Back where we started!

Today was the last day of our cycle tour in Virginia and it turned out to be quite an easy one - 40 miles and 2,500 ft of ascent, bringing the total to around 600 miles and 35,000ft of ascent. Lovely quiet roads until we got close to Charlottesville, but at least we knew where we were headed so it made things a lot easier.  We would probably have got here sooner if we had ordered a Domino's pizza lat night and been the recipients of 'Free Kindness with every Delivery!'  We were able to check in early and get the washing done after being reunited with our luggage and some clean clothes.  The main event of the day was picking up our rental car at the airport. I had booked and paid online for a Dodge Caravan (7 seater) based on the assumption that we would be able to fold the seats down to make room for the bikes. We got the free shuttle up from the hotel, fully expecting there to be a problem. The three previous occasions we have tried to rent a car in the USA have ended in trouble with either no car available or a tiny economy car being produced instead of an SUV for the bikes.

This time it all worked like a dream, except for the minor issue of neither of us having any idea how to drive the thing (automatic) adjust the seats or anything else. Nobody available for advice, so we just had to do it by trial and error and I was the lucky one to drive back in busy rush hour traffic. This car is huge!!  Parking will be a nightmare and I need my wingman to tell me if I am too lose to the kerb. Back at the hotel we tried to fold the seats down, initially to no avail - then we pulled some random lever and the seats took on a life of their own, folded themselves away and left a huge space for luggage. We decided to quit while we were ahead and went to World of Beer to toast the start of the next phase of the trip (assuming we ever find our way out of Charlottesville!)

Thought you might be interested in Breath Dance - 'Wellness through breathing' or (presumably) 'terminal unwellness through not breathing'.  Not your idea of fun? How about the Annual Hymn Sing and Pig Roast - bring your own side dish.

I promised you breakfast photos today, sorry but I didn't manage the sausage gravy and biscuits (technical issues) but take a look at some yummy Froot Loops (loops indeed, but fruit.....????). People swear they can tell the difference between the different fruit flavours - but all you can taste is sugar ( with a side of cardboard)