So finally I dragged myself to Bordeaux it’s taken forever, not because of difficult biking but because I’ve been busy having fun. So I’m restricting myself to 2 days here leaving on the Sunday (maybe monday morning). Then I cross the green desert, seriously there’s nothing there but forest I think for freaking miles! I AM going to be in Spain by may. Then I’m going to put some serious miles in per day.

The trip though is going great, I have got sunburned but it’s not so severe I’m unable to move. Hopefully with a bit of luck I’ll be able to survive the Spanish heat when I get there. Today I’m searching for a cap to wear to keep the sun of my rudolph style nose .

I’ve met some fantastic people through Couchsurfing, through youth hostels, at bars and on the road. From people walking to Spain, to two English guys who biked around Europe in the 70’s and another bike tourist on his way to Madrid.

Everyone of them has been positive about my trip and envious, I feel I can’t ever stop now, as if I’d be letting them down along with myself. I have been slowed up and now it’s time to pull out the stops I feel when I see the Pyrénées things will change, I’ve set that as an end date to wasting my free moments and getting everything in gear.

Today I’m also sending my first batch of stuff back to home, excess stuff that’s completely useless. This hasn’t been all that informative as a blog update apart from where I am but I’m on a french keyboard in a hostel (no wifi) so I’ll have to wait until I get that before writing more. Hopefully I’ll find a couchsurfer for Saturday/Sunday night.

So it’s been awhile since I wrote, I travelled through Paris, Nibelle, Orleans and arrived on Saturday in Tours  met a whole load of people, I don’t think I can write enough to explain the breadth and length of everything that’s happened and the fantastic experience I’m having. So I’ll give a few highlights.

I met a friend from home called Cress in Orleans for 3-4 days we had a good time, but she pointed out to me how much I’d changed from who I was back home, It’s like discovering your hair has grown or that over time subtle changes have taken root. I was completely unaware that anything had changed until it was pointed out to me. Certainly I feel more confident in myself and my ability to get around, I occasionally forget my phrasebook as I go out these days, which is an obvious improvement of confidence. But there is something deeper, maybe as a traveller there’s no expectations of character when you meet people, so you don’t feel the need to act in a certain way. I think this is a good thing, people rarely get a chance to reinvent themselves. I don’t know quite where it’s all going, but hopefully James version 2.0 will be all that I can make him .

Outside of personal changes I’m amazed constantly by the scenery, biking at a pretty leisurely pace allows you to really appreciate what you’re passing, even when the rain is pouring down, I have however had my fill of Cathedrals for awhile Sacré-Cœur,  Notre-dam,  Amiens, Orléans all have fantastic edifices to Christianity that quite literally blow my mind, especially when one considers the era they were built in without modern aids such as computers, cranes and construction equipment. But like the shrines of Japan I’m feeling a little tired when I see another one. I now look for the differences that make each one interesting.

I am in fact realising I can’t see everything on my route. For instance in Tours I have hardly scratched the surface of this medieval city. I must push on, I hope to be in Spain by the end of April ( should be easy ) I can bike 100-140km in a day quite happily, despite the rain and wind constantly blowing from in front. Tomorrow is a bike ride down to Poitiers where I’m staying a few days. Before heading to Angouléme, Bordeaux, Mont de Marsan maybe? The route is flexible though, and hopefully more regular biking will build up some fitness for the mountains that will very soon be visible on the horizon.

As a final note, I have yet to be lonely for long as I travel, I hunt out a bar or place to go and people just chat with me and wish me all the best, I think I’ve met a handful of people who I didn’t like. So while this might be just luck I also think it shows that people everywhere have good hearts. I am keeping a written journal most days and I’ve started to be more serious about my gear, some stuff is being returned soon and I’m trying to shift gear from the front panniers to the back, then load the front up with food. Eating out just isn’t an option in the long-term and Rice, Pasta with tuna and fresh fruit is not all I want to eat.

So in brief, things are good, equipment is being rethought, youth hostels are great but I can’t keep using them, I am learning to speak French, I miss my friends and I am making new ones, I had a cough that had me bedridden for a day but I’m fine now. Till next time then .