Normandy 2012

Day eight

Today is the last day of our Normandy tour and I am waking up at dawn in the forest to the sounds of the birds and small animals walking around the tent.

We went out in the tents in forest at night, with the moon almost full you could see as well as in daylight. We marvelled at the majestic silver landscape for a while until our meditation was interrupted a violent feeling of fear. The sound of a fierce dog, low and growling, commanding the night with its bark. We looked around intensely staring at the trees and then at each other we went back into our tents, like they would provide any protection.

The forest is a fascinating cold and alien place for us. We try to love it, but we give our selves to it with precaution we give one end while holding the other. There is a wilderness within us which the forest calls to, unknown to us, which responds to the forest and we become something that we cannot understand.


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Day seven

We did not prepare for this weather. We thought it was going to be ok, but it is not. The temperature is alarmingly close to freezing in the mornings and our gear is good for sunny happy spring. I get on my bike and try not to talk or think what the fuck I was doing instead of properly packing for this trip. This is the second morning I woke up very cold and continued to be cold for a few hours afterwards until the sun was high. I wear everything I have which looks plain weird. The looks I've been getting from other cyclists on the road are amazing, being dressed in my pyjamas and raincoat.

Day six

Being cold and cycling most of the day, the amount of food we put through us is unreal. There is little muscle recovery from day to day. Being able to eat whatever we like in ridiculous quantities is a liberating experience.

Day five

After a few days being a bit shaky I feel strong again today. I've got 20 kilos of baggage strapped on my bike and I'm attacking the steep hill with everything I have. I can hear my breath strong and steady. I can feel my body chucking out kilowatts. I can smell the forest around me, I am all I ever wanted to be and more.

Thanasis joined us at Caen today. It's good to have him on the team, and I can't but look back on our days cycling in south east asia.

Day four

Often when I cycle I do it a contemplative attitude. I do not think and try to take my surroundings in as much as possible. On this trip me and George will laugh our heads off for a couple of hours then scream at each other, then we'll be grumpy at each other for a while then laugh our heads off again. Our emotions are in full support of what our body is going through. We strike a good team.

Day three

These trips are a unique opportunity to meet real people, unlike the trained facade of those that work in the tourist industry. I appreciate the people in Normandy, polite, sophisticated, open and friendly. The drivers have a lot of respect for cyclists. We got a few people talking to us about their own touring experiences wishing us good luck, and the quality of their smile testified to this.

Cycling in Normandy

distance: 600 km

total expenses: 250 pounds

temperature: 2 to 15 C

Day one

There is a sense of achievement in all of this. It is bizarre how people will throw themselves in hardship voluntarily, but I think it is our natural state to live day by day, to feel our bodies being hungry or tired or fresh and act accordingly. We knew we were ill prepared for this trip but, in a way, that was the point to it. This was just Normandy fora week right? There was a lot of room for error.

Day two

We cycle for a couple of hours and find ourselves on a bend in a forest in front of a bench at midday. We sit and make coffee and sandwiches. The sun comes out. It is a feeling beyond beautiful, watching the sun rays between the leaves of the forest, the leaves that are being gracefully shaken by the wind.

New Forest

We have been talking for quite a while about doing a mini touring trip with Sophie. Just waiting for the right 3 day weekend to cycle to the New Forest.

I had ridden before from Brighton, but we thought it would be more pleasant to get the train and cycle from Chichester. The remainder of the way is another 80km. This makes for a pleasant day when you're on the bike, as you aren't trying to race against the clock to make it there. Including very generous brakes this took us 8 hours. Once you get 5k out of Chichester all the way to 5k close to Southampton it's a beautiful ride. Going to the new forest through Southampton is not the best of ideas though, and next time we will take 2 days to get there through the Isle of Wight.


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South Downs Randonnee

I was approached by Sam to do the South Downs Way Randonnee challenge in January 2011, from Winchester to Eastbourne. I've been wanting to do that for a while but I was thinking of doing it in two days. 100 miles cross country on a bike is pretty damn daunting. 100 miles cross country on a bike on one day is... 100 miles... I said yes, because I didn't want to sound like a pussy. Also I wanted to have a go at it but I didn't think I was ready. Anyway I said yes, so I had to train. I went pretty hard for two months, and took it easy the third month to recuperate.

I felt good before the start at 5:30. We were pretty fast before we had our first break at 40 miles, but I was knackered. I had to go slower or I wouldn't be able to finish. For the rest of the way I alternated between feeling ok and thinking I'm going to finish, to feeling shit and thinking I'm going to have a fucking episode. Never mind. I thought long before the run that the point of reaching Ditchling Beacon would be the deciding point. It's 70-something miles in, probably the highest point along the way and half an hour downhill from home. So you see the dilemma... but I happened to be feeling good at that point. So we pushed on, and on, and on until we could see Eastbourne and then on, to the finishing line. We finished 14 hours after making a start. I was feeling tired but good. I've been feeling good ever since ;-)



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