LEJOG Day 15
After a very good night’s sleep in a big bed and reasonable breakfast, I left the Dumfries B&B.
Stop for tea for with lemon and fruit scones in Sanquhar. I have found this to be a simple and predictable snack. Coffee is a bit iffy over here. I am not sure where the baristas are trained, if at all. Also, I have found that it is useful to put a lemon in my drink bottles. This is particular the case in England where the water is recycled many times and usually tastes crap. The water in Scotland is a little better, but is also improved with a bit of lemon.
The route then took me up a long river valley and then down the other side. This was reasonably picturesque, but not the best choice of route.
I finally came out onto a main road heading west. I stopped to speak to a bus driver stopped by the road. I asked him how far it was to the nearest village or town with accommodation. His reply was that he didn’t know, as “this was as far [west] he had ever travelled”. There must be some advantages living in such a small world. I will think about what they might be.
A few miles on I arrived in Into Muirkirk. This not a place you would normally pick as place to stay. I found the camping ground without the assistance of the Garmin. The operator is very shot woman with an almost unintelligible accent. Her offside is a retired soldier who was forced to perform the role of translator to finalise payment and other details of my stay.
I walked into the town to buy some dinner at the only ‘restaurant’ in town. I ended up with something described as ‘chicken curry’. I am really not sure what it was. I took it back to the camping ground with a bottle of Newcastle Brown, purchased from the Co-Op. The ex-soldier, spotted me and came over for a chat. He has a son, in the Australian Army based in Canberra. The old bloke was in Canberra last year. For 45 minutes he told me all about the city, seeming oblivious to the fact the I had lived there most of my life and told him that on three occasions during his monolog.
I finally finished the meal and headed up to the nearest pub for a pint on Tenets.
Another night in the tent. Not the most thrilling of days, but at least I vaguely headed in the right direction.
Flickr Link
Garmin Link
billrider2013 