Somewhere over the rainbow

We had our first rain today. We could see it coming, blowing across the loch ahead as we cycled out of Largs. It was drizzle at first, but then became heavier. There was nothing to do but put our heads down and keep cycling.

I looked for shelter and wondered about nipping into a cafe for 10 minutes in the hope hat it would pass. Then I thought of the conversation I had going over Dartmoor with John. He's 25, has just been made redundant, but is full of hope and has a great attitude to life. John likes the rain. As I cycled along I decided to like the rain too, and savoured he sensation of it hitting my face. The taste of it on my lips.

Then the rain started to clear to reveal the far side of the loch. A ray of sunshine pushed through the clouds and lit up a spot on the shore of the town opposite. A rainbow formed. It was very short, just a spotlight of technicolor, and it had a brightness and intensity that I've never seen before.

I stopped and took a photo, then took another as the rainbow grew slightly larger. Five minutes, and about 15 photos later the rainbow had formed an arch across the mouth of a bay of the loch.

After a morning of riding in company, I had been cruising on my own in the rain and enjoyed a soul inspiring moment of reverie by the side of the water. We don't often get time to stop and stare, and I was very grateful for being where I was, when I was. And if it hadn't been for the rain, there wouldn't have been the rainbow. Profound, eh?

The rest of the day was full of majestic scenery. Think oil paintings of the highlands with shafts of sunlight picking out steep wooded hills etc.

I'm now in a tartan-rich hotel on the banks of the glorious Loch Fyne. I've had my first drink since the  off, a pint of Guinness to accompany the half dozen oysters it would have been rude not to have.

In other news, the legs are both working pretty well, which is handy. My left elbow is a bit sore after coming off the bike when crossing a wooden bridge after to the lunch stop. Three of us fell off simultaneously but all are being brave soldiers and no harm done.

I will try to load some photos but the IPad is being a pain so no promises.

Thanks for the various texts and Facebook messages by the way, and for the spate of recent donations. I will thank you properly when I get back form Inverness, but its all much appreciated.