After yesterday’s ride, we were asleep early, knowing that today’s was going to be challenging too. We weren’t wrong. Once again, we were out of the door, pushing the bikes through the village, before the sunrise. I must admit, the thought of starting the day, riding across cobbles wasn’t my idea of a gentle start, … More Saddlebag of Memories Madrid to Sète. Day 5
I’m sitting on the terrace of the apartment that we booked for the night, typing this, after a truly superb day on the bikes. If I had to sum up today’s ride in three words, they would be exhausting, exhilarating and magical. It was always going to be a big ride, as when we were … More Saddlebag of Memories Madrid to Sète Day 4.. Pastrana to Beteta
This year, it has felt as if we’ve been living our life on permanent ‘fast-forward’. How on earth are we already in mid-September? It really is quite ridiculous. Yet here we are, and in a week’s time we’ll be on a train, heading to Madrid, before starting our ride back through Spain, to Sete, covering … More Cycling across Spain – 1 week to go
All being well, four weeks from today, we’ll be finding our feet in Madrid, spending a day exploring the city, before starting our cycle ride back, across Spain to Sète.Espagne à Velo We will (if everything goes as planned) arrive by train from Aix, with our bikes dismantled and packed into bags for the trip. … More Spain à vélo, 4 weeks today
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this year has been far from what we imagined. As the night sky above the Arc de Triomphe was filled with the colour and sparkle of New Year’s Eve Fireworks, we were asleep, dreaming of a settled 2024, with a late spring cycle ride from Amsterdam, … More Espagne à Velo
It’s hard to believe that we only finished the ride a few days ago, as life has been a bit full-tilt since we pedalled back up the hill to the house, and finally unstrapped the bags from the bikes. The grins are still there though, as they come from deep inside, pushed up on a … More Saddlebag of Memories… A few days on… What we learned
Our day off in La Rochelle flew by far too quickly and it just reinforced how much we love the place and we are already plotting when we may be able to come back for another little visit (with the bikes of course) Our original thinking had been that we would take the ferry out … More Saddlebag of Memories…Day 7 … La Rochelle to Pons
Last night, after a long day’s ride and a superb, much-needed supper, we ambled around the Vieux Port and collapsed into bed, sleeping like babies until just after 7, this morning. The thought of having a day off had taken away the early-morning wakefulness, when normally we’re alert, planning the route and getting everything ready. … More Saddlebag of Memories… Day 6 … A day off in La Rochelle
I can hardly believe that I’m writing this, but we’ve just got back from supper by the old harbour in beautiful La Rochelle, after another amazing day on the bikes. The day started early, as we had been staying in a beautiful home on the salt marshes, just north of the Ile de Noirmoutier and … More Saddlebag of Memories.. Day 5 .. Bouin to La Rochelle
It’s just before 7am and after an unexpectedly longer stay in the UK than planned, I am finally en route home and back to Andy in Provence, and if all goes well, he should be waiting for me at Avignon just after 9.15 tonight (hopefully in Fifi, as that would be even more perfect) It’s … More Homeward Bound, London, Paris, Provence
Postcards from Provence and beyond 