Mary's Back Blogging

May is here again. The same cannot be said for Spring!

As with many challenging experiences, memories re-organise themselves and the more pleasurable bubble to the surface and the least pleasant plummet to the depths. Such is human nature or mine anyway. So, my enthusiasm at the prospect of once more riding the trail almost saw us drowned before we had got underway. I quashed my enthusiasm for commencing this journey at the beginning of May, and truculently agreed with Mr. Organiser (who has once again been responsible for all the hard work and logistics), to delay take off until the middle of said month. It seems that he may have been communing with the god of weather and had been alerted to the fact that this was to be the wettest April on record! I know not how many inches of water have been deposited on the earth but it has unremittingly fallen from a miserably grey sky for over two weeks and winds, nostril or otherwise, have downed large trees. Two soggy cyclists would have been easy pickings for a series of unforgiving depressions.  My man may also have had a passing acquaintance with the god of bad teeth who decreed that I would require time consuming treatment on a large and painful molar. (a paltry inconvenience compared with the broken bones of last year.) Training has all but halted on the roads and continued in the loft courtesy of our machines of torture. The dentist has contributed with her own machine of torture. So another ten days must pass before we set off for the mouth of the Loire. Ten days, during which, I am assured, we will see a diminution in the amount of wetness and a re-acquaintance with a benevolent sun. Not easy to believe as I gaze through the window at the stair rods spattering the garden.

One of the greatest pleasures of our last undertaking, was the communication I enjoyed with all you readers (10,000 page views from over 30 countries)- so welcome all.  We commence this new venture at the mouth of the river Loire which is a mere five hours from home rather than the five days of last year. Once more, we have recruited the generosity of friends, this time, Deborah and Brendan, to transport us, bikes and trailers to St. Nazaire. The 13^th May should see us at the beginning of the 4000 km pedal to the Black Sea. I am looking forward to telling you of our pursuit of the EV6 and of enjoying your company on the way.