Wednesday 12^th May , Days Inn, Missoula Montana

10.45

Another windy day yesterday but luckily most of our 66 mile run was downhill through the Bitterroot valley. Principal industry here is building log cabins and one company we saw makes totem poles. If anyone wants one I’ll be glad to bring it back with me. We got into Missoula at 4.00. It’s the largest town we’ve been in for a long time and it makes a pleasant change. A university town with, not surprisingly. lots of students everywhere. More unexpected is the large number of winos and down and outs, groups of which seem to be on every downtown street corner. Walking around yesterday evening, I stopped to ask a passer-by if he could recommend a restaurant. He backed away, visibly alarmed and obviously thinking we were begging – and this was after we’d showered and changed into our civvies. Mike walks around harrumphing at both dossers and students. I’m glad he hasn’t got a stick or there might have been an incident.

When we got the hotel I rang around and found a bar, The Iron Horse, that was showing the Fulham v Madrid game. It’ll be on at 12.45 pm here which will seem a bit weird but at least I’ll see it. We went there for a pre-dinner drink to check it out. A bit yuppyish but very friendly. It will do.

Dinner in a Mexican place recommended by the frightened passer-by and then Mike retired. Strictly as a precaution I decided to see if other bars were also showing the game. In the course of the next few hours I found that I could watch it in Red’s bar and grill, The Bodega, The Oxford Room and the Missoula Bar and Cafe; all excellent establishments. So wherever we are during the day today , I should be alright. My final port of call, by which time I was wilting slightly, was to the Union Labour Club across the road from the hotel. They did not have DirectTv, the required channel, but the barmaid was oddly determined to prove that I could still watch it. After ten minutes of fumbling with the TV, she arrived at a channel showing last week’s Premier League matches. She was so pleased with this that I didn’t want to disillusion her. I said it was what I was looking for and suddenly I found myself watching all of Saturdays’ game between Chelsea and Wigan. By the time it had finished, it was quarter past midnight. There was live music in an adjoining room, ,a bass player, a guitarist and a mandolin player, playing folk tunes . I was joined by a couple of local soccer fans, Rob and Michael who were trying to out-do each other in their knowledge of the English Premier League . The whole thing seemed vaguely surreal, but the time passed very pleasantly.

This morning we have discovered problem with our planned route for the next couple of days. The only accommodation for tomorrow night is a small campsite in the middle of forest. We have had to re-jig the route and make tomorrow a short day and then we have a mad 85 mile dash on Friday with no stopping points for refreshment en route. Not something to look forward to. Ho hum.