The Eye of a Painter
"This is what a picture should give us, an abyss in which the eye is lost,
a secret germination, a coloured state of grace, loose consciousness.
Descend with the painter in to the dim tangled roots of things,
And rise again from them in colours,
Be steeped in the light of them" ~ Paul Cézanne
The rain ceased on Saturday, but the Sunday forecast wasn’t that good, heavy showers. 10 people turned up for the longer ride to the Borders, which didn’t turn out to be as long as it should, but it was a wonderful ride. There was a fair breeze, but it didn’t make cycling too difficult, however, as we cycled south, grey clouds and yellow green of moorland grass gave the landscape a flat apperance. This of course, could have also have been the result of their being no more hills to climb as we were at the top!!! Unfortunately, we did have to use the A7, but on Sunday morning, traffic was extremely light, and the road is fairly wide.
Quietly we slunk over the Border
As we ventured through Heriot, and on to a minor road, the colours returned, first different crops striping green contours across the landscape, and intermittent fences of purple rosebay willowherb lining the road, itself the winding, rolling kind built for cycling. The uphills were not too long, and the downhills just the right length and the vistas breathtaking.
As we reached Stow, the clouds turned greyer, and a short rain shower persuaded us to have our lunch here. We had lunch outside (it had dried up by the time I found the public convenience, which wasn’t widely signposted) I managed to find the only pub in Stow, where we met the landlord who had only just bought the place, and we had a wee drink as a company of friends.
The Glory of Colour
After lunch, we headed back from Stow the way we came, black clouds hung to the right, sun behind, blue sky to the left, purple flowers fenced the road, and up ahead a shower curtain descended from the sky. The road was initially dry. As we headed north, where rain had fallen, the road reflected purple flowers as though a Renoir had been painted in black and white. Even though we were climbing back up to Heriot, the road never really gave any indication of increasing altitude, there were ups and downs as before.
Further on, the road became wetter, taking on the appearance of marble, reflecting a blackened sky. The rain was ahead of us, and we were catching up. Fortunately, we turned left at Heirot on to the B709, and headed west. The black clouds receded, leaving us in sunshine on a country lane. As the road climbed, so did the peaks. Soon a truly Scottish landscape was revealed, hills with purple heather cascading down to the side of the road. At Garvald, we headed north to The Granites. Here we stopped for a truly spectacular views, from the Pentlands stretching south west, through Edinburgh across to Trapain Law, with North Berwick Law behind.
From the Moorfoot Hills, it was mostly downhill, every twist and turn taken taking us nearer home, and Arthur’s Seat growing larger. Grit on the road and hidden potholes made the riding more technical than it should be for a National Cycle Route, but it was fun. By the time we reached Bonnyrigg, every face had a big grin on it.
Thank you to everyone who turned up on Sunday. You all added to the experience of a wonderful day.
Warm Regards,
Explore, Dream, Discover
"The best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew--and live through it." ~ Doug Bradbury
Ride Statistics
Distance: 98.7 km (61.2 miles)
Average Speed: 19.2 km/h (11.9 mph) (Max 48.6 km/h)
Total Climbing: 1478m (4849 feet) (Max Height 404m)
Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
Max. Temp.: 18 deg C (71.6 deg F)
Route Description
Start: Usher Hall
Out: Meadows, Causewayside, Liberton, Lasswade, Bonnyrigg, Carrington, Castleton, Middleton, Heriot, Fountainhall, Stow
Return: Stow, Fountainhall, Heriot, The Granites, Middleton, Castleton, Carrington, Bonnyrigg, Lasswade,
End: Captain's Rd.
Interactive Route Map
The map belows shows the route that we took on the August 2008 Summer Spokes Ride.