I can't quite believe it but four weeks today we will be on our way. The to do list is almost full of ticks and now I am worrying about what I have forgotten to put on it. The main issue was covering the mortgage and that is sorted. Now it's just the nitty gritty. Utilities etc. It's a pain and time consuming but not really a big deal. We have nearly finished our innoculations and both feel like a pin cushion. Yesterday we had our second Japanese encephalitis jab and both felt quite ill. Just one of those left and one more Hep B. Then we just need one more tick encephalitis sometime in July - we'll have to find somewhere to get that on route. So apart from little bits and pieces we are ready to go.
We have decided to do it properly and cycle all the way from home. The route from 31 Coniston Road to Portsmouth will take us to a camp site in Oxford (55 miles ish), then on to Simon and Camilla in Pangbourne where we'll get a bed for the night, possibly our last for a while (15-20 miles ish). Then we have a tough cycle to Petersfield on the South Downs (55 miles ish) but a shorter ride on the Saturday into Portsmouth. Hard, easy, hard, easy seems ok to me and hopefully will give us leeway as well if things go pear shaped. We may not have had a chance to have ridden the bikes fully laden by then which is a bit worrying but hopefully we will manage and not find it too difficult. Our ferry leaves at eight o'clock at night so we are hoping to have some spare time to do last minute shopping. We arrive Easter Monday so aren't too sure what will be open in Spain and plan to take enough food to keep us going until at least Tuesday morning.
Next Monday I begin my three day bike maintenance course - designed specifically for bike touring. We have to take our own bikes with us to work on. I just hope I don't break mine altogether and can remember everything as hopefully I won't need to do any major repairs for a while. It would have been brilliant if Bridget could have come as well as her memory would have been extremely useful. Never mind I am sure it will be fine. I am quite looking forward to it and in the long term it could save us a load of money as I should be able to service our bikes and mend them when necessary rather than take them to a shop.
Dave was right and it didn't take long. I have conceded on having a leaving party. We're having a house party the night I leave work. I think it could be quite busy. Loads of Bridget's friends from where she works now and where she used to work are coming. A fair few from my work are also coming and then a load of other friends. Ruth and Sarah have both kindly agreed to let us have the party (technically it is their home now and we are just lodgers). I hope our friends don't let us down and trash the place!
I have just a few days left at work and then two and a half weeks until we leave so loads of time to do all the bits and bobs. We're going to be really busy as well so hopefully it won't drag - Mum's Birthday, trip to see Jacquie and the kids in Edinburgh, a trip up to Yorkshire to say goodbye to Auntie Rita. And then we will be off - I am excited and terrified all at the same time. I think the anticipation is far more difficult to deal with than the actual doing. Once we are on our way I think I will be fine. The one thing I am really trying not to think about is the dogs. But that is proving really really hard.
We have decided to do it properly and cycle all the way from home. The route from 31 Coniston Road to Portsmouth will take us to a camp site in Oxford (55 miles ish), then on to Simon and Camilla in Pangbourne where we'll get a bed for the night, possibly our last for a while (15-20 miles ish). Then we have a tough cycle to Petersfield on the South Downs (55 miles ish) but a shorter ride on the Saturday into Portsmouth. Hard, easy, hard, easy seems ok to me and hopefully will give us leeway as well if things go pear shaped. We may not have had a chance to have ridden the bikes fully laden by then which is a bit worrying but hopefully we will manage and not find it too difficult. Our ferry leaves at eight o'clock at night so we are hoping to have some spare time to do last minute shopping. We arrive Easter Monday so aren't too sure what will be open in Spain and plan to take enough food to keep us going until at least Tuesday morning.
We have also provisionally planned our few first few days in Spain and think we will follow the cost for a while before heading up into the mountains. We will cross quite early on to the French side as looking at the roads it seems easier to plan a more direct route that side of the mountains. We will probably head through Lourdes which embarrassingly I hadn't realised was in the French Pyrenees. From there onto Carcassonne and after a couple of days we'll head to the French coast and put our heads down for Italy. A friend (Mikey B) has a place near Nice and we hope with some luck and good timing to stay a night with him as long as we can time our arrival for a weekend. That's the vague plan at this stage anyway and one that I am sure will change.
Next Monday I begin my three day bike maintenance course - designed specifically for bike touring. We have to take our own bikes with us to work on. I just hope I don't break mine altogether and can remember everything as hopefully I won't need to do any major repairs for a while. It would have been brilliant if Bridget could have come as well as her memory would have been extremely useful. Never mind I am sure it will be fine. I am quite looking forward to it and in the long term it could save us a load of money as I should be able to service our bikes and mend them when necessary rather than take them to a shop.
Dave was right and it didn't take long. I have conceded on having a leaving party. We're having a house party the night I leave work. I think it could be quite busy. Loads of Bridget's friends from where she works now and where she used to work are coming. A fair few from my work are also coming and then a load of other friends. Ruth and Sarah have both kindly agreed to let us have the party (technically it is their home now and we are just lodgers). I hope our friends don't let us down and trash the place!
I have just a few days left at work and then two and a half weeks until we leave so loads of time to do all the bits and bobs. We're going to be really busy as well so hopefully it won't drag - Mum's Birthday, trip to see Jacquie and the kids in Edinburgh, a trip up to Yorkshire to say goodbye to Auntie Rita. And then we will be off - I am excited and terrified all at the same time. I think the anticipation is far more difficult to deal with than the actual doing. Once we are on our way I think I will be fine. The one thing I am really trying not to think about is the dogs. But that is proving really really hard.
