THE ROAD TRIP
Day 1—294k's Cupar - St Andrews - Kirkcaldy - Roslin - Lauder - Jedburgh - Bellingham - Hexham
SETTING OFF:
It was a gorgeous day getting acclimatised to the roads, the traffic behaviour, learning how to interpret the "slow" signs and understanding Gatso country, etc. etc.
I detoured via Roslin to vist the Roslin Chapel, something I had wanted to do for a very long time. What an amazing building! The interior is so very complex with so many different features. I also stopped at Lauder to visit the family ancestral home "Thirlstane Castle" but it was closed. Bugga. Last time I had visited in the dead of winter it was closed. I had expected it to be open this time.
Lovely weather, sunny, cool and only a little windy in places. Fantastic riding weather and I got to ride roads I have wanted to ride for a very long time.
Whilst passing a truck the top box flew open...stuff flew out...3 items according to the bloke in the car behind me...2 black (one looked like a wallet) and one bright red) All my important stuff including passport, wallet (all cards & cash), computer, camera, makeup case (essential), iPhone, local cheap mobile phone, journal, etc. etc. was still intact. I could only guess at what was missing coz lots of bits I had been travelling with were safely stored in my suitcase back at Cupar Motorcycles.
I arrived at my sisters to severe weather forecasts with winds and constant heavy rain for the midlands in England all the way to the very north of Scotland. Bugga. More research and I decided to continue with my original plan because to travel south for the good weather would take too many days out of the days I had available and the bad weather was moving south east so my plans to travel north west may just work out.
Content from my ride and over the trepidation of riding a different bike on different roads in a different country, I slept like a well fed baby.