21st June 2025 & Seren's 21st birthday & the longest day.

Northallerton - Sunderland       78kms      1926'

Last night's stopover was in the Village Inn in Brompton, which was one of the nicest of the pubs we have stayed in and the food was excellent. 

We got off to  another really punctual start and the first 20 kms flew by. The flying finished when we reached Yarm. Seems like the whole of the local population was making a visit. Bit of a log jam, and after such a gentle start.

Another quite complicated journey, made more difficult by the absence of clear, or even  any signs. The actual path was often accessed via a tiny single line mud track before turning into the M1 of cycle paths. Actually, when we found them, they were excellent and we spent a good part of the day on dedicated byways. However,  as always, much time was taken circumnavigating complicated roundabout systems.  Nonetheless,  today we reached the North Sea, which was a grand view in spite of the potholes and the traffic.

As I am writing this from the security of a room in a Premier Inn, there is a thunderstorm lurking. Really pleased not to be part of it!

Very inspired  by having reached Al's birthplace and hoping to call on his uncle on our way further north, tomorrow. 

It can storm all it likes tonight, even I won't hear it.