Home

Recent Posts

• 20261011 Dijon, Day 2. Owls. Grotesques. And a fabulous Indian food meal. Sadly, no moutarde.
  Addendum to yesterday’s post: I forgot to mention the Parcours de la Chouette, a great tourism directive whereby you follow little brass markers in the sidewalks to various sites around the city, well described on a map from the tourism office. The owl is the symbol of the city of Dijon. More about that later. Back to Sunday’s plans. We were blessed with absolutely spectacular sunshine! After our hotel breakfast we set out to… Read more: 20261011 Dijon, Day 2. Owls. Grotesques. And a fabulous Indian food meal. Sadly, no moutarde.
• 20261010. Gray to Dijon. RAIN. Bring on the mustard!
  Patti here: Our route from Gray to Dijon was 55 kilometres according to Ride with GPS. John had – mercifully – shortened our original path or we would have been on the trails for an additional 7 kilometres. The forecast was for rain but there was nothing to be done about that, so…. we set up the bikes and (since we were in an apartment we had no restaurant to hit up for petit… Read more: 20261010. Gray to Dijon. RAIN. Bring on the mustard!
• 20261009 Scey-sur-rainy-Saone to Gray. Canals. Cold. And cats.
  According to our Ride with GPS app, the route that John had planned for Scey-sur-rainy-Saone to Gray was 60 kilometres. We scarfed down a quick breakfast (croissants and coffee, always croissants and coffee) at the patisserie conveniently across the road, dragged the bikes out of the walled garden, and set them up. We started in 4° C foggy cold, and 4° C on a bike in the fog is really cold! Wind chill +… Read more: 20261009 Scey-sur-rainy-Saone to Gray. Canals. Cold. And cats.
• 20261008. Corre to Scey-sur-Saône-et-Saint-Albin. WET. Wet. Wet. Wet. I definitely need to update my raingear game.
  Patti here. We have been so lucky on this trip: Thursday’s ride from Corre to Scey-sur-Saone-et-Saint-Albin was our first day of truly wretched rain. (Below, a cow, oblivious to the rain and mud.) We left the farmhouse gite in drizzle, and rode 2-1/4 hours through unrelenting rain (hence no photos) in order to get to the second of John’s booking.com reservations, “Maison du pecheur”, a completely charming small house on the side of the… Read more: 20261008. Corre to Scey-sur-Saône-et-Saint-Albin. WET. Wet. Wet. Wet. I definitely need to update my raingear game.
• 20261007 Golbey to Corre. Canals. Gites. And sometimes your dinner plans just don’t work out. That’s what baguettes and cheese are for.
  John here: Ahhhh…. cycling in France. One imagines romantic scenes of cycling on pastoral paths beside ancient canals, quietly pedalling between locks, with gaily coloured canal boats putt-putt-ing along, an arm’s length away. After a few dozen kilometres of riding beside an algae-covered canal/ditch, not a boat in sight, the romance fades. When a route consists of about four hours beside said canal, something must be done about the next day’s plans. So, after… Read more: 20261007 Golbey to Corre. Canals. Gites. And sometimes your dinner plans just don’t work out. That’s what baguettes and cheese are for.
• 20261006 Nancy to Golbey. Canals canals canals. Jacques the Heron. And terrible Wifi.
  Patti here: Our 74 kilometre ride from Nancy to Golbey was a fairly easy one: only 150 metres of ascent, 4-1/2 hours of – to be honest – pretty boring cycling. We were following canals south from Nancy so they’re straight, with minimal ups and downs. (I miss coasting down hills.) In short, you have lots of time for cogitation. To stave off brain rot, you can indulge in mental arithmetic. (“If I’m riding… Read more: 20261006 Nancy to Golbey. Canals canals canals. Jacques the Heron. And terrible Wifi.
• 20261005 Nancy, Day 2. Protests. A guided tour.
  After a good night’s sleep and a decent breakfast, we were to meet our walking tour guide at 11:00. About 9:30 we heard noise from our hotel room window: the street was very busy with students, mostly dressed in black, herds of them heading toward Place Stanislas, three short blocks away. It was peaceful, but… these were kids walking to a protest and we could hear sirens in the distance. We went outside and… Read more: 20261005 Nancy, Day 2. Protests. A guided tour.
• 20261004. Day one of our visit to Nancy, France, wherein we arrive. We art. We eat hamburgers.
  I’m writing this blog a few days late, from Golbey and Corre, two separate locations, because the internet is so poor here I have to keep restarting. First world problems… Sidebar: As of yesterday and today, the biggest student protests across France in decades are still happening with a vengeance, and there are investigations now into developing police brutality. (We alluded to these protests in yesterday’s post.) To add an element of surrealism to… Read more: 20261004. Day one of our visit to Nancy, France, wherein we arrive. We art. We eat hamburgers.
• 20261003 Metz, France
  We’re writing this blog about Metz from the safety and relative quiet of our hotel room in Nancy. Today in Nancy – and in fact all across France – students are staging massive protests about the state of education in the country. “High schools across France have closed, thousands of teenagers have been arrested, and hundreds of people have suffered injuries as unrest over conditions in the lycée system has spread and erupted into… Read more: 20261003 Metz, France
• 20261002 Thionville, France. A bunker. A power plant. A haircut!
  It seemed to take forever to get through and out of the sprawl area of South Luxembourg, crossing and paralleling freeways and rail lines. Finally we were treated to gently rolling farm lands with grazing cattle. Luxembourg is extremely neat and tidy. The roads and bike trails through the forests are impeccable. At some point we crossed into France – no sign – the only clue was that car license plates had a small… Read more: 20261002 Thionville, France. A bunker. A power plant. A haircut!
• 20260930&1001 Luxembourg
  Wednesday morning we had an easy 38 km ride with not too many hills from Redange to Luxembourg. (Actually we were on decommissioned tram lines for much of the route.) As you can see from the photos, leaves are slowly turning, and the routes through the forest (and occasionally tunnels!) are beautiful. BTW: it is a weird feeling to ride a bike through a long tunnel like that. It’s completely dark except for that… Read more: 20260930&1001 Luxembourg
• 20260929 Redange. Highs and lows. And we arrive in Luxembourg for our first visit ever.
  Hiya! Patti here. As John mentioned in the last blog post, we started our day – Tuesday, September 29th – with a visit to the 101st Airborne Museum in Bastogne, Belgium. The Americans paid an enormous price in this area, and as you ride through the town you can see homages paid to war heroes. Visiting that museum was a sobering experience. John has always had an interest in first and second World War… Read more: 20260929 Redange. Highs and lows. And we arrive in Luxembourg for our first visit ever.
• 20260928 Bastogne. The Ardennes forest and The Battle of the Bulge.
  This is our ride through the Ardennes, a forested area near the German border with Belgium, and the site of The Battle of the Bulge. For those who may not know, the German Army, in a last-ditch effort, attacked the Allied forces in this area in mid-December, 1944. They planned to surprise and surround the Allies, and re-take the strategic port of Antwerp. The Allies, mostly U.S. Army and Paratroops, were indeed caught with… Read more: 20260928 Bastogne. The Ardennes forest and The Battle of the Bulge.
• 20260927 Rochefort
  The ride from Namur into Rochefort was 61 km. Absolutely flat for the first half, followed by a climb to a plateau and then hills and descents (yay, coasting) for the second half. (Obviously, it’s Patti chiming in here.) But, first things first: our accommodations in Namur had been an AirBnB-type place, i.e. no breakfast. We packed ourselves up, messed about with fussy locks on garage doors and dropping keys in appropriate places, checked… Read more: 20260927 Rochefort
• 20260926 Namur, Belgium. Seriously why have we never heard of this beautiful place?
  Patti here: the ride from Brussels to Namur was a long one – 72 km – but altitude-wise, not punishing. It was a hot one, though. We used all of our water, let’s just say. And I required cookies. There was a stretch of shitty cobblestone. I don’t like cobblestone. My bike skips sideways, unpredictably, and it’s plain old, hard work to make your way over uneven surfaces, especially on an ascent. By this… Read more: 20260926 Namur, Belgium. Seriously why have we never heard of this beautiful place?
• 20260925 Brussels
  Today’s post is about our full day in Brussels on September 25th. However, as we write this we’re in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. We’ve had extraordinarily good, hot, sunny weather, and days with some long and fairly challenging rides, which means that our energy levels at the end of the day are low! Sometimes we don’t get to the blog but…. if we don’t, then we forget key hilites so… here goes. (One more note before… Read more: 20260925 Brussels
• 20260924 Arriving in Brussels
  Patti here: While we were leaving our beautiful hotel Antwerp bound for Brussels we passed through a neighbourhood populated with many Hasidic and Ultra Orthodox Jews, young families taking their children to school and then jumping on their bikes to carry on to the diamond shops downtown. The Jewish community was decimated after WWII, but today, at a population of 15K-20K is one of Europe’s most vibrant and visible communities. This is a fascinating… Read more: 20260924 Arriving in Brussels
• 20260923 Antwerp
  John here: We checked in to the same hotel we had stayed in, in Spring 2025 – the Hotel ‘t Sandt – because of its great location and excellent bike storage. We plugged all of the batteries into their charging stations, cleaned up and cooled off, and then set off to see what we missed the last time: the Royal Museum of Fine Arts. On the way, I bought an ice cream and an… Read more: 20260923 Antwerp
• 20260922 Gorinchem to Breda, on to Antwerp
  Our GPS app suggested leaving Gorinchem by cycling over the river beside traffic on a huge suspension bridge. But – we noticed a small ferry just across a small park from our hotel. A six-minute ferry ride saved us from a not-so-pleasant beside-the-highway bridge crossing. The small town after landing had a garbage collection system of simply hanging the bags on street poles. Racoons in Toronto would have a field day. I (John) spied… Read more: 20260922 Gorinchem to Breda, on to Antwerp
• 20260921 Canals, canals, and more canals. We’re not complaining!
  Alphen Aan Den Rijn was a very nice place to stay last night, and as I (Patti) write this I am remembering the fabulous Mushroom Risotto I ate for dinner. While we’ve been cycling we’ve been seeing lots of funghi on the sides of the road and, in fact, we rode past a gentleman foraging for mushrooms in a field in the middle of nowhere in Northumbria a couple of days ago. When we’re… Read more: 20260921 Canals, canals, and more canals. We’re not complaining!
• 20260919 Ferry to the continent
  I – Patti – forgot to include this photo of “Brindall”, a tiger-striped Greyhound who was in the pub last night while we enjoyed Friday night Fish and Chips. Isn’t he pretty? I love #pubdogs. The British ones are exceedingly well-behaved. John here: Saturday morning, Northumberland threw everything it could at us on this 76 km ride from Bellingham to Tynemouth: long steep climbs, misty rain, exhilarating descents, many sheep, a blessedly flat riverside… Read more: 20260919 Ferry to the continent
• 20260918 Last Day in the UK
  Our lovely Australian host in Bonchester Bridge served us up a bit of breakfast and bid us farewell. The first 10k of the ride was fantastic: a 400m climb up and over Bonchester Hill, a popular location for hikers and mountain bikers. We had the road almost to ourselves, and often it narrowed to one lane. Much managed logging by Scottish Forestry has resulted in strategic bare patches on the faces of the huge… Read more: 20260918 Last Day in the UK
• 20260917 Galashiels and Bonchester Bridge in sunshine and mist
  John here: We’re in the heart of the Scottish Borders. In addition to just making it to our next stop, the highlight of the day’s agenda was going to be a revisit to the marvellous Great Tapestry of Scotland (described here on our visit last spring). We had a beautiful ride south from Newcraighall on a one lane, hillside road that ran parallel to the Borders Railway which connects Edinburgh to Galashiels and Tweedbank.… Read more: 20260917 Galashiels and Bonchester Bridge in sunshine and mist
• 20260915 Planes, Trains and No Automobiles
  Patti here: We’re on the road again! Our Fall 2026 trip is our Trip #9 and already it’s filled with firsts… (For a recap of previous trips, click here.). We’re picking up the bikes in Newcraighall – a suburb of Edinburgh – where we left them in May, and eventually riding about 1400 km to Lyon, France. I don’t know about you but the night before I travel is always fraught with anxiety: what… Read more: 20260915 Planes, Trains and No Automobiles
• 2026052728: Edinburgh. Wednesday was our last full day of the Spring 2026 trip. We flew home on Thursday.
  For Wednesday, the last full day of our Spring 2026 trip, John had booked a morning city tour with the intriguingly named “Gains Murdoch“. Gains has a PhD in Scottish history (University of Aberdeen) and his website said that he would ensure that any group that he lead would get “the real historical background. No gimmicks, no hyperbole, but an authentic walking tour.” No “kitsch-in-a-kilt”. Gains was not kidding. We spent three-and-a-half fact-filled hours… Read more: 2026052728: Edinburgh. Wednesday was our last full day of the Spring 2026 trip. We flew home on Thursday.
• 20260526. Edinburgh by foot. More haggis. And we fail to summit Arthur’s Seat. LOL.
  We had arrived in Edinburgh by train on Monday and after that huge day of walking and garden and museum hopping we were now excited to visit Holyrood Palace! The Royal Mile is bookended on one end by the famous Edinburgh Castle which we had seen on a previous trip, and The Palace of Holyrood House, down the hill. Our hotel – Aparthotel Adagio – was perfectly situated right in the middle of “the… Read more: 20260526. Edinburgh by foot. More haggis. And we fail to summit Arthur’s Seat. LOL.
• 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)