Patience and Adaptation

Patience and adaptation.

Travelling by bicycle is pure, fantastic and totally simple. Travelling as a family is sometimes very complicated and requires a huge adaptation on both our parts and l am having to learn to lose my selfish ways very quickly. This truly is a family event and l would never describe anything l have ever done as a challenge but this is definetly our family challenge. We will head towards Asia together, sometimes too slowly for my liking but we are a family and l'm forgetting plans for being here or being there by a certain time because at the end of the day it's completely not important.

After this confession l would like to apologise for being so long in writing my news. Personally there has been little time! It seems ages ago that we left Montreal. Two taxis were needed to get to the airport with our immense collection of bikes, trailers, baby carrier, potty and bags. A computer error at the check in desk avoided a 200 dollar excess baggage bill that was actually originally brought down from 600. This made us feel better about the taxi bill not just in Montreal but London also as we were refused entry onto the tube with all our belongings. Another type of racism l thought to myself. So after a smooth transition from Montreal to London via Washington we took the train to Edinburgh to find my sister. I would just add at this point that it was imperative we took taxis everywhere between airports as even just crossing the street between St Pancreas and King Cross in London was more than just a major effort. There are pictures. It's easier by bike came to mind.

We then found my sister! The original plan had been to spend a week in Scotland partly with my sister and partly exploring the true wildness of western Scotland where l had spent quite a bit of my time during my secondary school days. I really wanted to share with Dorothée what l still think is one of the most amazing parts of the world. To hike, go down the pub etc etc. So that is exactly what we did! We visited my old school which felt slightly strange, went the scenic route to Loch Tay, spent time on the Isle of Skye and in the Cuillins as well as passing through Kishorn, over to Applecross and by Torridon! All in a Mercedes-Benz! It was all they had left at the hire-car agency. They were short on cars. While hiking in the Cuillins after visiting the Talisker distillery, l landed badly on my left foot, out of practise obviously and had to limp down. That foot still aches right to this very day. Probably tendon damage, not young anymore!

And so to the grand departure. After putting bikes, trailers and everything together we were ready to go at around 11 am on the 6th of October. Pictures with my sister and her boyfriend Neil, Neil's daughter Hayley and her boyfriend Marcus and my good friend Rich who had kindly come up from London after arriving back from Russia to stay with us for two nights. I had been in my own world all morning and even the days before putting stuff together and getting last minute things. There is always something to do when travelling by family. It is certainly not like it used to be. Buy a ticket, put some things in a bag and go. It is different, you have less time for yourself but you share everything you do with someone else and l sincerely believe you form someone very special with all the things you see and experience. This is the plan! Not just for Océanne but for us too. Stop Guru.

Jessica and Neil biked with us for the first 15 miles or so and we realised how much more difficult it is travelling with five bags on the bike and a trailer than just five bags on the bike. Especially on hills and since travelling down to Oxford we realise that Scotland and England is non-stop hills certainly compared to France and Canada! We did take a mountainous route though, first down to Carlisle over Eskdalemuir then through Cumbria, Yorkshire and the Peak District. Because of these hills our progress has been slow although l think we did over 80 km one day and we have been over what seems quite a legendary hill in the local sense between Burnley and Bacup in the Lancashire/Yorkshire area. This is also where my selfish ways have to go out the window. I wait a lot in the hilly sections and l realise l don't like waiting but bugger it we're on holiday so l'm forcing myself to lighten up and take it easy. Either read a book or go back down again!

Near Carlisle we spent three days at my Mother's house. Sitting by the fire, having meals together at home and at the pub. We even got to do our mandatory pilgrimage to my real local where they brew their very own world class ales in the hills of the Lake District on my beloved 25 year old Vespa. Now that is something l cherish! We have camped mainly down to Oxford apart fom two nights, one in a B+B in Rochdale and the other at the Grove Hotel in Buxton that l have to give a special mention as not only is Buxton a really beautiful town in the Peak District but the Grove Hotel is the big bargain and Chris, the manager and his partner Nadia are exceptional. After some talk about biking, baggage and Asia we had a perfect room after two days of big hills and hard biking for, 'a special price'. We walked the town in the evening having the very important battered sausage and chips before Chris offered the local beer back at the base.

As for right at this moment we are in Brussels at Dorothée's brother's apartment after arriving in Oxford two days ago, to meet their new baby. We left most of our equipment in Oxford to do a quick return journey before we get back in the saddle next week after l see friends in London also. We intend to cross the channel at Newaven in order to avoid London and to see more family in East Sussex.

Much Love, Rupert.