Day 7 - Becky ordered some hills, with a side of hills! I had chips with shattered knee caps.

After our AMAZING nights sleep in the hotel (I really do mean amazing. To have the steam room and jacuzzi is one thing, but duvets, they are underrated!)  We really found it hard waking and getting up. We must have slept for about 7/8hours before eventually having to move. Both of us really didn't want too, but a prepaid breakfast was waiting for us downstairs, a Becky LOVES breakfast! It's her favourite meal of the day, along with lunch, dinner and midnight snacks. 

 We eventually managed to shift ourselves for breakfast and arranged our still wet clothes around the room to dry before getting dressed. We had to wash our bib shorts (padded cycling shorts) and other clothes in the shower as they absolutely stank, and I had to sleep in mine the night before as the padlock on the chain wrapped around my clothes bag on my handlebars decided to seize shut. Locking my clothes on my bike...  

I won't go into detail about the colours of the dirt coming out of my clothes (bib shorts) when washing them in the shower. But they are clean(er) now.  

All our clothes were still wet so we popped then on heaters, handrails and out of the window. (Becky' idea)  When we came back from breakfast I noticed my sivy shorts were no longer hanging out the window. After examining the missing shorts we noticed they had fallen onto the grass below our window. Becky was convinced she could just climb out the window as grab the shorts, I knew she couldn't. But I let her try anyway. Needless to say, she couldn't get out. So I had the idea of using tent polls to hook them and let the shorts slide up the poll and into our hands. Bdckg tired first failed. I tried too... Made it worse. At some point, one of us, without noticing had knocked off my thermal cycling top too. Now I'm not pointing any fingers, but it was definitely Becky. Just saying.

After many attempts and failures, we decided to speak to the front desk where the gentlemen were happy to help and even went out the fire escape and got the items for us! Absolute gent.

 After a lot of rafting around, we were loaded up and heading off to the Lake District. Becky had arranged for her parents to come and meet us in Grasmere at about 1 pm, so we needed to get a shift on. Near enough as soon as we headed out of Carlisle we hit Sunday family bike rider traffic, then some walkers and finally a horse?!? 

 After about an hour we were on the outskirts of the Lake District. Honestly, it felt like we have been cycling up the hill for the entire time since we left the hotel. That didn't change, we went up, up and up. When we got a small downhill we had the headwind so there was no break or winning on the cycle to Grasmere. Our pace was the lowest it had been the whole trip! At one point out average speed was 8mph. This wasn't going to get us to Grasmere in time to meet Becky's parents. If the wind and hills weren't bad enough, the back of Becky's right knee was giving her so much pain her mood and speed had changed dramatically.

 It was 14:15 and we were 4 miles from Grasmere on a hell of a hill! Thankfully, once we got to the top there was one EPIC downhill to Grasmere and to Becky's parents. 

We were greeted with smiles and hugs for getting this far, we were also treated to lunch that we both were very grateful for. And really needed after those hills. Becky's parents (Maria & Jim) also has brought me another share inner tube and be some cycling gloves. we could have sat in the restaurant for hours indulging of food and good company, but eventually, we had to head back out into the light rain. 

The road out of the lakes didn't disappoint, just as hilly as the way back in!! Both Becky and I were in a fair bit of pain in the knees and back. So we agreed to cut out day short. Relax and rest up the injuries. we found a campsite 11 miles away outside of Windermere, so we headed that way. 

 Google maps is a real treasure sometimes, others, it may take you on a gated path over a farmers field, filled with sheep, sheep poo, and rock like gravel path! Eventually, we made it to the site. It's a great campsite and even has a pub restaurant too. Proper old man's pub and a proper pub grub place. 

 When checking into the campsite the staff were so friendly and loved what we are doing, they gave us a discount of 50%! They showed us around, gave us both some shampoo (because we stink clearly) and wished us good luck. 

 I thought for a little lite entertainment k would see how quickly I could set up my tent! I know you are impressed with my current 4 minute and 13-second current record. We then hit the showers to clean up and feel fresh. Now, were sitting in the pub, beer in hand and looking out the window at the shitting down rain wishing we weren't sleeping in a tent.