In many ways it feels like this journey has shifted up a gear, the past week has been a tough one but probably my favourite so far. The first couple of weeks were such a whirlwind but life on the road is beginning to feel normal at last, we’re adjusting. I feel different, much more relaxed, more calm.
Part 3: Valleys, Villages And The Swiss
Greetings from the Black Forest. We’ve journeyed out of agricultural France in little under three days, all the way to Germany’s darkest forest. Today we climbed just shy of 900m to the towns of St Peter and St Margen.
Part 2: Buzzing Off Belgium
It’s a very strange life, cycling around like this. Riding the bikes is the easy part, time on the bikes feels like a rest sometimes just because there’s so much to think about as soon as we step off them. This life style is a completely new experience, It feels to me a bit like what being a gypsy or nomad must feel like. It’s like we’ve slipped through the net of normal society and already the stresses of modern life are beginning to feel a bit pointless. When you’ve only just enough time and energy to think about what’s immediately important, like how much water we have and where we’re going to sleep, a different perspective begins to settle in. It’s taking a bit of getting used to but we starting to get the hang it now. It’s a good feeling.
Part 1: Bye Bye Blighty!
Finally the time has come to set sail and leave Blighty. Heading out from Nottingham with a crew of seven destined for Sherwood Forest and our first night of wild camping, the sense of relief was palpable after what had been a frantic week of final preparations for both of us. A week that included moving house, collecting last minute equipment and a brief appearance in the local paper. Talk about last minute.