I've never been to John O'Groats...

Hi all.

It's Thursday and Karen and I are in Thurso. Yesterday, just after noon, we arrived to Dunnet head, the most northerly point in Britain.

I have finished the walk.

Phoebe's brother liked melting things. I like silage...

I left tongue on Sunday after having had a couple of well deserved rest days. Just after leaving Tongue, a couple of motorists stopped to give a donation, and then we had a coffe and a chocolate together in the shop a few yards down the road. They were riding the whole coast of Britain, also for charity.

David and Graemme, Riding Britain!

The walk to Bettyhill, a place where i already had been to update the blog, was not nothing special. Mainly cloudy day, I walked on a road that run parallel to the coast through a heather peaty desert.

Even a bleak scenery gives picture opportunities.

The walk was short, and after arriving a quickly pitching the tent i went for a swim in Bettyhill swimming pool. Had dinner, and yes, straight to the pub. The bar at Bettyhill hotel is not, I would say, the centre of the universe (that would be near Geneva, the CERN and the LHC), but interesting things and people happen everywhere.

There I met Graemme and Sarah. We spoke about many things, and solved some world problems. I also had some whiskey lessons. Interesting. Don, see below, joined for the philosophical and historical part of the chat. The guy, lucky bastard, was snogged, not long time ago, by Rosie Swale-Pope, the 62 years old Welsh woman that run around the world in five years. Legend!!

Graemme and Sarah.

Donald McLeod McKenzie. You don't get it much more Highlander than that!!

I found Graemme a fascinating individual. He is the first only British person that I met. He is not Welsh, or Scottish or English, he feels British. Borned in Wales, grew up in Scotland, and married an English woman form Wigan, where they live now. They were cycling form LE to JOG.

On Monday I was supposed to meet Karen in Melvick. I had the best day in terms of weather since I am in Scotland. Sunny, with not much wind. I bought something for breakfast, and the newspaper, and decided to have a look at Bettyhill's beach. Nice one, crystal clear water, and freezing cold too, I assumed. Anyway, the day was too nice, and the water looked like too attractive to miss this one, so i put the swimming suit on, and there I go...

Me before getting in the water...

...and me after:

It was painfully cold indeed!

After recovering normal temperature, I had a short run on the sand and had breakfast and read the newspaper. I had a fantastic morning.

Bettyhill beach

I continued to walk on the same road. More bleak landscape, but it really looked much nicer: the sun makes a big difference. And then, suddenly, I could see Dunnet Head (and the Ockney Islands, Hoy?) in the distance. Exciting moment!

They are very faint in this image, but Dunnet Hd. and the Ockneys are in the background.

The sun lasted the whole day, but it became more windy. Melvick campsite was much better than the one in Bettyhill, and the pub next to it was good too. Worth mention the owner: massive 60 years old guy; when I ordered the first pint i thought he was giving half, his hands were massive!!

Bueno, habra que probarlo entonces. Pongame un forsale, bien hecho por favor...

Karen arrived to Melvick just before dusk, we pitched her tent (carefully, as the field was full of sheep shit) and had a nice dinner, and, a few drinks. Special mention to the lasagna I had.

On Tuesday we walked from Melvick to Thurso. More bleak landscape, but the heather moorland was slowly replaced by more and more fields. The weather was not great, and although we had some sunny spells in the beginning of the day, it eventually became quite gloomy and windy too.

Karen. She sees the funny side in a rest moment!

We walked by Dounreay dismantled nuclear power plant, and guessed, before getting to the top of each hill, that we would see Thurso from it. The road became increasingly busy as we approached the town, and became increasingly unxious about getting there and having a rest

Karen, arriving to Thurso

We had a bit of light rain before getting to the hostel. Cleaning duties, and pub time. Nice meal, special mention to the Caesar salad I had, drinks, and i beat Karen once playing pool, and then let her win a couple of times...

Thurso, in a nice morning.

Yesterday, Wednesday, we started walking just after 9. The sun was shining, but it was quite windy. The first of yesterday's walk was a bit of a pain: six miles of straight busy road to Castletown. After that, we walked on the sand of Dunnet Bay beach from where we could almost touch Dunnet Head at the other side of the water.

Karen and me. Dunnet Head in the background from Dunnet Bay sands.

We had a rest before taking the last bit of road that would take us through Brough, and all the way to the end of this long walk. Grey clouds began to appear, and looked like that the 2pm rain forecast was going to be spot on. "I think we'll see the light house from the next hill..., by the way, I really don't want to walk all the way back to Thurso..." We then began to count the cars going passing us to and from the light house.... "will we get a lift back?"

Karen Dunnet. She is at home!

Once into Dunnet Head Peninsula, more moorland, buzzers in the sky, and blue/grey freezing sea between mainland and the Ockneys.

Almost there!

I was looking forward to finish, specially the last few days. I did not know what to expect, what i was going to feel. Suddenly, top of the next hill, and there it is, the light house just 200 yards away.

Almost there!!!

I looked back, in more than one way. I remembered the south-west, in that country called England. I used to imagine, an eternity ago, how will it be?, what will I feel?

We made it!!!!

I felt very happy. As simple as that. No deep life defining emotions. Simple and sheer happiness.

Just when we arrived, it began raining. Just for ten minutes, the time that took to do the pictures and briefly celebrate (we shared some chocolate). We got a lift. Back in Thurso I got a call from the news channel of the Spanish national radio, and made and interview :)

Celebration time.

Shower, and very nice meal at and Indian. One if those times when you don't only fill the stomach, but the spirit too. We had the first drink in a sport cafe, where we saw Scotland beat Iceland, and England winning 4-1 to Croatia (impressed). Then we had the rest in another pub where they were playing live traditional Scottish music. nice!

And more celebration!

We were very tired, early to bed.

Today, Karen is nicely giving me a lift to the airport. And I hope to see as many of you in the pub later on today.

There will be one last update in a few days.

End of transition time. Life begins today.

Thank you for reading me.

All the best

Carlos