LEJOG day 9 - Whitby to Durham

 119 km  Elev gain: 1611 m  (74 miles / 5285 ft)
2 °C (real feel -2 °C)

Day 2 of week 2 is a great ride through varied terrain that takes me over the half way point of my journey with more than 1000 km under my wheels since Land's End. The north easterly artic wind is really cold, but by following the east coast I'm avoiding the snowy conditions bringing large parts of the country to a standstill.

There's a light dusting of snow on the pavements in Whitby, but the roads are clear as I leave the hotel.

Perfect stopover at the end of the Cinder Track

Turning inland on NCN 165 / EuroVelo 12, I cross the North Yorks Moors on tarmac and then off road through stunning scenery, passing Rosebury Topping on the descent into Guisborough.

It's not so grim up north

Commondale

Off road over the moors on EV12

From Guisborough I head north, re-joining NCN 1 / EV12 through Middlesbrough. It gets a bit tedious at times quite literally going round the houses, but it's simpler than trying to navigate the city ad-hoc, so I stick with it and ride past the giant Anish Kapoor Temenos sculpture next to Middlesbrough FC, before passing the famous Transporter Bridge. 

Anish Kapoor's "Temenos" with the Transporter Bridge behind

Turning north again the route continues with a mixture of tarmac and off road trails before I turn west onto NCR 14, approaching Durham from the east as the cathedral appears on the skyline lit up by the sunset.

Sunset over Durham

Another day, another cathedral

My stop for the night is my son's student house. He's playing a Jazz gig tonight, but he cooks a meal for me before dashing off. I eat while chatting with his house mates before heading down to the bar to watch him play. My daughter's among the students packing out the bar and I join her for this very special highlight halfway through my trip.

Making a spectacle

I've acquired a burst blood vessel in my right eye. It's not pretty but I'm sure it will clear on its own, though I'll give the contact lenses a rest for a bit. I prescribe myself 2 pints of Guinness for medicinal purposes in the meantime.

By 11pm I'm looking and feeling exhausted. I get back to the house and claim the bed before my son returns. He gets the sofa. It seems fair - after all, I pay the rent around here.

Running total: 1069 km 10,753 m  (664 miles / 35279 ft).  54 hrs 26 mins