Another delay in reporting

Last wrote in Edinburgh; now we are in Stockton (on the River Tees) having, as before, had little internet access on the way.  So here is a dead-pan list of what we have done, not spiced with humourous asides, unless they happen spontaneously.

We enjoyed our limited exposure to Edinburgh festival, and left on Monday morning a week ago.  The cycle route took us through the city centre and then down a railway tunnel (well, used to be a railway tunnel, now a cycle track, with lighting) then out into the Western suburbs and round towards Dalkeith.  We got truly lost in part of this process, but got sorted out and got there.  Then to a camp site under an old viaduct, complete with midges and in a lovely surrounding, opposite a pub that claimed awards for their food.  It was good.

Next day to Rossyln chapel.  Difficulties getting there too, with a road closed on account of collapsing, but we did arrive.  It comes into Dan Brown and the number of visitors bears witness to that.  But the chapel is fascinating and, well, beautiful.  Then on to cross the Moorfoot hills to the Tweed valley.  it was a long climb, to what turned out to be the highest point on the North Sea cycle route, at 404 metres (Norway came it on 275).  Descent to Innerleithen through wonderful moorland country. 

We then went on down the Tweed valley towards Berwick, stopping one night en route, in Coldstream, and seeing a "stately home", Traquair House (which somehow was not stately) and Melrose Abbey.  Berwick seems a nice place, to revisit, but we needed to get on.  There are 3 bridges in Berwick, and we crossed on the old on (so could not see it), next to the ugly one which cut off the view of the imposing one, the railway viaduct.  The  ugly one really is ugly, so when you gop there make sure this is one you cross on.  After Berwick, the cycle track became very rough and we walked our bikes over a couple of miles of grassland.  Finally to a campsite next to a superb beach.  I forgot to mention that we were now in England, in Northumberland, which is a superbly beautiful county. 

We worked our way south through coastal Northumberland.  At a certain point, a sharp crack signalled a spoke had gone on my (Tom's) back wheel, which immediately bucked and would no longer turn without rubbing.  After some manipulation, got it going well enough, and went on.  Later, in Amble, went to en excellent bike shop, which fixed it up, replaced that spoke and some other dodgy ones and re-aligned the wheel.  Rural Northumberland also came up with a pub with maybe the best fish and chips we have had (the beer was fine as well).  Urban Northumberland, which is probably Tyne and Wear now, came up with a beautiful campsite that the local council had let become run down and are now selling it to a holiday company who will close it down as a campsite.  We had contrasted travel between industrial and lovely seaside.  Through Whitley Bay, a grand resort, to the mouth of the river Tyne, where we took a ferry to South Shields and one of the best campsites we have had.  Then on to Stockton, where are now, much of this on cycle paths made along old railways that are great ot cycle along; trains may go up hill, but they do not go up hill steeply!

Hope to report on the next bit soon.  We are not going to go along the North Yorkshire coast to Whitby, then on the Scarborough.  Expecting this bit to be very hilly, a bit like Norway was.