Day 9 Shap to Carlisle

A nice short day this one, but if you were to think the 32 miles from close to the Shap summit to Penrith and then Carlisle is all downhill you'd be sorely disappointed. Stopped for my usual apple, orange and chocolate break just out of Penrith after a particularly heavy shower and got to Carlisle at 11.30. Happened to pass on the way in , the hotel Jane had booked me into and unloaded before continuing straight into town and towards A&E to get leg stitches out. And here's a remarkable story !

Having spoken to Jane and John on tel the night before I got word that my old squash playing buddy of 40 years ago - Pete Bath and his wife Jennifer were back in UK and thought to be in the Penrith area this v morning ! I had immediately emailed Pete to suggest breakfast in Penrith but when he phoned me just after I had passed through Penrrith he said they were about to leave Edin for the Lake district and could.be passing through Carlisle at around lunchtime . He said he'd phone if timings were likely to work.  Pete was an orthopedic surgeon in Perth WA , but spent years at the Western in early days - and subsequently Seattle where memorably he came down to Alta Utah when M and I worked there in 1974. Thus the nickname he acquired then of powder Pete - not for his mastery of it but for his valiant attempts!

So call came through from Jennifer just as I was approaching A&E ( anticipating the usual 2 hour plus wait ) saying they were just coming off M6 and heading towards downtown Carlisle . Result - we had a fabulous 2 hour lunch catching up on so much and he made a quick visit to Boots on.my behalf and removed my stitches in the station carpark! Brilliant Pete . Thank you so much. Another great meet up in the most unlikely of places .

Then back to hotel , got my bike to a bike shop where they'll give it a quick service , and Jane arrived from work having just picked up her v smart new work car and collected me from my hotel . And what a lovely evening we had . Very special.

 Tomorrow a day OFF the bike and hoping to walk along a stretch of Hadrian's Wall. Keith's train arrives at 4.