Well I’ve been pretty slow biking through Spain, had to replace my back tyre the other day was fortuitous enough to have an entire troupe of French cycle tourists turn up when I realised my glue had turned to putty for my puncture repair kit (damn lucky!). I then detoured to Siguenza which is a lovely little place with a huge castle.

Then a lovely bike ride to Guadalajara where I’m staying a few days before heading to Aranjuez where apparently there’s a campsite. I’m bypassing Madrid, having biked in London and Paris I know how much of a nightmare it is on a bike to enter and exit those things. I might in the future get a train from the outskirts into the central if it’s really messy. Anyhow I think I’ve gone through some of the hardest terrain so far, and I’ve succeeded, all that’s left now in my mind is Andorra after I do Gibraltar and Portugal, I will have the hardest challenge yet. After I do that… Everything and anything should be possible.

So while I’m here I’m buying maps and more camping gas (as mine ran out recently). Maps appear to be a rarity in Spain newsagents and bookstores don’t seem to have them and even petrol stations only had high grade (10km : 1cm) maps. I don’t want to be in the situation I was recently just following the names of towns and numbers written on a piece of paper with little clue as to the distances and terrain involved. It was.. Unpleasant.

So I started biking on Monday I travelled to Bristol in 2 days which is around 100 miles a massive improvement on my prior bike ride down to Devon! Either way I camped near Taunton in a field, then after I hit Bristol decided to stay with friends down in Swansea, I used a train for that part, weak I know, but it felt like back tracking at the time (Swansea is only 40 or so miles from where I live on the other side of the Bristol channel).

Anyhow as I do every time I do a ride I learnt a lot, how to put up a tent at night in the rain (god did it rain), how to fix broken pannier clips, how to arrange clothes and goods so necessaries are closer to the top, how to pace myself at appropriate times…

Either way I’m in Swansea till Sunday the 8th then I’m getting back to Bristol, then I’m off to Newbury so I should be there late on the 9th early on the 10th for a few days. Hmm… Must find somewhere to stay… Starts getting mobile and looking about

My Euro insurance starts on the 20th when I hit Calais, so from Newbury to London then London to Canterbury, finally from there to Dover and my journey begins in earnest . It’s been a long time coming and I’m glad it’s finally happening, even after the shocking rain and numbing cold of biking for 55 miles from near Taunton to Bristol (arrived at around 3 in the afternoon) I am still as enthused as ever, so that must be a good sign.

I feel that I’ve been procrastinating for ages I know there’s been gales and blizzards but seriously I’m not 3 months overdue for this trip FINALLY, I’m on the move. I’ll post more the more I do. But anyhow March the 20th Europe bound.

Trying to find a place to stay in Calais this week, then maybe see about Paris and my route to Spain. The options as they say are endless!!

On another note, there is a downside to all this, I’m leaving behind new good friends, old familiar friends and people I’ve got back in contact with over my 3 months of being at home. Especially will miss family Mum seemed so upset but happy for me, Dad really seems proud I’m doing this, my brother also seemed impressed by my distance crunching over the last 2 days, for some reason I’m always eager to impress him above others so I appreciate it when he praises me. I know i have to do this but I wish I could bring them all along for the ride. Part of any journey is the experience you and the friends you make share.

Having said that, many people also said they would join me for parts of my trip! Which is awesome even if only one or two of them do, I want to share this, having a friend beside you somehow always makes things better, funnier and more worthwhile.