Red Carpet Inn Lexington 05.30 Friday

Fifty miles yesterday. Slightly easier than yesterday but still hard work and I had to get off and walk again, once or twice near the end.

We left Waynesboro at 8.05 after a light breakfast of cereal, boiled eggs, muffins, waffles and more boiled eggs. I made a deal with myself that if I didn't moan about the hills during the day, Fulham would beat Juventus in the Europa Cup.

The previous days "all down hill" was of course all up hill today and this continued on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (In fact the day was mostly up-hill in the morning and mostly downhill in the afternoon, which is perfect for cycling - apart from the morning bit).

Beautiful scenery, looking out over the Shenendoah Valley, with some snow still remaining along the roads. More buzzards (According to Mike; I think they might be vultures)

While we stopped for a lunchtime break, a team of American cyclists, resplendent in red, white and blue uniforms, passed and gave us a friendly wave (No panniers. Bloody lightweights)

We came off the Parkway , mid-afternoon and had a spectacular downhill climb of over three mile with a drop of about 2000 feet, to a town called Vesuvius. Brakes on all the way and I could smell rubber burning. Then a good run along the river into Lexington but I ran out of steam on the last couple of hills into town. Nothing left in the water bottles and it was very hot ( I also have a cold - Is that enough excuses?). On the last hill, my phone started ringing constantly. It was buried in the bottom of my bag and I couldn't reach it, which added to the general gloom

We limped into Lexington at five. A pretty little town where we tried, and failed, to find a bar that was open . We ended up drinking organic lemonade sitting outside a health food store. I retrieved my phone. 6 missed calls from Frank and Gerry and a text from Marie. Fulham had won 4-1. Absolutely unbelievable ( I hadn't kept my side of the bargain - I will have to pay for this in some way). We limped out of Lexington again to book in to the Red Carpet Inn on the outskirts of town. A basic place but comfortable enough. Straight on to the internet to read the match reports. Then a shower and out to dinner. We were too far out to walk into town and the motel owner told us that the Lexington restaurant next door was very good so we thought we'd give that a go.

The tea cups on the table were a warning sign. The waitress confirmed my fears. No booze. I order Rib-eye steak, mash and diet coke. She tells us that the market store next door sells beer so that's something. The steak is good, the mashed potato covered in gravy that looks like coffee-icing. Mike is eatiing a ham steak with Dr. Pepper. A bevy of small middle-aged waitresses bustle around, all dressed in white trousers and white nylon jackets, like nurses. Each of them asks us at least once if everything is ok. Very slick-we're in and out in 40 minutes. When we get to the market store it has closed. Nowhere else to bu a drink within miles. My punishment for Juventus.

Back at the hotel I read the two local local papers in bed. They are both an unusual shape, about 15 inches wide and 36 inches long. Most odd. Front page news in the Lexington News Leader is that Deanna Cook, who use to be a stylist at Marlene's, is opening her own salon on Washington St. Two forthcoming talks at the Leyburn Library; "50 years of climate, culture and landscape change in the Mt. Everest region" and " The synthesis of Chiral Ligands for application in asymmetric catalysis". I wonder if there will be a complimentary glass of wine.