The Journey (according to Kev) !

For someone who hadn’t been out of Australia until the Warby ’07 trip to China I’m certainly making up for lost time.

When the idea of a UK/Europe trip was thrown around by Mike after our Tibet “ holiday “ I jumped at the chance - my reply was “ don’t bore me with the details, just tell me when do we leave and what’s the 
damage“.

The time is nigh, damn nigh, Mike and Monny less than a week and me just over 4 weeks.  I’m very confident that everything will flow smoothly because my input to the planning, bookings, flight reservations etc etc etc etc has been 5/8 of stuff all, zero, zilch, nothing, nought and sometimes even less. Mike has done a brilliant job in the field in which he excels, but mainly he realized that if we aimed  to get out of Australia he better take care of the details .

This is going to be the trip of a lifetime and I couldn’t think of a better person to spend 3 ½ months riding with than BIG MEGA [ hell do i have to put up with him for that long ].

To meet up with Viv and Linton and Kim for the France and Spain legs is going to be brilliant. Viv has been taking French lessons for a few months so she can do all the talking, I’ll do the  gesturing and the Big blokes can get us out of any scraps with the locals [ probably caused by my gesturing ]. Kim is the designated get- away driver.

To be able to see first  hand spectacular scenery I’ve only seen in travel shows and docos is going to be amazing and I’m so looking forward to it.

Hope anyone who takes the time to log into our Blog site will find our ramblings of some interest.

Best wishes to everyone.


Kev !

The Journey (according to Mike) !

This trip was "born" in the shadows of Tibet when Kev suggested that he'd love to cycle UK & Europe or more specifically " anywhere where I don't have to thaw out my jocks prior to putting them on"!.

Kev's wish list now granted was whittled down from 5 years of non stop cycling to something a little more manageable i.e. 8,000 km's over 3 months across the UK and 6 European countries! The over riding criteria set by Kev was that wherever we went it had to be pretty speccy !

Well "speccy" it most definitely is with our UK leg taking in some magnificent cycle scenery heading across Exmoor, the Peak District, the Pennines, Ireland, the Glens of Scotland and even out to the remote wilderness area of the Outer Hebrides where reported winds apparently challenge those of Tibet in ferocity .... terrific !

Our adventure officially becomes an epic when we fly to Munich and ride from Berchtesgaden beside the Bavarian Alps and along the Loire river to Amboise France to join up with fellow Warby's and dear friends Viv and Linton who have planned a magnificent leg through the Loire and the Dordogne southwards to Barcelona - what a trip that will be !

Aiding us in France will be my sister Kim who although not a rider is damned good at charades (will come in handy) and has all the essential driving skills (both good and bad as my memory serves me) for driving in Europe !

Our finale after flying from Barcelona to Milan will be a 2 week journey riding over the Swiss Alps (and many squiggly lines) back into Switzerland and along the Rhine river into Germany before training it to Paris for a few days R&R and then flying home.

I can honestly say having spent 4 weeks with Kev in confined spaces in tents in the wilds of Tibet that he is  a great travelling buddy - only occassionally complaining about things like the cold, the food, the people, the customs, the weather ... oh and did I say the cold !

I feel our friendship is likely to become even greater on this trip based on a few pics of accommodation bookings I have seen that show beds looking ominously close together !

With only 6 weeks to go the countdown has begun - I look forward to sharing our amazing experience with you !  

Cheers - Mega Mike !

Itenary

Part 1 - End to End Ride - Lands End (England) to John O'Groats (Scotland) 

6 July - Lands End (England) to Golant - 110 Km's

7 July - Golant to Oakhampton - 100 Km's

8 July - Oakhampton to Exford - 100 Km's

9 July - Exford rest day  

10 July - Exford to Priddy - 100 Km's 

11 July - Priddy to Welsh Bricknor  - 70Km's 

12 July - Welsh Bricknor to Clun Mill - 120 Km's

13 July - Clun Mill to Rugeley - 120 Km's

14 July - Rugeley to Hope - 100 Km's

15 July - Hope rest day 

16 July - Hope to Mankinholes - 85 Km's

17 July - Mankinholes to Kettlewell - 75 Km's

18 July - Kettlewell rest day

19 July - Kettlewell to Richmond - 70 Km's

20 July - Richmond to Once Brewed - 120 Km's 

21 July - Once Brewed rest day 

22 July - Once Brewed to Annan (Scotland) - 90 Km's

23 July - Anna to Kirkcudbright - 90 Km's 

24 July - Kirkcudbright to Newton Stuart - 60 Km's

25 July - Newton Stuart to Troon - 110 Km's

26 July - Troon ferry to Larne to (cycle) Ballycastle (Ireland) - 105 Km's

27 July - Ballycastle rest day  

28 July - Ballycastle to Letterkenny - 95 Km's

29 July - Letterkenny to Dungloe - 70 Km's 

30 July - Dungloe to Killybegs (Slieve League) - 90 Km's  

31 July - Drive Larne

1 Aug - Larne ferry to Troon to (cycle) to Ardrossan ferry to Brodick (cycle) to Lochranza - 85 Km's
2 Aug - Lochranza to Lochgilphed - 75 km's
3 Aug - Lochgilphed to Oban - 90 Km's
4 Aug - Oban ferry Castlebay (Outer Hebrides)
5 Aug - Castlebay to Am Botham - 110Km's
6 Aug - Am Botham to Karshader - 80 Km's
7 Aug - Karshader to Butt of Lewis - 100 km's
8 Aug - Butt of Lewis to Stornaway - 65 Km's - Ferry to Ullapool
9 Aug - Ullapool to Kinlochkerbie - 70 Km's 
10 Aug - Kinlochkerbie to Tongue - 60 Km's
11 Aug - Tongue to John O'Groats to Wick finish - 140Km's
12 Aug - Wick train to Inverness drive to Elgin

13 Aug - Elgin cycle Glen Lyons - 70 Km's
14-15 Aug - Edinburgh (including Edinburgh Tattoo)
16 Aug - Fly Edinburgh to Munich 

Part 2 - Bavaria - Konigsee to Bodensee (Switzerland) - Basle to Amboise (France)  

16 Aug to 21 Aug - Berchtesgaden (Germany) 
22 Aug to 29 Aug - Berchtesgaden to Basle - 650 Km's
30 Aug to 5 Sep - Basle to Amboise - 950 Km's 

Part 3 -Loire / Dordogne to Barcelona 

6 Sep to 25 Sep - Amboise to Barcelona (cycle & drive) 

Part 4 -  Milan (Italy) to Koblenz (Germany)

26 Sep - Milan (Italy) to Locarno (Switzeralnd) - 90 Km's
27 Sep - Locarno to Airolo - 90 Km's
28 Sep - Airolo to Interlaken -110 Km's
29 Sep - Interlaken rest day 
30 Sep - Interlaken rest day 
1 Oct - Interlaken to Zug - 90 Km's
2 Oct - Zug to Einseldein - 95 Km's
3 Oct - Einseldein to Vaduz (Leichtenstien) - 95 Km's 
4 Oct - Vaduz to Freidrichshafen (Germany) - 100 Km's
5 Oct - Freidrichshafen train to Mainz cycle to Bingen (Rhine)- 20 Km's
6 Oct - Bingen cruise on the Rhine 
7 Oct - Bingen to Koblenz - 70 Km's
8 Oct - Koblenz train to Paris
9-11 Oct - Paris
12 Oct - Depart Paris - arrive Melbourne 14 Oct