Detours and uninvited guests.

Today having been awoken by the early morning sunshine over lake Windermere and after being plagued by the snores of the chap in the bunk below during the night, I set off again downhill only to find it very rapidly became an ascent for the first 5 miles or so. However shortly afterwards the lie of the land became a more stable set of low rolling hills as I wended my way towards Lancaster. I passed through the village of Holme, presumably named so after the village not more than 10miles from the pie village. Shortly afterwards I was joined by a friendly local cyclist who rode with me for the best part of 5 miles. He told me that in the 30 or so years he had been riding that area I was the first end to ender he had ever met! My pace over the 5 or so miles he stayed with me was noticeably quicker and I think I definitely paid for it towards the end of the day. He predicted I would get very wet by the end of my ride but I have to say that apart from a short half hour pour it down session it has been topping up the van kind of weather. I arrived unhindered in Lancaster in time for luncheon, and set off again with high hopes of getting out alive from the awful one way system. Have to say failed miserably and equally failed to negotiate Preston successfully at the first attempt. However I have arrived from a rather dull scenery and sights sort of day though I did see some of metal detectors searching a field and was a buzzed by a micro lite which was coming in to land. So thats day eight done it's becoming harder each day for myself and my team to hold it together and not abandon it to be together and I know we all appreciate the help being given directly to Caroline and the boys at home and as such indirectly to me. Stats. 74.22miles 7.34.22hours av speed 9.8mph max 27.5mph total dist 548.8 total time 59:11:49