journal

The Pyrenees pt4: 26/08 - 1/09

2007-11-15T12:47:00.000Z

Day 32 – Friday 1st SeptemberPla de Boet - Llorts (Andorra)Time walking – 6 1/2 hours + breaksDistance – 20 Km approxAscent/Descent – 1000/1320 approxWe had a good, dry nights sleep, but Bridgette though the cows were our to get us, they never actually came near the tent. The silence of night does funny things to your head sometimes. We headed up to the Port de Boet (French border) through a

The Pyrenees pt3: 18/08 - 25/08

2007-11-15T11:32:00.000Z

Day 26 – Saturday 25th AugustEstany deth Cap deth Port - ArtiesTime walking – 7 1/4 hours + breaksDistance – 22 Km approxAscent/Descent – 770/390 approxWe had heaps of rain overnight, but the wind managed to dry everything. I love a dry, light tent in the pack! A short morning climb led us to the boundary of the Parc Nacional de Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici, which is quite a mouthful.

The Pyrenees pt2: 08/08 - 17/08

2007-11-02T14:37:00.000Z

Day 18 – Thursday 17th August Gavarnie – Rest day Time walking – 0 Distance – 0 Ascent/Descent – 0Gavarnie is know best for it world heritage listed Cirque de Gavarnie, a massive natural amphitheatre with walls exceeding 1500m high. A constant stream of tourists, most on donkeys, flowed past the campsite towards the natural wonder.We spent most of the day planning, sorting and resting for the

The Pyrenees pt1: 29/07 - 07/08

2007-10-12T16:03:00.000Z

Day 8 – Tuesday 7th August Pista Ganekoa – Rest Day Time walking – 0 Distance – 0 Ascent/Descent – 0We awoke to a very slight drizzly in fog that reduced visibility to about 7 meters. We weren’t going anywhere today. It was all good though, as we were due for a rest day tomorrow anyway.The mist remained think for much of the day, which we spent programming the GPS with our route as next hour of

London- Shopping, Burough and Jaws

2007-07-28T06:28:00.001Z

A whirl wind day in London. That day before a big trip when you realise that you have a lot to organise. First off to Borough, our fav market at London Bridge. Unfortunately missed Emily but sampled a few of the local delicacies. So much cheese, Grommet would be in heaven.Then off into town to Standfords the home of maps and guide books. The destination was decided upon, we are off to the

London- Farewell drinks agian???

2007-07-27T06:43:00.001Z

Woke a little tired. Spent the morning on the phone to BA trying to sort luggage. We were finally told that the likely hood of our bikes being found was low,\ very low. But they couldn't declare them lost till day 45 so change of plans. We decided to head to the Pyrenees where we were going to cycle anyway. These run between Spain and France and from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. It a

London- global cities and dinner at Dave and Adel's

2007-07-26T06:56:00.000Z

Off today to the Tate to see the Global Cities exhibition. It is touring from the Venice biennale. I will let peter explain what it was about!The exhibition was a smaller part of the complete biennale, but focused on the theme of the overall exhibition. It took 9 example cities including London, LA, Lagos, Mumbai, Cairo and compared them in terms of how efficient each city was. Not efficient in

London- Art, coffee and friends

2007-07-25T10:24:00.000Z

Funny to wake up in the same room from wich we left 5 weeks ago. Much of the day was spent organise tax and closure of Pete limited company, boring. In the afternoon we headed into tow, destination Stanfords, the map shop. Another surreal experience, no looking at cycling maps this time, off to the hiking section. So much to do in Europe, something that caught both our eyes was the Pyrenees. I

Yorkshiore Dales to London

2007-07-24T07:29:00.000Z

Left the Dales early to start the journey back to London. Traffic was thick on the M1 but still made it to Bedford on time. Here we met up with Mildred, Caroline and James, relatives of Bridgette and went out to lunch. The pub was by the river, not flooded, but almost. Then down to London, drop off in Hackney at our friend Emily's house. Quiet night.

Week 8- still no luggage, the Yorkshire Dales

2007-07-23T08:29:00.000Z

Copenhagen to Yorkshire Dales- unknown (1697)Highlights- exploring the Dales, coal mine experience, visiting the Black sheep brewery, walking up one of the tree peaks, discovering Malham cave area, finding the hidden waterfalls at IngletonLowlights- still no luggage, lots of rain but no floods, no rain coatAccommodation- Bridgette's parent's holiday accommodation in SteatonA funny week of being

Yorkshire Dales- Bowland Forest

2007-07-23T07:32:00.000Z

Last day in the Dales and we are all suffering cabin fever. Off to the Forest of Bowland where giant expanse of forest once stood. Don't let the lack of trees fool you, once you've wound your way through farm land for an hour eventually you do stumble upon trees. Small pockets of trees, but more than we have seen for weeks none the less. Out we jumped keen for a walk, to quickly discover the

Yorkshire Dales-Farmers market, Black sheep beer and brimham rocks

2007-07-22T07:45:00.000Z

Sunday means farmers markets in the Dales, somewhere. After a little research on the internet one was located at Pateley Bridge in northern Yorkshire. A small market but very active held on the show grounds in the center of town. The area was divided into the food and a flea market. Priorities first, the food, there was everything from smoked trout to freshly baked bread to backyard grown plants

Yorkshire Dales- Down a Coal Mine

2007-07-21T05:41:00.000Z

The rain was actually falling today so off to do the museums. First on the list was the National Coal Mining Museum. My dad was very keen but we were a little skeptical, but they advertised a tour underground at 150m for free which sounded like a bit of fun. So off we went. We arrived in the nick of time to catch the first tour and were equipped with hard hats and lights. John, our tour guide, an

Yorkshire Dales- Fountain Abbey and York

2007-07-20T05:41:00.000Z

We had run out of ideas today so we decided to followed Helen and Chris out to an Abbey that they wanted to see. Not just any Abbey, but Fountain Abbey, National Trust, World Heritage, important stuff. We borked at the entrance fee much to my dads disgust and decided to explore the extensive estate instead. First on the agenda was the deer park where a huge heard was spotted almost immediately.

Yorkshire Dales- Pen-y-ghant

2007-07-19T05:44:00.000Z

Another beautiful day in the Yorkshire Dales, rain and thundery showers may be forecast but the skies were crystal clear. Today was the day to go up at least one of these infamous three peaks. We set off towards Horten-on-ribblesdale, a long name for a small place, to discover the town had more than a campsite and a pub. We stayed here several weeks earlier while passing through the Dales on bike

Yorkshire Dales-

2007-07-18T05:44:00.000Z

Quiet day, forecast was shocking although Steeton seemed to be spared. We did venture out for a not so inspiring walk into the next big town. 14km along a road and canal took us to Keighly. We managed to find a less than average bakery, only to walk out to find a great coffee shop up the street. That's the way it works in new towns, you either strike it lucky, or you completely bomb out. After a

Yorkshire Dales-

2007-07-17T20:44:00.000Z

Another quiet day, rain, rain ad more rain. We ventured out in the afternoon to find a memory card reader and cables for the Ipod and that was it! Well we are adventurous. Looking forward to getting the bikes back.

Week 7- lost luggage, Copenhagen, Yorkshire Dales

2007-07-17T06:25:00.000Z

Copenhagen to Yorkshire Dales- unknown (1697)Highlights- Finally going somewhere (back to the UK), Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2 great short walksLowlights- lots of time traveling, still no luggageAccommodation- 1 night on a bus, 1 at Bridgette's aunts house in Canterbury, 4 at the house swap in the Yorkshire DalesAn interesting week, marred by the return by the UK but lighten by spending time with

Yorkshire Dales- Ingleton Waterfalls

2007-07-16T06:25:00.000Z

The plan today was to climb Ingleborough, but more rain was promised so we joined mum and dad. The walk looked impressive with a 17 waterfalls in one walk and a spectacular river edge to follow. I was a little surprised to find the area was private and we had to pay for the privilege of seeing it. (little did I know at the time, it was more than worth it).We followed a river up the valley with

Yorkshire Dales- Malham Cove

2007-07-15T06:25:00.000Z

No rain today so off to an early start. There is an area north of where we are staying called Malham which has some amazing limestone formations, caves and cliffs. Although we had the map, there were quite a few people and it was easy to navigate by following the steady stream heading along the path. First stop was Janet's Foss, a water fall which has carved out amphitheatre in the rock. Nice but

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

2007-07-14T06:25:00.000Z

The thing about returning to an area that we have been to before is that we can now do the things that missed out on previously.After a quick morning stop in Hebden Bridge we headed to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park to see, amongst other things, a new exhibition by Andy Goldsworthy. We were quite disappointed to have missed this last time, thinking that we would not have the opportunity again,

Canterbury to the Yorkshire Dales

2007-07-13T06:25:00.000Z

We awoke early after sleeping like fallen logs, as we needed to make an early departure. It's a long way to the Dales, especially when you have to stop in the Peaks District to pick up the keys.To fill in the details, Bridgette's parents do a lot of house swapping with people in Europe. Through letting people come to Tasmania and stay in the cottage, the reverse happens and they get to stay in

Brussels to Dover

2007-07-12T06:25:00.000Z

Woke up seedy and tired somewhere between Hamburg and Brussels. It was 5am and we were meant to connect at 6am, well I guess we might be stopping in Brussels! People on the bus are getting a a bit antzy, we haven't stopped since the ferry, I guess the drivers are trying to make up lost time.We roll in to Brussels at 9am and they fix us up with a bus at 10am great service. Nice to recognise the

Copenhagen to Dover

2007-07-11T06:25:00.000Z

We had till 4pm till the bus left. Off to do some last minute 'essential items' shopping. then off to the Danish Center for Architecture. It is situated on the river in an old restored building which reminds me of Henry James building. Like all good Architectural centers there was a great book shop which features a great book shelf.On the bus at 4pm. A little confusion before leaving as there

Copenhagen

2007-07-10T08:18:00.000Z

Day 43 Distance- 0km (1697)Weather- sunnyHighlights- Danish Design Museum, lamingtons for desertLowlights- back to the airport again, still no luggageAccommodation- Sylvia's houseWoke tired after a late night of booking fights, but we don't have to go to work. Off to do some tourist stuff and to buy essentials. The morning as spent navigating or way round a supermarket, K-mart type place which as

Week 6- 40hrs Heathrow, Roskilde and Copenhagen

2007-07-09T07:22:00.000Z

Aberdeen to Copenhagen- unknown (1697) Highlights- Seeing Sylvia, Roskilde festival, seeing CopenhagenLowlights- 48 hours at Heathrow, no luggage, festival washout with no tent, Pete gastro, still no luggage Accommodation- 1 night wild camp at Heathrow, 6 nights in Syliva's 1 bedroom flat (cheers muchly)What a week, hard to believe a week ago we were setting out from Aberdeen so optimistic about

Copenhagen- Roskilde aftermarth

2007-07-09T07:05:00.000Z

Day 42Distance- 0km (1697)Weather- sunnyHighlights- dinner out with Sylvia, getting tickets back to the UKLowlights- 20hrs of bus ride to look forward to, still no luggageAccommodation- Sylvia's houseSlept in, catching up on sleep. Today was the day for sorting out our luggage and getting a ticket back to London. We started by heading off to the airport to talk to the airline that wouldn't answer

Roskilde- Day 2

2007-07-08T06:51:00.000Z

Day 41Distance- 0km (1697)Weather- sunnyHighlights- Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Tunng and dry mudLowlights- end of the festival, still no luggageAccommodation- Sylvia's houseYah the sunshine wopppppppeeeee. We pack our muddy smelly clothes and are off to the festival again today. The mud has dried out a bit so there are only small patches of swamp and mostly soft squeltchy bits. The camp sites now look

Roskilde - Day 1

2007-07-07T09:59:00.000Z

Day 40 Distance- 0km (1697)Weather- Overcast, patchy rainHighlights- first day at Roskilde Festival for us - the Norwegian BigBang and the WhoLowlights- Mud, not being able to see the chilli pepersAccommodation- Sylvia's houseWith no luggage still, and Pete over a small bout of gastro, we finally set off for Roskilde Festival having already missed the first day and a half. We jumped on the

Copenhagen

2007-07-06T15:52:00.000Z

Day 39Distance- 0km (1697)Weather- Rain, overcastHighlights- day of restLowlights- Peter has gastro, no RokildeAccommodation- Sylvia's housePete woke up with the vomits, poor thing. We passed a day resting at the flat. He sleep the day a way. Roskilde will have to wait till tomorrow. Still no luggage! Note set up internationa SIM card from Uk next time. Also, if you use vodafone UK, make sure you

Denmark- Copenhagen, Roskilde

2007-07-05T07:47:00.000Z

Day 38Distance- 0km (1697)Weather- Rain, sleet, strong winds, mudHighlights- the warmth of Sylvia's flatLowlights- Visitng Roskilde only to see arctic conditions and mudAccommodation- Sylvia's houseDay 1 in Copenhagen we woke to the sound of pouring rain, but felt amazingly refreshed having slept a full night. Sylvia dug around for a few spare clothes so we could venture out and gave us a great

Heathrow to Copenhagen

2007-07-04T08:31:00.000Z

Day 37Distance- 0km (1697)Weather- sunny and air conditionedHighlights- getting tickets and arriving at Copenhagen at 9pmLowlights- cueing, cancelationsAccommodation- Sylvia's houseSlept on and off, between the crying babies, rustling space blankets and nattering Indian ladies next door. Woke to hear a mass of people heading down the corridor to the lifts, 'terminal 4, is open'. I looked at my

Aberdeen to Heathrow

2007-07-03T09:14:00.000Z

Day 36Distance- 0km (1697)Weather- who knows we did get outsideHighlights- Taxi driver and BA check inLowlights- the shut down of terminal 4Accommodation- Floor between terminal 1 and2, Heathrow airportWe get up early to pack the taxi is at 8 am and we don't want to miss it. Nervous because there is no guarantee we will get a maxi taxi and our bike boxes wont fit in anything else. I think up a

Week 5- West Highland Way, Great Glen Way, Cairngorms

2007-07-02T18:03:00.000Z

Kingshouse to AberdeenDistance- 395km (1697)Highlights- Curry night at Allan and Charity's, Glen Coe, West Highland Way, Ben Nevis Summit, Loch Lochy and Ness, Great Glen wayAccommodation- 5 nights camping, 2 nights in youth hostelsTrails- West Highland Way, Great Glen Way, Speyside Way, Tom's day out in the Cairngorms MTB- West Highland Way, Abriachan Park, Tom's day out in the

Scotland: Aboyne to Aberdeen

2007-07-02T10:04:00.000Z

Day 35Distance- 46km (1697)Weather- clear skiesHighlights- picking the right road to enter townLowlights- Tom and Sarah leaving, or were we?Accommodation- Aberdeen Youth Hostel/Shetland's FerryLast day with Sarah and Tom. Sarah wakes to find her shoes melted after leaving them to dry next to the fire. The carnage from the fire is two inner soles, a pair of bike shorts and a pair of shoes. We set

Cairngorms: Tomintoul to Aboyne

2007-07-01T11:06:00.000Z

Day 34Distance- 64km (1651)Weather- overcast, cloudy and then rainHighlights- fantstic route TomLowlights- 1 hr push through muddy single trackAccommodation- Aboyne campsiteTired and a bit sore we emerge slowly from bed. This is Tom's day, he has a path planned through the Cairngorm back country along minor roads and single track that promises to be both scenic and more enjoyable then doing the '

Cairngorms: Inverness to Tomintoul

2007-06-30T10:43:00.000Z

Day 33Distance- 93km (1587)Weather- sunshine, little rain, head windHighlights-the barren hills of the CairngormsLowlights- the long day and a few very steep hillsAccommodation- Tomintoul Youth HostelAll happy to be heading out of Inverness this morning. We head off along the number 7 which we take us to as far as Boat of Garten. Soon to become directional challenged as signs seem to be pointing

Inverness

2007-06-29T15:26:00.000Z

Day 32Distance- 0km (1494)Weather- sunnyHighlights-Lowlights- lunch opps and dinner!Accommodation- Inverness campsiteRest day. slept in. relaxed. May change our route mmmm very tempting. Walked around down trying to find a few things but not much success. Funny lunch in a little cafe, worst coffee yet. Lot of internet in the afternoon.

Great glen Way: Loch Ness to Inverness

2007-06-28T15:14:00.000Z

Day 31Distance- 63km (1494)Weather- SunshineHighlights- MTB at Abriachan, Dinner at Alan and Charity'sLowlights- the campsite was no cigarAccommodation- Glasgow Campsite, near swimming poolSore sore sore. Pete's knees, now Tom's knee and Sarah's whole body. We all agreed to road ride into Drummodochit, the home of all things Nessy. Hopes were high for a good Bakery but the bakery was more of a

Great Glen Way: Fort William to Loch Ness

2007-06-27T14:56:00.000Z

Day 30Distance- 79km (1431)Weather- sunchine, rain on and offHighlights- the elevated cycle way along the LochLowlights- day 6 since Glasgow, kms taking there tollAccommodation- Loch Ness Youth HostelEveryone was little tired and sore today. We were looking forward to the Great Glen way, a route from coast to coast from Fort William to Inverness. It was originally a walk way but has been

West Higland Way: Kingshouse to Fort William

2007-06-26T14:30:00.000Z

Day 29 (1 month on the road)Distance- 50kmkm (1352), Ben Nevis 14kmWeather- sunshineHighlights- Glen coe, what a ride, Ben Nevis summitLowlights- Groups split, missed Ben Nevis MTB parkAccommodation- Glen Nevis campsite, nice locationThe morning was off to a great start with a sun drenched valley and mountains at breakfast. Then a down hill ride into Glen Coe. The scenery has to be pretty specky

Summary week 4

2007-06-25T17:44:00.000Z

Dumfries to KingshouseDistance- 414km (1302)Highlights- Tom joins the team in Glasgow, Allan and Wendy's hospitality, staying at Billy and Jilly's, first radio interview with ABC National, road through the Galloway forest, meeting the midges, passing the 100km mark, MTB at Glen trool, Makintosh buildings in Glasgow, Locg Lommend national park, Inveranan campsite, West Highland way, Kingshouse

West Highland Way: Inverarnan to Kingshouse

2007-06-25T14:05:00.000Z

Day 28Distance-43 km (1302)Weather- all sortsHighlights- West Highland Way, Kingshouse campsiteLowlights- Group splitting/conflictAccommodation- Kingshouse campsiteWoke to a sun bathed campsite, what a way to start the adventure along the West Highland Way. Spirits were high since we had all been looking forward to this section. We set off along the path, keen, with Tom in the lead. The path was

Scotland:Glasgow to Inverarnan

2007-06-24T13:51:00.000Z

Day 27Distance- 82 km (1259)Weather- rain on and off, over castHighlights- Loch Lommend, Inverarnan campsiteLowlights- eating lunch in the rainAccommodation- Inverarnan campsite, great placeKeen to get on the road. Part 3 or 4 of the trip, day 1 for Tom and another departure shot. We quickly made our way through the streets of Glasgow, not many Scots up at 8 am on a Sunday. We were soon to hit

Scotland:Glasgow

2007-06-23T13:44:00.000Z

Day 26Distance- 0km (1177)Weather- rain, cloudyHighlights- Visting all things MacintoshLowlights- Peter and Bridgette fightingAccommodation- Billy and Jilly's houseWe woke up in nice comfortable beds and had a very civilized breakfast sitting at our hosts table near a bayside window. Tom, Sarah and Peter went out on a mission for out door gear in the morning and Bridgette finished off some

Scotland: Moscow to Glasgow

2007-06-22T07:21:00.000Z

Day 25Distance- 57km (1177)Weather- sunshineHighlights- Tom joining us, staying at Billy and Jilly houseLowlights- entering GlasgowAccommodation-Billy and Jilly's houseAfter a huge cooked breakfast we hit the road at about 10am and headed towards Glasgow, home of everything Mackintosh.We had a great tip from Allan and Wendy to follow the A77. A bit doubtful at first, we soon found that since the

Scotland: Balloch to Moscow!

2007-06-21T07:10:00.000Z

Day 24Distance- 88km (1140)Weather- sunny with a thunder storm in the afternoonHighlights- staying with Alan and Wendy, home cookingLowlights- Ayre, midges (quickest pack up)Accommodation- Alan Wendy's houseThe day started by being completely swarmed by midgies. Up until now we were a little skeptical about these Scottish midgies that make grown men cry. This morning that legend was proven,

Scotland: Creetown to Balloch

2007-06-20T06:23:00.000Z

Day 23 (1000km!)Distance- 66km (1046)Weather- on and off, sunshine and rainHighlights- Gleb trool MTBLowlights- gravel road to Glen trool, midge fest, forgetting to shopAccommodation- Wild camp in galloway forest with about 2 billion midgesWoke this morning to the sound of rain, oh no, not again. But it eased just as we pulled ourselves out of bed to go and search for the best mobile phone

Scotland: Dumfries to Creetown

2007-06-19T05:47:00.000Z

Day 22Distance- 92km (980)Weather- sunshineHighlights- entering the Galloway forest, Cream of Galloway icecreamLowlights- having to pass up wild camping due to interview in the morningAccommodation- Creetown campsiteAfter a great nights sleep in a real bed, we spent the morning making phone calls and researching the internet, in an attempt to sort out a bunch of stuff. We headed off at about 10am

Summary week 3

2007-06-18T17:28:00.000Z

Kendal to DumfriesDistance- 228km (888)Highlights- Grisdale MTB and sculpture park, Coniston Youth hostel, surviving Kirkstone pass, reunited as a team at Carsile, Galloway ice-cream, flat fast roads into Dumfries, meeting Andy and JaneTrails- Pennie Bridle Way, High Peak trailMTB- North Face track Grizdale, Starvely tracksBreakdowns- everyone on Kirkstone pass!

England/Scotland: Dalston to Dumfries

2007-06-18T06:05:00.000Z

Day 21Distance- 98km (888)Weather- sunshineHighlights- flat fast road, styaing with Andy and JaneLowlights- killing time at the pubAccommodation- Andy and Jane's atticA quite exciting thing occurred for the first time today, our first boarded crossing. Alas, it was only England to Scotland, but a change of countries, accents and laws, none the less.It was going to be about a 100Km day, which was

Rest day in Carlisle

2007-06-17T14:35:00.000Z

Day 20Distance-0 km (790), 20km walkWeather- sunshineHighlights- dhal and chapatis by the MSR with TomLowlights- Carsile central, not knowing where to find good coffeeAccommodation- Dalston CampingWe had a great rest day in Carlisle today, which gave us the chance to completely update the website. Fantastic!Sarah is still missing after being kidnapped by Tom and rushed to Bath for a wedding, but

Lakes District: Pattersdale to Dalston

2007-06-16T12:05:00.000Z

Day 19Distance- 55km (790)Weather- sunshineHighlights- speed racing along the long flat straightsLowlights- Rhaged, commercial holeAccommodation- Dalston campsite and golf courseGreat nights sleep, dry night sleep.Rescued everything from the drying room, lovely and dry. Off around Ullswater which despite being on the A road was fantastic. The water was flat as a pancake with beautiful reflections

Lakes District: Coniston to Pattersdale

2007-06-15T12:13:00.000Z

Day 18Distance- 25km (735)Weather- rain, hail, sleet and strong wind (worst weather ever on a bike)Highlights- the pub at Kirkstone passLowlights- pushing up kirkstone pass (20% incline) in fowl weatherAccommodation- Pattersdale Youth HostelWoke to hear the rain pouring down and the howl of mountain wind outside. Mmmm... might skip that early morning walk to explore the hills.Getting started took

Lakes District: Grizedale to Coniston

2007-06-14T12:40:00.000Z

Day 17Distance- 18km (710)Weather- rain, rain, rainHighlights- Coniston Youth hostel, best placed we have stayed so farLowlights- the persistant rain, climb to youth hostelAccommodation- Coniston Copper Mines Youth HostelVery, very wet night. Rain, more rain and more rain. After a quick breakfast we hit the road, down to the visitor’s centre where we knew they had an outdoor shelter. We played

Lakes District: Staveley to Grizedale

2007-06-13T13:02:00.000Z

Day 16Distance- 55km (692), 16km off trackWeather- rain, rain, rainHighlights- Grizdale North f-ace track and sculptur parkLowlights- Arguement between Bridgette and SarahAccommodation- Grizedale camping in the forestTook the B road in to Windermere. Did some shopping, then tried to catch the ferry which had 'planned engineering works’ at 11am? Brought back memories of London transport. Nice but

Lakes District: Kendal to Staveley

2007-06-12T13:17:00.000Z

Day 15Distance- 36km (657)Weather- low lying cloud, rainHighlights- MTB with out trailer, dinner outLowlights- not completing the high peaks trail due to the weatherAccommodation- Staveley Carvan and CampingWe decided we need a shower and some creature comforts so looked up the local caravan and camping club site and moved on from the farm. They were kind enough to book us in early so we could

Summary week 2

2007-06-11T17:13:00.000Z

Hayfield to Burnside (Kendal)Distance- 348km (681)Highlights- Kendal mint cake, Crowden campsite, walking part of the Pennie way, Holfirth bakery, dinner with Pam and Paul, Yorkshire dales, cycling the plateau behind Dent, eating dinner in a green house while a thunderstorm is outsideTrails- Pennie Bridle Way, Longsdale trailBreakdowns- repair spokes and bottom bracket replaced on Sarah's bike

Lakes District: Day off Kendal

2007-06-11T14:48:00.001Z

Day 14Distance- 0km (681)Weather- stinking hot day with specky thunder storm in eveningHighlights- eating dinner in the green houseLowlights- Sarah's phone is stolen (but returned)Accommodation- Burside hill hall farm againWe decided we had deserved a much needed day off. We woke in the orchard to the sound of a cow giving birth in the bottom paddock and sheep baring ohhh the country life.After a

Yorkshire Dales: Horton-in-ribblesdale to Burnside (Kendal)

2007-06-10T14:19:00.000Z

Day 13Distance- 74km (681)Weather- sunshineHighlights- meeting other MTB riders on the plateau before DentLowlights- the up hill to the plateauAccommodation- Burnside Hill Hall farm, prime position in orchard due to carving in camping paddockWe headed off early and put in a good 25km to Ingleton. Rolling hills, sunshine and the Yorkshire dales. We stopped in Ingleton for a breather and found a

Yorkshire Dales: Worsthone to Horton-in-ribblesdale

2007-06-09T14:21:00.000Z

Day 12Distance- 74km (521)Weather- sunshineHighlights- Yorkhire dalesLowlights- the 5 miles up hill in drizzle to the campsiteAccommodation- Horton-in-ribblesdale campite, paddock with toiletsA night interrupted by Saturday night partying and semi trailers but still felt refreshed in the morning. We set off into Burnley to seek out a bike shop, do some shopping and finally phone home. Peter got

Luddenden to Worthorne

2007-06-08T14:56:00.000Z

Day 11Distance- 32km (447)Weather- sunshineHighlights- Pennie Bridle Way, dinner out with Paul and PamelaLowlights- slowness of Pennie Bridle Way, not finding campsite till 6pmAccommodation- Worthorne campsite, one star no facilitiesWe left our beautiful campsite early after a bit of chit chat with the caretaker. We cruised along the canals along to Hebden Bridge. This lived up to the

Peaks District: Crowden to Luddenden

2007-06-07T15:23:00.000Z

Day 10Distance- 54km (415)Weather- sunshineHighlights- Holfirth Bakery, Holfirth BakeryLowlights- the last 3 miles up hill to the campsiteAccommodation- Luddenden (Booth) campsiteWe were excited to get started after a day off the bikes. We headed down to rejoin the Langdendale track which followed the old train line up the valley. Unfortunately the tunnel was closed so we had to push up a very

Peaks District: Crowden Rest day

2007-06-06T13:37:00.000Z

Day 9Distance- 0km (361), 20km walkWeather- stunning sunshineHighlights- being up on the moore along the Pennie Way is such great weatherLowlights- leaving Peter at the campsite to get boredAccommodation- Crowden campsiteAfter hoppling into camp last night we decided to give Pete's knee a rest today. He had strict doctor’s orders (x2) to rest and do nothing.Sarah and Bridgette set off early and

Peak District: Hayfield to Crowden

2007-06-05T13:48:00.000Z

Day 8Distance- 28km (361)Weather- sunshineHighlights- internet stop, crowden campsiteLowlights- Peter can barely walk with his kneeAccommodation- Crowden campsiteLeft the beautiful town of hayfield, and followed the Pennie bridle way on. Slow work with Pete really suffering with a persistent sore knee. Had lunch in Glossop, the first internet stop for the trip.Headed off to find the Longsdale

Week 1 Summary

2007-06-04T16:15:00.000Z

London to HayfieldDistance- 333kmHighlights- leaving of course, Sarah managing with a back pack for a week, meetignup with Tom for the weekend and exploring the Peaks district, MTB Lady Bower, MTB track into Hayfield.Trails- Pennie Bridle Way, High Peak trailMTB- Lady Bower, Pennie Bridle Way Accommodation- 5 nights camping, 1 youth hostel and 1 pubBreakdowns- 5 punctures in trailer tyres,

Peaks district: Carsinton water to Hayfield

2007-06-04T13:57:00.000Z

Day 7Distance- 62km (333)Weather- misty morning, clear sunny afternoonHighlights- High Peak trail, Pennie Bridle way-decent into HayfieldLowlights- Pennie Bridle WayAccommodation- Hayfield CampsiteHigh mood this morning, back on the road again after the weekend break. Low mist had settled in to the area giving the morning riding quiet atmospheric feel. We were treat to some rolling hills and

Peaks district: Rest day

2007-06-03T14:16:00.000Z

Day 6Distance- 0km (274.8)Weather- glorious sunshineHighlights- seeing the peaks district, pints of coffee at Railway CafeLowlights- being very tird, loosing climbing gear alamost losing tevaAccommodation- Carsington water pub paddockWoke early after the worst night sleep in living memory. Felt like I was coming off nights. We packed up our tent early and waited till Tom and Sarah woke up. People

Peaks district: Rest day

2007-06-02T14:31:00.000Z

Day 5Distance- 17.4km (274.8)Weather- sunshineHighlights- seeing Tom, finding the MTB tracks at Lady bower lakeLowlights- being moved on from a campsite at 10pm at nightAccommodation- Wild camp next to an A road in a sheep paddock with sheepLate start to the day as Tom and Sarah had a sleep in and there was a lot of stuff to sort. We then headed off to Lake Lady Bower for MTBing. We first started

Ashby-de-la-zouch to Carsington Water

2007-06-01T14:44:00.000Z

Day 4Distance- 65.4km (257)Weather- sunshineHighlights- finding the campsite was only 1 mile away at the end of the dayLowlights- Sarah starting with flatAccommodation- Carsington Water campsiteThe day started well, with Sarah waking with a flat. Then Peter helped a local camper, doing some routine maintenance to their boy’s bike. We made it a priority to stop at a bike store to get new tyres and

Maidwell to Ashby-de-la-zouch

2007-05-31T15:26:00.000Z

Day 3Distance- 105km (191.7)Weather- sunshine and thunder storm in eveningHighlights- tunnels, the man who held an umbrella for us in the eveningLowlights- long day, 5 punctures, arriving late in the rainAccommodation- Caravan and camping site, Ashby-de-la-zuchToday saw us following the National Cycle Network predictably northward; with us getting really edgy waiting for the good stuff to really

Milton Keynes to Maidwell

2007-05-30T14:57:00.000Z

Day 2Distance- 74.4km (85.7)Weather- little rainHighlights- national cycle network, staying at a B&B, discovering hump coversLowlights- few minor repairsAccommodation- Maidwell PubAfter our first night of complete un-employment we happily assumed the title of world-travelers. Maybe a little optimistic at this stage, but you know us! We spent our first night in a YHA, which was full of middle-aged

London to Milton Keynes

2007-05-29T14:48:00.000Z

Day 1Distance- 14.4km (14.4)Weather- rain, hail, sleet and strong windHighlights- starting! in the sunshineLowlights- the weather and taking the trainAccommodation- Milton Keynes Youth HostelWell after the disastrous start of Sarah having her trailer stolen from the train, we spent an extra two days in London sorting out police reports and replacing lost items. Unable to acquire a new trailer

Hampstead to Hackney

2007-05-29T05:08:00.003Z

We departed West Hampstead in a flurry at 11 am on the 27thMay, making an epic journey across London to Hackney. Perhaps not as far as we expected but in view of the circumstances it was far enough. Sarah had arrived the day before to Kings cross station to join us for the first 5 weeks. Only to find all her gear stolen from the train. This was devastating news.We spent most of Saturday chasing

Off and Racing!

2007-05-27T13:16:00.000Z

As you will probably guess we are writing this post slightly in advance, but considering that most of you are in Australia and are 11 hours ahead of us, it is sort of the correct day. There will also be no photos yet as you need to pretend that this is all happening in the future, and we have just finished our first day of cycling.Bridgette arrived back in London after a week in Vancouver for

architecture, birmingham, barcelona

2007-05-13T18:36:00.000Z

It's been a while since I last posted anything about architecture, come to think about it, I don't think I have actually done a complete post dedicated to buildings, hopefully this may be the first.Last week I received some very exciting news indeed. As some of you may know, I had applied for a postgraduate course in Barcelona at the IaaC. Well, after 7 months of waiting, course modification,

The Gambia 3- The Beach and Community Medical Education

2007-05-10T19:33:00.000Z

After an exhausting week, the all of 3 days! we headed down the coast for some R&R in a tree house bungalow. We all squeezed into the land rover with people suffering a little.Fire wood was collected on the way which allow for a stop in a local bike shop.Our destination was Bilbao beach resort which unfortunately had a bush fire several weeks prior. Mmmm no tree houses. We passed the time

Mini Cycle Tour: South East England

2007-05-09T13:00:00.000Z

May Long weekendWe had a great time, 4 days, 270km, the white chalk cliffs, beautiful Southern Downs, nuclear power plants, a visit Auntie Pam, head winds, rain, more rain and a spectacular crash!Hassock to EastborneEmily found out she had work and I was free so we headed off on the Friday and Pete joined later. We had a funny time getting the bikes on to the train in London, dragging them up

The Gambia 2- Medical Facilities Banjul/Fajara

2007-05-07T19:13:00.000Z

Our first introduction to the Gambian health care system was at the infamous Medical Research Unit (MRC). We heard much about this facility during our course, with much of the British research in west Africa coming from their facilities. In addition to research they provided limited health care to the local Gambian and toubabs. The service consists of a triage system, an outpatient facility and

The Gambia 1 The Tourist Coast

2007-05-06T18:51:00.000Z

You might already know that I recently spent 2 weeks in The Gambia. This was part of the Tropical Medicine Diploma I was doing in London over the winter. I was there with 8 other doctors to explore and experience The Gambia and their health care system. We had a great time with some definite highlights but also a few low points. Highlights:

John butler trio & critical mass

2007-04-28T11:06:00.000Z

We went to see another gig on Thursday night, but unfortunately it was another Australian band. Even when we are overseas, we keep going back to music from home, maybe that is telling us something. So we set off and took Emily to her first London concert which was the John Butler Trio, performing at the magnificent Roundhouse in Camden. As usual JBT were absolutely brilliant, playing a 2

australian news travels fast!

2007-04-20T11:56:00.000Z

It seems that Australia's dry spell is starting to make an impact in international news. A two page feature and the front cover of today’s Independent, click here for the story.It goes on to say how dire the situation is, how the Liberal party can't even agree if it will or won't work without Victoria and, more interestingly, how the UN has warned Australia about the potential of this situation

wales part ii

2007-04-13T09:34:00.000Z

Sorry I haven’t got around to posting the second part of my wales trip, things have been a bit hectic with the return to work after a 5 day break, not to mention that I awoke on Wednesday morning with a shocking head cold that I’m only just starting to get rid of.Our second mtb adventure was the descent of Cadair Idris, a mountain in Snowdonia with a towering height of 893m. This is one of the

Places in Wales have funny names!

2007-04-08T08:37:00.000Z

The train journey from London to Porthmadog was a bit if an epic, close to eight hours of bum-numbing travel. At least I could get up and walk around the train as I needed. Four trains meant that there were three mad dashes at different train stations to make sure I got the next one in time, which is always fun, particularly through large crowds with a bike and rucksack with you.England is flat!

What a week

2007-04-05T08:45:00.000Z

What a week it has been, with plenty of ups and downs. Bridgette had her exams on Monday and Tuesday, with the results coming out sometime today. So fingers crossed that it all goes well.To celebrate her finishing we went to see 300 last night, based on the graphic novel by Frank Miller, of Sin City fame. Visually it was an absolute feast, being stylized perfectly to match the feel of the

Happy Easter everyone

2007-04-03T13:53:00.000Z

Exams are now done yippppppppeeee. Gambia watch out here i come! I need to get some sunscreen, a big hat and lots of film before Friday! Exciting news is that, Emily arries in the UK while I am away and Peter is off mountian biking in Northern Wales. So we should have some fun pictures and stories to tell when we get back. Hope to hear all about everyone elses adventures.Bridgette

A critical quiet week

2007-03-31T16:05:00.000Z

Sorry, we have been a little quiet this week, and for a very good reason.Bridgette has her exams on Monday and Tuesday next week, so is spending a ridiculous amount of time with her head in the books, despite the great weather outside today (talk about will power!).The most amazing thing happened on the way home from work last night though. Upon leaving work I found a convoy of about 1500

Barbican Birthday with Aalto

2007-03-19T13:38:00.000Z

Another year, another birthday.This one happened to be 27.Saturday saw us have a pretty boring day, although we did go and see the new David Lynch film, Inland Empire. At three hours long, it almost caused me to have a brain hemorrhage. Lynch is pretty tough going at the best of times, but this film was a complete Head-Messer. A single story, that looks like it is actually five, dream-like

Good german friends, smelly cheese and funk elctro

2007-03-16T08:44:00.000Z

Welcome to London! Katharina and Marek arrived on Sunday, bringing the sun with them. Along came the fantastic German accents and glorious food too. Marek will be for ever known for asking for two pin-ts (pronounced like the pin you sew with) and for producing cheese that would challenge my 10 day old bush walking socks. But the cheese was soooo good. Also great wine!Sunday was a fine day, blue

LCD Soundsystem are playing at our house, at our house!

2007-03-15T13:40:00.000Z

It really has been the fortnight for live music, last week it was Jet, last night it was New York outfit, LCD Soundsystem.We've had a couple of friends staying with us for a few nights while they visit London. Katharina and Marek got some time off work in Friburg (southern Germany) and came to visit us. Katriana did an exchange to Australia a few years ago, and her host family was Bridgette's.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is.....

2007-03-08T09:40:00.000Z

The two highlights of the past few days would have to be my first experience of bicycle theft, and seeing Jet play. Thankfully my bike was securely chained to the fence, so they only stole the brake pads and mounts. It was quite funny actually, after being on our good bikes all weekend with disc brakes I did the usual thing on a Monday morning and reminded both of us about our brakes, to which

Mud Biking/Bishop Shortford

2007-03-05T17:46:00.000Z

Great weekend, visiting friends, mud biking and Bridgette's family heritage.Saturday we jumped on the tube and headed out to Epping. Beautiful day, lots of sunshine. So much so, we almost didn't pack the rain coats. First stop was Sawbridgeworth where my father grew up. Visited his old house, the church where my grandparents are buried and walked around the river Stort. Those who have seen Hot

Cool web sites

2007-02-28T13:32:00.000Z

ok, I know the blog is meant to about news etc but check out these websiteshttp://www.worldmapper.org Visualising Health Inequalities: world maps of death, disease and unhealthy environments. very coolhttp://www.popconnect.org/ Education and action for a better world. You can buy a great DVD/video on here which shows the growth of the human population since before AD and into the future. It

Swamp trip

2007-02-28T13:12:00.000Z

The swamp trip on the weekend was fun. We went out to the swamps in Kent to hunt for the anopheles mosquito the one that transmits malaria. This involved scavenging around in an old bunker with a lot of spiders and fishing larvae out of swamps!Believe it or not Malaria was common on the UK and Europe up until the beginning of the century. The last outbreak was in Kent when some soldiers infected

Abbey Road + Portobello Market

2007-02-21T11:12:00.000Z

We spent Sunday walking down to Portobello Markets. The trip took us straight down Abbey road (which our street turns into) which obviously is home to Abbey Road Studios, the recording home of the Beatles classic album of the same name, along with most of their other material. It has been, and continues to be, utilized by a huge number of amazingly successful artists including, Shirley Bassey,

overland07 are Local Heroes

2007-02-19T14:26:00.000Z

We have recently been featured in two publications, in the space of 2 weeks. At this rate we should be the number 1 searched for term on Google in no time. On February 1st 2007 General Practice South featured us in their bi-monthly newsletter, on page 2! You can read the article here.The Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning featured us on their website, A Fairer World, on February 15th 2007.

Babel, the heath and sunday newspapers

2007-02-12T17:45:00.000Z

After a big week of study and work, Sunday we took it easy. We finally got up to Hampstead Heath which is large park near our house. Lovely area with mammoth houses. Nice park, lots of people with dogs, and jogging. The rest of the day was spent lazing around reading the Sunday Telegraph, which we think is not quite as good as the Sunday Times, with neither rating against the Age for a good

Study Munchkin

2007-02-12T17:19:00.000Z

I was off to Liverpool on Thursday night despite the snow. It was an epic 5 hour bus ride which got there at 11pm at night. Why you might say? To complete a pre-exam prep course for the Travel Medicine Exam in Vancouver, which I hope to be doing. It was a full on two days of lectures from the 'expert' in the industry.I will post the details of the course for those with a special interest in

Snow again!

2007-02-08T14:51:00.000Z

Woke up this morning and found a good 5cm of snow in the drive way, the best part was that it didn't stop falling until about 11am. So you can imagine what the ride into work today was like, cold, slow and slushy.It is quite amazing how a little bit of snow falls and the world as we know it grinds to and halt as if Armageddon had happened, but we some how managed to all survive. I tell you,

Go the Wolf!

2007-02-06T10:50:00.000Z

It is official, they came, they played, they conquered. Second time round they were rockin! A full set of their entire album, with a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown” thrown in for good measure. They had the crowd pumping from the word go with slick guitar riffs, psychedelic jam interludes and screeching vocals! Anyone would have thought that we were at a gig sometime in the