Sunday 31st May Day 10 Gretna and Dunfries

Yesterday was yet another fascinating experience! Of Course!!

My Galloway Cycling Experience

Buoyed up by my cycle outing of Friday, albeit a limited one, I decided to embark on a 'tour' of Galloway. To be more precise, a journey through the byways of a rural area to the south of Lockerbie, a roughly circular, even rugby ball shaped, trundle along the narrow roads between Gretna -Annan-Lockerbie. The wind had dropped, according to the forecasters and it would be dry and warmer. That was the plan, anyway.

Having prepared supper, a slow cooked casserole of beef(shin) with a dash of red wine, garlic and onion, I duly dressed. Friday demanded multiple layers as the wind was northerly. Saturday was more southerly and warmer, so is dispensed with one top layer and, hoping for the best, set off towards Annan.

Within a few yards it became obvious that the wind had only changed direction. It was still strong, but now gusting so that it could catch one out and blow the bike from left to right, at least as far as Annan was concerned. It was also, of course, into one as well! Joy, oh joy!

Thus the nine miles to Annan were hard work again, but, almost perversely, perhaps a little easier as I knew the route! No mental anguish as I wondered how much further I had to go before arriving at some point or another.

Through Annan I went, and a right turn up past the rugby club. After this all was new and this included another cyclist. We rode along for a few miles together, chatting and musing about….things. The problem for me was that he had a deep Glaswegian accent and understanding what he was saying was hard. Happily were cycling very slowly so it was fun.

He departed and I began to head along what I hoped was my planned route. This included several gentle climbs as I crisscrossed the same ridge. Eventually I made it to the outskirts of Lockerbie, or, to be more precise the very close to junction 15 of the A74(M), having covered about 20 miles. Now it would be a simple, easy return to Gretna, albeit along a road beside said A74.

A cycle path was marked out but the road was not that busy. It was, however, made up of longish straights which rose and fell over the next 17 miles - rather further than I had planned. Getting into Gretna Green I thought I was at home, only to discover that Gretna and Gretna Green are two different places! S0, I had to keep going!

Back at the motorhome after 37 miles and over 3 hours after starting, I was pleased to rest my weary legs!

Meryl's day out in Dumfries

As Saturday was forecast to be dry and warmish, I decided it was the best day to visit Dumfries for the Rabbie Burns experience. Having read a book, 'On the Trail of Robert Burns', picked up in Dornoch several years ago, I knew this was about the last part of his life.

I caught the train from Greta to Dumfries and after an altercation with the conductor about what note I had given him, £5.00 or £10.00 I enjoyed the train journey through the very green countryside. Dumfries is set on the river Nith with an old bridge and weir which I believe was once a fording point. There are several grand red sandstone buildings and outside the main church was a white statue of the grand master himself. He had owned a farm north of the town but as his duties as an excise officer grew he moved into the town and was made a kind of Freeman. Appropriate as he was also a Freemason.

After several twists and turns, Dumfries is not well endowed with tourist sign posts, I found the Burns Museum in an old mill by the river and enjoyed some time studying the key points of his life and liaisons with the locals, especially the females. He also was instrumental in starting the library and the theatre and hoped to write plays. He wrote several of his most famous songs and poems whilst living in Dumfries, one of which we were to hear sung on Saturday evening, My love is like a red, red rose.

The museum had a pleasant cafe with wifi, and after refreshing myself I continued on to his mausoleum. This was instigated by the Wordsworths, William and Dorothy, who could not find his overgrown grave when they came to visit. It stands out as a clean white structure in a graveyard full of enormous red sandstone memorials to locals. Burn's friends buried in the cemetery are also highlighted as you walk round. It was quite disconcerting.

Burns became increasing unwell and was diagnosed as having gout but actually had a heart problem. The last few weeks of his life he spent at Brow, drinking the well water and bathing in the Solway Firth. This did not aid his condition and he returned to Dumfries and died within a few days. His wife could not attend his funeral as she was in the process of giving birth. She and several of his children are interred in the mausoleum.

On that happy note I returned to Greta with no altercations about my ticket and found a delicious beef casserole bubbling away in the slow cooker. Well done Jon.