Back home to York – a service stop for changing socks, offloading camping gear, eating curry etc – so a short day.
In fact, all today’s highlights were in Knaresborough, traditional home of 16th-century prophetess Mother Shipton (picture). One of her lesser known predictions, clearly foreseeing the coming of the Tour, runs “…On iron wheels young men shall ride / In yellow garb from France’s side / Roads smooth as silk shall now appear / But not in any other year…”.
OK, yes, I made that up, but then most of Mother S’s predictions were made up by some bloke called Hindley in 1862. Still, Knaresborough looked very nice (picture).
The townspeople, as all over this part of Yorkshire, have embraced the Tour. Bunting, displays, decor and posters are everywhere, and there’s even a TdF them to one of Knaresborough’s local specialities – trompe l’œuil windows (picture).
Miles today 20
Total miles 601