Four countries in one day, not bad going, now I will enjoy a few days riding through germany towards Chezch Republic.
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Dunkurque - Duoai 134 km
Duoai - Montcornet 124km
Montcornet - Montmedy 132km
Montmedy - Schweich, France, 4 countries in one day, Belguim, Luxumberg, Germany 117km
Schweich - Broden Bach 130km, beautifull cycle paths, following river from Koblenz, Limburg, Villmar
Broden Back - Villmar 122km
Villmar - Budingen 109km, beautifull medieval village
Budingen - Frammersbach 60km
Frammersbach - Hassfurt 103km
Hassfurt - Speichersdof 125km
Speichersdof - Stribo 126km Chezch Republic
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This day I found some seeds, then a cold beer in a river and then a German flag.....could there be any symbolism in this little riddle......not sure, still waiting to sow my seeds I guess.
No matter how hard you try,some battles you will not win...
I know there's pirates here somewhere......
Great cycle paths, rivers
3000km...the first repair, just a spoke to replace, front wheel.
I knew it....! German pirates.........
....drunk Pirates
Talking of drinking....
Budingen
Lots of big beer, big beards, bigger leather women, breasts with biggger beards and plenty of thigh, wench slapping fun and the occasional goat and one Camel.
....Three glasses of mead and the rest was history as they say, a great night here, totally unexpected.
I tried to video some of the music, its a bit dark but the sound is OK...
Theres the Camel....the goat was too quick and ran away.
A little rest now, my bike seemed to have found some other friends to play with before we head off to the Chezch Republic.
I got lost a few times in Germany, and every time I found my way was by cycling upthe nearest hill, normally the biggest one that has the big wind turbines on the top....and sure enough I found my road again.....dont quote me on that, just works for me.
Portsmouth - Great Missenden, 140km
Great Missenden - Forest of Dean 176km
Forest - of Dean - Brecon 64km
Brecon - Simpson Cross 150km Simpson Cross - Machynlleth 143km
Machynlleth - Newtown 50km
Newtown - Chase Terrace 118km
Base camp...Great Missenden
Now with friends, Steve, Peggy, dogs, chickens, plants and vegetables, a little humble oasis amid the swarms of prestige cars, horse boxes and quaint, 300 acre estates...."release the hounds I see some of those undesirables have arrived......"
come on felicity..move your ass!
the good life
The last day from Portsmouth to Great Missenden was a painful day of endurance, my left Achilles heel became very sore and swollen, and felt like rusty barbed wire instead of well lubricated sinews, that were trying to articulate my foot, but I pressed on hoping to reach my friends place before it siezes up completely.
I guess the comfort of the ride with this recumbent position had given me a false sense of ability, tempting me to push the boundaries as far as possible, but these things come as a lesson and so nothing else to be done now except to rest for a few days.
I adjusted my riding position, because I discovered my left leg seemed to be shorter than my right, which I got a bit upset about discovering that I am not perfectly symmetrical, and figured that must have been causing that leg to overstretch.
Today I went out for a short ride, the first time in about a week that I felt any sort of noticeable relief returning, and went well, so soon I think we will be heading off again, but try to be a bit more reasonable maybe, west towards Wales over the Black mountains and into Haverfordwest.
great food and the award goes to Peggy for creating the most extreme, sticky toffee pudding with a calorie intake equivalent to 57 deep fried, battered mars bars....well done...!
thank you my friends, great few days.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Going to Dover _________________________________________________________________________________________________
I am here and the time is now, Britain is flowing behind me in a wake of yesterdays news, the white cliffs of Dover, say farewell but hello to new places and faces of tomorrow.
Just wondering seems to be the thing to do, when you dont know where you are or where you are going next, then there is no point worry too much about the direction, because we always end up where we wanted to be in the end, aimlessly wondering, especially in nature brings about new discoveries, new places and new faces, so it is good to lose attatchments of what should or should not be, maybe this is the lesson we are being tested with? and the doubts that will present themselves with this particular chapter. Important to relax, not fight with things too much and allow situations to freely enter, the way they want to.
If our minds are not free, relaxed then we will never be able to organise our lives into a peaceful order, make the right choices, because our decisions will always be directed by fears and insecurities, desires based upon bagage and pollution of modern life, so therefore our true direction will always be off course and feel like we are not going anywhere.
Take long walks in nature to clear the mind of distracting thoughts, fears.
Meditate, think alot, see yourself, others and ultimately to understand life.
Life is like surfing, taking a huge wave by mistake and suddenly it becomes a frightening ride of survival, and you dont know how you are going to get away with it, eventually it dunks you under and you are struggling to breathe, fighting, trying to get to the air, feeling like you are suffocating, but if you relax it feels not so bad just let it tumble you around and soon enough you pop up, you get to take a huge lungful of air, suddenly you have forgotten all your troubles, you are in the present moment, alive, and can see clearly again all around you, and now you know where you need to go...!
Just go.....
It is never to late to learn anything, it is never too late to know we dont know anything, this way there are always new surprises and discoveries around the corner, in this ocean of quantum potential.
Forest of Dean
Rainy days and dreaming of girls, I keep searching...but where is she?
here comes the rain,it has been waiting for my return I am sure of it.
Nolton Bay, Haverdfordwest
Hmmm a few solar panels, trailer....?
Pembrokshire coastline, and sunny!
after waiting over a week for the rain and wind to stop, I decided it was not going to, so it was time to say goodbye to my Dad and renata.
90.5kmh......gale force wind behind me and downhill......a new record for my Azub, it was actually quite scary.
Welsh landscapes
....somewhere in Wales?
Me, Leah (my daughter), Cynthia
My Mom
Some say I have balls doing what I am doing, but maybe I am just happy to see you?
Heading south, an evening looking out over the Thames estuary
Goodnight London, tomorrow Dover.
......There were a few interesting comments from this country, the most memorable whilst riding through the center of London, a young lad full of Cockney cheek...." fack in ell mate, some geezers gone and put your bike back togever wrong, innit, facking, fack fack fack"
I was trying to take it easy, but it was just too interesting to just keep going, trying to find my limitations with this bike and myself, in the end averaging about 120km a day, but still leaving me enough time to rest, feed and to take in some places of interest along the way. More importantly no more sore ass........ I love this bike.
tout le monde...!
So a great ride so far up this side of France, tranquil villages and through kilometers of pine forests up to Cap Ferret excellent cycle paths and great places to stop and camp.
arriving at dusk first sight of the ocean west coast France, near Cap Ferret
hours of peaceful cycle paths
more hours of forest cycle paths
ferry crossing from point de grave to le Verdon
Bridge over to Isle de Oleron
Next we go to the UK, a few more hills to climb in Wales, Yorkshire, Derbyshire and I am sure the rain will be waiting for my return also......good old England...!
Farewell to friends and to strange cat relationships, I will miss them all.....
Merci David et Roxane
So the time is finally here, the masacre on chicken island is over and now it is time to make my escape. After burning all evidence I then finally committed my working boots and toxic socks to a well deserved rest, in true indian stylie, may their ashes not leave any further stains on the enviroment and hope they and the chickens have a better reincarnation next time around....!
Light the beacons so that even in the darkness, light will shine there to, au revoir `Cassaet`....a bientot, merci et gross biszou, tout....On y va....?
A little rest now, my bike seemed to have found some other friends to play with before we head off to the Chezch Republic.
