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• 20260525: Newcraighall (where we put away the bikes for the summer) to Edinburgh (where we rediscover walking. And throngs of tourists.)
  Monday morning, first thing, we snarfed down breakfast at the Premier Inn – it was actually, good, the only redemptive thing about our overpriced stay there – loaded up one pannier with items we plan to store with the bikes over the summer, and cycled a kilometre to “Safestore” where we connected with “Blair” (a bearded, tattooed giant of a man whose passion is Saxon History but whose day job is manning the desk… Read more: 20260525: Newcraighall (where we put away the bikes for the summer) to Edinburgh (where we rediscover walking. And throngs of tourists.)
• 20260522,23,24 Selkirk, Innerleithen and Newcraighall
  We left Kelso with an encouraging weather forecast – cloudy, with a small chance of rain, and a slightly warmer temperature. At last! The ride to Selkirk promised two very interesting stops – Abottsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott, and The Great Tapestry of Scotland. The cycle route followed the River Tweed, with a spectacular view of the Leaderfoot Railway Viaduct, built in 1863. It appears in the 2023 film Indiana Jones and… Read more: 20260522,23,24 Selkirk, Innerleithen and Newcraighall
• 20260519,20,21 Warkworth, Bamburgh and Kelso (yes – Scotland!)
  We’re in Kelso, in the Scottish Borders, south-east of Edinburgh. We’ve cycled 1087 kms, with 7200 metres of climbing. Our last three rides in North East England and Scotland have been the hilliest of the trip by far. We only have three more (very hilly) rides left to get to Edinburgh. Patti here: John’s excited about going home, after all, he’s been away since March 26th. I’m not quite that excited: now that the… Read more: 20260519,20,21 Warkworth, Bamburgh and Kelso (yes – Scotland!)
• 20260517+18 Newcastle. We walked and we froze. So we had a warm, picnic, in our room at the end of a big day. For the record, we LOVED Newcastle.
  I’m attaching this photo of yesterday’s hotel here, because I’m not sure that I included one in the blog. It was a beauty: Hotel Indigo, Durham. Actually, I really like that chain of hotels: IHG. Highly recommended. John’s at bottom, right, setting up the bikes for the day’s ride to Tynemouth and Newcastle. Thanks to the Hadrian’s Cycleway cycle path, we finally arrived in Newcastle, famous for its bridges. A hilly city, it operates… Read more: 20260517+18 Newcastle. We walked and we froze. So we had a warm, picnic, in our room at the end of a big day. For the record, we LOVED Newcastle.
• 20260517 Durham to Tynemouth (and finishing in Newcastle Upon Tyne)
  The 62 kilometre ride from Durham to Tynemouth was great: a healthy climb out of Durham, interesting twists and turns along cycle routes and rail beds, and a seven minute ferry ride near the mouth of the River Tyne at South Shields. After the ferry we turned east to the coast to take a look at the ruins of the Tynemouth Priory and Castle. The site has a commanding view high over the North… Read more: 20260517 Durham to Tynemouth (and finishing in Newcastle Upon Tyne)
• 20260515 -16. Richmond to Durham for two nights, Friday and Saturday night. Close encounters with cows. It’s a Durham thing.
  Richmond to Durham was a long ride: 62 kilometres, one of the last long rides of this trip, the cycling portion of which will end in a week. Ack!!! We encountered a few little manmade barriers to the cycle trails we had chosen for today’s ride. Councils in various towns have control over the impediments they place on cycle paths to keep motorcycles out. Unfortunately, some of them are crunch for us. No worries:… Read more: 20260515 -16. Richmond to Durham for two nights, Friday and Saturday night. Close encounters with cows. It’s a Durham thing.
• 20260514: Ripon to Richmond
  Our ride from Ripon to Richmond – 39 kilometres – was short but we had some challenges with weather! It’s been cooler and greyer, and we ran into some wild, face-slicing sleet. However, as we rounded a corner out of a forest and came upon a spectacular vista, the sun came out: Richmond, and its ancient castle, were just across the valley from us. Here’s a 360 video showing Richmond Castle over the valley… Read more: 20260514: Ripon to Richmond
• 20260512 – 13. York to Ripon. A rare two-nighter. That means laundry!
  York is located on the northen edge of the Yorkshire Wolds, or Plains, with gently rolling hills and lovely towns. We stopped at Allerton Castle along the way. It’s an inspiring restoration, funded by a generous American philanthropist who happened on the castle and saw a need for an infusion of cash as well as of passion for honouring what came before. The castle was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force during the… Read more: 20260512 – 13. York to Ripon. A rare two-nighter. That means laundry!
• 20260511 – 12 Kingston Upon Hull to York. A discourse on proper pubs. And we skipped the Minster.
  The ride from Kingston Upon Hull to York was going to be one of our longest rides – 68 kilometres – but aside from a hill at the beginning of the day, it would be flat. We knew enough to savour the flat profile of that ride because soon enough, we’d be in hilly Yorkshire and …. We arrived in York after 4-1/2 hours of riding, at “Hedley House“, basically two townhouses connected. There… Read more: 20260511 – 12 Kingston Upon Hull to York. A discourse on proper pubs. And we skipped the Minster.
• 20260509 – 10. Lincoln to South Ferriby to Kingston Upon Hull. A Grand Prix, an unexpected Michelin meal, and a one mile long suspension bridge. Queue the #vertigoapprehension.
  On Saturday morning, our B’n’B hosts prepared a spectacular breakfast which was difficult to enjoy because we were seated at a table with a very loud, persistent breather-eater. Honestly. The #misophonia kicks in and it’s enough to throw you off your homemade granola. I know, I know, first world problems, but damn, it was annoying and a reminder of why my trip planner tries to avoid B’n’Bs like the plague. Rant, over. We shared… Read more: 20260509 – 10. Lincoln to South Ferriby to Kingston Upon Hull. A Grand Prix, an unexpected Michelin meal, and a one mile long suspension bridge. Queue the #vertigoapprehension.
• 20260507-08 Peterborough to Boston to Lincoln. Carnivals, cathedrals, and chicken pot pie.
  Thursday May 7th. The route from Peterborough to Boston was very flat, following canals (the Fens) on sparsely travelled roads. It was cool but sunny, and we were kept company only by the cattle on the sides of the canals. When we arrived in Boston, the streets were filled with a massive carnival midway because, apparently, Henry the Eighth had declared that there should be a fair in Boston every year, and carnival workers… Read more: 20260507-08 Peterborough to Boston to Lincoln. Carnivals, cathedrals, and chicken pot pie.
• 20260505 – 06 Kings Lynn to Peterborough
  Tuesday May 5th marked the beginning of our second week of cycling (we started in St. Albans Tuesday April 28th). The route for the day was Kings Lynn to Peterborough, 65 km of the flattest route ever. About an hour and a half into the ride we encountered a detour, aka a dreaded ‘diversion’, but we managed to sweet talk our way through it with the crew ‘laying fibre’. Phew. We followed canals for… Read more: 20260505 – 06 Kings Lynn to Peterborough
• 20260503-04 Norwich to Wells-Next-The-Sea to Kings Lynn. We meet an intrepid trio of hovercraft-ers.
  We left the Maid’s Head Hotel in Norwich early on Sunday morning because we had a big ride ahead, to Wells-Next-The-Sea. Along the way we encountered wildlife: snails, pheasants, Spring lambs, kangaroos (!!!) and free range pigs. We passed a decommissioned airfield in Snoring (“Snoring” – for real). There are defunct airfields from WWII all over the UK. We checked into the Globe Inn in Wells-Next-the-Sea, and, anxious to see the ocean we walked… Read more: 20260503-04 Norwich to Wells-Next-The-Sea to Kings Lynn. We meet an intrepid trio of hovercraft-ers.
• 20260501-02 Bury St. Edmund to Norwich for two nights. Two nights means… laundry!!!
  Friday May 1st was a gorgeous clear morning and we absolutely loved our ride out of Bury St. Edmund along bike paths populated by parents walking their young children to school. We’d left early – 8:30 – because we had a long ride (73 km) ahead of us. A few hours into the ride we stopped at a bakery in Attleborough and talked to a number of people who were very curious about the… Read more: 20260501-02 Bury St. Edmund to Norwich for two nights. Two nights means… laundry!!!
• 20260429-30 Saffron Walden to Long Melford to Bury St. Edmund. And the biggest bathtub you’ve ever seen.
  We scarfed down an excellent pub breakfast, then walked around town – Saffron Walden – to put in time before our timed visit to an English Heritage property. Storekeepers were setting up for the day, we enjoyed watching an old-school butcher carrying his wares. (See photo.) It was sunny and brisk, and the wind was strong enough that when we arrived at that English Heritage Property – Audley End House and Garden – they… Read more: 20260429-30 Saffron Walden to Long Melford to Bury St. Edmund. And the biggest bathtub you’ve ever seen.
• 20260427-28 Our last day in London, a train to St. Albans and … we start riding!
  Monday April 27th, our last full day in London was like a “bonus” day since it wasn’t part of our original itinerary, and, consequently, we hadn’t made any plans, hence John’s pose in the photo below, on the end of our bed at “Hub Soho“, a perfectly functional hotel (we’ve used Hub before and they’re just fine) with typically outrageous London hotel prices (which you just accept if you’re staying in London. I mean,… Read more: 20260427-28 Our last day in London, a train to St. Albans and … we start riding!
• 20260426 London with Patti (Sunday Roast)
  I was laughing to myself when I started to write this post: Walking Days, i.e. days when we’re not cycling from A to B, are dense with images and memories. Cycling Days are sometimes – not always – a blur of pedalling for hours, water breaks and Green Doors*. So … back to London. Sunday. A priority, obvi., was to book a proper Sunday Roast somewhere. We booked a 6:00 dinner at The George… Read more: 20260426 London with Patti (Sunday Roast)
• 260423 – 25 London with Patti!
  Patti: I landed at Heathrow, followed John’s excellent directions to Tottenham Court Station (couldn’t be easier – just jump on the Elizabeth Line) and he met me, as promised, at street level, carrying the three panniers for me to the hotel without even a whimper. I quickly unpacked, rewarded John with a box of Brownie Cookies from home, showered (to remove the ick of Air de Boeing) and by 2:30 we were walking in… Read more: 260423 – 25 London with Patti!
• 260424 Greenwich
  My first visit to Greenwich was in 1996 with our son Rob, twelve years old at the time. We travelled from London on the brand new, but very slow, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), which stopped at Canary Wharf on the north side of the Thames. The DLR had been hastily opened to serve Canada Square, newly built as the highest building in the United Kingdom by Canadian developers Olympia and York. Rob and I… Read more: 260424 Greenwich
• 260421 St Albans
  Last fall, Patti and I cycled from Amersfoort, Netherlands, to St Albans, just north of London. The ride was fantastic, across the English Channel from Dunkirk to Dover, around Kent, and through the centre of London. We stored the trikes in St Albans, and looked forward to returning in the spring. So, after visiting our old friends Nick and Ursula in Bochum, Germany, I took the train through Cologne, Brussels and London to St… Read more: 260421 St Albans
• 260412-16 Berlin and Nuremberg
  These two cities are very well known, and may never recover from, their infamous histories. Berlin as the centre of Nazi German actvities and the wall, and Nuremberg for the Nazi Rally Grounds and the post-war trials. Both cities are rebuilding and rejuvenating, and, at the same time, both are ensuring that their pasts are not forgotten. Will, Rob and I visited the new Topology of Terror Museum, with its temporary exhibition “The Holocaust… Read more: 260412-16 Berlin and Nuremberg
• 20260411 Gdansk
  Our tour guide Sebastian gave the three of us a fantastic tour and history lesson. We knew nothing about Gdansk, except for the images of Lech Wałęsa from the 1980s. Sebastian picked us up from the ferry docks at noon and immediately we were taught about Gdansk’s second world war history. WWII began here. Control of Gdansk, known as Danzig in Germany, has oscillated between Poland and Germany for Centuries. Hitler knew that control… Read more: 20260411 Gdansk
• 20260409,10 Stockholm and the Baltic Sea
  The airport express train is FAST. 180 km/h for the twenty minute trip (Union-Pearson anyone?). The tracks were tunnelled under the runways, so that the platforms are very close to the gates. Brilliant. Rob and Will arrived from Toronto through Copenhagen ahead of schedule, and we quickly boarded the next express downtown, with a fifteen minute walk to the hotel. Will, in a very creative way, found an excellent public swimming pool. The three… Read more: 20260409,10 Stockholm and the Baltic Sea
• 20260406,07,08 Haparanda to Stockholm
  Ben and I boarded the train south from Haparanda very early on a cold cloudy morning. Within a few minutes the train was travelling through a thick snowstorm. We changed trains after about an hour in Boden, heading south towards Umea. Not very much to report. Lots of trees and lakes. Umea was a good spot to grab a lunch as we waited for the next connection. Our next train was held up for… Read more: 20260406,07,08 Haparanda to Stockholm
• 20260404,05,06 Pieksämäki, Oulu and Haparanda
  Ben and I boarded a 6:54 AM train headed for Joensuu, towards the Russian border about a third of the way up Finland. From there we caught a cab for a 35km ride to a family farm just past Liperi (I know – never heard of these places either – look ’em up if you like!). Ben had found eighty year-old Rolf and his model train set with a Google search. Rolf retired about… Read more: 20260404,05,06 Pieksämäki, Oulu and Haparanda
• 20260403 Helsinki
  Hi all! Just a short post. We took the morning ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki. It’s a two and a half hour trip in a big beautiful ferry that was more like a department store. Clothing, food, liquor, wine, beer, toys – more space devoted to retail than to passenger seating. Luckily we were in ‘Comfort Class’ as the ship was jammed with children, all having an absolutely wild and wonderful time. We arrived… Read more: 20260403 Helsinki
• 20260402 Estonia
  This post is dedicated to our dear Estonian friend Peter. Ben and I were in Estonia for two days – April 1 & 2. We travelled by bus to Parnu, just over the Latvian border, and took a cab to the Estonian Train Museum near Lavarraase. A private collection, the museum was started forty years ago by Mehta, a retired train engineer. He has a small indoor collection of rail tools, station gear and… Read more: 20260402 Estonia
• 20260330 Riga, Latvia
  Yesterday morning in Suwalki our hotel made us an incredible box breakfast to eat on our early train. Well – our Vilnius hotel did not come through in the same way. Only a small foil-wrapped cookie. That’s OK, though, we still had the second sandwich leftover from our good friends in Suwalki! They spoiled us. The service on the train was great. Good coffee, a nice brownie, and comfortable seats. We arrived in downtown… Read more: 20260330 Riga, Latvia
• 20260329 Suwalki and Vilnius
  Ben arrived in Warsaw, travelling from Amersfoort, Netherlands to Berlin, overnight, and then Berlin to Warsaw. Over 1,100 kms on a Eurail Pass in two half-days of travel. The European rail network is fantastic. We had a lovely lunch near the train station, and boarded for Suwalki, Poland, near the Lithuanian border. We arrived in the dark, about 7:30pm, and walked the kilometre or so to the hotel. Suwalki is a town of about… Read more: 20260329 Suwalki and Vilnius
• 20260327 Warsaw
  Warsaw, on the banks of the Vistula River, has been an important centre since the late 13th Century. Its central location attracted invasions by Lithuanians and Swedes, Russians, Napolean, and most recently, by Germany and the Soviet Union. Its affluence during the early 20th Century was abruptly ended with World War II. Germany overran the city and gradually oppressed its Jewish people – about 30% of the total population. The Jewish people were either… Read more: 20260327 Warsaw
• Spring 2026 Travels
  Hello to all of our valued friends and family. Patti and I are extremely fortunate to be able to travel again this spring, and we’d love to share our experiences with you. If you don’t want to receive these posts please don’t be shy – go ahead and unsubscribe. OR – if you enjoy them, we’d love it if you passed them on with a suggestion to subscribe. This mailing list is used ONLY… Read more: Spring 2026 Travels
• 20251001 – 3. London for 2-1/2 days then home! The end of Fall 2025’s trip.
  Tip: if you hover your cursor over the photos in the galley at the bottom of the page, you will see the captions. Wednesday October 1st. We left the not-so-premier Premier Inn in St. Albans (not recommended), panniers (and John’s coccyx-injury cushion, see photo) in hand, and walked a quick half hour to the train station where we hopped on the twice-hourly train to the very beautiful St. Pancras Station in London. Honestly, train… Read more: 20251001 – 3. London for 2-1/2 days then home! The end of Fall 2025’s trip.
• Sep 24, 25 – The Army Air Museum, Littleton, Alton and Jane Austen’s House
  Army Flying Museum Full disclosure: this day, i.e. Wednesday September 24th, was the first day of our now re-routed trip. We were no longer going to be headed to Cornwall, choosing to head east and a little north, to end in St. Albans. Our planned National Trust treat for the day was going to be Mottisfont, until we took a harder look at the description for the property and realized that we had already… Read more: Sep 24, 25 – The Army Air Museum, Littleton, Alton and Jane Austen’s House
• 20250923 Uppark House, Hinton Ampner and Winchester
  After our harrowing rides into and out of Arundel we decided to do something about our route design software. For years we have used RideWithGPS for route planning and navigating. Generally it has treated us well. Occasionally we may have been pointed into a field, or placed onto busier roads, but we just considered these occurrences as part of the fun. Leaving Arundel, though, was just not acceptable. Although cycling on a ‘dual-carriage motorway’,… Read more: 20250923 Uppark House, Hinton Ampner and Winchester
• Eden Park to Finchley, right through the City of London (!) to St. Albans where we say goodbye to the bikes until Spring 2026. But first, two flat tires at once, a new personal best for Patti.
  We were very excited about our route for Monday September 29th: 46 kilometres right through the centre of London, past Westminster and Buck House and Primrose Hill, and on to Finchley in North London where we had reserved a locker to store the bikes in until Spring 2026 when we return to cycle to – possibly – Edinburgh. When we left The Carvery in Eden Park (fuelled by a ridiculous number of Yorkshire Puddings)… Read more: Eden Park to Finchley, right through the City of London (!) to St. Albans where we say goodbye to the bikes until Spring 2026. But first, two flat tires at once, a new personal best for Patti.
• 20250922 Chichester
  On Sunday night, after we had unpacked, done a little laundry (because for the first time we had the luxury of a two night stay!!!), and plugged in all necessary batteries, we went for a walk to see the famous Chichester Cathedral in the dying sun. First the composers: Leonard Bernstein wrote the Chichester Psalms, which were commissioned for the 1965 Southern Cathedrals Festival at Chichester Cathedral by the cathedral’s Dean, Walter Hussey. Bernstein… Read more: 20250922 Chichester
• 20250921 Arundel
  Arundel and St Nicholas Church. And a harrowing ride into Chichester. The ride north into Arundel from Seaford through Brighton was actually a little nasty, traffic-wise, and John’s phone was complaining about moisture in a connection, so we were navigating by Patti’s phone, only. Plus, it had clouded over and it was getting cold. We were happy to finally check into the ancient St. Mary’s Gate Inn (1525) (highly recommended) after an almost 60… Read more: 20250921 Arundel
• 20250920 The Brighton Coast
  The Brighton Coast We followed the coast along the beaches of the Brighton area on the way to Arundel. Brighton is one of the most famous beach-side cities because of its easy train ride from London and its landmark pier. We could see a few groups of pale but intrepid people standing in their bathers (cozzies), trying to muster the nerve to get into the water. The beaches along the south coast are made… Read more: 20250920 The Brighton Coast
• 20250926-28 East Horsley, Westerham and Eden Park. Never heard of them? Me neither.
  Continuing on our revised route after changing direction at Winchester… I forgot to mention in the last post about Jane Austen’s home in Alton, that that is where her very modest writing table is. A true shrine for Austen fans, there’s a photo of it in the gallery attached to this post. Continuing east from Alton on a route suggested by our new favorite safe cycling App – cycle.travel – we had an average… Read more: 20250926-28 East Horsley, Westerham and Eden Park. Never heard of them? Me neither.
• 20250917-19 Sissinghurst, Tunbridge Wells, Seaford
  Wednesday the 17th of September we left Canterbury (and more of its recent uni graduates) in the drizzle in front of the cathedral and headed roughly southwest, destination National Trust’s property, “Sissinghurst Castle”, the home of author-gardener Vita Sackville-West and her husband, politician-writer-broadcaster and gardener, Harold Nicolson. Both of these characters led interesting lives and rather than try to recapture that here, I encourage you to follow smart links and be amazed. Suffice it… Read more: 20250917-19 Sissinghurst, Tunbridge Wells, Seaford
• 20250914, 15, 16 Dover, Margate and Canterbury
  Progress to September 16 – Canterbury Our little guest house in Dover, the Churchill House, was just a short walk to the pathway heading up the hill to Dover Castle. And what a hill! We rediscovered our climbing vs. cycling muscles, but it was worth it. Dover Castle is the largest property managed by the English Heritage organization, and includes the castle with its tower overlooking the channel as well as two tunnel museums… Read more: 20250914, 15, 16 Dover, Margate and Canterbury
• 20250905-13 Netherlands, Belgium, and the Channel Crossing
  We left you in Amersfoort, about to venture to Gouda (pronounced Howda, but with an intense growl on the ‘H’). Halfway along the ride we planned to visit the largest castle in the Netherlands – Kastell de Haar. Unfortunately the heavens opened up well before then and by the time we reached the castle we were drenched. We stopped for a picture, but didn’t enter as we were wet and chilled (and there was… Read more: 20250905-13 Netherlands, Belgium, and the Channel Crossing
• 20250907,08 London to the Netherlands
  On Sunday morning, after saying goodbye to Brian (and to our suitcase full of fancy wedding clothes and bling) we walked through leafy neighbourhoods to The Barbican in The City of London, just north of St Paul’s. (You can see remnants of the wall that the Romans built around the original city of Londinium.) We popped into “Postman’s Park”, a delightful square full of gardens and plaques dedicated to people who had made ‘heroic… Read more: 20250907,08 London to the Netherlands
• 202509 Travels
  Last spring we left the trikes in the storage shed of the Salentein restaurant, just outside of Amersfoort, Netherlands. Our great friend Ben, whose company owns the business, made the space available for us. John has known Ben since the first day of Engineering Science at University of Toronto in 1973. We’re in London England to attend the wedding of Jacqueline Knapp, the daughter of another great friend, Brian. Patti has known Brian since… Read more: 202509 Travels
• Copenhagen. The last days of our Spring 2025 trip, Wednesday through Saturday, May 28-31.
  Wednesday morning we (and our panniers) jumped onto a train in Hamburg’s beautiful train station to travel to Copenhagen. (Copenhagen also has a beautiful train station; see the photos, below. And note the bikes on the platform in Hamburg, ready to board. So civilized.) Our route was going to be watery and definitely not a direct line between these two cities. Lots of bridges. Lots of tunnels. Lots of at-sea-level travel. We arrived around… Read more: Copenhagen. The last days of our Spring 2025 trip, Wednesday through Saturday, May 28-31.
• May 26 (Monday) and 27 (Tuesday). Hamburg, Germany.
  This post was written and is being posted on June 6, 2025: the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Hamburg gave us much to think about, especially in regard to war, hatred, children, gratitude and freedom. Monday morning we packed up our panniers and walked with them from the Amrath Berghotel to the Centraal train station. On the sidewalk in front of the station we found a single sidewalk tile commemorating the life of an Amersfoort… Read more: May 26 (Monday) and 27 (Tuesday). Hamburg, Germany.
• May 24 & 25: Amersfoort and Amsterdam
  Saturday morning, with the bikes safely stored, John turned his mind from Ride-with-GPS bike routes to Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) (Dutch Railways) train schedules. As mentioned previously, we had booked tours for today of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank Huis ‘way back in March. It was forecast to be – and was – a rainy day, so, a good day to be inside. It was an easy hour-long train ride from Amersfoort to Amsterdam. Amsterdam:… Read more: May 24 & 25: Amersfoort and Amsterdam
• May 23: Last Ride – to Amersfoort
  Our riding is complete! We cycled a total of 1,238 kilometers with 8,574 meters of climbing over 24 rides from April 30th to May 23rd. You can see the details of each ride by clicking here. Our friend Ben helped us plan the last route from Asperen to Amersfoort (his childhood home). We had planned to ride through Utrecht on the way to Amersfoort, but Ben said Utrecht has many highways and canals and… Read more: May 23: Last Ride – to Amersfoort
• May 20, 21, 22: Antwerp, Breda and Asperen
  We had a surprise when we fetched our trikes from the hotel’s basement in Ghent: Patti’s front right tire was flat. Ah well. Twenty minutes of patching and pumping and it was good to go. That was our first puncture since Ireland over two years ago when we had three flats in one rainy day, so we can’t complain. The 55 kilometre ride to Antwerp was flat and mostly beside the rail line. (Trains!!!)… Read more: May 20, 21, 22: Antwerp, Breda and Asperen
• May 18 & 19: Ghent
  We set out early from Ypres in order to be on time for our 2:15 tour slot at Ooidonk Castle, about 65 kms away. The final destination of the day – Ghent – was only 15 kms further. The route that RideWithGPS designed for us wasn’t “as the crow flies”; it took us quite a bit to the south. We soon knew why! For almost 50 kms of the ride we were on an… Read more: May 18 & 19: Ghent
• May 17: Passchendaele. Fittingly, we end the day with The Last Post in Ypres.
  Although our ride from Lille to Ypres was a short one – 43 km – it involved a very important stop at the Tyne Cot Cemetery and Visitors’ Centre, at Passchendaele. This was the site of the famous “Third Battle of Ypres”, July to Novemer 1917. It is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in the world and it seems appropriate, now, to talk about the role of that organization. “In late 1914… Read more: May 17: Passchendaele. Fittingly, we end the day with The Last Post in Ypres.
• May 16: Vimy
  Our ride from Arras to Lille was basically 53 kilometres of unremarkable roads. We kept meeting up with the gang of British scooter riders (the riders were British) from our hotel in Lille. That group of twenty or so had toured Normandy last year, this year it was Vimy. Some of them bring their wives, some are on their own. They place wreaths with the banner of their ‘scooter club’ to place at the… Read more: May 16: Vimy
• May 13, 14 & 15 : Forges-les-Eaux, Amiens and Arras
  We left Rouen on a bright morning after enjoying a coffee and baguette at a local brasserie. We were looking forward to a relatively easy ride of 45 kms, with a climb from near sea-level to about 200m and only a few ups and downs. It was a warm sunny ride through farmers’ fields and Patti stopped to sprinkle some of her mum’s ashes on the poppies on the side of the road. We… Read more: May 13, 14 & 15 : Forges-les-Eaux, Amiens and Arras
• May 10 – 12: Honfleur and Rouen
  Our rides to date. 13 trips, 607kms, 5450m of climbing. Halfway through. The 60km ride from Caen to Honfleur was absolutely beautiful. Patti’s favorite ride so far. We followed the Orne River toward the Channel, crossing the Orne at the famous ‘Pegasus Bridge’. Originally named Pont Bénouville, it was renamed Pegasus in honour of the shoulder emblem of the British 1st Airborne Corps. Just after midnight on D-Day (June 6 1944) 181 men were… Read more: May 10 – 12: Honfleur and Rouen
• May 9: Juno Beach
  Our guide Mathieu grew up in a village called Thaon, about halfway between Juno Beach and Caen, and to start the day he showed us his childhood home, his parents’ house, and later in the day, his grandparents’ home. The real reason for showing us his family home was to reveal to us the gratitude that the citizens of this entire area exhibit for the soldiers of Canada. Canadian flags amd memorials are literally… Read more: May 9: Juno Beach
• May 7 & 8: Omaha Beach and 80th Anniversary of VE Day
  Our guide, Mathieu, picked us up at 9:00 for our tour of Omaha Beach, the American landing areas (as opposed to the British and Canadian landing areas which we would see two days later). Mathieu took us first to the La Cambe German War Cemetery, containing the remains of over 21,200 German military personnel. His goal was to prepare us to feel the difference between this sombre site and what we would see later… Read more: May 7 & 8: Omaha Beach and 80th Anniversary of VE Day
• Monday May 5 and Tuesday 6 : Tessy-sur-Vire & Bayeux
  Our host Chantal made us another perfect breakfast in Pontaubault and we set off on a very chilly Monday morning. Our headwind was strong out of the North, and the sky looked slightly threatening. On we go. Lots of hill climbing, and a hand-numbing head wind encouraged us to stop at the halfway point in the old town of Villedieu-les-Poêles-Rouffigny. John purchased a 17mm wrench from one of the only stores open (most stores… Read more: Monday May 5 and Tuesday 6 : Tessy-sur-Vire & Bayeux
• Saturday May 3 and Sunday the 4th. Two nights in Pontaubault, and a daytrip to Mont Saint-Michel. Days 4 and 5 of cycling.
  Our travels to-date, starting in Chartres, and now in Pontaubault, on Baie Saint-Michel. On Saturday morning at 9:30 we left the decadent Manoir du Lys; we had a 75 km ride in front of us. After a couple of hours we happened on the Musee de Poire, a museum dedicated to the production and consumption and brown market trade during WWII of what is, basically, pear cider. (There is some alcohol content but children… Read more: Saturday May 3 and Sunday the 4th. Two nights in Pontaubault, and a daytrip to Mont Saint-Michel. Days 4 and 5 of cycling.
• May 2 – Manoir du Lys (Bagnoles de l’Orne) – DAY 3
  This was the day of our big indugence: a beautiful hotel, the Manoir du Lys, with a Michelin listed restaurant. And boy – was that dinner great! But before that we had to get there. Hotel buffet breakfasts in Europe can be a depressing, especially at about 18 Euros each for day old croissants and bad coffee. We left Alençon’s Hotel du Duc and instead, found a fine local breakfast joint with orange juice,… Read more: May 2 – Manoir du Lys (Bagnoles de l’Orne) – DAY 3
• April 30 & May 1 – Bellême and Alençon
  We are making our way west from Chartres towards Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. It takes four rides to make the journey: 75 km to Bellême, 43 km to Alençon, 53 km to Bagnoles de l’Orne, and 78 km to Pontaubault. We’ll be in Pontaubault for two nights; from there it’s a short 15 km ride to Mont Saint-Michel for a full day which we will, of course, time to coincide with the tides. Wednesday… Read more: April 30 & May 1 – Bellême and Alençon
• April 29, 2025. Chartres, France
  Sunday afternoon we left the house around 3, took the bus to the subway to Kipling and then the airport express bus to Pearson. Our flight was on time, and since we had only carry-on, we were out of Charles DeGaulle airport in record time. We jumped on the RER B train to Gare Montparnasse (hint – buy your Metro ticket online before arriving or you will line up for 45 minutes to get… Read more: April 29, 2025. Chartres, France
• Chartres to Amersfoort to Copenhagen: the 80th anniversary of VE-Day. WWI Trenches. Anne Frank. And a Little Mermaid.
  Hullo! Bonjour! Groetjes! Hallo! Hej! The last time we wrote a cycling blog post was in November of 2024 after we had had, to be honest, a hellacious last day of riding through a freak snow storm. On that day, we were very grateful to leave the bikes at the HomeBox storage facility in Chartres. In a nutshell: Fall 2024’s trip was “1587 kilometres cycled over five weeks… and the watery-est trip so far.… Read more: Chartres to Amersfoort to Copenhagen: the 80th anniversary of VE-Day. WWI Trenches. Anne Frank. And a Little Mermaid.
• Days 41 and 42. Chateaudun to Chartres on Thursday November 21st through a raging blizzard: the toughest day of riding, EVER. Chartres to Paris to Toronto on Friday. The fabulous end of a fabulous trip.
  Both of us were awake at different times during Wednesday night (November 20th) at the Brit Hotel in Chateaudun, checking the weather apps and the increasingly alarming storm notifications – official “Code Orange” – from the French government on European news sites. You’ll see from the screenshots below that the outlook was not good. In fact, at one point, rather than our current Plan B* to cycle from Chateaudun to Chartres, put the bikes… Read more: Days 41 and 42. Chateaudun to Chartres on Thursday November 21st through a raging blizzard: the toughest day of riding, EVER. Chartres to Paris to Toronto on Friday. The fabulous end of a fabulous trip.
• Monday Nov. 18, Tuesday Nov. 19, Wednesday Nov. 20. Days 38, 39, 40 two nights at Chef Christophe Hay’s Fleur de Loire Hotel and Michelin starred restaurants followed by a night at the Brit Hotel, Chateaudun.
  It was hard to leave our hotel in Amboise, Le Clos d’Amboise, because the room was so comfortable and spacious, and the dining room staff and chef were so excellent. However, we have to push on to Chartres, and Blois was our next and final Loire Valley city. Our ride was an easy, flat, wind-at-our back (luxury!) ride, mostly on small country roads that followed the Loire River east and north. Observation: we’re at… Read more: Monday Nov. 18, Tuesday Nov. 19, Wednesday Nov. 20. Days 38, 39, 40 two nights at Chef Christophe Hay’s Fleur de Loire Hotel and Michelin starred restaurants followed by a night at the Brit Hotel, Chateaudun.
• Friday November 15 through Sunday the 17th, Days 35, 36, 37. Nouâtre to Tours for one night, Amboise for two nights.
  We said goodbye to the delightful young son and daughter (and chickens) of our hosts in Nouatre, passed the site of the tragic WWII massacre of all of the inhabitants of the town of Maillé (Maison du Souvenirs), and cycled in dense French fog (see moody photo of dead sunflowers in field) until we reached the small town of Veigne when the fog lifted and the sun kind-of came out to reveal a lovely… Read more: Friday November 15 through Sunday the 17th, Days 35, 36, 37. Nouâtre to Tours for one night, Amboise for two nights.
• Days 33 and 34. Wed Nov 13 and Thu Nov 14. Aubigné to Poitier to Nouâtre.
  Our bellies full of Pasta Carbonara and Molten Chocolate Pudding swimming in a custard sauce from Tuesday night and Pain au Chocolat from Wednesday’s breakfast (thank-you Chef Bastiaan at L’Ancien Cafe in Aubigne) we hit the road bright and early on Wednesday morning. It was a frosty 3 dg C and we had a bastardy head wind out of the north that never let up for the next 4-1/2 hours. Still, we were on… Read more: Days 33 and 34. Wed Nov 13 and Thu Nov 14. Aubigné to Poitier to Nouâtre.
• Day 32, November 12, 75 km Barbezieux to Aubigné
  Ordinarily we don’t post every day but today we arrived here around 1:00; there’s nothing to do or so see in this tiny stopover town and after 75 km of very cold riding that ended in rain we’re only nicely warmed up now, 3 hours later! A cup of tea, feet up, and some internet is looking really attractive. Thus, I blog. (And John haunts music arranging, math, and cycling equipment sites). Aubigne is… Read more: Day 32, November 12, 75 km Barbezieux to Aubigné
• Days 30 and 31. November 10th and 11th. Libourne and Barbizieux, France.
  John here: Our Ride With GPS rides and routes Collection, so far. Open it to see where we’ve been and the routes for each day. The long red part from Cordoba to San Sebastian was done by van with the bikes stowed in the back. Its distance is not included in the kilometre total. Thank goodness we were able to turn the van in to Enterprise in San Sebastián not Valencia as originally planned.… Read more: Days 30 and 31. November 10th and 11th. Libourne and Barbizieux, France.
• Days 28 and 29. November 8th and 9th. Mont-de-Marsan and Bazas, France.
  I meant to say this about our evening in Dax: we had hoped to be able to eat dinner at the number one spot according to TripAdvisor but there was a handwritten sign on their door saying “complet”, so we headed to the town square. Dax isn’t a popular tourist destination but the French apparently enjoy eating out, so many places were busy. Atypically for us, we were drawn to a SPORTS bar supporting… Read more: Days 28 and 29. November 8th and 9th. Mont-de-Marsan and Bazas, France.
• Days 25, 26 and 27. San Sebastián, Bayonne (France!) and Dax. November 5, 6 and 7.
  We were so happy to be back in the Hotel Londres y Inglaterra in San Sebastián where we had stayed in August of 2019. The purpose of that cycling tour had been to remember my cousin Judy Bolton with some of her friends, and at that time all of us had loved the city, its spectacular beach and bay, and its Basque influences. The hotel is old school elegance – there are definitely more… Read more: Days 25, 26 and 27. San Sebastián, Bayonne (France!) and Dax. November 5, 6 and 7.
• Days 19-25 – Granada, Almeria, Alcabendas & San Sebastian (Oct 31 – Nov 5)
  Here are a few photos we forgot to include in the previous post. The cave tour in Nerja was truly impressive and beautifully presented. Look at those stalagmites and stalactites: some of them resemble a gigantic pipe organ. The meal at “Patanegra 57” restaurant was spectacular. We really really liked Nerja and only regret not getting down to the actual beach. The shoreline is hostile/inviting. But there was the wind, and the rain with… Read more: Days 19-25 – Granada, Almeria, Alcabendas & San Sebastian (Oct 31 – Nov 5)
• Days 16, 17, 18 – Cordoba, Malaga & Nerja (Oct 28 – 30)
  Bright and early on a sunny Monday morning we cycled to Cordoba’s bus terminal, picked up our rental car from Enterprise (we’ve been renting cars from them since 1981), stowed the bikes in the back (it’s a small van that I’ve secretly named “Ann the Van”), and hit the road. Traveller’s Tip: Cordoba is pronounced CORdoba. Malaga is pronounced MALaga.Traveller’s Tip: it’s a given that the first turn you make when you start your… Read more: Days 16, 17, 18 – Cordoba, Malaga & Nerja (Oct 28 – 30)
• Days 14 & 15 – Cordoba (Oct 26 & 27)
  Two weeks ago today we left Toronto. Since then we’ve cycled 675 kilometres and eaten a mountain of Serrano and Iberian ham, goat cheese and olives. This weekend in Cordoba has been restful after all of the cycling and packing and unpacking. We’ve been here since Friday afternoon and we leave tomorrow morning when we’ll cycle to a car rental place at the train station, pick up a small van we’ve reserved, throw the… Read more: Days 14 & 15 – Cordoba (Oct 26 & 27)
• Days 11, 12 & 13 – Sevilla, Palma del Rio, Almodovar del Rio & Cordoba(Oct 23, 24 & 25)
  We retrieved our bikes from the piano studio in Hotel Amadeus, and unfolded and set them up on a tiny bit of space on the side of the walkway outside the front door of the hotel. There’s always something to fix or adjust, especially when the trikes have been folded, so it took some time, and elicited stares and comments from the international set of passersby. John had a wish list of small fixes… Read more: Days 11, 12 & 13 – Sevilla, Palma del Rio, Almodovar del Rio & Cordoba(Oct 23, 24 & 25)
• Days 8, 9 & 10 – El Rocio to Sevilla (Oct 21, 22 & 23)
  Monday morning we left the spectacular (and highly recommended) La Malvasia hotel in El Rocio and made a point of stopping at the chapel on the way out of town. The Madonna statue there is an important destination for pilgrims to visit on horseback, and, as we witnessed, on their knees inside the chapel. (No video allowed in the chapel, but I described that experience in a video, below, after we exited.) We passed… Read more: Days 8, 9 & 10 – El Rocio to Sevilla (Oct 21, 22 & 23)
• Days 6 & 7 – Mertola to El Rocio
  To be honest, we had pangs of sadness leaving Portugal on our last day there.  It’s a beautiful country, scenery-wise, the food is absolutely delicious, and its peoples are family-oriented, caring, and genuine.  There’s a reason why it is enjoying a tourism boom now: they’re doing everything right.  We had a half hour long conversation with some Portuguese and Dutch travellers at a Rio Guadiana vista on the side of the road a couple… Read more: Days 6 & 7 – Mertola to El Rocio
• Day 4 & 5 – Santiago de Cacem to Aljustrel & Mertola
  On Thursday we had a 2:30 appointment for a mining tour in Aljustrel (Parque Mineiro de Aljustrel) so told ourselves to get up early and hit the road. Ooops – slept in and got away an hour late. As it turned out, all was well. The first twenty minutes of the 65 km ride was a steady downhill, and the balance of the journey was mostly flat through beautiful farm country and pretty small… Read more: Day 4 & 5 – Santiago de Cacem to Aljustrel & Mertola
• Day 3 – Setubal to Santiago do Cacem, Alentejo
  After the excitement and drama of our soggy second day, it was wonderful to wake up to brilliant blue skies. We chatted with a couple from Kamloops in the garage while we set up for the day’s ride. (They noticed our Canadian flags.). They were riding very compact, foldable “Dahon” bikes. Our first stop of the day was Setubal’s famous fishmarket, Mercado Livramento, a bucket list item for me. The problem with these sightseeing… Read more: Day 3 – Setubal to Santiago do Cacem, Alentejo
• Day 2 – Lisbon to Setubal
  Patti and I had great sleeps last night, helping to move our systems ahead five hours. Breakfast was fantastic. We packed up our panniers, left them at the front desk, and walked for twenty minutes to the Jeronimo Monastery (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos). But FIRST, we stopped at Pasteis de Belem, THE source for the famed Portuguese Custard Tarts. The tart was still warm from the oven. Patti was in foodie heaven. The Monastery is… Read more: Day 2 – Lisbon to Setubal
• Day 1 – Toronto to Lisbon
  Our (John’s and my) first 24 hours involved an overnight flight from Toronto to Heathrow on Thanksgiving Sunday (3-4 hours of sleep – yahoo!) and a connecting flight to Lisbon at 8 a.m., putting us at 11:00 a.m. on Monday into an airport that is stretched well beyond its capacity. Picture a field of planes parked on a massive tarmac, serviced by jetways and passenger buses, huge lineups for immigration and the exit line… Read more: Day 1 – Toronto to Lisbon
• Lisbon
  Our last day of riding – Friday May 31 – was from Torres Vedras to a storage company in the outskirts of Lisbon where we were going to leave our bikes. It was a short (56 km., 865m ascent) but slightly hairy ride. Lisbon is a huge city and its outskirts go on for miles and miles. There is a TON of traffic, and, sadly, although we had been spoiled with dedicated bike lanes… Read more: Lisbon
• Torres Vedras
  John: Our last two days of riding originally were going to take us more inland into a national park area for an evening at a place called Artvilla. Very funky looking, not too expensive, kind of in the middle of nowhere. As we got further south in Portugal I began to be concerned about longer distances and higher climbs with increasing heat and sun exposure. So, at about 2am one night about a week… Read more: Torres Vedras
• Tomar to Batalha
  Tuesday May 28th, we left Tomar early (we had only 54 km to ride with 950m ascent but the forecast was for sun). Not very far into the ride we rounded a corner at the top of the hill and saw a gorgeous aqueduct. It was the Aqueduct of Pegoes, built to supply Tomar’s Convent of Christ with water. It took 21 years to build the six kilometre long aqueduct: when you see how… Read more: Tomar to Batalha
• Batalha to São Martinho Do Porto (and Nazare)
  This ride took us through a major cork growing area. Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork. We were puzzled when looking at trees with all of their bark removed up to about the 2 metre level. Often a small bucket was mounted in this bare area collecting sap. Turns out the bark gets processed into cork, and is shipped worldwide. On the way we stopped in Nazare, made famous by the recent… Read more: Batalha to São Martinho Do Porto (and Nazare)
• Tomar
  Tomar is famous as an important centre of the Knights Templar. Its Convent of Christ is a Unesco World Heritage site and it is a true jewel of Portugal. I cannot overstate this: IF YOU ARE GOING TO PORTUGAL, DO NOT MISS TOMAR’s Convent of Christ. The ride to Tomar from Pombal was a short one (50 km) but there were some climbs (923m). Enough exertion in dry sunshine to lend a certain level… Read more: Tomar
• Coimbra to Pombal
  A little side-note (from John). As we rode our trikes first through a bit of England, around Wales, across south Ireland, Brittany in France, Bordeaux, northern Spain, and across Portugal, I am amazed at how ‘easy’ this type of travelling is now. We still have to power ourselves across many kilometres, and appreciate a little e-assist up the long steep hills, but several things have made cycling trips much more enjoyable than they would… Read more: Coimbra to Pombal
• Praia Mira to Coimbra
  May 25th, already. Less than a week until we store the bikes in Lisbon next Friday (May 31st). Ack! Coimbra is a university town, and we were there the day the students were graduating. If we had stayed on until later on Sunday we would have seen what is supposed to be an epic parade through the streets. (Or maybe it’s best that we would be moving on, early.) The university itself is at… Read more: Praia Mira to Coimbra
• Aveiro to Praia De Mira
  A lovely short (32km) and flat ride from Aveiro to the beach, with a stop at the ceramics factory museum, Vista Allegre. While we were gearing up the bikes in the morning, there was a person hanging around outside the hotel. Spidey senses were tingling, perhaps a misfire, but two of the hotel staffers were hyper-aware, also, and they stayed with us and the bikes until we finally pulled away. It always takes about… Read more: Aveiro to Praia De Mira
• Porto to Aveiro
  John here. We got away early from Porto, with the sun just rising behind the beautiful Porto bridge. We wanted to beat the heat and the sun for the long ride ahead of us, but EARLY breakfast is tricky in Porto (yesterday – Starbucks – I know …), so late at night I googlemapped a tiny cafe about 5km south. Turned out to be the ‘official’ club/cafe of the Porto Futbol team. Hmmm. But,… Read more: Porto to Aveiro
• Porto
  We had a day off from cycling!!!! A whole day to explore Porto, and our knees kneeded -LOL – the break! While we waited for our 9:30 tour with a local guide to start we were lucky enough to happen on a hardware store where John was relieved to find a bit that had gone missing from his bike. I blame the cobblestones. At any rate, problem solved. Our guide’s recounting of the recent… Read more: Porto
• Riding Into Porto
  John here: Hah! We missed a day or two. But here we are on the coast of Portugal, south of Porto. The biking day into Porto was incredible. Pouring rain, intense long inclines, trails through mud, crazy descents on very slippery cobblestones and rocks (see the video where Patti bumps her way down a disused Roman road that we finally found after a route suggested by Ride with GPS seemingly ended in a field)… Read more: Riding Into Porto
• Riding to RibaDouro
  More hills, incredible Douro valley views, steep cobblestones, road blocks, great food and wine, and barking dogs. Another lovely day along the Douro. Tomorrow is THE long hilly ride to Porto. I’ve been worried about this one. Wish us luck!
• The Middle of Portugal and the Douro River Valley
  After leaving Spain we slogged through two days of cycling against a head wind and a cold front. Temperatures started about 6 deg C in the morning, and really didn’t improve much, and rain was always threatening. Our first refuge was in Sendim, in a hotel under reconstruction preparing to be a wedding reception destination. Not quite yet, though. A tent at the back of the property was serving lovely meals mostly for the… Read more: The Middle of Portugal and the Douro River Valley
• Zamora, Miranda Do Douro and onto Sendim
  A couple of days of stuff here as we left Spain and ventured into Portugal. The 69.5 km ride was fairly uneventful, just more of that dratted headwind. When we crossed from Spain into Portugal, the only fuss was a Spanish sign – no Portuguese one! (See photo.) Obviously, the land all looked the same. The border is at the top of a ridge. Miranda Do Douro is known as the “Grand Canyon of… Read more: Zamora, Miranda Do Douro and onto Sendim
• Parador de Zamora
  Our ride from Toro to Zamora started with a treat: after a breakfast of Patti’s favorite treat, the Abuluelo cake filled with Nutella along with a fantastic coffee (see photo), we enjoyed a nice steep descent onto what would be a flat route of about 36 kilometres. Lots of stork nests on church roofs. Sometimes the parishioners have even built ‘cage supports’ to house the huge nests. The toughest part of this ‘easy’ day… Read more: Parador de Zamora
• Toro, Spain
  Vallodalid was a real pleasure. We left in the morning and cycled against a relentless west wind for about 70 kms. Whew!!! Very flat and fertile farms, well irrigated with machinery, a few gently rolling hills, lots of beautiful red poppies, but that wind. Relentless! We climbed a few hills towards the end and entered the Reora and Toro wine regions. All of a sudden grape vines reappeared, with their accompanying bodegas. A final… Read more: Toro, Spain
• Valladolid, Spain
  Ahhh! This is a beautiful city. It once rivalled Madrid as the dominant centre of Spain, but a French invasion a few hundred years ago destroyed much of the infrastructure, including severely damaging its massive cathedral. Our takeaways from Valladolid are: its huge and numerous large open space plazas, all with NO cars, incredibly neat and tidy everywhere, impeccable new transit vehicles, very cool Sunday evening plaza concerts with hundreds of city-provided chairs, everyone… Read more: Valladolid, Spain
• Getting Across Central Spain
  We’ve just finished our second day of biking after leaving Burgos and we’re combining two days’ worth of posts into one because, honestly, the past two days have really just been about getting through the miles. The terrain is much flatter now, with distant hills that resemble the mesas of Arizona. The zone we’re traversing is an industrial and agricultural area. Not particularly charming or beautiful. Huge car factories (see the Michelin photo below)… Read more: Getting Across Central Spain
• Burgos
  What a fantastic city. We rode about 40 km and began our approach to Burgos proper with a 5km long beautiful bike path following the Arlanzón river. The river bisects the city, with the old areas to the north, and the more recent builds to the south. We entered from the north-eastern suburbs and had a thirty minute ride, sharing the path with many riders and walkers as the architecture became older and older.… Read more: Burgos
• Very Hot, Very Dry, Very Long
  We left the lush, rolling landscapes of the Rioja near Pomplano and entered the flatter, drier, hotter area to the west. The ride was big, too. About 72 kms with quite a bit of climbing, especially at the end. The last 10 kms was a constant climb from 750m to about 1,000m. It was wonderful to find our lovely B&B. One stretch of the ride was about 20 kms, straight as an arrow, with… Read more: Very Hot, Very Dry, Very Long