Trough of Bowland

You know it's an important day when you re-carve the only set in stone working day you have in a week. 

But, with amenable parents, a flexible husband and a Little Dog who sulked because she wasn't given a choice, I set off on a Blip 2000 adventure. 

What a great excuse for a day out! 

I've learnt how to cheat minimise effort since blipping and made the most of a brisk easterly today, heading over the hills to Settle (spotting a gorgeous lolloping hare along the way) before skirting round to Slaidburn to rediscover the Trough of Bowland. 

It was a beast from the east kind of a wind but, with a hot cheesy jacket inside me, I left Settle feeling warm and ready for the next leg.

It's a few years since I cycled this road and it was as pretty as I remembered it. A friendly delivery man asked if I'd like him to take my photo as I stopped to eat a bar. He'd seen me taking a photo a few minutes earlier, commented how solitary travellers don't get to see themselves on photos and said he'd have liked to have stopped then but the road wouldn't allow. He was the Postman Pat of DHL (so I let him!)

With a few more degrees of warmth, the temperature was now really enjoyable as was the new road I was on over to the west coast. I could see the sea!

Cycling 2000 miles to mark the occasion was out of the question, of course, but I wasn't too far off 2000m of ascent after finding I had time to spare on the last approach to Lancaster. I had an extra leg planned to Carnforth just in case I was on form. It was a pretty extension and I ended up chatting to a wonderful man in the station cafe who served up a much needed peppermint tea and two slices of cake. 

So, at the end of another celebratory Blipventure, I'd like to thank you lovely Blipfolk wholeheartedly for riding alongside and sharing so many of my journeys with me. Heaps of appreciation, as well of course, to you all behind the scenes for keeping the cogs a-turning and the wheels a-spinning.