, this is a huge area for soft fruit growing
with huge areas covered by poly tunnels a very lush farming area, my favourite
part of this area though is the Cairn o` Mohr fruit winery I regularly buy their
wines and maybe one day will take part in the international wine bottle
smashing competition it’s a great place to visit, sadly shut due to coronavirus
when I cycled close by had it been open it would have made a perfect lunch
stop,
I
stopped instead for lunch in the town of errol asking a fellow cyclist to watch
my bike at the town centre memorial while I went in to buy lunch at the wee shop.
Then Eating it while reading the town tourist info notices the sun was blazing
to the extent I was contemplating raking out my sun cream from one of the
panniers, the weather report had said it would get rain and wind later but
there was no sign of that yet,
It was
a pleasant cycle all the way from there into Dundee and onto the banks of the Tay
for a lovely cycle path through town bringing back lots of happy memories of
visits to that good city, discovery point the restaurants bars and hotels that
I knew well from past visits, the only sadness was the now missing swimming
baths we loved that big pool, I stopped at the edge of the city and spoke to a
fellow cyclist asking some questions? explaining I had lost my map he got his
phone out and had a look at my proposed route recommending that when I get to Arbroath
I shouldn’t go right into town but instead head out the Forfar road at the
start of town, thanking him and cycling on I came to the impressive site of
broughty castle which I had never seen before I thought I knew this coastline
extremely well and here was a big castle I never even known existed impossible
not to see from the shore and town!
The
rest of the cycle up this coast was through picturesque holiday home towns it
was sad to see all the big static caravans lying empty the gates to the holiday
villages padlocked shut in the Hight of summer, the golf courses were back open
though and although the grass was very parched and requiring the rain that was
coming later they were all busy, Carnoustie has polite signs on the cycle path
reminding cyclists and walkers to be respectful of golfers and be quiet as they
pass! I’ve seen the cycle path going through the army base of Barry Buddon with
its rifle ranges and assault course countless times from the train it’s a big
camp impossible to miss, yet again always thinking to myself while on that
train one day I will cycle that path, I stopped to take a photo of the firing
range warning sign and smiled happily to be fulfilling that long held ambition,
The days
cycling so far had been glorious sunshine virtually no wind nice and warm, now
the sunglasses were off it was overcast prescription specs on a cold breeze
picking up, I cycled up past commando base condor where I stopped to take a
picture to send my brother as he was based here for a while, he text back to
say that he had ran along that road many a time, it was all rolling undulating
country roads not really fun for cycling too much traffic, I did smile as I passed
through Friockheim as I have a friend who grew up in a tiny village around here
and this was her main town as a child, the rest of the cycle had just became
all about getting to the destination I was hungry getting cold wanting a beer
and starting to moan to myself 
I got
to Karen and Allan’s house just as the rain started to come on perfect timing, Karen
had pitched a nice big tent for me in her front garden, I waved at her through
her patio door as she typed away at her computer headphones on working from
home on some sort of conference meeting, I emptied my panniers and stuff into
the tents seating area, six and a half hours to do sixty seven miles I was
ready for a beer, Karen had some beer chilling along with dinner cooked a great
sister, this and a visit from two of my nephews Richard and kenny, all
observing social distancing of course none of the normal handshakes. It was
fantastic to see them all what a great day 
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