Major navigational errors

First I'd like to introduce my brand new photo chromatic air vented oaklies. I'm very excited about this purchase, as I have been suffering from watering eyes and not being able to see very well as I speed down hills.  Not ideal!

Now I need to explain how an important navigational error occurred!

Stuart planned a route on his garmin that began at Station Lane in Chester.  He then told me that we were starting from Station Road in Chester, which I duly programmed into the Sat Nav!

To be fair I should have double checked when I was given a choice of Station Road or Station Lane on the Sat Nav, so it is partly my fault.  However, Stuart said Station Road so confidently, that I feel we must conclude that it was mainly his fault!

The two potential start points are pretty far apart, and so began the navigational woes.

We were also unfortunate in that there was a bike path 56 right next to our parking spot, so it felt like we were in the right place.

We knew that we needed to head North, but the garmin kept telling us to go South.

  

So we ended up heading due West and found ourselves in Wales.

My welsh colleague at work tells me this sign says "cyclists dismount - you have reached God's country" but I think she is fibbing!

After receiving advice from the nice people in the cycle shop (we needed to buy a replacement inner tube after having had to fix a puncture, it was all going wrong today!), we navigated our way onto a superb cycle track.

Soon we were back in sunny England.

We found a lovely cafe stop  at Neston for lunch and even managed to eat outside!

We checked the time of the last ferry (4pm!) and realised that we had already missed it!  It was a late lunch!

We now needed to make some radical adjustments to the plan.  People at the cafe suggested cycling back to Hooton and taking the train from there.  This was a full 6 miles from our original start point.  That would have been just wrong.  Instead we pushed on to West Kirby and picked the train up there.

Bikes safely loaded onto the train, we had time to say hello to a couple of lovely pugs.  

Exiting the station I watched nervously as Stuart navigated a fully laden bike up some escalators.  Last time this was attempted it didn't end well, with Stuart, bicycle and panniers being deposited in a tangled heap at the top, after doing a couple of backward revolutions, down the stairs.  Fortunately, this time there were no disasters.

We arrived as the sun was setting and were able to take some lovely pictures of Liverpool.  Who would have thought if you start a 30 mile bike ride at noon you have to start worrying about whether you have lights!

A fantastic day, even if it didn't go entirely to plan!