Day 6, 70 miles from Peebles to Carlisle

September 6, 2006. Today the weather was near perfect for cycling. We started from Peebles, a very beautiful little town, in Scotish mist and about 16 degrees, which warmed up to the low twenties with only very occasional periods of light rain during the day. The hard SW wind had softened and moved more to the west and north to help us out. The route from Peebles to Carlisle through the Border Country (Scotland) and Cumbria (England) is very rural and we took enough fruit bars to last us if we could not find a place for lunch. In the event we arrived at the Bhuddist monestary just after their tea room closed but in time to eat with the adherants for a £5 donation. No meat but very wholesome food, including an avocado salad. We decided to stop after 67 miles and be driven the last 4 miles through Carlisle's rush hour. We are staying in the once magnificent Victorian railway hotel, the Crown and Mitre. The super bonus is that the rooms have full length baths, which we all took advantage of after all the hills today. We shared the massive first (i.e., second) floor dining room with 50 women lawn bowlers of the mediian age of the lawnbowling population).