Dunbar to Berwick Upon Tweed to Belford (near Bamburgh Castle)

Rained a little overnight at Dunbar but looked as though going to be a hot day so Roger actually donned an orange t-shirt and some lycra cycling shorts - thought that this might be enough to bring on the rainclouds if anything would. Thought it was going to be a relatively boring 'transit' sort of a day, when we found ourselves cycling alongside the A1 on a tarmac cycle way - into a cool head wind - that is until the route deviated away from the side of the A1 to follow the side roads. There is very little choice when the A1 is out of the equation - so you go in a variety of different directions and dog legs, up and down whatever gradient is in the way. Down a very steep narrow valley, to Cove Bay - with a static caravan park taking over te bay at the bottom, through a shallow ford and then an extremely steep and narrow climb up the other side - had to work hard to just push the bikes up, never mind attempt to cycle up it, not helped by many cars and tractors coming up and down - not really enough room for the width of a bike and panniers, a cyclist pushing and the width of a car as well. The sun made it's mind up to really shine down on us, and there wasn't a breath of breeze down the valley, so the sweat was really flowing. A long slow slog of a climb after this - everytime you thought 'this must be the top', you went over the brow of the hill - and it wasn't!! Up on to moorland, and realised when I heard the bleating of lambs playing in the fields that we'd not seen many sheep for a few days - just plenty of cattle and calves. Then along relatively empty country lanes working our way back to the coast and the small town of Eyemouth, about 10 miles as the crow flies north of Berwick-Upon-Tweed. Shay emailed me to say she'd been watching Billy Connolly on TV visiting Inverness - and that 'Inver' means 'mouth of' as in 'mouth of the river Ness' - I was only wondering to Roger the other day what 'Inver' meant- and now I know. There is a River Eye, so Eyemouth could actually be called Invereye!!! Coming from the north into the town, you would have no reason to know it's there -you can't see any evidence of the place until you actually get there - after a cool descent down to the small harbour there, felt cold in the breeze and sat in our windproofs and ate a large portion of chips between us and had a cuppa to warm us up.A real seaside little town, ad nether of us have ever heard of the place before.

Always knew we'd have a climb out of Eyemouth - but didn't expect a 200 metre plus one, followed by lots of additional steep short ups and downs in the evening sunshine. So, with a sting in the tail it was out of Scotland and into England = 1 country 'done', another 6 to go. Great to eventually arrive in Berwick - a short detour to a caravan park that didn't take tents, a ride around the fortifications and then a ride over the old bridge over the river Tweed. There are three different bridges very close together, including the railway one we travelled over on our trip up.

Eventually found the one site in the area around the town that takes tents - a huge site full of kids and people - and the most expensive to date - £17 for the night. Next to a couple with a toddler - who screamed for ages as we were trying to go to sleep - could just about put up with the noise - like the barking of dogs in the kennels at the vets I can zone it out, but the dad kept talking to him and then started singing to him which I found much more annoying than the crying!!! Also three kids playing football in the pitch black very nearby and making much noise.... am a grumpy old lady or what!!! The only place we've been to that has a bath though - so had a very enjoyable soak reading my book. Even though it had felt coolish most of the day, we'd ridden for much of the time in t-shirts - and had both been caught out by the strength of the sun - and both had sunburnt arms - in my case due to all the gallons of sweat I lose while struggling up the hills cooking me in the sun - Roger sweats very little compared to me - my head just drips with sweat though - not a pretty site!!!

The lady at the campsite said a thunderstorm was forecast overnight - but it never arrived thank goodness. Both feeling a bit jaded today, and not helped by a hard 22 miles of tough (for loaded tourers) off road sections along the coast towards Lindisfarne. Lots of people about as it is Saturday and such a lovely day - found a quiet spot in the sand dunes overlooking the causeway to Lindisfarne in the distance - watching a never ending procession of vehicles going over onto the island. We've been over before to the island so were glad to give it a miss today. So hot ..... mind you the little black thundercloud was back following me this afternoon - Roger was totally unimpressed by the amount of steep uphills we struggled up, to immediately comeback down again, to go back up once again..... especially when you could see the relatively flat A1 in the distance not too far away. Arrived at the village of Bellford, not far fro the castle at Bamburgh - only 3 oclock but we were both very hot and ready to get out of the sun - and protect our sunburnt arms - and there was a campsite shown on the map - meant deviating off the route down steep hill into the village itself - so kept my fingers crossed that it would be there - didn't want the wrath of Roger to descend on me if we had to climb back up the hill again and cycle on. Glad to say that there was a campsite, quite a big one, tucked away with the Co Op opposite for a lovely cold ice lolly and a litre or three of apple juice and diet coke. not much shade so sat on two plastic chairs we found in the shade of a tree at the side of the access road into this section of the site reading etc. Wonder how hot it will be tomorrow?