Quick stop for provisions at Tesco essentials and a late sortie for papers by James before the train arrived. We'd booked the bikes on board so no hassle there. After an hour of looking for golden eagles and deer out of the window, we tucked into our sarnies etc. 15 days of constant cycling means you're hungry all of the time. Changes at Inverness, Perth and Glasgow and Crewe and we're nearly home. We actually talked about real stuff on the journey back - jobs, family, career etc - which was strange because serious matters just hadn't arisen really on the trip. We were just too busy keeping spirits up and getting to the next stage. Offered our fruit cake to all passengers around us at one point to receive blanket "no thankyou"s and embarrassed laughs. The sharing philosophy of the YH, which we've become accustomed to, just doesn't translate to the Virgin Pendolino.
Off at Stoke at 10.50 where we were met by Jane and the girls and Lauren who ran up the platform with a huge hand painted 'well done' banner, and our old chum Steve, who'd cycled with us in to Stafford at the start of the journey. After kisses, hugs and handshakes (Steve), the girls headed back to their cars and we set off for the towpath near the station. As soon as we got onto it, Steve pulled up and magicked 3 cans of Fosters from his bag. We gratefully swigged these, swapped some tales then headed home.
I returned to find a big hand drawn banner in the window, detailing some of the major landmarks and accurately showing me climbing behind James up a big hill! I think it's safe to say we were both of us glad of a bath and our own beds that night.
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