Wanting to up the miles in terms of running and cycling and fit this round going to see Big Country on Friday night I had a plan! It went something along the lines of run 17+ miles; pack pannier(s); cycle to hostel in Glasgow; go to gig and cycle home next day.
Ran just under 18 miles (√); packed pannier – one change of clothes and shoes, basic toiletries, wee bit of food; visa card and money(√): cycle to Glasgow – wind had picked up – mix of head and side winds most of the way – hard work at times, more so with the side winds (almost a √). To my non cycling friends – imagine driving across the forth road bridge in the kind of weather that they close it to high sided vehicles (which they then ignore) – the kind of wind where you are having to hang on to your steering wheel as you feel your car being pulled from side to side – now imagine some has taken the protective shell of your car away and think what if feels like on a bike – well it wasn’t as windy as this but you get the idea!
Anyway I digress. Almost a tick to Glasgow – I made it go Glasgow Cathedral and stopped to take a few photos and discovered that my phone had been gobbling up the battery at a rate of noughts – a few pictures later phone completely dead and no way of checking route to my final destination – the “Blue Sky Hostel” – I knew it was on a street parallel to the far end of Sauchiehall Street; I knew it was near the Mitchell Library and I knew the street name started with “B” – I decided to head to the Tourist Information on George Square but this has moved (to where I do not know) – by some stroke of luck and the street maps on Sauchiehall street, I made it to “Berkeley Street” and found the hostel – I now needed to persuade them that I was quite normal and not a threat to anybody and let me have a bed for the night!
As part of my going light I decided to leave my wallet at home – just taking the visa and a wee bit of money – bad move – no ID – and I now have to convince the staff to let me have a bed for the night and it just wasnae happening – Goldilocks and the 3 bears wouldn’t have got a look in – I even offered to leave them with my visa until I checked out in the morning but no, evidence and picture as proof was needed – fair do’s. Luckily the lassie at the desk had more sense than me – she let me charge my phone up and when I had enough charge I phoned home to Nige – once he stopped peeing himself laughing he managed to take a photo of my driving licence and email it to me – finally I had a bed for the night but now wondering if I struggle to do one night in Glasgow, how the heck am I going to do 3 months in America – well just watch this space!
With phone and ID issues I left much later than planned to get to the gig but made it in plenty of time – fantastic gig – and I sang Big Country – In A Big Country most of the way home the next day – well only the chorus cause I canae sing and never remember the words to songs unless I hear them playing.
Up and away early the next morning – hazy but dry when I left Glasgow, following the cycle route to Old Kilpatrick – from here I could continue to Bowling and head (very) roughly North East back to Stirling or take my chances with the weather; cross over the Erskine Bridge; head to Gourock and get on the ferry to Kilcreggan – I opted for the latter and got mostly lucky with the weather again – a few heavy showers but mostly beautiful sunshine. The first shower coincided with being on the ferry – so at least I was sheltered but didn’t get the views across the Clyde I was hoping for – this also coincided with me discovering that I had carelessly lost a £20 note and had no money to pay for said ferry – I must have pulled it out of my drybag when I took my phone out to take some photos – hopefully someone has spent it and it’s not just ended up floating in the Clyde – luckily there is a bank at Kilcreggan and I was able to get money to pay for the crossing. Sun out again and beautiful bike ride to Helensburgh – shame about the ugliness that is Faslane – don’t think I’ve ever seen so much barbed wire before – the colours of the Peace Camp made up for it though. Rain back on and a very long pull up and out of Helensburgh – good hill practice – onto Loch Lomond, Drymen and then the last stretch back to Stirling. Cracking day out and a route I would do again.
The Blue Sky Hostel is incredibly cheap, a wee bit falling down but clean and friendly and in a good location – didn’t seem to be a lot of toilets and showers relative to the number of folks who could stay but I never had to queue so didn’t seem to be a problem. Prices start at £10 pppn.
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