Arrival, courtesy of Anna Rowlands
Also courtesy of Anna Rowlands
Courtesy of Olwen Rowlands
Friday, 24 September 2010
a few more photos
here's a few more photos for you from early on in the trip:
Canal, Woerden
Utretcht
Loading sand onto a barge
Power station
Dusseldorf
My erstwhile travelling companions
Canal, Woerden
Utretcht
Loading sand onto a barge
Power station
Dusseldorf
My erstwhile travelling companions
Pretty wedding cake church
A highly worthwhile sign....
Sunday, 5 September 2010
We're back home!
It's a very strange feeling after all the months of planning and the days of cycling to find ourselves at the end. What do we do next? Think about the trip, the good bits and the bad bits. Realise that without all of you out there to encourage us, our epic journey may never have happened.
BEST MOMENT
Coming round a corner on a river bank to find a group of stark naked youths! They had just been rafting and were in the process of stripping off their wet suits.
WORST MOMENT
Hearing a bang and looking round to see Ellie sprawled across the road. She’d been hit when a geriatric in a little red sports car opened his car door as she cycled past on our very first day.
THANKS!
Thanks to all of you who followed our blog and posted your comments, and to friends who sent text messages. They kept us pushing those pedals when we were wet, cold, tired, hungry and lost in the industrial wasteland of Mannheim! I think my favourite message was “Your mum would have been proud of you”. It brought a lump to my throat.
Our warmest thanks to all of you who have sponsored us so generously. We have now raised an amazing £1600 to help men and women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. (Bet you didn't know that 4% of breast cancer cases are in men!) Together we have made a difference to help people who are suffering from this horrible disease.
My thanks to Colin who never once said “You must be mad – don’t even think about it!”
Our thanks to Sten Haastrup who cycled part of the route with us and kept us laughing even when every part of us ached.
And most of all, my heartfelt thanks to Ellie who was the perfect travelling companion. She never once said “Are we nearly there yet?” She never complained. Not even when a cheeky mouse got into her pannier one night and ate her chocolate. And without Ellie, there might not have been a trip at all. Right at the very beginning, before we’d even started cycling, we met up at King’s Cross Station in London. I’d flown in from Italy; Ellie had taken the train down from Edinburgh. I said to her “Gosh, I’m terrified. Whatever possessed me to think that we could cycle across Europe? Let’s just call the whole thing off.” Ellie just looked and me and said “But mum, you can do anything!”
And she was right. We can. And we have.
Alison
BEST MOMENT
Coming round a corner on a river bank to find a group of stark naked youths! They had just been rafting and were in the process of stripping off their wet suits.
WORST MOMENT
Hearing a bang and looking round to see Ellie sprawled across the road. She’d been hit when a geriatric in a little red sports car opened his car door as she cycled past on our very first day.
THANKS!
Thanks to all of you who followed our blog and posted your comments, and to friends who sent text messages. They kept us pushing those pedals when we were wet, cold, tired, hungry and lost in the industrial wasteland of Mannheim! I think my favourite message was “Your mum would have been proud of you”. It brought a lump to my throat.
Our warmest thanks to all of you who have sponsored us so generously. We have now raised an amazing £1600 to help men and women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. (Bet you didn't know that 4% of breast cancer cases are in men!) Together we have made a difference to help people who are suffering from this horrible disease.
My thanks to Colin who never once said “You must be mad – don’t even think about it!”
Our thanks to Sten Haastrup who cycled part of the route with us and kept us laughing even when every part of us ached.
And most of all, my heartfelt thanks to Ellie who was the perfect travelling companion. She never once said “Are we nearly there yet?” She never complained. Not even when a cheeky mouse got into her pannier one night and ate her chocolate. And without Ellie, there might not have been a trip at all. Right at the very beginning, before we’d even started cycling, we met up at King’s Cross Station in London. I’d flown in from Italy; Ellie had taken the train down from Edinburgh. I said to her “Gosh, I’m terrified. Whatever possessed me to think that we could cycle across Europe? Let’s just call the whole thing off.” Ellie just looked and me and said “But mum, you can do anything!”
And she was right. We can. And we have.
Alison
Friday, 3 September 2010
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
slight change of plan...
Well folks, the weather has defeated us, I'm afraid. We've decided we're not going to go over the top of the pass, as it seems to be lying under large heaps of fresh snow. Yes, in August! We've still got a good solid day of climbing tomorrow, but we will be skipping out the highest bit and taking the train. We don't like doing this, but there's no point being silly and risking our necks on icy mountain roads, with no cold weather gear.
We had a very pleasant rest day in Basel, with my good friend Matt as our guide/taxi driver (thank you!) and saw some very pretty stuff, despite all three of us being very tired. Today was a very nice day as well, with a nice ride round lake Luzern. It's a lovely place. Definitely the prettiest day so far! The only downside is that mum seems to have come down with a nasty cold/asthma. Adds to the challenge! Hope she's better very soon. Even if she isn't I highly doubt it'll stop her! Wish us luck!
Ellie
We had a very pleasant rest day in Basel, with my good friend Matt as our guide/taxi driver (thank you!) and saw some very pretty stuff, despite all three of us being very tired. Today was a very nice day as well, with a nice ride round lake Luzern. It's a lovely place. Definitely the prettiest day so far! The only downside is that mum seems to have come down with a nasty cold/asthma. Adds to the challenge! Hope she's better very soon. Even if she isn't I highly doubt it'll stop her! Wish us luck!
Ellie
Monday, 30 August 2010
a few more photos
Contented mum
Speyer was very pretty 
German industrialness 
Paddling in the Rhine
Did we mention that there were a lot of castles on the tops of hills?
We are luxuriating in the lap of luxury in the Hilton Hotel in Basle - courtesy of some of the Hilton Honours points that Colin has accumulated over the years. We feel a little underdressed in our sweaty t shirts and cycling shorts! To their credit, the staff at reception didn't turn a well-groomed hair when we stumbled in after cycling 90km and climbing 680m. We will spend our second and very well deserved rest day here.
Now we have left the Rhine behind and are following another old route - the Via Francigena which is an old Pilgrim's trail from London to Rome. (Though I think we might call a halt before we get to Rome!)
The weather is still not being very kind - it's so cold, with a strong wind. And of course Sod's Law is working so that no matter which direction we are going in, it is always in our faces! But Meteo Swiss has promised us blue skies for our attempt on the Alps.
Ellie is doing brilliantly, despite having to cycle with one wrist strapped up - she seems to have a trapped nerve, which might be the result of being knocked off her bike on the first day. It means that she is having to cycle one-handed as much as she can, and she has problems using the brakes. I daren't think about what will happen when we are descending to Airolo after the San Gottardo Pass.
Keep following us - we are almost there. 1260kms down with only (!) another 350km and 1500m to go.
Some people have expressed an interest in coming to meet us when we arrive at the Porto di Bodio. It should be late on Friday evening. I will keep Colin up to date with our ETA. Claire, if you are still out there, could you pass the message on to anyone else who is interested? I will ask Colin to contact you.
We have had some heart warming messages of support from many friends and from people we have met along the way. So keep thinking those positive thoughts for us and send us those texts and posts.
Kisses,
Alison
Now we have left the Rhine behind and are following another old route - the Via Francigena which is an old Pilgrim's trail from London to Rome. (Though I think we might call a halt before we get to Rome!)
The weather is still not being very kind - it's so cold, with a strong wind. And of course Sod's Law is working so that no matter which direction we are going in, it is always in our faces! But Meteo Swiss has promised us blue skies for our attempt on the Alps.
Ellie is doing brilliantly, despite having to cycle with one wrist strapped up - she seems to have a trapped nerve, which might be the result of being knocked off her bike on the first day. It means that she is having to cycle one-handed as much as she can, and she has problems using the brakes. I daren't think about what will happen when we are descending to Airolo after the San Gottardo Pass.
Keep following us - we are almost there. 1260kms down with only (!) another 350km and 1500m to go.
Some people have expressed an interest in coming to meet us when we arrive at the Porto di Bodio. It should be late on Friday evening. I will keep Colin up to date with our ETA. Claire, if you are still out there, could you pass the message on to anyone else who is interested? I will ask Colin to contact you.
We have had some heart warming messages of support from many friends and from people we have met along the way. So keep thinking those positive thoughts for us and send us those texts and posts.
Kisses,
Alison
Saturday, 28 August 2010
I had a visitor last night. I woke up to find Ellie carefully tucking in my duvet all around me. She was fast asleep. What a kind thought she must have been having! The only trouble was, I was much too hot and so as soon as she had gone back to bed, I threw the duvet off again.
We've had a good day today - easy route, no wind and no rain. Which was in contrast to the previous 2 days when we spent hours mired to the mudguards in mud, lost round industrial units in Mannheim, embattled with a strong headwind and soaked to the knickers several times a day.
Your support kept us smiling, so keep sending those messages.
We've been nipping in and out of France (country number 4) over these last three days but tonight will be our first night here. We're staying in the little town of Ottmarsheim in Alsace. We've now done 1150km! Unbelievable! And tomorrow we'll be in Basle!
Alison
We've had a good day today - easy route, no wind and no rain. Which was in contrast to the previous 2 days when we spent hours mired to the mudguards in mud, lost round industrial units in Mannheim, embattled with a strong headwind and soaked to the knickers several times a day.
Your support kept us smiling, so keep sending those messages.
We've been nipping in and out of France (country number 4) over these last three days but tonight will be our first night here. We're staying in the little town of Ottmarsheim in Alsace. We've now done 1150km! Unbelievable! And tomorrow we'll be in Basle!
Alison
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Monday, 23 August 2010
The river is changing colour! Definitely less muddy as we go upstream. This part of the river is very pretty, with a castle on every hill top and vineyards stretching down to the river on both sides. Was it the wine that made them so argumentative? We´ve now done more than 650 km and all is going well so far. We had to stop this morning to get a new pedal for Ellie´s bike, as the old one had a big split in it, though we made very good progress today, despite the shopping stop and the weather playing up. Tomorrow we lose our interpreter, as Sten goes home tomorrow evening. Thank you for keeping us company, Sten, and for representing the boys, who are otherwise rubbish! :P After our rest day, we are full of energy and the next 600km to Basle should be a cinch.
Alison and Ellie
Alison and Ellie
Sunday, 22 August 2010
We made very good progress yesterday (after a lot of faffing about getting lost in Cologne) and easily covered the day´s distance. Today is our rest day in the very pretty medieval walled town of Andernach. After wandering around with a complete lack of energy - how did we ever find the energy to cycle for the past 6 days? - we took a boat trip on the Rhine to see the world´s tallest cold water geyser. This works when carbon dioxide being emitted from magma, forces a column of water 60m high into the air. Impressive stuff!
Tomorrow we need to get to the town´s only bike shop to get a new pedal for Ellie. She´s obviously been cycling far too much!
Alison and Ellie
Tomorrow we need to get to the town´s only bike shop to get a new pedal for Ellie. She´s obviously been cycling far too much!
Alison and Ellie
Friday, 20 August 2010
Sorry about the radio silence these last couple of days. Haven´t been able to get onto a computer. So a couple of important pieces of news. The first is we´ve reached our fundraising target!! We´ve got to 1000 pounds! So, us being us, we have now raised the target to 1,500 pounds, so keep the donations coming! The second important piece of news is that we have picked up our extra, Sten Haastrup, so sponsor him too! There is also the possibility of photos being added to the blog soon. I have been using mum´s small camera, as my brand new one broke, and mum camera is far too old for most computers to want to talk to, but we have now bought yet another new one, so as soon as it´s charged up there shall be photos!
My knee seems to be holding up pretty well, all things considered. I had two days on the train, then got back on the bike the day before yesterday. On my second train day i had a little hobble around Woerden, a very pretty little town, and got quite lost in an enormous shopping centre in Utretcht, where i also saw the Dom tower and a little bit of the centre. Since then I´ve had three days on the bike. It´s been quite pretty, with lots of animals everywhere. We have now left Holland and have entered Germany, where there have been lots of animals, barges, power plants and identical bridges. It´s all been very flat and smooth so far, but the days have been very long. This is hard work! I´m exhausted! Still, rest day soon.
Ellie
Ellie has a most impressive array of bruises, including a spectacular imprint of a pedal on her left calf.
The second we crossed over the border from Holland and into Germany, the sun came out and it´s as hot here as it is at home.
The waterside views were much prettier in Holland than anything we´ve seen so far: tiny, flower-filled cottages backing straight onto the river. Every house seemed to have animals: sheep, goats, and the smallest ponies I´ve ever seen. One was only knee high to it´s owner.
The Rhine is very, very full. The rain we had in Italy had obviously fallen on the north side of the Alps too. Lots of river side trees have their feet in water and the river is racing along. Barges lumbering upriver to Basle are going so slowly that we can overtake them!
We are now in the industrial heart of Germany, but you would never guess it from our path alongside the Rhine. Most of the borders are designated protected areas and there is a lot of wildlife. The only clues to the presence of all the industry are the identical power stations and bridges which greet us as we turn every corner. Rather like a continuous case of deja vu.
Keep the messages of support coming - we read them all and they are really helpful!
Alison
My knee seems to be holding up pretty well, all things considered. I had two days on the train, then got back on the bike the day before yesterday. On my second train day i had a little hobble around Woerden, a very pretty little town, and got quite lost in an enormous shopping centre in Utretcht, where i also saw the Dom tower and a little bit of the centre. Since then I´ve had three days on the bike. It´s been quite pretty, with lots of animals everywhere. We have now left Holland and have entered Germany, where there have been lots of animals, barges, power plants and identical bridges. It´s all been very flat and smooth so far, but the days have been very long. This is hard work! I´m exhausted! Still, rest day soon.
Ellie
Ellie has a most impressive array of bruises, including a spectacular imprint of a pedal on her left calf.
The second we crossed over the border from Holland and into Germany, the sun came out and it´s as hot here as it is at home.
The waterside views were much prettier in Holland than anything we´ve seen so far: tiny, flower-filled cottages backing straight onto the river. Every house seemed to have animals: sheep, goats, and the smallest ponies I´ve ever seen. One was only knee high to it´s owner.
The Rhine is very, very full. The rain we had in Italy had obviously fallen on the north side of the Alps too. Lots of river side trees have their feet in water and the river is racing along. Barges lumbering upriver to Basle are going so slowly that we can overtake them!
We are now in the industrial heart of Germany, but you would never guess it from our path alongside the Rhine. Most of the borders are designated protected areas and there is a lot of wildlife. The only clues to the presence of all the industry are the identical power stations and bridges which greet us as we turn every corner. Rather like a continuous case of deja vu.
Keep the messages of support coming - we read them all and they are really helpful!
Alison
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
While Ellie was doing clever things with cameras, I cycled onto our next stop. Perfect cycling weather: wind (more or less) at my back, grey skies (no sun burn) and the occasional shower to cool me off. I saw a house called "Martha's Lust". What did she get up to ??? Also a full sized replica Roman fort built in 2005 to commemorate 2,000 years after the Roman occupation. Black cows with white belts were munching in the marshes, flocks of greylag geese shuffled as I whooshed past. The old water side streets of Utrecht were fascinating: they must have been full of hustle, bustle, wheeling and dealing as the bargemen unloaded and reloaded their barges. Now the wharehouses have been converted into restaurants and shops, but it still has masses of atmosphere. And a wonderful lady who showed me the right path, instead of following what seems to be the Dutch national sport of misdirecting strangers.
My beautiful, courageous daughter is making little of her injuries and managed to cycle 6kms today without me having to push her. She is going to try and cycle at least some of the route tomorrow.
Alison
My beautiful, courageous daughter is making little of her injuries and managed to cycle 6kms today without me having to push her. She is going to try and cycle at least some of the route tomorrow.
Alison
Pretty Pictures!
Have some photos of the journey so far:
Mother, lost already
Janet bell ringing
The church where Janet bell rings
Pretty Englandyness
Wild plums, including a smily one. They were yum!
Our gracious hosts
Mum leaving ferry
Grey heron, by canal
Monday, 16 August 2010
In Which I Become an Invalid before 11 O'Clock on the First Real Day
Well, so far, so disasterous.
We had a very nice night and day with our good friends (and gracious hosts), the Loosers, in Suffolk. We were hardly given time to gulp our morning tea before being dragged off to church to watch the bellringers at work. Janet is the captain of a local group. Then we met another old friend, Rob Duncan and his family for lunch. We decided to make it a no-cycling day to give us more time with Rob, so we spent most of the afternoon wandering through Constable country, and the Loosers drove us to Harwich port in the evening to catch our ferry (thank you very much!).
We both had a very bad night's sleep, and almost got stuck behind a large gate at the Hoek of Holland! The passport control men got bored waiting for us and wandered off. Still, the first part of the journey went fairly smoothly. From the Hoek of Holland we cycled up the coast to the Hague, and that's where a man decided to open his car door into me, and down I went. Great. Still, it wasn't too bad. I got a couple of minor bumps and bruises, but my knee is still very sore. Definitely couldn't cycle on it. And all before 11 o'clock in the morning of the first proper day! Just my luck! So we changed direction and headed for the station, 5km away. I got there using a combination of unorthodox methods. I sat on my bike and scooted myself along with my left foot for a bit, and mum pushed me the rest of the way. Good thing there are cycle tracks everywhere! Even so, we weren't very popular. So we took the train to Leiden, where we had lunch, then I took the train on to our next overnight stop, Woerden, while Mum cycled it. I napped outside the station while I was waiting for her, and also got new brake pads fitted to my bike. She went round the town a couple of times first, but got there fine. And eventually we found our B and B, despite the best efforts of the Dutch trying to send us off in the wrong direction all the time. We had an enormous chinese meal and settled down to a good night's sleep.
So far it's been very pretty. Canals everywhere, with lots of weeping willows, water lilies, herons, ducks, rabbits and stuff. The weather hasn't been great, but what can you do. I'll see how it goes with my silly knee, but today is definitely going to be another train day. And to top it all off, my brand new camera has also decided it's going to break. Sigh.
Fun and games!
Ellie
We had a very nice night and day with our good friends (and gracious hosts), the Loosers, in Suffolk. We were hardly given time to gulp our morning tea before being dragged off to church to watch the bellringers at work. Janet is the captain of a local group. Then we met another old friend, Rob Duncan and his family for lunch. We decided to make it a no-cycling day to give us more time with Rob, so we spent most of the afternoon wandering through Constable country, and the Loosers drove us to Harwich port in the evening to catch our ferry (thank you very much!).
We both had a very bad night's sleep, and almost got stuck behind a large gate at the Hoek of Holland! The passport control men got bored waiting for us and wandered off. Still, the first part of the journey went fairly smoothly. From the Hoek of Holland we cycled up the coast to the Hague, and that's where a man decided to open his car door into me, and down I went. Great. Still, it wasn't too bad. I got a couple of minor bumps and bruises, but my knee is still very sore. Definitely couldn't cycle on it. And all before 11 o'clock in the morning of the first proper day! Just my luck! So we changed direction and headed for the station, 5km away. I got there using a combination of unorthodox methods. I sat on my bike and scooted myself along with my left foot for a bit, and mum pushed me the rest of the way. Good thing there are cycle tracks everywhere! Even so, we weren't very popular. So we took the train to Leiden, where we had lunch, then I took the train on to our next overnight stop, Woerden, while Mum cycled it. I napped outside the station while I was waiting for her, and also got new brake pads fitted to my bike. She went round the town a couple of times first, but got there fine. And eventually we found our B and B, despite the best efforts of the Dutch trying to send us off in the wrong direction all the time. We had an enormous chinese meal and settled down to a good night's sleep.
So far it's been very pretty. Canals everywhere, with lots of weeping willows, water lilies, herons, ducks, rabbits and stuff. The weather hasn't been great, but what can you do. I'll see how it goes with my silly knee, but today is definitely going to be another train day. And to top it all off, my brand new camera has also decided it's going to break. Sigh.
Fun and games!
Ellie
Saturday, 14 August 2010
The First Day
Well, the first day has gone more or less to plan. Apart from the nice man at Malpensa Airport saying that there was a problem taking my bike to England as it was too big to fit through his x ray machine. Heart stopped beating while I comtemplated cycling from England to Italy without a bike! So I had to take the bike out of the packing case so that they could make sure that I hadn't packed bombs down the stem of the handlebar, then they let it go.
I met Ellie at Kings Cross, having cycled round Trafalger Square and then we cycled to Liverpool Street to catch the train to Manningtree. Ellie beat her mother hollow cycling up hills as they travelled to the first overnight stop on the trip.
Alison
I met Ellie at Kings Cross, having cycled round Trafalger Square and then we cycled to Liverpool Street to catch the train to Manningtree. Ellie beat her mother hollow cycling up hills as they travelled to the first overnight stop on the trip.
Alison
Friday, 13 August 2010
one more sleep!
So, we're off tomorrow! Eeeek! Oh, and I know what I forgot to say last time! We will be joined for some of our bike rise by Sten Haastrup! He will be taking the train to where we're going to be on the 18th August, and will be cycling with us for a few days. :) Be nice to have his company. Looking forward to it. So sponsor Sten too!
I've more or less packed. Strictly essentials only! One spare set of clothes, and I've even left out a hairbursh. I've got fingers! Though I am taking my ipod. Will definitely need a distraction if I'm going to get up any mountains! So tomorrow morning I'm taking the train to Kings Cross, and the trip begins! My knees are hurting just thinking about it!
Sod's law dictates that there will be a last minute crisis before any trip, and I've had two already. My camera broke yesterday, and there's no way I'm doing this trip with no camera, so that was a quick trip to the shops to spend money I don't have. And today's crisis was that my brake cable decided to snap. So that another quick trip to the bike shop after work. I got my brake cable replaced, and also asked the guy to take a quick look at my gears, as they hadn't been quite right since they serviced my bike two weeks ago. He decided that I needed a new gear cable as well. Why could they not have done that when they serviced it? Sigh. The guy then went on to say that my bike was filthy, and that I should have a full service, not a half-service. Well, I was less than pleased about that, because I'd asked for a full service in the first place, and was told I didn't need one! So anyway, I've spent a merry evening giving my bike a good clean. I used a whole can of lubricant and lots of hot water, but it's now very shiny. More or less. Better than it used to was anyway. The grime is all on me now, lol. Fun and games. Anyway, enough moaning.
We've been doing brilliantly well with fund-raising, people have been very genourous. We've currently got 685.20! Thanks so much everyone!
And mum wanted me to add this:
I've more or less packed. Strictly essentials only! One spare set of clothes, and I've even left out a hairbursh. I've got fingers! Though I am taking my ipod. Will definitely need a distraction if I'm going to get up any mountains! So tomorrow morning I'm taking the train to Kings Cross, and the trip begins! My knees are hurting just thinking about it!
Sod's law dictates that there will be a last minute crisis before any trip, and I've had two already. My camera broke yesterday, and there's no way I'm doing this trip with no camera, so that was a quick trip to the shops to spend money I don't have. And today's crisis was that my brake cable decided to snap. So that another quick trip to the bike shop after work. I got my brake cable replaced, and also asked the guy to take a quick look at my gears, as they hadn't been quite right since they serviced my bike two weeks ago. He decided that I needed a new gear cable as well. Why could they not have done that when they serviced it? Sigh. The guy then went on to say that my bike was filthy, and that I should have a full service, not a half-service. Well, I was less than pleased about that, because I'd asked for a full service in the first place, and was told I didn't need one! So anyway, I've spent a merry evening giving my bike a good clean. I used a whole can of lubricant and lots of hot water, but it's now very shiny. More or less. Better than it used to was anyway. The grime is all on me now, lol. Fun and games. Anyway, enough moaning.
We've been doing brilliantly well with fund-raising, people have been very genourous. We've currently got 685.20! Thanks so much everyone!
And mum wanted me to add this:
Well' it's almost time for the off.
Panniers have been packed, unpacked, more stuff discarded then packed again. Tyres have been pumped up, new batteries put in the lights, maps and hotel bookings scrutinised ad nauseum.
There's nothing else to do but mutter a prayer before we go:
May the road always go down before us.
May the wind be always at our back.
May the sun shine warm upon our face;
May the rains fall only at night and until we meet again, may god of going hold us in the palm of his hand.
May the wind be always at our back.
May the sun shine warm upon our face;
May the rains fall only at night and until we meet again, may god of going hold us in the palm of his hand.
Friday, 6 August 2010
progress!
Hello, one and all. This is the news from Alison's end:
Plans are falling into place nicely with the route decided upon and most of the accommodation booked.
We shall be leaving Harwich on the overnight sailing on 15th August, landing in Hoek of Holland at 07.00 on the 16th. The Rhine meets the sea at a delta, so we will cycle north to the old main channel of the river. We will be passing through Arnhem, Düsseldorf and Cologne and Strasbourg before leaving the Rhine 2 weeks later at Basle. Now comes the hard bit! Up till now, the route will have been almost flat. We have to climb 1600m in 3 days, taking in Aarau, Lucerne and Andermatt before we inch our way to the top of the Saint Gotthard Pass at 2107m (6916 feet - for those of you who still work in pounds, shillings and ounces!). It's going to be tough and we may have to get off and push. But we'll get there! Then it's downhill all the way to Lake Maggiore and home.
Tomorrow I will lay out everything that I want to take on the spare bed - and then take most of it away. We must keep our luggage to the absolute minimum.
And will the bike fit in the bike box to transport it via Easyjet to Gatwick?
And how will I get it from Gatwick to King's Cross Station? Lots of questions still to be answered, but I'm not panicking yet!
Alison
And here is our itinerary:
Let's hope we can stick to it!!
Alison has also contacted a local newspaper where Beryl lived and has got them to publish an article about us! The article is going to appear, like so:
Two fat-bottomed girls are going to get on their bikes and ride!
Beryl Clydesdale, who lived in Harleston for 30 years, died last summer from breast cancer. In her memory her daughter Alison and granddaughter Ellie are going to cycle from England to Italy, setting out from Felixstowe on 16th August. At the same time, they are hoping to raise money for breast cancer research. “We hope that we can prevent someone else’s dear old mum and much loved grandma from dying of this awful disease,” they said. “If Beryl had gone to the doctor when she first found a lump, she may still have been with us today.”
Alison is a teacher and lives in Italy while Ellie works at the Dynamic Earth museum in Edinburgh. They describe themselves as very ordinary people and neither have done anything like this before.
They plan to follow the Rhine from the Hook of Holland as far as Basle in Switzerland, then cross the Alps over the Saint Gotthard Pass (2,108metres, 6916 feet) before heading back home to Varese in the north of Italy.
If you want to follow these courageous ladies on their mad venture, then please log on to their blog at: http://alisonandelliecycle.blogspot.com/.
Plans are falling into place nicely with the route decided upon and most of the accommodation booked.
We shall be leaving Harwich on the overnight sailing on 15th August, landing in Hoek of Holland at 07.00 on the 16th. The Rhine meets the sea at a delta, so we will cycle north to the old main channel of the river. We will be passing through Arnhem, Düsseldorf and Cologne and Strasbourg before leaving the Rhine 2 weeks later at Basle. Now comes the hard bit! Up till now, the route will have been almost flat. We have to climb 1600m in 3 days, taking in Aarau, Lucerne and Andermatt before we inch our way to the top of the Saint Gotthard Pass at 2107m (6916 feet - for those of you who still work in pounds, shillings and ounces!). It's going to be tough and we may have to get off and push. But we'll get there! Then it's downhill all the way to Lake Maggiore and home.
Tomorrow I will lay out everything that I want to take on the spare bed - and then take most of it away. We must keep our luggage to the absolute minimum.
And will the bike fit in the bike box to transport it via Easyjet to Gatwick?
And how will I get it from Gatwick to King's Cross Station? Lots of questions still to be answered, but I'm not panicking yet!
Alison
And here is our itinerary:
| Date | Start | Destination | Daily km | Total km |
| Monday 16th | Hoek Van Holland Ferry Terminal | Woerden | 97 | 97 |
| Tuesday 17th | Woerden | Randwijk | 98 | 195 |
| Wednesday 18th | Randwijk via Arnhem | Rees | 82 | 277 |
| Thursday 19th | Rees | Kaiserwerth | 80 | 357 |
| Friday 20th | Friemersheim via Dusseldorf | Merkenich | 100 | 467 |
| Saturday 21st | Merkenich via Koln | Andernach | 95 | 562 |
| REST DAY 22nd | 0 | 562 | ||
| Monday 23rd | Andernach via Koblenz | Bingen | 106 | 668 |
| Tuesday 24th | Bingen via Mainz | Gernsheim | 100 | 778 |
| Wednesday 25th | Gernsheim via Mannheim | Speyer | 87 | 865 |
| Thursday 26th | Speyer | Lichtenau | 98 | 963 |
| Friday 27th | Lichtenau via Strasbourgh | Rust | 102 | 1065 |
| Saturday 28th | Rust | Ottmarsheim | 100 | 1165 |
| Sunday 29th | Ottmarsheim via Basle | Aarau, then train to return to Basle | 95 | 1260 |
| REST DAY 30th | 0 | 1260 | ||
| Tuesday 31st | Aarau via Luzerne | Brunnen | 108 | 1368 |
| Wednesday 1st Sept | Brunnen | Goschenen 1106m | 53 (climb 634m) | 1421 |
| Thursday 2nd Sept | Goschenen 1106m | San Gottardo 2100m | 15.4 (climb 904m) | 1436.4 |
| Then it's downhill all the way home! | 160 | 1596.4 | ||
Let's hope we can stick to it!!
Alison has also contacted a local newspaper where Beryl lived and has got them to publish an article about us! The article is going to appear, like so:
Two fat-bottomed girls are going to get on their bikes and ride!
Beryl Clydesdale, who lived in Harleston for 30 years, died last summer from breast cancer. In her memory her daughter Alison and granddaughter Ellie are going to cycle from England to Italy, setting out from Felixstowe on 16th August. At the same time, they are hoping to raise money for breast cancer research. “We hope that we can prevent someone else’s dear old mum and much loved grandma from dying of this awful disease,” they said. “If Beryl had gone to the doctor when she first found a lump, she may still have been with us today.”
Alison is a teacher and lives in Italy while Ellie works at the Dynamic Earth museum in Edinburgh. They describe themselves as very ordinary people and neither have done anything like this before.
They plan to follow the Rhine from the Hook of Holland as far as Basle in Switzerland, then cross the Alps over the Saint Gotthard Pass (2,108metres, 6916 feet) before heading back home to Varese in the north of Italy.
If you want to follow these courageous ladies on their mad venture, then please log on to their blog at: http://alisonandelliecycle.blogspot.com/.
The article will be accompanied by the picture we have on our justgiving page. Be good to get some publicity!
Think that's all the news for now!
Ellie
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
shiny new kit!
hello! thought i'd post a photo of the shiny new kit i bought for the journey! i've got a nice new helmet, a pair of cycling gloves to try and stop blisters, a lovely pair of padded shorts, for obvious reasons, spare inner tubes, and a water bottle holder. bike has also been serviced and is in good condition for the ride.
i've also been practising hills, and i've done a couple of longer rides as training as well. there'll be lots more of those these next couple of weeks!
Ellie
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
First post!
Hello! Welcome to our blog! The trip is less than a month away now and plans are gathering pace!
Ellie has booked her bike in for a service and has bought new equipment. Alison is training hard cycling 30km every day around lake Varese. Ellie is cycling to and from work every day as well. We have decided on a route for most of the way, following the Rhine from the Hoek of Holland all the way to Basel in Switzerland. After that things will get tricky! We're already thinking about what we will be carrying with us and what we can afford to leave behind. The thought of the trip is rather scary but very exciting too! We're looking forward to the marvellous scenery of the Rhine valley and to meeting lots of interesting people along the way (not to mention visiting friends!).
We hope you enjoy following our progress, and thank you for your support!
Alison and Ellie
Ellie has booked her bike in for a service and has bought new equipment. Alison is training hard cycling 30km every day around lake Varese. Ellie is cycling to and from work every day as well. We have decided on a route for most of the way, following the Rhine from the Hoek of Holland all the way to Basel in Switzerland. After that things will get tricky! We're already thinking about what we will be carrying with us and what we can afford to leave behind. The thought of the trip is rather scary but very exciting too! We're looking forward to the marvellous scenery of the Rhine valley and to meeting lots of interesting people along the way (not to mention visiting friends!).
We hope you enjoy following our progress, and thank you for your support!
Alison and Ellie
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