Day 8. Garstang to Keswick

Miles cycled - 65
Total ascent - 4000ft
Terrain - a good few hills in the afternoon but mostly undulating!
Weather - beautiful
Best bit - being home!
Worst bit - can't think of one!

www.justgiving.com/JanesBigTrip

At our morning briefing, my friend and training partner David was waiting for me - he's cycling end-to-end soon, so was using today as a training run.  Really good to see a familiar face!  We cycled through some lovely 'northern' countryside to the first brew stop, where Bob and my mum and dad were waiting too - they'd come to cheer me on and meet some of the folks I've been talking about.

The best view of the day - my welcoming committee at the brew stop!

We then headed directly north to Kendal for lunch, followed by a mixture of lovely back roads and a bit of A road through Windermere, Ambleside and Grasmere.  Ordinarily, these would be places folk would stop to take pictures, but for me they're on the doorstep, so I just pressed on, eager to get home.  There was a big climb out of Grasmere to Thirlmere, but even that didn't seem so bad today - I think the incentive of getting home made my legs feel invincible!  Bob met us again at Thirlmere, and cycled that last bit with us towards Keswick, where we packed up my bike and headed straight home - I've passed half-way now!  A VERY good day!!!

We passed through some parts of the Lakes even I've never seen!

A typical Lake District view - Rydal Water