Many photos and videos to come...

     After a whopping 2,100m climb up 

                        the Alps.

Firstly we really must apologise to everyone who has checked our blog for updates during our trip, and found a rather disappointingly empty page. Having never before embarked on a trip such as this, we really overestimated the amount of free time and internet access we would have to update the blog with writing, pictures and videos. As we would really love to share all of our trip with all of you, we will be adding lots of photos and videos soon after we get back in about 3 weeks! :) Due to our route change, we are also now cycling all the way home, and are currently in Germany, after cycling over the Alps. We are having a little finish line event in Stroud on our return, and it would be great to see you all there. It is at 1:30 pm on Saturday the 28th of June, outside the Subscription rooms! :)

Heading into Slovakia + Hungary!

Sorry for lack of posts, we've got lots of tales to tell however we're finding our rest days are taken with maintaining the bikes and washing clothes! (Of course we've been enjoying the sites as well!) we'll post some updated shortly 

My first time abroad (written by Jonas)

It's quite crazy to say until a week before we departed on our cross Europe adventure, I didn't even own a passport (luckily it did come in time!).

I'd never stepped out of the UK, though we did have one rainy holiday to the Isles of Scilly, but for the past 19 years I've been roaming around Blighty. 

Neither had I been on a plane, but that's no way to travel, fair enough if you need to cross the Atlantic or Pacific. Cycling is the perfect way to travel, no question about it. 

Plus though we are carrying a lot of kit with us, it's honestly the bear minimum, almost every bit of gear we carry, we use on a daily basis. 

Maybe it's because we're cycling for a good cause but everyone we're met have been so friendly and generous, even the car drivers give us much more space - people have said there is road rage here too but we've not experienced any, (despite me going around a round-a-bout the wrong way in Nantes!).

The cycle route along the Loire was not only paved but the landscape was beautiful, most days we could easily clock up 50, 60 miles however one day we found a campsite with wifi.. We might have left slightly later than 8am - couple hours later we were finally on the road.  

Heading East along the Loire to Orleans we stopped briefly to check the Garmin; a lady putting out her bins asked us if we were lost, we said we were ok but Matty asked  if we could use her Wifi, after showing her a rather battered A5 post of what we are doing, she invited us in for a drink. Not long after we has been invited for dinner and allowed to say the night in their garage! With rain forecast for the morning, we could hardly say no. 

I'm quickly realizing that meal times mean a lot more to the French than the British; it's the norm to eat as a family whether it's at breakfast or dinner and shops shut at lunch time, even some supermarkets!

I've learnt more about French culture over a couple meals with the many kind families than three years of French classes at school. 

We've had many more warm receptions from people along the route, I'm sure Matty will cover them in his blog!

Photos

These roads are just endless and demoralising, please god give us a corner!

There was no sign saying we couldn't camp in this field.

That hill was just a bit too long and steep, and unfortunately killed me!

There are no cateyes in France, but not to worry, as Jesus is absolutely EVERYWHERE to guide us.

Usually you add a little Jam to Porridge, but oh well...

Casually having a fry up in the town centre.

Beginning

Thank you to everyone for donating and supporting us on our ride. We will try our absolute best to keep this blog updated, but we do rely on finding free wifi to do that. The trip has already been adventurous to say the least. Unfortunately we won't be able to complete it crash free, as some such event might possible have already occurred!...but there have been many high points too, and so many nice people that we've met. Someone has even already taken us in for the night! One question I do have, is 'why is there no bloody proper milk for sale anywhere in France'? :) There are plenty of cows in the fields we've cycled by, but there seems to be some sort of French technical problem when it comes to getting the milk from the udders into a bottle, and putting it on the shelves! At least we've got dried milk powder, which does of course look just like washing powder, which isn't surprising really, as it tastes just like it too! ...all part if the fun out here!  Until next time! :D

'Jonas and I reaching Portsmouth Sunday night to make the ferry'