Arrived in a car !

Well the elements beat me yesterday. I was on the A30 crossing Bodmin Moor. I had been advised against the original planned route crossing it from North to South because of the mini mountains in my way ! The wind was against me, none of the hills were pointing in the right direction, the traffic was fast and far too close for comfort especially the section where it became single carriageway. It began to rain quite heavily which then would you believe turned into a hail storm ! The hail storms came three times and on the last occasion i phoned jack to come and rescue me ! I had got to Bodmin, so completed 334 miles.
Jack was playing in a Rugby match in Penryn so we went straight there and i watched for a bit before setting off to Falmouth to find a B and B and here i am ! sitting in bed on Sunday morning having had my 'full English'
All is well . xx

A little bit of our journey

Sal.....in all her cold weather kit including ski goggles !

On one of the many bridges on the Kennet and Avon canal

Charlie Howell came to meet us in on the canal path in Bath. He forgot to bring his saddle !

Cornwall at last. This was taken on the horrendously busy A30 at rush hour on a Friday evening. It definitely wasn't as tranquil as this looks!

On the other hand Penryn Harbour was very tranquil !

In Cornwall at last

 Since Sal left me in Wookey Hole on wednesday i have slogged up yet more hills. The weather is coolish which is fine by me. (Jelly babies and bananas keep me going)  I have stayed in some delightful places but I think the landlords feel I am fitter than I really am because they keep sending me on the most horrendous detours saying 'You'll love this, its a really fun route' so although i am nearly there, having finally reached Cornwall and have about 53 miles to go, its the Hills ? HILLS ? OMG ! I think i have been up some vertical ones today. Certainly at least 10 of them were more than 12% and they were just the ones that were actually marked. I'm quite sure i didn't come down nearly so many. In Launceston tonight and had a horrible last 4 miles along the new A30. Should have gone on just another mile and got on to the old A30. I think I have now cycled  310 miles. i have met the most amazingly nice and helpful people along the way. it really makes me proud to be British. A lad of about 17 stopped to ask me if i was Ok the day before yesterday ( I was cycling along minding my own business in Street, Somerset) and we got chatting, Before i knew it he had cycled 6 miles with me and got me going on my next stint. At the end he called ME inspirational. Actually i think it was the other way round !

We're half way !

We made it to Stanton Drew, 9 miles south of BRISTOL where my friends Ros and Rupert live.  Lots of hills at the beginning and end and a lovely gentle canal path then old railway track in the middle. We cycled the last 8 or 9 miles in the dark and the last couple of miles down a completely dark and hilly track!  when we left the railway track we were helped along the way and one nice chap took us nearly halfway to our destination. ....unfortunately for us he was a seasoned commuter and was able to climb a 3 mile hill at break neck speed. Sal and i were completely finished by the top but of course had to pretend we were perfectly fine ! Charlie Howell met us on the tow path in Bath and then took us through the centre of the city to get us to the tow path on the other side of the city. We must have been quite a sight....2 middle age ladies flying along in our bright orange and pink tops, behind a young lad with no saddle! We amazingly made it in one piece.  Another 52 miles completed.

Maidenhead to Reading yesterday and Reading to Pewsey today,

About 80 miles over the last two days. Yesterday we followed the Thames to Reading and then picked up route 4 on the Kennet and Avon canal. It was very tough as most of the Thames path is gravel or grass, gates every 2 mins (They clearly don't like cyclists cos we had to turn our bikes upside down to get them through !) and because it was the first hot sunday this year there were thousands of walkers! We had lunch in Henley which was lovely especially watching so many people 'messing about in boats' The canal route through Reading centre was strange......cyclists mixing with shoppers ? mmmm don't think we were very popular !  My old school chum Sharon came and had a beer with us and our ridiculously overpriced hotel in the evening and then this morning we set out for Pewsey having made ourselves porridge in our tea cups to avoid breakfast costs !!! We set off along the canal and had a horrible fright when a man ran after us and tried to grab the back of my bike. He didn't like the fact we didn't have bells and told us to walk. I just managed to get out of his way but my heart was thundering for a good 20 minutes. I thought he was going to knock me into the canal ! The second half off the day was HILLS. Plenty of them too, after all this is Wiltshire/Wessex.We are exhausted tonight but have found a quirky b and b with electric blankets would you believe and the softest beds imaginable. BLISS. Night Night

First and second day

Ella works in the building next to the double decker bus!

Dare we go where no cyclists are allowed ?

A hazy spring day with our new house in the background. Shame they had to build it so close to Heathrow !!

Lost again !

We've had a fantastic day. Gorgeous weather and some beautiful places...BUT we have only done 30 miles!!!! Eek. The Route 4 is so confusing from Weybridge to Reading and added to that we had to do a massive detour where they are building a spectators bridge for the Olympic canoe park.  We cycled through Staines and into Egham and then turned a corner to go over a bridge only to find we were in the centre of Staines again....an hour later ! We even managed to get lost in Great Windsor Park. (Why have neither of us been there before?) Looking down from the highest point in the park to Windsor Castle was just breathtaking even though planes from Heathrow were zooming over every minute. Bruce reminded us of the American tourist who asked ' why did they have to build Windsor Castle so close to Heathrow Airport?'
Getting lost just did not matter although we have only reached Maidenhead. Tomorrow we loop all the way round and back to Reading....anything to avoid accidentally getting onto the M4 !!
No beer today !

Off we go!

....Well we nearly started with a disaster. Got onto wrong platform at Norwich and realised we were too late to get our bikes onto the train.... it went without us.! All ended well though and no horrendously expensive extra ticket..Everyone felt rather sorry for us !
Boris J has done the most amazing job of cycle paths in London and we zig zagged our way from Liverpool St Station to Weybridge crossing the river 5 times ! We stopped to have lunch with Ella in the shadow of Big Ben and The H of P. It took us about 5 hours in the end to get from East to West and with our rather circuitous route (not getting lost once) we travelled about 50 miles along the Thames. Only one 'near miss' We were on one of these new Super cycle Highways in Chelsea and Sal slowed down for a taxi pulling out of a garage. He thought she was stopping and put his foot down. How Sal managed to swerve round him I 'll never know, but she did, with me SCREAMING at anyone who would listen as broken hips and squashed bikes flashed into my brain. Both our hearts thudded for quite a time after that !
There is so much to be proud of in London. It's bustling, clean, exciting, dramatic, fast and furious and beautiful. The river traffic changed at every bridge starting with HMS Belfast, ferries and working boats then the houseboats, then the rowers and then the cruisers. We passed through fabulous old markets, soaked up everything in Westminster, goggled at the houses in Chelsea. We crossed Richmond Park and cycled passed Hampton Court which is completely breathtaking. Today we saw bits of London we just didn't know existed. Off to Reading tomorrow and the kennet and Avon Canal Path.

Planning.

Two more sleeps! We are catching the train to London on Friday morning and aiming for Weybridge. Not too far cos I know what we are like and we will no doubt stop at a billion London Landmarks!. Boris J has sent us the most amazing map of cycle routes in London (absolutely free) and we now have to choose our route from Liverpool St Station to Putney bridge. There is so much choice. Do we go North of the Thames and go passed St Pauls, up Fleet St, round Trafalgar Square, passed Buck Palace and round Hyde Park Corner into Knightsbridge or do we go across the river at Tower Bridge and go passed the Golden Hinde and HMS Belfast, the London Eye, Tate Modern, The Globe and the Royal Festival Hall.
All exciting and there are other choices too. We will decide tomorrow!
Sal is already packed. I'm not. Are we likely to stay in our cycling gear all day ? Will we get away with going out in our nighties in England ? WE WILL NOT TAKE TOO MUCH LUGGAGE. Noooooo! Actually half our gear so far is spare inner tubes, pumps, puncture repair kits, lights etc. Oh we are so 'bikey'
Can't wait to get started.

The final count down !

The last day took us from Matera to Taranto where there welcoming party were waiting for us!!

Sal having a sedate last day's ride

Mary Ann was in more of a rush!

                                           

We were accompanied in to Taranto by our support vehicle



Jack sprayed us with champagne as we reached the apartment.

Even our bikes got some champagne



Our support crew minus Ella and Dan



We did it!

We left Matera this morning and for once found our way out of town quite easily. Bruce, Rob, Charlie, Dan and Jack all welcomed us into Taranto at several points on the way in and at one stage followed us  with hazard lights flashing and a big notice to say who we were and what we had done!  Champagne was waiting for us on our doorstep and we felt very special. We've cycled almost 3000 kms, had about 4 punctures between us, one boil, one 'ski knee' lots of laughs and our friendship remains in tact! Charlie has taken some great shots of the last couple of days which i will put on the blog tomorrow. We are both very sad its over and.....yes! we are wondering what to do next!!

Pics from our journey across the Appenines.

We watched Lake Conzo North east of Potenza getting smaller and smaller as we climbed higher and higher 

We reached the peak of Mt Carruozzo after cycling along a ridge which separated two hills/mountains. Amazinly we looked over three valleys and it was absolutely stunning. We will never drive along an Autostrada again without wondering what the alternative route might be like.

Even a workman at the peak was surprised when two Brits appeared over the top. He took a photo of us with his own camera as well as this one! At the end of his day and several hours later, we heard non stop tooting behind us. He gave us great encouragement once again!

Castelgrande

Muro Lucano

We fed our drivers well! Dan and Charlie actually asked for one each of these enormous pizzas but the  chef warned them off!

With no car or caravan sal and i spent our last night in Matera......on carnival night. We only had our cycling gear, toothbrush and nighties . Thank goodness none of our children were there because we had to go out .......

in our nighties !!!!!! We got some very strange looks !!

We can't believe its our last night!

...and we are in a chintzy little B and B in Matera. Our lovely, loyal Mondeo estate finally gave up the ghost yesterday having 'climbed every mountain' and down again. The clutch has completely burned out and the steering is dodgy. So the last two nights have been away from the caravan too. We have just had the most extraordinary few days climbing over the back of the Appenine mountain range. At 3600 ft (1206m) we had our photo taken by a man working on the road up there. Goodness knows what he will do with it but he was clearly impressed! We crossed a long long long flat ridge that crossed over to another set of hills and allowed us to see three valleys at once. We have been through forests, looked up at villages with castles on the top, then a few minutes later found ourselves looking back down at them! As we came down again we found harvest in full swing which is weird to see in June. The weather is very hot and the up hills have been constant but we are pleased to report that we are coping well and haven't had to push our bikes once! Tomorrow is going to be all down hill...yippee and our welcoming committee will be Rob, Bruce, Jack, Dan and Charlie. Hope the champagne is chilling.

The Last ZAG

Now we are on the home straight - having turned inland just north of Naples. Our biggest problem has been finding campsites. Poor old Jack has has taken the caravan up steep  hills and down narrow streets looking for sites. One night was spent in a restaurant carpark as no alternative was available. On the other hand, our bike ride has been fabulous. Many long uphill stretches on the old Via Appia as we crossed the Appenines. We are now much faster and can easily manage a 5 or 6 mile hill and then do not brake so much on the downhill bits. The views have been spectacular. Only 30 years ago this area was devastated by an earthquake but there is no sign of it now other than the rather opulent houses that have been built since.
Today, Bruce brought back Charlie and Dan who will be our drivers for the last 3 or 4 days  to Taranto.

 Our car park caravan site

 Parilese where we joined the old Via Appia

 The campsite at Laghi di Monticchio found on Andrew Sykes' blog. It saved the day - Thanks Andrew!

  The view from the old Via Appia.

The Coast Road towards Naples

The first half was fantastic. Georgeous beaches, pretty campsites and straight roads. When the going became too hot we just pushed our bikes onto the beach and jumped into the sea. A few minutes sunbathing afterwards and we were dry and ready to start again.

 Sal in her red hat

 Lovely sandy beach near Teracina.

 Jack joined us as our driver and came to meet us on the spare bike. His backside is still sore!

The pretty town of Sperlonga

Our Day In Rome

If you are mad enough to cycle through Rome............do it on a Sunday! Most of the roads leading to the major sights were closed to cars and buses. It was amazing, cruising straight up to the Coliseum on our trusty bikes. We finshed the Via Flaminia, cycled through the city and straight out the other side. We would have liked to have stayed on the Via Appia but changed our route to cycle down the coast road instead.

The Trevi Fountain (with all the tourists editted out)

 More ancient ruins!!...... They were everywhere

Guess where we are and where we come from!

All roads lead to Rome !!!

Add caption

And finally we have almost made it. We have to do a final 50 miles tomorrow to get to the city and then we'll cycle through the centre on Sunday. Bruce is here for the weekend and will tow the caravan round the ring road !

Distance covered so far

2046.75 km
1271 miles

Assisi

Zig Zagging our way down italy

We finished the first of the Zigs (The Via Emilia) The best bits were cycling straight through the city centres....Bologna, Faenza, Forli and Rob arriving for a week to tow the caravan and set up camp. The worst bits were the filthy weather, the very busy bits of the Emilia, getting lost on the little roads when we tried to escape it.( Italian sign posts and even the roads have little in common with any of our many maps. At one point we had to be rescued by Rob as we arrived at a river to find no way across despite it being marked on the map !) and the coast at Rimini is pretty horrendous. We actually couldn't see the sea as so many deck chairs and parasols were in the way. The Italians themselves are amazing. Friendly and helpful all the time.

Top of San Marino

Looking down as we crossed the Passo del Furlo

We looked down on this along the Via Flaminia

One of many hilltop mediaeval towns

At Pessaro we turned inland and started the Zag, following the Via Flaminia. Almost immediately as we peddalled through the Appenine mountains (in the valleys that cut through, although not completely devoid of hills !) the country side became quite beautiful. All the way along perched on high hill tops are walled mediaeval villages and towns peering down on us. We went up to a couple (by car )...Morciano di Romagna and Gemmano were made more poignant by the fact that Sals Father and his regiment  was protecting the area in 1944. We were staying in the little principality of St Marino. as we headed towards Umbria we stopped at the Italian home of the Wiseman family, next door neighbours of Rob and Sal's in Wendling. Guy and Alice were very good hosts...too good actually !!!!
We passed through the Passo del Furlo and followed the original Flaminia which runs along side the modern fast road. We had a a long climb of about 4 miles towards Sheggia. It wasn't easy and Rob wasn't expecting us to do it without walking...but we did. The four mile cycle down the other side made it worth while.