We didn't cycle all the way from Cheltenham to Istabul and therefore across Europe into Asia which was our original aim. We did however manage to reach the Black Sea cycling 2496 miles in 30 days with just one rest day averaging 86 miles on each cycling day (I don't like to think about how many of these miles were in the wrong direction). We also each lived out of one pannier for this time and managed easily without the things that I might have thought important before. I have very little idea about what has been happening in the UK and across the world for the past month. Our focus has been on simpler things like getting our miles in, eating, sleeping and making sure our drink bottles are topped up. Bits have broken of been shaken off our bikes and other bits are well worn but they have served us well and kept us rolling along.
Little everyday incidents have made this a worthwhile, memorable tour. For example, on the way to Giurgiu 3 days ago, we overtook a teenager who carried a younger lad sitting on his crossbar. He decided to give chase and overtook us and then a horse and cart. The horse startled and bolted down the road. For a short while we were involved in a bizarre race between 3 groups on the road along the Danube.
I'm still hugely ignorant about the countries we have been through but I feel that we have experienced a slice of everyday life in each of them. This has sparked my interest to find out more about them in the future.
I'm very proud of the Roberts family. We have faced a few challenges and ordeals strongly with admirable solidarity and we have also had a lot of fun along the way. We have all got the bug now. We have spent this morning discussing possible future bike tours.
Thanks to everyone who has read our blog and to everyone who has posted comments. Your message have been an important inspiration to us.
We are off to Istanbul now for a normal holiday.
Barry
Monday 17 August 2009
Day 30 Silistra to Varna - 96 miles
Today had an "end of term"feel as far as Gill and I were concerned. We just wanted to reach our tour destination without the inconvenience of turning our pedals thousands of times. Kirsty, on the other hand, was savouring her last touring day, singing as she cycled along. We made another early start setting off at 0540 to beat the sun. By 1030 we thought that it was uncomfortably hot. Long climbs followed by long descents made the going tougher. We couldn't find a place opern for breakfast until we had covered over 30 miles. As we eat our usual coffee, buns croissants and yoghurt, a Bulgarian man at the same table outside the shop tucked into his tomatoes, gherkins and tinned meat.
By the time we crawled into Dobric for lunch, each turn of the pedals seemed like a considerable effort. After a relaxing drink, a lovely meal and a sit in the shade to while away the heat of the day, we were sufficiently recovered to take on the last 30 miles. The last stretch of road was red on the map. We thought this may be OK on a Sunday afternoon but it was still a bit of a knuckle clenching experience. The final few kilometres were steeply downhill into Varna. I had to descend very gingerly as my rear brake cable had frayed and then snapped ealier in the day so I was relying on just one brake.
Varna looks like a lively, fun place for us to spend the day before we catch the night bus into Istanbul. Especially captivating are the uplit birds that circle constantly around the cathedral.
In the short time that we have spent in Bulgaria, the 3 meals 2 hotels and the people we have managed to communicate with have all been fantastic. The Bulgarians seem a bit more reserved than the Romanians but many of them still wave as we pass or hoot their horns as they pass us.
Barry
By the time we crawled into Dobric for lunch, each turn of the pedals seemed like a considerable effort. After a relaxing drink, a lovely meal and a sit in the shade to while away the heat of the day, we were sufficiently recovered to take on the last 30 miles. The last stretch of road was red on the map. We thought this may be OK on a Sunday afternoon but it was still a bit of a knuckle clenching experience. The final few kilometres were steeply downhill into Varna. I had to descend very gingerly as my rear brake cable had frayed and then snapped ealier in the day so I was relying on just one brake.
Varna looks like a lively, fun place for us to spend the day before we catch the night bus into Istanbul. Especially captivating are the uplit birds that circle constantly around the cathedral.
In the short time that we have spent in Bulgaria, the 3 meals 2 hotels and the people we have managed to communicate with have all been fantastic. The Bulgarians seem a bit more reserved than the Romanians but many of them still wave as we pass or hoot their horns as they pass us.
Barry
Saturday 15 August 2009
Day 29 Giurgiu to Sinistra 100 miles
We had a nasty headwind slowing our progress all day, our average speed was down at 10.7 mph, we were shattered so we had more breaks than usual. We were enjoying being able to chat to people in Romania, and were starting to feel reasonably confident in our lingistic ability when we had breakfast with a lovely old chap in a village bar, he was asking where we were planning to sleep tonight and offered us a beer, we thought he was saying that his wife had died, quite embarassing. Saw Gypsy convoys, less cheery than in children's books, a horse and cart made 2 storey with 2x2 and tarpaulin, still amazing that we were passing whole communities in a few meters of road.
Trudged on painfully slowly to the ferry crossing to Bulgaria, it took all afternoon to cross a stretch of water 200m across (we were waiting for Bulgarian teenagers on a Romanian shopping spree). We had a beer in the afternoon and remembered why we are usually so austere on the tour, legs turned to jelly after a 1/2 pint, we wobbled around something terrible for 1/2 an hour. When we finally got to Bulgaria a bored customs official decided to scan our passports, he drove 300m in his merc while we were marched along by a very friendly man with a big truncheon. This also took an age so we were glad of wedding folk band were playing just down the road. Also heard folk fiddlers practising in one of the villages we passed. I pinched dad' s I-pod to get through the last 35 miles and was glad of it, it was a real grind (still had the headwind + lots of hills). Ten mins after entering the outskirts of Sinistra we had accomodation, a beer and match of the day! so it all worked out well in the end (until we realised that Villa lost 2-0 to wigan).
kirsty
Trudged on painfully slowly to the ferry crossing to Bulgaria, it took all afternoon to cross a stretch of water 200m across (we were waiting for Bulgarian teenagers on a Romanian shopping spree). We had a beer in the afternoon and remembered why we are usually so austere on the tour, legs turned to jelly after a 1/2 pint, we wobbled around something terrible for 1/2 an hour. When we finally got to Bulgaria a bored customs official decided to scan our passports, he drove 300m in his merc while we were marched along by a very friendly man with a big truncheon. This also took an age so we were glad of wedding folk band were playing just down the road. Also heard folk fiddlers practising in one of the villages we passed. I pinched dad' s I-pod to get through the last 35 miles and was glad of it, it was a real grind (still had the headwind + lots of hills). Ten mins after entering the outskirts of Sinistra we had accomodation, a beer and match of the day! so it all worked out well in the end (until we realised that Villa lost 2-0 to wigan).
kirsty
Friday 14 August 2009
Day 28 Friday - Turno Magurele to Giurgiu - 76 Miles
More like a holiday today! We left the hotel before 6am to beat the exhausting heat. More villages along the Danube but some with grandiose houses. Pastures filled with horses, geese, goats and sheep looked like a scen from the TV adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbavilles. We arrived in Giurgiu at 1pm already starting to wobble from the heat. Had a great meal and we have booked into a classy hotel. Things are looking up!
It has taken me a few days to get used to Romania. The early days seemed a bit scary and almosy ghoulish. Now we are focussed more on the warmth, liveliness and friendliness. Even the stray dogs seem like kindred spirits - forever wandering down long roads.
Barry
It has taken me a few days to get used to Romania. The early days seemed a bit scary and almosy ghoulish. Now we are focussed more on the warmth, liveliness and friendliness. Even the stray dogs seem like kindred spirits - forever wandering down long roads.
Barry
Days 26 and 27 - Cetate to Turnu Magurele (124 and 20 miles)
We left the hoel to lovely rain and clouds. Unfortunately, Kirsty got the first puncture of the tour - not surprising given the state of our well worn tyres.
All day we passed through villages strung out along the Danube. We were cheered along by lots of locals as we went. Children ran into the roaqd to give us high-fives as we passed. The young folk look lik trendy western Europeans. The old folk look as they probably did generations ago. We were wondering if today's younger generation will end up with the same weather beaten look. There were as many horses as cars, some left outside bars like in a western, some ridden by young lads standing up while holding the reins circus style. Many of the carts were piled up with water melons. We also saw a few gypsy caravans. The fields in between the villages were mostly growing maize and sunflowers.
Each village has a local shop and a bar, but without cooking facilities, we were unable to get away from sugar snack food which eventually results in low blood sugar when you are riding all day.
There were no hotels or lodgings in any of the villages except for one grotty exception. Rather than risk moree flea bites which have plagued Gill and Kirsty for the last few days, we pressed on and covered another 30 miles ending up in Corabia just before midnight. One hotel was locked up for the night and we couldn't find the other so we went to a nightclun until 1 am and then tried to rest on a park bench for a while to the sound of stray dogs howling and barking.
One local (a bit drunk) went to extraordinary lengths to try and get us a place to stay. We spoke in Spanish. I found it difficult to accept his unconditiional hospitality without a degree of suspicion.
This night we have seen both a big red moon and then a red sun rise in the sky - a clear sign of too many miles at night, We cycled on at 5 am to Turnu Magurele and booked in early to a hotel so that we can rest, recover and eat well before the final push to the Black Sea.
We have decided to cycle to Varna and try and take a ferry to Istanbul. Everyone has advised us not to try and cycle into Istanbul and our recent memory of cycling into Budapest has inclined us to agree. This trip has ranged from holiday to challenge to ordeal at different times. We are now trying to make decisions that will swing the end of the tour more into holiday mode.We have covered the same distance as Land's End to John O' Groats and back again. We haave roughly the saame distance as Land's End to Cheltenham still to travel.
Barry
All day we passed through villages strung out along the Danube. We were cheered along by lots of locals as we went. Children ran into the roaqd to give us high-fives as we passed. The young folk look lik trendy western Europeans. The old folk look as they probably did generations ago. We were wondering if today's younger generation will end up with the same weather beaten look. There were as many horses as cars, some left outside bars like in a western, some ridden by young lads standing up while holding the reins circus style. Many of the carts were piled up with water melons. We also saw a few gypsy caravans. The fields in between the villages were mostly growing maize and sunflowers.
Each village has a local shop and a bar, but without cooking facilities, we were unable to get away from sugar snack food which eventually results in low blood sugar when you are riding all day.
There were no hotels or lodgings in any of the villages except for one grotty exception. Rather than risk moree flea bites which have plagued Gill and Kirsty for the last few days, we pressed on and covered another 30 miles ending up in Corabia just before midnight. One hotel was locked up for the night and we couldn't find the other so we went to a nightclun until 1 am and then tried to rest on a park bench for a while to the sound of stray dogs howling and barking.
One local (a bit drunk) went to extraordinary lengths to try and get us a place to stay. We spoke in Spanish. I found it difficult to accept his unconditiional hospitality without a degree of suspicion.
This night we have seen both a big red moon and then a red sun rise in the sky - a clear sign of too many miles at night, We cycled on at 5 am to Turnu Magurele and booked in early to a hotel so that we can rest, recover and eat well before the final push to the Black Sea.
We have decided to cycle to Varna and try and take a ferry to Istanbul. Everyone has advised us not to try and cycle into Istanbul and our recent memory of cycling into Budapest has inclined us to agree. This trip has ranged from holiday to challenge to ordeal at different times. We are now trying to make decisions that will swing the end of the tour more into holiday mode.We have covered the same distance as Land's End to John O' Groats and back again. We haave roughly the saame distance as Land's End to Cheltenham still to travel.
Barry
Day 25 - Barazca to Cetate 120 miles.
We started the day on the kind of road they use in car adverts - hugging cream/gold cliffs with mountains in the background as we moved along the Danube. Drowsy, we hardly noticed how lovely it was until a good dog chase woke us up a bit. Unfortunately, we realised after a couple of miles that this wonderful road was only half built. It would degenerate into a pot-holed dirt track for a couple of miles every couple of miles. After 33 miles, we slightly desperately begged a pension owner for a cup of coffee. We ate all our turkish delight emergengy sugar ration and buzzed into Orsova totally wired. I came off my bicycle going over tram lines on a busy A road into Turno Severin and got off very lightly with grazes, bruises and a broken mudguard.
At lunch we met a French couple who were cycling towards the Black Sea. Fed up with cycling in Romania, they had decided to get the train. At that point we were almost tempted. The mad driving, poor roads, stray dogs, heat and insects have done us in a bit. Dad keeps quoting John Cooper Clarke's Health Fanatic, starting to think we may come home addicted to 'enjoying ourselves the hard way'.
We left Turno Severin after lunch expecting to do ten miles and find a bed. When we got to the town where we thought we could stay, we were told that there was nothing till Caliphat - another 60 km down the road. We psyched ourselves up for all-night riding, thinking that, by the time we got to Caliphat, everything would be long shut. Cycling into the evening darkness was brilliant. We were on the first good road we had come across in Romania. Whole villages were out on the streets. We stopped to drink cofffee in local bars and were treated like minor celebrities. We watched a man win an epic imaginary kickboxing match against the T.V. Everyone sat at the front of their houses and waved and cheered us on. Boys were racing us out of town on their bikes (they invaribly won). Shepherds on the midnight shift stopped us to chat. All in all we got a much more favourable impeseeion of Romania by night than by day.
About 25 km from Caliphat we spotted a hotel. It felt like an oasis in the desert. 120 miles in a day is quite enough and the joys of midnight riding would probably have worn thin after having to sleep in some Causescu bunker.
Kirsty
At lunch we met a French couple who were cycling towards the Black Sea. Fed up with cycling in Romania, they had decided to get the train. At that point we were almost tempted. The mad driving, poor roads, stray dogs, heat and insects have done us in a bit. Dad keeps quoting John Cooper Clarke's Health Fanatic, starting to think we may come home addicted to 'enjoying ourselves the hard way'.
We left Turno Severin after lunch expecting to do ten miles and find a bed. When we got to the town where we thought we could stay, we were told that there was nothing till Caliphat - another 60 km down the road. We psyched ourselves up for all-night riding, thinking that, by the time we got to Caliphat, everything would be long shut. Cycling into the evening darkness was brilliant. We were on the first good road we had come across in Romania. Whole villages were out on the streets. We stopped to drink cofffee in local bars and were treated like minor celebrities. We watched a man win an epic imaginary kickboxing match against the T.V. Everyone sat at the front of their houses and waved and cheered us on. Boys were racing us out of town on their bikes (they invaribly won). Shepherds on the midnight shift stopped us to chat. All in all we got a much more favourable impeseeion of Romania by night than by day.
About 25 km from Caliphat we spotted a hotel. It felt like an oasis in the desert. 120 miles in a day is quite enough and the joys of midnight riding would probably have worn thin after having to sleep in some Causescu bunker.
Kirsty
Day 24 - Risiti to Barazca
Woke up at 0330 itching madly. We were all bitten by fleas in the hotel room to the extent that Kirsty looks like a spotty adolescent.
Left the hotel at 0600a nd climbed steeply for a couple of miles to the sound of cocks crowing and dogs barking. By the time we had covered 3 miles at the outskirts of the town we had seen about 30 stray dogs, some of which decided to chase us. We had several more canine attacks as we passed through villages along our route. Beside dodging dogs, we were dodging potholes. In some places there was as much pothole as road. We also saw a dead horse lying beside the road.
After a few hours we reached the border with Serbia and then climbed for about 6 miles before decending to meet the Danube with Serbia on the opposite bank.
As we stopped for a drink in a roadside cafe, a funeral procession went by. There were about 50 mourners wearing mostly black, singing a hymn as they followed the funeral car. It was not a hearse but a black estate car decked in flowers. Strangely, for us, the coffin was open with the lid wedged alongside.
We are slipping behind our swchedule for the first time and we will have to work hard to make up the deficit over the next couple of days.
In France and Germany, we saw dozens and dozens of lycra-clad sports cyclists and lots of touring cyclists. In Romania, so far we have seen only simple bikes used for functional purposes.
Barry.
Left the hotel at 0600a nd climbed steeply for a couple of miles to the sound of cocks crowing and dogs barking. By the time we had covered 3 miles at the outskirts of the town we had seen about 30 stray dogs, some of which decided to chase us. We had several more canine attacks as we passed through villages along our route. Beside dodging dogs, we were dodging potholes. In some places there was as much pothole as road. We also saw a dead horse lying beside the road.
After a few hours we reached the border with Serbia and then climbed for about 6 miles before decending to meet the Danube with Serbia on the opposite bank.
As we stopped for a drink in a roadside cafe, a funeral procession went by. There were about 50 mourners wearing mostly black, singing a hymn as they followed the funeral car. It was not a hearse but a black estate car decked in flowers. Strangely, for us, the coffin was open with the lid wedged alongside.
We are slipping behind our swchedule for the first time and we will have to work hard to make up the deficit over the next couple of days.
In France and Germany, we saw dozens and dozens of lycra-clad sports cyclists and lots of touring cyclists. In Romania, so far we have seen only simple bikes used for functional purposes.
Barry.
Day 23 Timisoara to Resita 105 miles
Hi guys - were back in action after three very eventful days!!
What a day we have had - started off in the best hotel of the tour, chic and elegant, and then it all went downhill and descended into our worst day yet. A good title for today would be 'dogs and detours'.
By lunchtime we had cycled 70 miles and ended up in a place that should have been 35 miles. We had made a conscious decision to stay off the main roads after the stress of the previous day. There seem to be alot of Italian number plates here and mixed with the bonkers Romanian drivers makes for a lethal combination. Its scary seeing the countless elaborate memorials to perished loved ones that there are along the highways. We were actually making good time at first down the smaller roads until the road disappeared into a dirt track. Two villages and 6 miles later we were completely lost.
Added to the frustration of getting lost we had our first encounter with stray dogs - spent the rest of the day paranoid that dogs were laying in wait at every bush.
After regrouping at lunch and reassessing the situation we set off in a better frame of mind. We left the plains behind us and the countryside got alot prettier. We had reached the hills again and all the drama that they bring. The villages made quite an impression on us today. We were passing through thinking they looked abit rundown and not as stylist as the French villages but the atmosphere was brillant. The whole community seemed to be outside enjoying the cool of the evening. We are finding the Romanians hilarious and full of fun, we are getting lots of shouts of encouragement, waves and toots.
Have ended the day in an eastern block style hotel with all the glamour that this conjures up.
Gill.
What a day we have had - started off in the best hotel of the tour, chic and elegant, and then it all went downhill and descended into our worst day yet. A good title for today would be 'dogs and detours'.
By lunchtime we had cycled 70 miles and ended up in a place that should have been 35 miles. We had made a conscious decision to stay off the main roads after the stress of the previous day. There seem to be alot of Italian number plates here and mixed with the bonkers Romanian drivers makes for a lethal combination. Its scary seeing the countless elaborate memorials to perished loved ones that there are along the highways. We were actually making good time at first down the smaller roads until the road disappeared into a dirt track. Two villages and 6 miles later we were completely lost.
Added to the frustration of getting lost we had our first encounter with stray dogs - spent the rest of the day paranoid that dogs were laying in wait at every bush.
After regrouping at lunch and reassessing the situation we set off in a better frame of mind. We left the plains behind us and the countryside got alot prettier. We had reached the hills again and all the drama that they bring. The villages made quite an impression on us today. We were passing through thinking they looked abit rundown and not as stylist as the French villages but the atmosphere was brillant. The whole community seemed to be outside enjoying the cool of the evening. We are finding the Romanians hilarious and full of fun, we are getting lots of shouts of encouragement, waves and toots.
Have ended the day in an eastern block style hotel with all the glamour that this conjures up.
Gill.
Saturday 8 August 2009
Mako to Timosoara 60 miles
Have been reading too many adventure stories on this tour, Don Quixote and Moby Dick have scrambled my brains. I don't feel at all ready to leave the saddle in 9 days time and have spent the day scheming about possible bike tour extensions. I quite fancy a mini pilgrimage to the Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini but it all looks a bit more logistically difficult than I thought in my bicycle daydream haze. Should probably burn adventure novels, get back to Scotland fast and pretend to do something useful for a while.
The riding was easy today, the road long, straight and dangerous, we are going to spend a few days avidly avoiding more of that sort. Timosoara is elegant, it has a famous orthodox cathedral and ornate building facades, lots of tiles, the whole town sparkles in the bright sunshine. We arrived at lunchtime so can appreciate it a bit more than some of the other lovely places we have passed through. It is baking hot now, too hot to eat or walk or do anything useful, luckilly the cafes here have sprinkler systems to drench you whilst you drink.
kirsty
The riding was easy today, the road long, straight and dangerous, we are going to spend a few days avidly avoiding more of that sort. Timosoara is elegant, it has a famous orthodox cathedral and ornate building facades, lots of tiles, the whole town sparkles in the bright sunshine. We arrived at lunchtime so can appreciate it a bit more than some of the other lovely places we have passed through. It is baking hot now, too hot to eat or walk or do anything useful, luckilly the cafes here have sprinkler systems to drench you whilst you drink.
kirsty
Day 21 Tiszakecshe to Mako
Our early morning stop for coffee was at a roadside saloon bar. Some of the locals were drinking down hard liquor at around 7 am. We started on flat roads then switched to a scenic cycle track recently built with E.U funding. Trouble was that the track zig-zagged around and added on lots of distance and time so we switched back to less scenic faster roads. The roads vary a lot here from smooth surfaces to real boneshakers. On the scenic routes we passed under a familly of 3 storks nesting in their wicker basket on top of a telegraph pole. We also see lots of swallows darting to and fro catching insects on the wing. Each one they eat is one less ot bite us and give us lumps all over. We have stopped in a lovely pension in a town called Mako just short of the Romanian border. Thanks for all the comments everyone has been leaving recently, it's really encouraging.
Barry
Barry
Day 20 Thursday Budapest to Tiszakecske 104 miles
Had a very productive rest day - spent most of it at the thermal baths. The setting was very Alma-Tademaesque and we were spoilt for choice with hot, cold + whirl pools indoors and outdoors and saunas galore. Came away feeling totally relaxed and squeaky clean.
Felt a bit flat leaving Budapest this am and the countryside matched my mood. I do feel a little anxious about the next stage of our tour, we haven't booked any accommodation! Made good progress through the Hunagarian Plains with the big, big sky above us. Saw our first horse and cart; we were as much a couriousity to them as them to us. We are finding that the tandem creates a reaction wherever we go - sometimes admiration but mostly they think it's comical. Kirsty's bike, however, creates alot of admiring looks and people study it stroking their chin and even take photos of it.
We arrived in Tiszakecske in good time and in confident mood; 1.5 hours and 20 miles later we still hadn't managed to leave the place! We were starting to feel a little desperate when the road we were on ended at the Tisza with no bridge in sight - a 20 mile detour to the next town now looked like our only option. Whilst standing there scratching our heads the greatest couple on earth happened to be cycling by, a few phone calls later they had sorted out our accommodation and 15 min later we were all sat having beers feeling very lucky not to be sleeping in a barn!
Nancy is back home from Tanzania safe and sound.
Gill
Felt a bit flat leaving Budapest this am and the countryside matched my mood. I do feel a little anxious about the next stage of our tour, we haven't booked any accommodation! Made good progress through the Hunagarian Plains with the big, big sky above us. Saw our first horse and cart; we were as much a couriousity to them as them to us. We are finding that the tandem creates a reaction wherever we go - sometimes admiration but mostly they think it's comical. Kirsty's bike, however, creates alot of admiring looks and people study it stroking their chin and even take photos of it.
We arrived in Tiszakecske in good time and in confident mood; 1.5 hours and 20 miles later we still hadn't managed to leave the place! We were starting to feel a little desperate when the road we were on ended at the Tisza with no bridge in sight - a 20 mile detour to the next town now looked like our only option. Whilst standing there scratching our heads the greatest couple on earth happened to be cycling by, a few phone calls later they had sorted out our accommodation and 15 min later we were all sat having beers feeling very lucky not to be sleeping in a barn!
Nancy is back home from Tanzania safe and sound.
Gill
Wednesday 5 August 2009
Day 19 Wednesday 0 miles!
We are on a rest day in Budapest and will be spending the day at the thermal baths. The adventure starts again manana.
Tuesday 4 August 2009
Day 18 Tuesday Gyor to Budapest 90 miles
I was so pleased to be back in the saddle this morning that grinding down a murderous A road in a thunder storm at a filthy hour of the day seemed like fun. After a turnoff for the Budapest motorway the road became a bit more pleasant though the thunder storms continued. At times visibility was so bad we had to stand in a lay-by just getting soaked rather than risk a road where the cars couldn't see us or standing under a tree. We had a 9 o'clock coffee so sweet the spoon stood on it's end in a bar where the hard drinking had already begun. The cycling was fast and good along industrial stretches of the not so blue Danube. We passed gigantic cement factories, Soviet era towns and some very bad public sculpture. Had lunch on a shop doorstep as it was the only place we could find shade, by then the storms had gone and the sunshine was bright.
The last 25 miles into Budapest were hellish, ground down and pushed off the road by trucks, can still feel the tension in my shoulders from gripping the handlebars tight with fear.
Budapest is fabulous, all the Hapsburg razzmatazz and everyone is blinged up to the nines. We let the side down badly. We rolled into town smelling worse than ever and looking just as rough. Our laundry routine usually involves smearing cheap, animal fat based soap over our clothes then dancing on them in the shower, the residue looks like tar. Looking for the hostel we were mingling with the fashionistas smelling like we had just escaped an institution. We've found a washing machine and are going to spend the day at the baths tomorrow to compensate. I'm so glad I packed my pearls. Dad carries on wearing tracksuit bottoms and a Villa training top, am impressed by his lack of concern about peer/mum pressure.
kirsty
The last 25 miles into Budapest were hellish, ground down and pushed off the road by trucks, can still feel the tension in my shoulders from gripping the handlebars tight with fear.
Budapest is fabulous, all the Hapsburg razzmatazz and everyone is blinged up to the nines. We let the side down badly. We rolled into town smelling worse than ever and looking just as rough. Our laundry routine usually involves smearing cheap, animal fat based soap over our clothes then dancing on them in the shower, the residue looks like tar. Looking for the hostel we were mingling with the fashionistas smelling like we had just escaped an institution. We've found a washing machine and are going to spend the day at the baths tomorrow to compensate. I'm so glad I packed my pearls. Dad carries on wearing tracksuit bottoms and a Villa training top, am impressed by his lack of concern about peer/mum pressure.
kirsty
Day 17 Monday Vienna to Gyor 104 miles
Gill and I did this stage by ourselves. As Kirsy was still unwell, she planned to take a train to Gyor and meet us in the evening.
After eventually finding the cycle way out of Vienna, we cracked on at a good pace for about 6 hours with only 30 minutes rest. We entered Bratislavia and then Hungary. The disused delapidated border checkpoint into Hungary looked like a throwback from the cold war. A few miles further on we stopped at a busy roadside restaurant. The folk around us were eating lovely food but, although the menu was in 3 languages, we couldnt understand any of them. The name of every dish appeared to have every letter of the alphabet in it. We ended up with chips, a type of gherkin and cabbage salad and coke light which went down surprisingly well.
In the evening we arraived in Gyor and were taken to our apartment for the night by our host. The apartment was a kind of 60s block with matching furniture. After a couple of hours when Kirsty eventually found us we started to enjoy Gyor. I think this is my favourite place on the tour so far. It has a mix of grandiose and ramshakle buildings and a fantastic town centre square with children running in and out of dancing fountains. On the river we saw boat club members rowing round what appeared to be ancient castle walls.
Our problem with Gyor was finding the apartment as we set off for it around 11pm. We walked about in the rain for about an hour trying unsuccessfully to retrace our steps.
Barry
After eventually finding the cycle way out of Vienna, we cracked on at a good pace for about 6 hours with only 30 minutes rest. We entered Bratislavia and then Hungary. The disused delapidated border checkpoint into Hungary looked like a throwback from the cold war. A few miles further on we stopped at a busy roadside restaurant. The folk around us were eating lovely food but, although the menu was in 3 languages, we couldnt understand any of them. The name of every dish appeared to have every letter of the alphabet in it. We ended up with chips, a type of gherkin and cabbage salad and coke light which went down surprisingly well.
In the evening we arraived in Gyor and were taken to our apartment for the night by our host. The apartment was a kind of 60s block with matching furniture. After a couple of hours when Kirsty eventually found us we started to enjoy Gyor. I think this is my favourite place on the tour so far. It has a mix of grandiose and ramshakle buildings and a fantastic town centre square with children running in and out of dancing fountains. On the river we saw boat club members rowing round what appeared to be ancient castle walls.
Our problem with Gyor was finding the apartment as we set off for it around 11pm. We walked about in the rain for about an hour trying unsuccessfully to retrace our steps.
Barry
Day 16 Sunday Krems to Vienna
After arriving at Krems, Kirsty started to feel illfrom too much sun. She fainted in a restaurant and had to be taken back to the hostel in a taxi. The restauranteur was very kind providing ice and wet towelsto help revive her. He also waived our drinks and cancelled the meal we had ordered.
This morning we set off with Kirsty on the back of the tandem and Gill on Kirstys Moulton . However, after 7 miles, Kiesty was too unwell to continue so we returned to Krems and put her on a train to Vienna.
Gill and I cycled an easy 50 miles to Vienna, but for the blistering heat, along the Danube. We stopped for our first swim in the river at one point to help us cool down. On the opposite bank of the tributary we were swimming in there was a group of elderly nudist bathers. Im quite pleased that my eyesight isnt what it was. Vienna looks majestic but we havent got the time or the energy to take it in.
Later in the evening the still air started to blow up into a storm. Waiters were chasing napkins that blew off the table tops as the first streaks of lightening started to flash across the sky. Across the courtyard from our hostel we could hear a beautifully played violin. I thought it might be a mysterious Hungarian folk tune until I realised it was Paul McCartneys Yesterday.
We are all looking forward to a cooler night, especially Kirsty who is struggling to control her temperature.
Barry
ps sorry cant find the apostrophe on this keyboard
This morning we set off with Kirsty on the back of the tandem and Gill on Kirstys Moulton . However, after 7 miles, Kiesty was too unwell to continue so we returned to Krems and put her on a train to Vienna.
Gill and I cycled an easy 50 miles to Vienna, but for the blistering heat, along the Danube. We stopped for our first swim in the river at one point to help us cool down. On the opposite bank of the tributary we were swimming in there was a group of elderly nudist bathers. Im quite pleased that my eyesight isnt what it was. Vienna looks majestic but we havent got the time or the energy to take it in.
Later in the evening the still air started to blow up into a storm. Waiters were chasing napkins that blew off the table tops as the first streaks of lightening started to flash across the sky. Across the courtyard from our hostel we could hear a beautifully played violin. I thought it might be a mysterious Hungarian folk tune until I realised it was Paul McCartneys Yesterday.
We are all looking forward to a cooler night, especially Kirsty who is struggling to control her temperature.
Barry
ps sorry cant find the apostrophe on this keyboard
Sunday 2 August 2009
Day 15, Saturday Linzt to Krems an der Donau, 102 miles
After two easier days and having Sean on board, we are all staring to feel that this is actually a holiday! We were in a fab hotel last night where we could get really sorted and so started today feeling really fresh and up for it.
We made haste down the Danube cycle path and had cycled 40 miles before 11s. After latte and cake, scrummy choc and nut cake, we did another 25 miles before lunch. Were back into our old routine of having a long lunch because it is so hot and it feels like such a treat. We started the final stage thinking that we only had 25 miles, in reality it was 35. Im ashamed to say that neither the stunning countryside, fruit ladened trees and vineyards, or architecture, fairy tale castles and medieval buildings, could take our minds off this extra 10 miles.
Thanks for all your comments, they are really encouraging and its always good to hear from home.
Gill
We made haste down the Danube cycle path and had cycled 40 miles before 11s. After latte and cake, scrummy choc and nut cake, we did another 25 miles before lunch. Were back into our old routine of having a long lunch because it is so hot and it feels like such a treat. We started the final stage thinking that we only had 25 miles, in reality it was 35. Im ashamed to say that neither the stunning countryside, fruit ladened trees and vineyards, or architecture, fairy tale castles and medieval buildings, could take our minds off this extra 10 miles.
Thanks for all your comments, they are really encouraging and its always good to hear from home.
Gill
Friday 31 July 2009
Day 14 - Passau to Linz
This was the easiest day so far. We completed 62 miles by 13:30 travelling along the Danube all the way. This is the first time we have used this path except for a few miles on previous days. The path travels a few metres from the Danube all the way. The first 45 miles or so are along a gorge with buildings, chapelks and chateaus growing out of the rocks here and there. Its nice to be surrounded by steep hills knowing that you don't have to go up and over them.
It was pleasing to stay on a serene, traffic-free cycle path today. In germany we were not comfortable using them as we tended to miss important road signs, slow ourselves down and end up on gravel tracks or, even worse, muddy farm tracks clogging up our mudguards. However, when we travelled on roads with a cycle alongside, we got frequent beeps from passing motorists to point out that we were breaking rules.
On the Danube way today we saw a large number of cz#ycle tourists for the first time. We were all rewarded with impressive scenery. In 2 places we had to cross the river on a small ferry to stay on the cycle path. After one crossing we saw a lone woman goatherding her flock of a dozen or so. I was half expecting to see the Vonn Trapp family appearing over a hill singing "Doe a Deer". A few miles further on we saw a man with a catapult on the river bank firing shots at swans. Not sure what that was all about.
Arriving in Linz, we got the usual traffic dust that sticks to your sun-tan lotion and makes you think your tan is deeper than it really is until you see it disappearing down the shower plug hole. The buildings are starting to look more Austro-Hungarian [Hapsburg emipre?] with more bulbous shapes at the tops of the towers. This evening we will be searching out the famous Linz chocolate cake to go with a cup of coffee.
Barry
It was pleasing to stay on a serene, traffic-free cycle path today. In germany we were not comfortable using them as we tended to miss important road signs, slow ourselves down and end up on gravel tracks or, even worse, muddy farm tracks clogging up our mudguards. However, when we travelled on roads with a cycle alongside, we got frequent beeps from passing motorists to point out that we were breaking rules.
On the Danube way today we saw a large number of cz#ycle tourists for the first time. We were all rewarded with impressive scenery. In 2 places we had to cross the river on a small ferry to stay on the cycle path. After one crossing we saw a lone woman goatherding her flock of a dozen or so. I was half expecting to see the Vonn Trapp family appearing over a hill singing "Doe a Deer". A few miles further on we saw a man with a catapult on the river bank firing shots at swans. Not sure what that was all about.
Arriving in Linz, we got the usual traffic dust that sticks to your sun-tan lotion and makes you think your tan is deeper than it really is until you see it disappearing down the shower plug hole. The buildings are starting to look more Austro-Hungarian [Hapsburg emipre?] with more bulbous shapes at the tops of the towers. This evening we will be searching out the famous Linz chocolate cake to go with a cup of coffee.
Barry
Day 13 Straubing to Passau, 60 miles
Sean here again, back on the bike as it is my last day with the family. I've actually had a bit of an adventure hitch-hiking along their route but I guess all thats for another blog. This morning we breakfasted with some sort of German scout group who were staying at our hostel, then hopped straight onto the bikes. Our first task was to find a bike shop and get Kirsty's saddle to stay in one place. At this small shop in Straubing's old centre I just about understood what the man was saying, a true Bayerner his accent was the German equivalent of Rab C. Nesbitt with no teeth and a bellyful of Tenants Super. Still he sorted it out ok and off we went.
I find that cycling, like all sports really, depends mainly on how you feel on any given day. If you feel settled and comfortable, and if conditions go your way, it actually becomes quite easy, no matter how far you have to go. The longest distance I've ever done was a bit like this but today was the perfect example. From the start we sped away from Straubing, with its cobbled streets and Eastern looking towers, a new architectural signpost towards Turkey, and raced away through the countryside. I felt invincible on the bike, once we had secured the saddle at the right height. Our average speed for the first few hours was around 16mph, not bad with a heavy load. After a pleasant stop in Degendorf, where I again encountered a strange country dialect, we were off again through glorious landscapes. A mountainous countryside always looks impressive from a bike, but it looks even better when you avoid all the mountains.
On the last stretch to Passau we switched onto the cycle path, which we'd basically avoided. Most of the last 25km or so passed by level with the Danube; the various fishermen, waterskiers and general ambience more then compensating for the slower, gritty tracks. As with cycling alongside mountains, we appreciated the rivers majesty more as we rode closer to its banks. When we crossed to join the main road to Passau an anonymous brass band suddenly piped up from somewhere in an old nineteenth century factory building, or maybe a boat below. Either way it was a fitting fanfare to a great day which, sadly, is my last on this tour. Our hostel in Passau was a lovely old flat run by a friendly Hungarian lady and filled with her kittens and antique furniture.
As I finish writing this my parents and big sis are on their way through Austria, another day, another country, whilst I spend the morning in this small Prague-esque town (which also shares similarities with Gloucester according to Mum and Dad). From the banks of the river overlooking the pastel colours, church-dominated square and rolling hills I wish Mum, Dad and Kirst all the best for the rest of their big adventure. I'm proud that they have come so far and miss them already, I'm even somewhat jealous that the rest of those miles and all those small experiences will slowly unfold infront of them. Mach's Gut and Viel Spaß!
Sean
I find that cycling, like all sports really, depends mainly on how you feel on any given day. If you feel settled and comfortable, and if conditions go your way, it actually becomes quite easy, no matter how far you have to go. The longest distance I've ever done was a bit like this but today was the perfect example. From the start we sped away from Straubing, with its cobbled streets and Eastern looking towers, a new architectural signpost towards Turkey, and raced away through the countryside. I felt invincible on the bike, once we had secured the saddle at the right height. Our average speed for the first few hours was around 16mph, not bad with a heavy load. After a pleasant stop in Degendorf, where I again encountered a strange country dialect, we were off again through glorious landscapes. A mountainous countryside always looks impressive from a bike, but it looks even better when you avoid all the mountains.
On the last stretch to Passau we switched onto the cycle path, which we'd basically avoided. Most of the last 25km or so passed by level with the Danube; the various fishermen, waterskiers and general ambience more then compensating for the slower, gritty tracks. As with cycling alongside mountains, we appreciated the rivers majesty more as we rode closer to its banks. When we crossed to join the main road to Passau an anonymous brass band suddenly piped up from somewhere in an old nineteenth century factory building, or maybe a boat below. Either way it was a fitting fanfare to a great day which, sadly, is my last on this tour. Our hostel in Passau was a lovely old flat run by a friendly Hungarian lady and filled with her kittens and antique furniture.
As I finish writing this my parents and big sis are on their way through Austria, another day, another country, whilst I spend the morning in this small Prague-esque town (which also shares similarities with Gloucester according to Mum and Dad). From the banks of the river overlooking the pastel colours, church-dominated square and rolling hills I wish Mum, Dad and Kirst all the best for the rest of their big adventure. I'm proud that they have come so far and miss them already, I'm even somewhat jealous that the rest of those miles and all those small experiences will slowly unfold infront of them. Mach's Gut and Viel Spaß!
Sean
Thursday 30 July 2009
Day 12 Ingolstadt to Straubing - 70 miles
By far the easiest day of the tour so far, a sensible distance and an early (ish) start meant we had done 60 miles by a late lunch break and cruised into Straubing after a quick nap in the park. It was a very quick nap, as soon as we had put our washing out and fallen asleep the whole Giselhoring parks department descended to tidy the place up. They were very sweet about moving us on, when they realised how bad our German is they did hat tricks by means of apology. They all crowded round dad to shout encouragement as he tried to fix my bike - he probably found this less funny than me, it was swelteringly hot.
It was a pleasant day rather than spectacular one, rolling hills, gothic Bavarian villages and occasional views over the Danube valley. Not that we minded that at all, so far the spectacular days have all involved serious climbing which we are all enjoying a break from. This is what bike tours should be like, we got into town at 5, met Sean (who also got there easilly hitchhiking) and had a nice evening pottering around Straubing. It felt a bit more like a holiday.
Nancy is back down off Kilimanjaro safely, we look forward to celebrating with her when we get home.
Kirsty
It was a pleasant day rather than spectacular one, rolling hills, gothic Bavarian villages and occasional views over the Danube valley. Not that we minded that at all, so far the spectacular days have all involved serious climbing which we are all enjoying a break from. This is what bike tours should be like, we got into town at 5, met Sean (who also got there easilly hitchhiking) and had a nice evening pottering around Straubing. It felt a bit more like a holiday.
Nancy is back down off Kilimanjaro safely, we look forward to celebrating with her when we get home.
Kirsty
Day 11 Neu Ulm to Ingolstadt - 108 effing miles
Didn't really feel like leaving Ulm, the hostel was so lovely and it was such a treat doing normal stuff. I really could have spent the day shopping. However we were up and off for the next chapter in the Robert's cycle tour. Kirst was back in the saddle which was a relief and we now have an assortment of creams for every part of the body including a magic cream for her knee.
The cycling went well, in fact, our best day yet, this was partly thanks to a German family who helped us on our way through the maze of cycle paths. The weather was kind to us as well, being a bit overcast, it is usually hot hot hot here. There are times when we are feeling very wild and free and the kilometers are just whizzing by and other time, like this evening, when you feel every meter and you're just desperate to get there.
We are struggling at the end of the day - but once at the hostel sorted and showered you forget and start planning the next day. Sean is still with us and is doing a couple of days for Kirsty. His German is brilliant (or so it sounds to me) and he has taken all the stress out of sorting food etc out. God knows how we are going to communicate in Bulgaria, Hungary etc. Onwards and upwards.
Gill
The cycling went well, in fact, our best day yet, this was partly thanks to a German family who helped us on our way through the maze of cycle paths. The weather was kind to us as well, being a bit overcast, it is usually hot hot hot here. There are times when we are feeling very wild and free and the kilometers are just whizzing by and other time, like this evening, when you feel every meter and you're just desperate to get there.
We are struggling at the end of the day - but once at the hostel sorted and showered you forget and start planning the next day. Sean is still with us and is doing a couple of days for Kirsty. His German is brilliant (or so it sounds to me) and he has taken all the stress out of sorting food etc out. God knows how we are going to communicate in Bulgaria, Hungary etc. Onwards and upwards.
Gill
Wednesday 29 July 2009
Day 10 Balingen to Ulm
Here is a proverb for cycle tourists: 'A mile in the wrong direction is not helping your journey'. As we didn't have a detailed map for this stage, we had a go at following google's directions. Never again! After cycling for five miles we went past the hostel where we started from. After about an hour we were only about 2km from our starting point. Kirsty's knees were hurting so she decided to cycle back into Balingen and catch a train to Ulm. Sean ended up hitch-hiking so we were in three groups. Gill and I cycled through the heat all day. When we stopped for lunch there was nowhere open so we settled on finishing out water bottles with a couple of energy bars.
The journey seems like a long slog with a few more long slow hills going on for 1-3 kilometres. Seeing the Danube on the outskirts of Ulm was exciting and we met a very friendly lady out for an evening stroll who took it upon herself to help us find our hostel.
The tiredness and confusion was getting to us. After her shower, Gill put toothpaste on her bottom instead of her special saddle-soreness cream.
In the evening we had a fantastic meal bought and made for us by Sean and we chatted till late with a lovely German couple, who were also on a bike tour. We talked about our cheese-rolling and their greasy-pole-to-get-a-sausage-at-the-top races.
Barry
The journey seems like a long slog with a few more long slow hills going on for 1-3 kilometres. Seeing the Danube on the outskirts of Ulm was exciting and we met a very friendly lady out for an evening stroll who took it upon herself to help us find our hostel.
The tiredness and confusion was getting to us. After her shower, Gill put toothpaste on her bottom instead of her special saddle-soreness cream.
In the evening we had a fantastic meal bought and made for us by Sean and we chatted till late with a lovely German couple, who were also on a bike tour. We talked about our cheese-rolling and their greasy-pole-to-get-a-sausage-at-the-top races.
Barry
Day 9 Freiburg to Balingen
Sean here, taking over blogging duty for a day. My tour started really when Mum, Dad and Kirsty lurched into view at 8.30 or so in Freiburg. After a quick dinner and all to brief a sleep I was on the road, slotting in for Kirsty whilst she nursed various bumps and scrapes.
My substitute appearance fell on the Alpine ride from Freiburg (a pretty little town steeped in history, elegance and antiquated Germanness) to Balingen. The day started in a pattern that, I imagine, has become fairly familiar to the others: aimlessly riding through an unknown town trying to work out where to go. By the end of the day this was also fairly familiar to me. Eventually we found a couple of maps and pointed ourselves in the right direction, and soon bumped into a Frenchman and his wife aimlessly riding round trying to work out where they were. It must be contagious.
The first half of the ride was mountainous but stunning and ultimately rewarding. We zigzagged up Alpine roads, sheltered by the huge firs and spruces embedded throughout as the sun shifted through the gears towards its zenith. Halfway through one of the many climbs I paused to wait for the others and turned to face the scene. Hundreds, thousands of these tall trees spread ovwer the valley like summery Christmasses. I was enjoying this thought when Mum and Dad cranked into view, Dad a picture of toil and sweat, Mum with half her energy devoted to riding, the other half wildly gesticulating up the mountainside in my direction. In moments of harmony and tranquility there is always a Roberts waiting round the corner.
The descents were even more fun, long, winding, cruising smooth dashes into villages. Every so often I'd hit a pocket of cool air hiding in a dip and feel refreshed, ready to take on the next climb. I felt lucky to be on this tour, however I think much of my excitement was due to knowledge that it was a one off, I didn't have the weight of hundreds of miles to Istanbul pulling me down. During these early Sunday morning miles we were accompanied by Jeremy Clarkson's nemesis: the Sunday Cyclist Lycra Brigade. Have to say that on the whole they weren't overly friendly to us. Maybe it was our lack of professional cycle gear, or it would have taken their average speed down. Maybe, though, at a speed roughly three times ours they didn't even notive us crawling along.
Our Alpine section ended with a late lunch in Villingen, by which point I think the hills were getting to us all. For me when the terrain flattened out the whole thing became a bit dull, attritional, and I was beginning to feel it a bit. The afternoon and evening were very different to the morning, those Christmasses turned into horrible hungover Boxing Days where everyone starts getting at each other. I really can't remember any place or incident of note, whilst there were too many to write about in the morning. When we eventually rolled into Balingen at 9.30 we were glad to get it over with, and limped off for a quick doner and falafel, the single thing so far in South Germany thats been anything like Berlin.
Sean
Saturday 25 July 2009
Day 8 Epinal to Freiburg
Lots of miles again today, 105 all told with a 4 mile and a 12 mile continuous climb thrown in. We climbed right up to a ski village in Alsace! The views on the way down were quite amazing, I struggled to keep an eye on the road though I hit 40 miles an hour and the tandem must've been going much faster. We had lunch in a village filled with storks, there were 7 nests in sight and the air was full of these rather graceless birds. We were so out of it we only noticed halfway through lunch, then saw that we were eating at the stork hotel bar on stork road to it's hardly a well kept secret. We met Sean (my brother) in Freiburg, he is joining us through Germany. My knees are totally shot now so am having a rest day tomorrow while he rides my bike. He can't really do the kind of distances we are doing on a crappy hire bike so maybe we'll alternate days for a while. So tomorrow holds a lie in and gentle potter around the town for me.
Kirsty
Kirsty
Day 7 Chalons to Epinal
Things turned out very well today. We decided against setting off at 6.30 with a broken bike and went to a cycle repair shop in Chaumont instead. Though the shop didn't open until 10am he took the tandem into the repair workshop at 8, replaced the bottom bracket and fixed our back wheel so it rotated freely again. After thanking him profusely we set off only 3 hours behind schedule. After another long day in the saddle (98 miles) we arrived in Epinal in the rain soaked twilight.
Our route through France has been determined by the location of Formula 1 hotels and by the shortest route between them on minor roads. Without knowing anything about the places, their history, culture or famous sights, I feel we have been lucky to see a large sample of France. This has included: agricultural landscapes; commercial and industrial zones; picturesque towns and villages; war memorials and plaques reffering to Joan of Arc and Edith Piaf. I don't suppose many of these places would appear in tourist brochures but it has been a privilege to sample a slice of France and meet some of its charming, cultured, decent people.
Barry
Our route through France has been determined by the location of Formula 1 hotels and by the shortest route between them on minor roads. Without knowing anything about the places, their history, culture or famous sights, I feel we have been lucky to see a large sample of France. This has included: agricultural landscapes; commercial and industrial zones; picturesque towns and villages; war memorials and plaques reffering to Joan of Arc and Edith Piaf. I don't suppose many of these places would appear in tourist brochures but it has been a privilege to sample a slice of France and meet some of its charming, cultured, decent people.
Barry
Day 6 Chalons en Champagne to Chaumont
We can sum up today in one word..."Bummer!" We Started in the lingering rain from an overnight thunderstorm. Our tandem was making a strange noise but I foolishly ignored it. It is always difficult to find minor roads out of cities and today was no exception. We spent about 30 minutes looking at our map wondering where we were and which way we were turning. I'm proud that we remained civilised and avoided coming to blows. After wasting about half an hour and a couple of miles we found the minor route out of Chalons en Champagne. Mid morning we saw a couple of men walking along the verge of the road with baskets and the types of sticks for picking up rubbish. We were surprised to see their baskets were half filled with snails - presumably bound for a local restaurant to be served as escargot.
At our 50 mile stop I started to investigate the strage noise my bike was making and found that the rack bolt had dropped off, the result was that trhe rack was pressing in on my rear disk brake so we had been riding with the brakes slightly on. I made a makeshift repair and resolved to find a bikeshop asap for spares. When we started the bottom bracket started to make cracking sounds. It sounded awful so we limped on at a very slow speed in low gears for the next 50 miles to try to avoid further damage.
About 25 miles from Chaumont we saw a huge black cloud in the near distance with a wall of rain coming down from it. An old lady in a country chalet asked if we wanted to come in and shelter but we said we'd better move on. Within a short while we were totally drenched with thunder and lightning raging all around us. We arived at Chaumont around 8pm, 13 1/2 hours after setting off having completed our first 100 mile stage. We are in the Formula 1 in Chaumont eating pizza, drinking wine and trying not to worry about the large cracking noise coming from my bottom bracket.
At our 50 mile stop I started to investigate the strage noise my bike was making and found that the rack bolt had dropped off, the result was that trhe rack was pressing in on my rear disk brake so we had been riding with the brakes slightly on. I made a makeshift repair and resolved to find a bikeshop asap for spares. When we started the bottom bracket started to make cracking sounds. It sounded awful so we limped on at a very slow speed in low gears for the next 50 miles to try to avoid further damage.
About 25 miles from Chaumont we saw a huge black cloud in the near distance with a wall of rain coming down from it. An old lady in a country chalet asked if we wanted to come in and shelter but we said we'd better move on. Within a short while we were totally drenched with thunder and lightning raging all around us. We arived at Chaumont around 8pm, 13 1/2 hours after setting off having completed our first 100 mile stage. We are in the Formula 1 in Chaumont eating pizza, drinking wine and trying not to worry about the large cracking noise coming from my bottom bracket.
Wednesday 22 July 2009
Day 5 Soissons to Chalons en Champagne
I've always thought that cycling might be the key to happiness, I was having serious doubts about this during the first days of the tour but now we are all fit and working again I'm sold. We've started getting up at disgusting hours (5am) to miss the heat of the day. Spent most of the day winding through the vines in Champagne, slept in a park by a river whilst the washing dried (we looked like a right bunch of old tramps), all very nice. We are staying in Formula one's throughout France, they are all in business parks on the edge of town, we are far too tired most days to make it into town in the evenings. Last night we ate at an amazing place, from the outside it looked like a little chef, inside it was a temple to high modernism (it looked like a cross between Prove's maison tropicale and the set of Tati's Playtime - industrial design here has style). Through my rose tinted cycle specs I've started to fetishise the concrete jungle of the business park, we are off to drink champagne there now.
Kirsty
Kirsty
Day 4 Beauvais - Soissons 78 miles
Start the day in a positive frame of mind, it's early morning and it actually feels good being on the bikes. I'm enjoying northern France much more than I expected to. I like to see the way the French work the land and I'm being very nosy from the bike, most gardens have these amazing veg plots and I'm starting to plan mine. By the end of the day I was really peed off, it turned out to be 78 miles when we were expecting 66. We think Istanbul might be 2500 not 2000 miles away.
Gill
Gill
Day 3 Dieppe to Beauvais
The day began on the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry trying to grab a few hours sleep on an armchair. After getting off the ferry, we started riding at 04.15 (continental time) in the pitch black. Strangely I felt this was the most enjoyable moment of the tour so far. We had survived a showery cold blast of rain and we were getting into a steady rhythm enveloped by darkness. As dawn came up, we started to notice details in the Normandy countryside - like stunning gardens and floral presentations and very different architecture. At the first town we went to a cafe with no food followed by a boulangerie with no drink so we had a disjointed breakfast. For a nation of 60 million we couldn't help wondering where everyone was. The towns and villages were all deserted.
The need for a decent sleep was growing and I have a picture of Gill and Kirsty sleeping on a mound of grassy earth by the road beside their bikes. This is proving to be a challenging tour. I see Gill and Kirsty's weather beaten look and bloodshot eyes showing dehydration and then look in the mirror and see the same look in myself. I've always thought that there are four big threats to cycle tourists : saddle soreness; dehydration; sunburn and low blood sugar. All of us have the first 3 to varying degrees. I also think after day 4, a kind of fitness will kick in and make us stronger. Day 6 will be over 80 miles with a good few hills thrown in so we will be able to test whether this theory is accurate.
p.s We were deeply touched when Richard and Caroline jumped out from behind a bush on Bafford Approach to cheer us on our way as we set out on Saturday morning, and by all the texts we have recieved supporting us
Barry
The need for a decent sleep was growing and I have a picture of Gill and Kirsty sleeping on a mound of grassy earth by the road beside their bikes. This is proving to be a challenging tour. I see Gill and Kirsty's weather beaten look and bloodshot eyes showing dehydration and then look in the mirror and see the same look in myself. I've always thought that there are four big threats to cycle tourists : saddle soreness; dehydration; sunburn and low blood sugar. All of us have the first 3 to varying degrees. I also think after day 4, a kind of fitness will kick in and make us stronger. Day 6 will be over 80 miles with a good few hills thrown in so we will be able to test whether this theory is accurate.
p.s We were deeply touched when Richard and Caroline jumped out from behind a bush on Bafford Approach to cheer us on our way as we set out on Saturday morning, and by all the texts we have recieved supporting us
Barry
Tuesday 21 July 2009
Are keeping to schedule
Are keeping to schedule, but haven't been able to find an internet cafe. Will catch up soon...
Sunday 19 July 2009
Brighton
We are in Brighton, most of the way through day 2. Yesterday was hard, we got lost a few times, ended up cycling almost 90 miles. Had a nice detour through the ancient monuments of Salisbury Plain though - almost worth the extra miles. Silbury Hill threw us, Mum thought it might be something for Paragliders to jump off, Dad suggested that it could be a slagheap. England is mad, we've been passing signs all day for a 12 hr lawnmower race and we had lunch in a town that had painted all the window frames the mustard yellow of it's gold cup sponsors. The wind was at our backs and we were blown into town happy and ready for an impromptu farewell party.
kirsty
kirsty
Thursday 16 July 2009
tour prep
Just getting ready to pedal off, trying to get all our junk down to 3 panniers and a handbag. Watching the heroics of the Tour de France I'm slightly worried that my legs still ache from last week's ceilidh, but am sure we'll get there ok. We will try to post odd notes when we reach internet cafes along the way.
kirsty
kirsty
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
