I have been looking into this blogging malarkey. It seems that you can get paid for mentioning certain items in your blog. Product placement, they call it and with 100,000 followers you can earn £2K a time. So.
It was rather cool at 8 o’clock this morning but Mystic Meg suggested that there would be no rain, and it would probably get too warm later to wear my Altura Night Vision jacket, from Evans Cycles. Although it is guaranteed water proof and wind resistant, it is a little bulky, too much to pop into my back pocket. I was also excited about the first trip out in my new Shimano touring shoes, a birthday present from the children, to think of checking whether my old jacket was still in the frame bag. I remember that when my dad was the age I am now, he usually got some socks or a packet of those little cigars that were popular then.
I didn’t expect anyone else to be waiting at Union Corner so pressed on to the other place. Just Mike 2 there, picking blackberries as he waited. Simon had already let me know that he was heading out to Scorrier first thing to wave on Jasmijn Muller (above), a young Dutch woman who is attempting to break the Women’s World Record LEJOG, 1000 mile and 24 hour records. She had also intended to break the LEJOGLE record but was delayed in starting for 24 hours so was going to run out of the time she had support. Texting “Portreath” to Simon we were on our way, both expecting the other to navigate. We shouldn’t have worried as Simon met up with us after a few miles and took charge. Bolenowe came and went as did Pool and Coombe. Coming out on to the North coast the sun was breaking across Carbis bay. “What’s that town over there” asked Mike. “St Ives. I have an extra hour today; we could go there, replied Simon. So we did.
Hanging our bikes on the railings above the beach we found a window seat in the Balcony Bar and ordered. Simon, in honour of those on the French trip had French toast. Jasmijn, averaging a gnats whisker less than 20mph was well on her way to Exeter.
All good things must come to an end and eventually we were navigating our way through the holidaymakers, round past the Tate and up the hill. I thought Simon was going to take us around again as he then headed straight down, back into town, but we threaded our way through the traffic to retrace our route to Lelant. From there it was Hayle, Connor Downs, Praze and homewards. The knacker man pulled his truck over to one side as we trudged up the long drag after Praze and waited for us as we approached. I felt the appropriateness of his actions.
Simon left us to head to Four lanes, whilst Mike and I turned right, for Carmenellis. Though there were a few spots of rain about at this point the sun was quickly out again and I returned to Falmouth in full sun, and spot on 60 miles. Dean