Well, week one is done and we are still alive and in one piece! There have been no major arguments, and morale is high. We’ve just touched down in Ireland, after getting the overnight ferry from Wales.
Over the last week, we’ve been getting used to a few things:
- Living the simple life out of two small bags
- Constantly thinking about where we’re going to sleep/eat next
- Always working out what the best way is to get from A to B
- Cycling every day
Shortly after starting, we felt it crucial to give ourselves important sounding job titles:
Katie is Director of Communications; running managing our website, and Head of Transport; booking and sorting tickets out for any pre paid transport that’s not a bike.
Euan is President of On-Bike-Logistics; this includes bike maintenance, route planning and navigating, and Chief Financial Officer.
We’re using a fantastic card and money management app called Revolut, which you can use without charge all over the world. Navigation is done through a combination of google maps, an app called Maps.Me (great for anyone who is cycling abroad).
Over the last few months, we’ve not actually spent much time planning or thinking about the UK leg. A lot of time has been devoted to route planning/Visa applications/choosing correct kit and saying goodbye to everyone.
With so many glamorous places to visit it’s been easy to overlook little old UK.
Cycling from London to Wales last week, has reminded us that just because it’s close to home, doesn’t mean you should overlook this beautiful part of the world.
Over the last seven days we’ve checked out the oldest tree in Europe (5,000+ years old), the Devizes Flight of Locks (sounds boring but actually pretty amazing feat of engineering), the Brecon Beacons, Clifton Suspension Bridge, Cardiff and Windsor Castles and crossed the Severn River.
If you are keen to get out on your bike, two routes we would recommend are the Bristol to Bath Railway Path and the Taff Trail which runs from Cardiff to Brecon.
We’ve also been blown away by how kind people are, and how excited they are for the trip. Family, friends, friends of friends and complete strangers have put us up for the night, and each night we’ve been treated to a hero’s welcome, and fed like kings.
Final bit of leg one commences today with a spin up to Dublin, then a few days sorting our lives out before flying to Orlando, Florida.
We’re keeping a close eye on the Hurricane Matthew, and have seen on the news the terrible impact it’s had on the people of Haiti. It’s looking like it will have moved past Florida by the time we get there.
If there is any remnants of it when we land… let’s hope it’s blowing us in the right direction!
