Tuesday 7 September

Woke to rain pouring down - back to reality! Jane was off to Oban this morning to catch a ferry to one of the islands, so she left before us. Thanks Jane for the hospitality, dinner, breakfast and butties! Nice to meet Ann(e) the lodger. We had a bit of a hiccup with leaving this morning. Jane lives on the top floor of one of the tenement flats and it would have been horrendous carrying the bikes (and all the gear) up about 6 flights of stairs, so the lady in the bottom flat kindly let us keep the bikes in her (locked) basement. We arranged to pick them up at 9 this morning. She had a 2 year old so no problem. Yes, you guessed it - no answer to our knock at the door, ring of the bell, thump on the door! Just as we were wondering what on earth we did next, the lady appeared. Relief! Whilst we got the bikes out, I appologised for getting her up, and she explained that she was recovering from a throat op. She had a big scar around her neck and had had her thyroid removed as they had found cancerous glands. She was having more treatment next week. Makes you forget the little niggly aches from cycling. Went back to the cycle track and followed it all the way to the Ballock end of Alexandria. Along the way - in Clydebank - we saw a great fish and chip shop (voted 2nd best in the world it said). Pity it was still early! Carried on along the Forth and Clyde canal cycle path. Stopped, dripping wet, at a Little Chef for a deluxe hot chocolate - cream, mini marshmallow and a flake - bliss! Tried to dry my shorts under the hand dryer in the ladies toilets - don't know why, I was only going to get wet again once I went back outside. Off we go again and have to go through a field of cows. There is a tarmac path through the field but it's covered with cow pats! Once at Alexandria we follow the A82 alongside Loch Lomond. Thankfully there is a cycle path all the way to Tarbet as the road is extremely busy and fast moving. The track dips in and out between the road and the loch.