2023 Europe- 2nd April - 22nd July
Updated: Nov 5, 2023
London to spend time with our daughter Alexandra. Hire car around the UK for a few weeks. 9 day ride Bruge to Amsterdam. Rhine Cruise with cycling from Basel to Amsterdam. Then 3 weeks in a gorgeous village in France before joining Peter and Nicole for 28 days of cycling from Mont St Michel through the battlefields to Remagen.
Table of Contents
The route
Here's the plan for the UK.
Then catch the ferry from Dover to Calais. Off to Bruge. Cycle Bruge to Amsterdam. Fly to Basel. Boat and cycle cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. Then to Cherruiex for 3 weeks. Before we join a 28day cycling tour to Remagen.
Cycling Bruge to Amsterdam over 9 days.
Cycle Basel to Amsterdam with Backroads and on a wee boat.
From Amsterdam we fly to Rennes and then mini-van to Cherruiex. We base there for 3 weeks with a Paris weekend planned. And then join Odyssey Cycling and very good friends Nicole and Peter for 28days.
Singapore Airlines - Suite Class
Theresa and I decided to treat ourselves to "something special". We've flown Singapore Airlines (SAL) for many years. Their service has been exceptional. So this year we flew Suites class to London. WOW. WOW. WOW.
And Business Class back to OZ. Not sure we would book Suites class again. Was a fabulous one off. NO REGRETS and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
London with Lexy (April2-11)
Lexy suggested we stay in her neighborhood in Dalston. Never heard of Dalston so did much research. An eclectic suburb. Huge variety of restaurants and pubs. Very multi-cultural location. Whilst out of London is only a 20 minutes train or slightly longer bus ride into the heart of the CBD.
We stayed at the Kingsland Locke Hotel. Fabulous. Exceptional staff. Very comfortable rooms. A workplace with very high speed internet. Thoroughly enjoyed our stay here, and cancelled bookings for other hotels for future stays.
They offered to store our bikes FOC whilst we explored outside London. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Lexy was a fabulous tour guide. What an interesting location Dalston is. And then into the tourist areas in London. Our photos tell the story.
Initial meet and greet with Lexy, wow, 3+ years since we last hugged owing to COVID bans on travel! Then a tour of Lexy's neighbourhood. Dalston is rich in multi-cultural experiences. Then off into London city to see the sights. The Palace, British Museum, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Trafalgar square, markets, the Big Wheel, 77 Diamonds (eternity ring customised), Cutty Sark, Greenwich (the park, lunch and Lexy's old digs), Opera House, Hyde Park, Queen Victoria Museum (amazing), Harrods (frightening.... had to hide credit cards), 10 Downing Street (no morning tea there either!), Queens Guards, Tower Bridge.... phew exhausted.
Also black and white photo of Theresa workplace in London, many, many, many years ago.
And finally, a tailored business shirt!
Fabulous start to our Europe exploration.
Videos to come when in France OR back in Oz.
Then we headed off to explore the southern part of the UK.
Rye (11-14April)
A one day trip to Rye via Leeds Castle and then Sandwich. Both highly recommended in the 500 best things to see in the UK.
Leeds Castle was an easy drive down the motorway. Thanks heavens for WAZE as it took us from motorway, to country road, to motorway. Leeds Castle was our first in the UK. Meticulously restored.
Then off to the town of Sandwich. Highly recommended as it has maintained the historical cottages. It did not disappoint. Figuring out how to pay for parking was an initial challenge! It seems every area has a different app, so we stocked up on lots of coins.
We wandered the village, climbed the church tower to enjoy a birds eye view. Lots of history in this town. The Romans landed a few kilometers away in 47AD.
Exploring Church graveyards is always interesting. I found a gravestone of Mr Sam Ferrier (Commander of Ships) who died on June 29th 1710..... 313 years ago on my birthday. Reinforces to T and I the need to just get out and do it.
Found a well stocked delicatessen with lots of local produce so stocked up for Rye.
Navigating our way to Rye was NOT EASY. WAZE took us through a myriad of country lanes. Interesting countryside, but took hours. (I discovered later I had set the app to no motorways!!! DOH).
Rye is also a very traditional town with few changes. Our BnB definitely decided we were fit and gave us a room up 4 flights of very narrow stairs but with a spectacular view. Thankfully they had a car park out the back otherwise would have been a long walk.
We explored Rye over two days. Found a brilliant pub called "the Urinal". Yes, it used to have that role some years back, converted into a boutique brewery. Very tight seating, everyone shares communal tables and was a great way to meet the locals.
Found the fort and climbed that too. They have a bloke in a cage who failed to pay his parking fine :}:}
Also packed in a 20k+ walk through the countryside out to Camden Sands and back. Definitely not to be missed. Pastures so green. Lots of very contented sheep.
Also enjoyed the Jazz Club on two consecutive nights after dinners. Great fun. A couple of headaches the next morning, easily fixed with our walks.
We purchased both a hard copy and the Kindle version of Lonely Planet's Ultimate United Kingdom Travelist. A comprehensive publication with 500 places of interest. Helped us enormously in planning. Highly recommended.
Here's a smattering of photos.
Videos captured largely in Sandwich and Rye.
the New Forest (14-17th April)
The New Forest was highly recommended to us by very good friends Warren and Catherine who are much loved neighbours. We took a BnB in Brockenhurst and Lexy travelled down from London to join us.
What a fabulous region.
We visited Arundel Castle on the way to Brockenhurst and the New Forest. This is a town we would love to return to, lots of interesting historical sites, restaurants, shops et al.
We stayed in a BnB called "The Nest" and we booked Lexy into "Thatched Cottage". Both fabulous.
Explored lots of kilometers in the New Forest. Very well signed and walking maps. Saw lots of wild horses. Did not have gravel bikes but that is something for next time. Brockenhurst was a fabulous village, but next time would base ourselves in Lyndhurst. A slightly larger town and for us unexplored with different walking and cycling adventures.
That said, fabulous restaurants in Brockenhurst. The standout being "The Pig" recommended by Catherine and Warren. Absolutely outstanding in all regards. And no pressure to vacate a table, encouraged to park ourselves in the lounge area, wander the rich gardens. Theresa struck up a conversation with the "maitre d" and off we went for a private tour. WOW.
And our New Forest unedited videos. Wonderful memories.
Port Isaac and Tintagel Castle (Cornwall) (18-24th April)
On the way to Port Isaac we visited Tintagel Castle, home to King Arthur, Merlin et al. Spectacular place, history and magic abounds.
The drawcard for Theresa and I was our enjoyment of the Doc Martin series. Visiting Port Isaac did not disappoint. We stayed at the harbour where the majority of the series was made. Narrow streets heralded much to discover. Theresa definitely won the contest for finding places where the characters lived. We also very much enjoyed the tour hosted by one of the cast.
Our hotel was right on the harbour, great view, tiny room, and smallest shower ever known to mankind. Did not worry us, the location was superb.
Got in quite a few walks from Port Isaac across the hills to Port Quinn and beyond.
Videos to come.
Polperro, St Michaels Mount and Lands End (Cornwall)
We chose Polperro owing to it being a tiny village in Collage. Often the beaten track. And of course it featured in Lonely Planet.
On the way we stopped in at Padstow (recommended town to visit from our stay in Port Isaac), Lands End and St Michaels Mount. Lands End was a disappointment, so commercialised. Could not stand in front of the Lands End marker without paying for a photo (wtf!!).
St Michael's Mount was fabulous. Beautifully restored. A real castle gem. Here's a link to their web site. The tidal flow is significant.
Polperro did not disappoint. Thankfully our hotel had parking space for guests, otherwise it was a 1km hike.
Beautiful town with loads of original buildings. Sadly most now are owned by people not from Polperro and the locals forced out owing to high costs of purchase. We spent an interesting VERY LONG afternoon in a local pub with non-tourists and learned a lot about the impact on Polperro.
We enjoyed roaming the streets. Ascended the hill, bloody hell must have been 25%+ for about 2km. Then headed back down.
Polperro remains an active fishing village so lots to see in the harbour. The tide rises and falls around 5 metres each day. We watched some locals out swimming... phark!
Great walks too along the coastal paths. NOT as steep as those out of Port Isaac.
Excellent pubs and restaurants. Had a couple of wobbly walks back to our lodging. Might have been impacted by a pub crawl attracted to local musicians.
Truly enjoyed our visit to Polperro.
As we wandered up a narrow street we spotted a sign for live music at the Blue Peter. So we headed in to this tiny pub. Packed with locals. Some bloke called Steve Winchester was due to play.
We secured two seats near the "stage" ... pure luck. Met a few locals, then a few more, and more. Fabulous. Ditto with the drinks! And then the musical wonderment began. WOW.
You can download his music at this link. And a a live broadcast here. Had a chat to Steve after his performance, what a great guy.
More videos of Pelperro to come.
Stow on the Wold and the Cotswalds (24-30th April)
On the way to Stow on the Wold we dropped into a very wet and cold Bath. The Roman Baths there of much interest to us history buffs. Very well constructed exhibit. Then did a quick roam but the rain/cold drove us back into the car. So we headed up to the "circus". An interesting and clearly expensive place to live given the cars parked outside.
We continued our trip via country roads to Stow on the Wold. Our BnB definitely did NOT disappoint. In the heart of town, great pub across the road, close proximity to some fabulous restaurants and right on the main walking track.
Set up our office in the dining room and got some work out of the way.
The main attractions for Stow on the Wold for us were:
access to walking tracks
experiencing life in a Cotswold town
spending time with Lexy who came down from London
Walking Tracks
Theresa, Lexy and I enjoyed some fabulous walks from Stow on the Wold. Gorgeous villages, green pastures, crossed through farmyards, forests, across brooks, survived cow pats.... just a wonderful experience.
Experiencing Towns in the Cotswolds
Found some interesting nearby towns to explore. Painswick and Arlington Row. The trout feeding was a lot of fun at Arlington Row.
And the very special Stow on the Wold
Sincere thanks to Warren and Catherine for imbuing us with the desire to explore the New Forest and the Cotswolds. More than happy to be similarly convinced of future travels over a fine glass of Merlot and dinner! Hugs from us both.
And also Peter and Nicole, didn't make it to your walking trails further North nor to Oxford. But had a ball walking out of Stow. What magnificent country and towns.
Carew Castle
Theresa has spoken often of Carew Castle as her grandmother often relayed stories regarding the family history. So this was a must do. A one day trip from Stow on the Wold across into South Wales.
Theresa explains the family link. And Wales is now on our bucket list to explore at later date!
Dover to Calais 5-6th May
Sadly, Eurostar since Brexit has not enabled the inclusion of bicycles as additional luggage. So our choices were fly to Bruge OR catch the ferry from Dover. We chose the latter simply to experience the trip across the Channel. Both T and I admit IT WAS FABULOUS. Wow, first class service all the way across.
And ConnectTo organised an 8 seater van to collect us from Calais and take us to Bruge... we've used them multiple times in Europe (sensational).
The AVIS UK rent-a-car experience
In my past business life in automotive I've used AVIS globally. NEVER had an issue. Until renting in the UK! Day 1 we cracked the windscreen thanks to a large truck flicking a stone on the expressway. Tried to make contact with AVIS UK by phone and email, no response.
Thankfully a small crack on the passenger side only.
I checked with a mobile windscreen repairer in the Cotswolds, GBP260 fitted.
Took the car back to AVIS UK at the end of our trip. Told them about the windscreen damage. Our Australian insurer covers us for EVERYTHING.
Their price over GBP700!!!
Outcome, I've cancelled Avis Australia bookings we've made, complained to AVIS UK and Global (nothing heard). Will use someone else. FUAVIS.
Exploring Bruge 2nd-6th May
We chose Bruge simply because this was the starting point of our cycling to Amsterdam. AirBnB unearthed a "cottage" on one of the canals in Bruge.
We've fallen in love with Bruge, booked again for 2024. And enjoyed a fabulous stay with Bart, he's the most wonderful host we've ever met. If you need a place to stay in Bruge then we highly recommend Barabas Bruge.
Sincere thanks Bart... see you in 2024 and beyond!!
Cycling Bruge to Amsterdam 6th-15th May
We chose Dutch Bike Tours as it was self-guided, the routes passed through the countryside and hotels in small villages, they transported our luggage and lots of fast responses to our myriad of questions.
Roughly 399km, stuff all metres and lots of wind!!!
During our trip we experienced some minor luggage failures in arrival, fortunately our Apple AirTags helped solve the situation and Dutch Bike Tours immediately resolved.
Hotels were all 3 star but deserved more. Welcoming. Focused on cyclists. Brilliant historical locations.
The weather was um variable but we expected that. Our cycling kit allowed us to accommodate brilliant sunshine, overcast days, very windy days, light and heavy showers. The countryside was spectacular. Loved all of it.
The self-guided option afforded us lots of time to spend more or less time wherever we chose, to add longer distances to our cycling. Very much enjoyed this experience. Particularly as our hotels were organised and baggage transferred.
Dutch Cycling and their counterpart in France allow us to extend days spend in towns provided with book that way. Purely needs research on our part. Perfect!!!
We will use the same organisation who run self-guided tours to allow us to spend 4 months in France in 2025.
Absolutely sensational cycling journey. Loved the routes, the small towns, our lodgings, the friendly people we met, the mix of weather (just had to do it!).
Exploring Basel 15th-18th May
Basel was our starting point for the cycling tour with Backroads. We allocated 3 days to explore this city. Nicole lived there for years during her Ballet years so had lots to recommend. We stay at the Victoria Hotel opposite the railway station, our room was enormous, service was EXCEPTIONAL.
I bought this photo from Shutterstock as it does justice better to this beautiful city better than any of mine.
And our photo/video collation. Truly enjoyed our stay in Basel.
Highlights were:
exploring on foot
the historical buildings
the Kuntsmuseam with outstanding artworks
the dual spire Church
the local bike shop
An amazing Tapas bar
so much more
Basel Kuntsmuseum - extraordinary Art Gallery
Theresa has always had a strong interest in art of all forms. Me not so. So off we went to explore the Kuntsmuseum in Basel. Clearly I've known some of the "masters" names from Theresa and also Lexy, but must admit never taken a close look. At the museum we were surrounded by multi-million dollar artwork as we explored the galleries.
Made one "faux pax" but will leave that for discovery in the video.
If you visit Basel you must visit this museum. The Roche family have very graciously funded many of the artwork for our enjoyment.
Cruise and Ride Basel to Amsterdam with Backroads 18th-25th May
Theresa has had a vision of a cruise down the Rhine so it took a little research to find something that combined cruising with cycling. We found Backroads. The website and customer reviews looked excellent.
Our experience was BEYOND anything we expected. Whilst the cycling was not onerous, the scenery was just gobsmacking. The service BEYOND FIRST CLASS. Loved the others we met on the cruise, just wonderful people. Our new mates from Mexico(!), Chris and Emma, .... Our wonderful hosts Enrique and Malcolm, WOW....and their team.
A smattering of photos purchased from Shutterstock showing the principal towns of Basel, Briesach (not shown), Heidelberg, Strausbourg, Koblenz, Cologne and finally Amsterdam.
Basel to Briesach - ride through the Black Forest to our cruise
Cycling to Heidelberg, visiting the castle
Following the Rhine down to Koblenz. And yet another castle.
Cologne cycling. Touring the town. Beer tasting.
Final leg to Amsterdam. Canal cruise.
Amsterdam for a Week 25th May-2nd June
We rented an Airbnb for our week in Amsterdam and one nearby for Lexy. We were 2km out of the city, an easy walk through a lovely park. Surrounded by suburbia, pub in the park, just glorious. Lots of culture with Lexy having planned museum visits.
Lexy joined us in Amsterdam and we had a ball. Explored Amsterdam, wandered each street back and forth. Lots of canals. Great stores. Exciting restaurants. Did a boat trip or two.
Lexy organised visits to various galleries and museums. Which were an educational session for Mark and caused Theresa "tears of joy" in seeing paintings etc she had only enjoyed from books. We stood in rooms filled with multi-million dollar art. WOW.
We also visited the famous "de Hortus" gardens. I'm not normally interested in gardening and plants but this was fascinating and well worth the visit. Lots of exotic plants from all over the world.
All too soon our Amsterdam week came to an end. So caught KLM to Rennes. A big hint to escape the check in and security queues. Pay the EUR50 per person to access the KLM lounge. It affords priority check in and through security. Took us 20 minutes to get through versus over 90 minutes when we flew to Basel.
Chilling in Cherruiex with a Paris side trip 2nd-22nd June!!!
On a trip to France many years back (pre-COVID) we adored a town called Argelos-Ghazost. A tiny French village nestled in the Pyrenees. It stuck in our minds to spend time in a "petite vilage" with as few tourists as possible.
Joining Peter and Nicole on the Allies cycling tour which commenced in Mont Saint Michel opened opportunities. I found a house n Cherruiex and that proved absolutely ideas.
The photos tell the story.
Lots of cycling, exploring the 3 restaurants, 1 shop, 1 butcher, 1 bakery, and surrounded by the most wonderfully friendly people. All of whom endured our terrible French, amid much coaching.
Cherruiex cycling. I didn't realise but we rode roughly 1000km during our couple of weeks there. Glorious cycling on well paved roads, super-polite motorists, picturesque villages and landscapes, just a wonderful experience.
Theresa and I decided to spend a long weekend in Paris. A great chance to explore this city and to revisit our favourite restaurant overlooking the Arc de Triumphe. We found a nearby hotel and will definitely stay there again. Buried in a lane, great rooms, excellent service, close to the train station, one block from the Arc. Awesome. Already booked for 2024.
Paul Ganier and his wife Allina very kindly invited us to dinner with their daughter and took us to Dol de Bretagne a nearby town. There was a music festival and the main street had lots of different bands. Fabulous. The town is full of history, they all are. Dinner at a local restaurant featured local foods and wines. Sincere thanks.
The first band we saw, the lead guitarist was the bike mechanic from Rome Cycles. Talent!!
Sincères remerciements aux merveilleux habitants de Cherruiex. Et à Paul et Allina Ganier, Jean-Pierre Ganier et leur famille. Merci pour le fabuleux cidre fait par la famille. Vive le France.
We bid adieu to many on our last day, got a bit teary given the goodwill we have experienced.
Battlefields 28days cycling 21st June - 17th July
We're getting very excited to be joining Thommo and Nicole on the Bike Odyssey ALLIES cycling tour. Here's the latest video promoting the tour. WOW.
Stage 1 of the Allies Tour
Stage 2 of the Allies Tour
Sir John Monash Memorial
As I write this blog we have been back in Australia for 2 weeks. Got our first bike ride in today (5th August) as they went in for service. New helmets. New shoes. Seems quite surreal being away and memories of Allies in particular remain front of mind. I "teared up" explaining to a friend the visit to the various memorials. And thought of all those young people who gave their lives for our freedom.
Am recording this blog day by day. And unashamedly selecting the "best" of photos from such a wonderful group of fellow Allies cyclists. The people truly made this trip super special.
Here's the Allies itineraries.
Day 1 - June 21st - Mont Saint Michel
Theresa and I were within 20km of Mont Saint Michel when staying at Cherruiex. It is spectacular riding past. Even more so, staying on the island.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont-Saint-Michel provides a Wikipedia overview
Just the most amazing way to commence 28 days of cycling with Odyssey. WOW, WOW, WOW.
Day2 - June 22nd - Mont Saint Michel cycling
Brilliant breakfast at the hotel on Mont Saint Michel. The hotel was definitely "retro". Lots of memorabilia on the walls. Clearly this WAS A DESTINATION for celebrities, politicians, military, actors, actresses.... Would we stay here again? MOST DEFINITELY!!!
Despite the logistics... LOL.
A lovely warm up walk to the barn where the Odyssey team had prepared the bikes. We later learnt that "prepared" meant a 2am finish for them in getting everything ready.
From the barn we rode out through the country roads via Cherruix to Mont Dol. The first climb of the day. I'm so PROUD of my beloved Theresa. She has the strength to climb anything. We rode this route in prior weeks and Mont Dol beat her mentally.
On this climb she BLITZED it. NOT SURPRISED. And earned an ALL TIME 4th for the climb. That's my girl!
The ride was fabulous. After Mont Dol we headed through Dol de Britagne to Menhir du Champ-Dolent which is an ancient obelisk. Our first lunch... sincere thanks to the Duchess... superb. Then off via country roads back to Mont St Michel. A stop at a very small village overlooking Mont Saint Michel. And a ride into the Mont which was awesome.
A great start to our tour. Followed by a few cleansers at a local café. Thanks heavens we have our sommelier with us in the form of Thommo. Excellent selections.
Day3 - June 23rd - cycle to Granville
The tour starts in earnest with cycling to Granville following the coast much of the way. Glorious weather. Picturesque villages and farmland. Respectful motorists. Does it get any better than this.
Here's a link to the town of Granville.
Day 4 - June 24th - cycle to Canisy
Fabulous ride through the French countryside. And then the most amazing Chateau. And welcoming hosts.
Day 5 - June 25th - cycle to Bayeux
The home of the Bayeux Tapestry and the gateway to the Landing Beaches.
And a few more photos collected from various sources showing Before AND After.
Day 6 - June 26th - rest day for some in Bayeux
Yes we did some work. LOL.
Day 7 - June 27th - cycle to Beuvron-en-Auge
Fabulous little village. Such a great town.
Day 8 - June 28th - cycle to Honfleur
Unfinished business in Honfleur. We will return in 2024.
Day 9 - June 29th - cycle to Rouen
Another great day in the saddle.
Day 10 - June 30th - cycle to Forges
Great ride.
EXCEPT I caught a wet railway track and came off. Only a few km from the finish so got back on the bike.
Hmm.... injury was worse than initially thought. And destroyed a derailleur.
Learning experience?
We stopped early to don rain jackets.
We slowed our speed.
The rear tyre was wet and speed was reduced.
Going into the tracks we slowed even further.
The tracks were curved to the road.
I should have stopped and crossed more carefully.
Instead I rolled over and caught the 2nd rail.
Low speed fall.
Did not seem much injury to me or the bike at the time.
In hindsight should have got in the van to give time to properly assess.
Sincere thanks to T for all of her care, and Nicole for the ice pack, and the Duchess for heading out to get first aid stuff, to Henrick for his serious concern and to all the Allied mob.
Day 11 - July 1st - cycle to Amiens
Oddly I didn't capture any photos on the ride to Amiens. Along with others who were "off the bikes" we caught a taxi into Amiens and I got some work done.
Day 12 - July 2nd - rest day in Amiens
The highlight of Amiens was the Sir John Monash memorial. Plus the cathedral in town.
Day 13 - July 3rd - cycle to Bapaume
First day back on the bike, and feels so good. No pain from the hematoma. And a brilliant ride through the countryside.
Day 14 - July 4th - cycle to Lens
Off to Lens. A very interesting visit to the War Graves Commission display with a comprehensive tour guide. And Kenny our awesome historian of course! Lunch at the Canadian War Memorial... wow.
Day 15 - July 5th - cycle to Ypres
Last leg for the first stage. What a journey! So moving. So much history.
The best was yet to come. Kenny arranged for various groups on Bike Odyssey to lay wreaths. Menin Gate wreath laying was VERY MOVING. It occurs every night has done for many years. An honour to be there to pay our respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we continue to enjoy.
We must NEVER FORGET the price paid for freedom.
Again, sincere thanks to Kenny for arranging.
Day 16 - July 6th rest day in Ypres - and end of stage 1
For Theresa and I a work day. We learned much from this tour. We can BALANCE work and play provided PLAY is not more than two weeks.
We bid farewell to some newly forged friendships. But not forgotten and keen to catch up again.
Day 17 - July 7th to Oodenaarde - first day of stage 2
Fabulous day in the saddle. And partying after the ride.
Day 18 - to Mons - July 8th
Cobble stones. The hill. Should have known it was going to be tough as the locals diverted OR rode a little way pup and then diverted. But we did it. WOW.
And again spectacular countryside as we rode into Belgium. With a few spikes.
Day 19 to Dinant - 9th July
This group of photos and videos got very messy! Some from the departure of good friends in Ypres. And the cobblestones. And others I cannot place. So what the hell! just combine and publish :}:}
Day20 to Bastogne - 10th July
A day off the bike for me. Cannot remember why!
Day 21 To Urspelt - 11th July
Gorgeous ride into Luxemburg. A very steep pinch to keep us on our toes. Long sweeping downhills. Mark got lost on the last leg but discovered a new route into the Chateau that avoided the traffic in town with a lovely climb up through farmland.
The Chateau was spectacular. We enjoyed a "rest" day here which meant Theresa and I could catch up on some emails.
Day 22 to Trier - 13 July
Another fabulous ride this time along a river to Trier.
And an early morning walk in Trier before the ride. MUST RETURN TO EXPLORE MORE.
Day 23 to Lieser - 14th July
WOW. So many days cycling. Just wonderful. NOTE TO SELF.... lose weight! Climb hills faster. Keep up with T. Riding along the Mossell. Vineyards each side. And a surprise awaits at the end of our ride..... just keeps getting better.
Day24 to Cochem - 15th July
A rainy start. Thankfully Theresa and I are now fully accustomed and CONFIDENT with riding in the rain. We've got the rain gear. And we lower tyre pressures and speeds. No sharp moves. Despite the rain the ride to Cochem was just fabulous, again along the river.
And this town has LOADS OF HISTORY. Another town on our return list.
Day25 to Remagen - 16th July. Last day of riding
Frankly a sad day.
Spent time with SO MANY wonderful people.
Sincerest thanks to Thommo and Nicole for "inviting" us onto the trip. I am certain Thommo pulled some strings to get us beyond the wait list. Sincere thanks.
And wow what an amazing bunch of people we shared very emotive experiences with on Stages 1 and 2. Lots of tears, hugs, wines.... a special time.
Thanks to the historians Kenny and Mitch.
And of course to the bike odyssey crew.
Highlights of Allies Odyssey tour
I took on a challenge to provide 45 photos/videos that were the BEST of the Allies tour for Theresa and I. So hard to choose. And a few tears too.
Overnight Cologne with unfinished business 17-18th July
Quick day trip to Cologne. Visited the Cathedral. Scheduled to return after the tour.
London for final catch up with Lexy 18th-21st July
Wow a return to London.
Just great to see Lexy again.
We visited the original Shakespeare theatre. Well worth the visit.
And then the most expensive morning tea ever at the Ritz. But worth every penny!
Some more fabulous restaurants with Lexy in the Dalston area.
DEFINITELY will be returning to the Kingsland Locke Hotel. OUTSTANDING.
And flying Singapore Airlines, exceptional.
The Holocaust Memorials impacted us greatly
Theresa and I were very much aware of the Holocaust prior to departing Australia. We have very good friends in Paul and Sue who shared much more with us.
On our first ride from Bruge to Amsterdam we say first hand memorials to those removed from their homes and transported to their murder. And again on our ride from Basel to Amsterdam.
The most moving of all was taking an Anne Frank Tour in Amsterdam and visiting the memorial in the city. Of 180,000 people of Jewish descent in the Netherland only 10,000 survived at the end of the war. The rest murdered. We walked through the memorial where each brick bore a name.
Theresa, myself and those on the tour wept at the enormity. Imagine if we walked through a memorial where 6 millions innocent souls were represented. In addition many others who fell foul of this evil regime.
It impressed on us both that racial discrimination of any type must be defeated immediately.
I wrote the above BEFORE the Hamas attack on Israel. Makes it all quite surreal and the need to stand by Israel and freedom.
ברכת אלוהים על כולכם
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