Last night I stayed in a very nice hotel. A very comfy bed, and this morning while my legs wanted to ride, my heart just wasn’t in it at all. I had no motivation whatsoever. I had originally planned skipping breakfast and getting it on the road with an early checkout. It never happened and it was gone 9 before I was on the road. I did get breakfast and it was wonderful. The double thick bacon was to die for. Blood wise I was 12.3 which was quickly brought down.

On the road my progress was still lousy and by the time I got to Preston I had wasted I hide chunk of time. I followed the bike route along the river and bumped into one of the Sky Ride groups introducing people to cycling. Got to love what they are doing. Said high and waved them across at a junction. Not far further along the route I met Mick, who’s a local guy and add we got chatting does a few sportives a lot like myself. He was a star, and got me out of the how do I find my way across the river conundrum and also find the fastest way south. After he left to do his own life, my GPS software on the phone in all its wonderful wisdom, and creative use of using various round about routes had me going all over the place really getting me in a knot of directions. Eventually though I ended on a road saying Liverpool and thought ok, that’ll do.

To make up time I went for the A roads which soon had me in Liverpool. My blood glucose was dropping, so time to find some good and along the side of the road was a sign for a restaurant just called San Marco’s which looking at the menu had some nice sounding Italian things and they had a good roadside offer on. I locked up LM and went in, the place was petty empty and he escorted me to the table. Stopping out from behind the desk and seeing I was in my shorts with my scared legs on show he almost had a stoke. Was really quiet funny, he couldn’t think what to say in English with his strong Italian language, but basically I wasn’t dressed correctly for the restaurant. Makes me wonder if tie on might of helped or probably just my legs. He was a little lost but decided not to turn down a customer and so found a table farthest from any other customer in the place. Part of me wanted to wind him up, but in the end I let him off.

Dinner was actually very good. A cabs pronounce any of it but for the cheesecake, but the main meal was a pancake with layered pancake under it with chicken, ham and a little spinach in a odd layered thing, and covered in a cheese sauce. And the cheesecake was so thick. Both were fantastic. My bloods were back up and I made a hasty retreat as the place was filling up. I think the guy was pleased I want around long, but I had a chuckle with the English guy when I paid about my attire and he just said forget it and want a problem.

Before entering deep into the city I noticed that route 62 basically traversed my planned route,  so seemed a much better option. And just over there was a path connecting onto it according to the map. Path connecting it was not quite true. Think nettle covered triffid trek into the Amazon. I ended up putting my evening long pants on and riding through them mountain bike style. Worked well and never got stung luckily.

On route 62 was great. It got me right through the city. Following all the routes was pretty simple, and I must say the best connected routes so far I’ve been on through a city. Even passed Aintree race and golf course. Deep in the city on the dark paths which makes up cycle routes a lot of the time I began to wonder about my safety. Groups of late teens playing on motorbikes which they had snuck onto the track, and fighting with one of their “friends” dog. Wasn’t going to get involved for my own sake sadly.

The route itself was a good 20+ miles long, and the number of people on bikes was brilliant to see. As was the walkers and runners. A met a local lad who had his bike upside down so was obviously having issues. But offering to help he was shocked but said he was ok and had just finished his repair. 20 mins later I find him again further down the path working on his bike. We chat a bit more this time and laugh about earlier. All turns out his bike is something he’s knocked together himself from bits, but he hasn’t got hold of an “S bend” as he put it, I believe he was on about his rear mech. So he had this elaborate cable system he yanked to change gear. But as shown, it only goes up gear so once he’s gone up through his cassette he can’t come back down. I think he should maybe make it into a fixie really. Nice guy though and said track want usually this busy, it was just the sun bringing them out.

Continuing down the route and eventually crossing the Mersey bridge, another highlight for my vertigo, I finally escape and end up in Runcorn. I load my I map for tomorrow and go spare. I had spent the entire day using the wrong map. This was an old one, I had made a new one which took me through Warrington and didn’t come near Liverpool. I’ve wasted a day going stupid places and gaining no needed distance at all. I’m fed up, annoyed, and generally utterly ticked off about it. So passing a Holiday Inn I enquired about a price, £45 will do. Sod today, I’m saying goodbye to it and going for dinner and get some sleep.